The Ph.D. MR - CVS only admits students once per year in the fall. All students are required to be in Munich from mid October until early December (you can go home in time for Christmas!) for the Study Block I.

The Ph.D. Medical Research – Cardiovascular Science progra is officially designed as a three-year program (six semesters). During this period, Ph.D. candidates complete structured coursework, participate in the mandatory study blocks, and conduct their individual research projects.

While the program is structured to support completion within three years, the actual duration of a Ph.D. may vary depending on the nature of the research project, publication timelines, experimental challenges, clinical recruitment, personal circumstances, or other unforeseen factors. Extending the duration of the Ph.D. beyond the intended three years is therefore possible (maximum of five years!) and does not result in academic penalties.

Candidates should be aware, however, that additional time in the program may require extended funding or alternative financial support arrangements. It is the responsibility of the candidate and the supervisory team to ensure sufficient funding and appropriate planning throughout the duration of the Ph.D. project.

Yes, you can still apply. It is important that you have completed your master’s degree before the start of the Ph.D. program. Please submit the current “transcript” from your master’s program during the application period and provide your degree certificate as soon as you have earned your degree.

To be eligible for admission to the Ph.D. Medical Research – Cardiovascular Science program, applicants must hold a qualifying university degree (e.g. Master's degree) amounting to at least 240 ECTS credits (or an internationally equivalent qualification).

Equivalent degrees may include, for example:

• State Examination degrees (Staatsexamen, Medicine),
• Diplom (Univ.),
• Magister,
• or comparable international university degrees.

The equivalence and eligibility of all degrees are individually assessed by the program coordination

Applicants with degrees obtained outside the European Higher Education Area are encouraged to verify the recognition status of their university and degree via the German ANABIN database: https://anabin.kmk.org/anabin.html (only available in German)

Please note that fulfillment of the formal admission requirements alone does not guarantee admission to the program. Applications are additionally evaluated based on academic performance, research experience, scientific motivation, and the quality and feasibility of the proposed Ph.D. project.

If you are unsure whether your degree fulfills the formal admission requirements, please feel free to contact the Ph.D. coordination office before submitting your application.

Yes. Applicants with “native speaker” skills or who have a degree from an English-speaking university do not have to provide proof of language proficiency.

Our Ph.D. candidates come from a wide range of international and interdisciplinary backgrounds. Participation in the Ph.D. Program Medical Research – Cardiovascular Science does not require any knowledge of German, as the program is conducted entirely in English.

However, for candidates planning to live and work in Germany for an extended period of time — particularly those in the Traditional (Munich-based) Track — basic German language skills may be very helpful in daily life, clinical environments, administrative matters, and networking within the German research system.

For candidates in the Sandwich Track, German language skills are generally less important, as most research activities are conducted at the home institution outside Germany.

Applications are generally accepted only during the application period (from December 1 to January 31). To ensure a fair and equitable application process, we are unable to process applications at any other time. If you missed the deadline please consider applying in the following year.