MSc in Photonics

The Max Planck School of Photonics (MPSP) is a top-tier interdisciplinary graduate school in Germany that provides an integrated MSc and PhD program (2-years MSc + 3-years PhD) in Photonics for excellent graduates from all over the world. We are not a single university, but a network of 19 top universities and research institutions across Germany. Therefore, we combine the knowledge of the best researchers and offer our students a unique graduate school experience.

Our Program explained in less than 4 minutes:

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The "Study Phase" - Our M.Sc. Program

During the "study phase", MPSP candidates undergo a full-time master's program at one of the three internationally recognized universities within the Max Planck School of Photonics network:

• M.Sc. Advanced Optical Technologies - MAOT program   in   Erlangen-Nuremberg
• M.Sc. Photonics - ASP program in Jena
• M.Sc. Optics and Photonics - KSOP program in Karlsruhe

Our teaching universities are world heavyweights of academic and science-related education, as well as epicenters of photonics research.

Beside the university courses, study phase candidates also participate in courses aimed at the development and advancement of scientific and social skills via  e-learning  or  workshops , such as practical laboratory skills training or scientific writing seminars.

At all three locations, our study phase candidates can decide between courses on a wide range of topics in the field of photonics and thus convey profound theoretical knowledge and practical training as a foundation for their first research projects or even become an expert in a specific research field.

Towards the end of the two years master’s program, the MPSP study phase candidates carry out an internship at one of the network institutes and write their master thesis. The master thesis is written under the supervision of one of the scientists within the MPSP network (so-called "Fellows"). Fellows also assist the PhD candidates in identifying potential research topics for the subsequent research phase of the program.

Spring and Autumn Schools

The MPSP organizes spring and autumn schools in which all PhD candidates from different locations get to know each other and exchange experiences and research ideas. We provide different expert and soft skill courses to prepare the PhD candidates for their research and their professional lives. Moreover, spring and autumn schools aim to connect the study phase candidates with MPSP Fellows who match their research interests and could act as PhD supervisors. All study phase candidates are encouraged to conduct their curricular internships and master theses at the various locations within the MPSP network.

Our three teaching universities

ERLANGEN – M.Sc. Advanced Optical Technologies

The graduate courses are organized within the context of the "Master Program in Advanced Optical Technologies" (MAOT), jointly between the physics department and the departments of the faculty of engineering. Optics and optical technologies are a key research priority at the FAU. Erlangen is a university city located in northern Bavaria, close to the city of Nuremberg. The Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg (FAU) is Bavaria's second largest university, hosting some 40,000 students. Erlangen has a long tradition in optics research and teaching and is home to the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light.

In this two-year master’s program, the curriculum starts with the foundations in physics and finishes with state-of-the-art applications. Learn about exciting topics such as Bell's inequalities, photonic crystals, optical communications, quantum computation, and many others!

For more information on the Master's program in Erlangen, please check the university's website  here .

JENA – M.Sc. Photonics

The international Photonics Master at the Abbe School of Photonics (ASP) of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena is based on theoretical fundamentals of optics, electrodynamics and atom and molecular physics. It focuses on the fields of laser physics, optical instrumentation, optic design, biophotonics, and nano- and quantum technologies. Jena, also known as the "City of Light" is located in the Free State of Thuringia and is a centre of education and research. Optics and photonics are the leading technologies in Jena’s industrial sector.

Students in the second and third semester of this master’s program can specialize in a certain area or accumulate knowledge on a broader scale by choosing courses from a wide range of elective courses and then specialize later in their masterthesis.

The master’s program further includes Laboratory training, starting in the first semester, education in language and soft skills as well as internships, which can be done at one of the ASP’s collaborating industries.

For more information on the Master's program in Jena, please check the university's website  here .

KARLSRUHE – M.Sc. Optics and Photonics

The Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics (KSOP), graduate school at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, provides a multidisciplinary master’s program in optics & photonics taught in English. The educational concept is designed to qualify students for accelerated careers at world leading academic institutions and in high-technology industries. Karlsruhe is the second-largest city of the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg.

Students benefit from collaborations with the optics industry. Partnerships with global corporations as well as with small and medium-sized enterprises facilitate their first career steps for those who are heading towards the industry.

Additionally, KSOP provides its students with additional career training, networking events, free language courses and state of the art labs.

For more information about the Master's program in Karlsruhe, please check the university's website  here .

What is the Max Planck School of Photonics (MPSP)?

The Max Planck School of Photonics (MPSP) is a top-tier interdisciplinary graduate school in Germany that provides an integrated MSc and PhD program (or PhD only) in Photonics for excellent graduates from all over the world. The special thing about our school? We are not a single university, but a network of 19 top universities and research institutions across Germany . Therefore, we combine the knowledge of the best researchers and offer our excellent PhDs a unique graduate school experience:

• Full funding and no tuition fees
• Excellent teaching and research facilities
• Outstanding network of world-renowned Fellows
• Additional curriculum bundling the knowledge of our Fellows and preparing you for your career
• Very good connections to industry

The MPSP PhD program is structured in two phases. During the first phase, which we call the study phase, you obtain a Master’s degree in photonics from one of three teaching universities (KIT Karlsruhe, FSU Jena or FAU Erlangen-Nuernberg). During the second phase, called the research phase, you conduct your PhD research project under the supervision of one of 53 MPSP Fellows at 19 partner institutions throughout Germany.

Possible fields of research are: Biophotonics, Fiber Optics, Quantum Optics, Strong-Field Physics, Laser Source Development, Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration, Optical Design, X-Ray Science, Nanophotonics, Optical Communication, Advanced Imaging, Ultrafast Physics.

Why study at MPSP?

The field of photonics is a dynamic scientific discipline as well as catalyst and key technology for various research areas and innovative branches of industry. Germany plays a central role in modern photonics research and education within Europe. Researchers embedded in a diverse landscape of universities and research organizations reveal excellent contributions to all relevant disciplines connected to photonics: from Attosecond physics to quantum optics, from fundamental research to industry-oriented applications.

The MPSP connects the most promising junior researchers with the best scientists within the German research of photonics. From the beginning, students are actively and sustainably integrated into the German research system. They are integrated into research groups and contribute to the unique research infrastructure at the different institutions with their projects. Thanks to coordinative workshops and training programs, a close network is established between the various actors, thus facilitating get-togethers of the most renowned researchers and emerging scientists of the German photonics landscape. The MPSP connects leading guest researchers and university scientists across different locations, disciplines, and institutes, thereby enabling the qualification of the best international young scientists in an environment of excellence.