8 Best PhD Degree Programs in Germany for 2024

The Graduate School Life Science Munich (LSM) offers an international doctoral program for motivated and academically qualified next-generation researchers at one of Europe’s top Universities – the Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich.

The DIW Graduate Center (GC) at the German Institute for Economic Research welcomes applications from highly qualified post-graduate students from around the world to enroll in its structured doctoral program in Economics.

Unique in the world and waiting for you! The EMBL International Ph.D. Programme, originally established in 1983, represents the flagship of EMBL's commitment to first class training and education. Internationality, dedicated mentoring and early independence in research characterize our programme. Considered to be one of the most competitive Ph.D. training schemes to enter, we are committed to providing EMBL Ph.D. students with the best starting platform for a successful career in science.

The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Neural Circuits was established in 2011 and offers around ten fully-funded doctoral fellowships every year for talented students holding a relevant Master´s or Bachelor´s degree as their highest degree. The program is taught in English.

The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) on Subcellular Architecture and Dynamics (IMPRS-CBP) is an international doctoral training program hosted by the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Goethe University Frankfurt, and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

The Max Planck School of Photonics (MPSP) is a top-tier interdisciplinary graduate school in Germany that provides a unique PhD program (as well as a combined MSc and PhD program) 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: • 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 After completing our "study phase" or if you apply with a qualifying MSc degree you can start your PhD research project. In the 3-year "research phase" you conduct your doctoral project in photonics under the supervision of our MPSP Fellows at one of our 19 research institutions.

The PhD-program "Animal and Zoonotic Infections" is a postgraduate program of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover designed for three years that offers project-oriented postgraduate training in animal infection medicine and zoonoses research and will provide advanced qualifications and skills students will need for a successful career in research or related fields.

The Graduate School’s support concept for doctoral students is modelled on the well-established structure developed in the doctoral programme ‘Manuscript Cultures’, which started with the SFB 950 ‘Manuscript Cultures in Asia, Africa and Europe’ in 2011.