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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.

Our Program explained in less than 4 minutes:

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The "Research Phase" - Our Ph.D. Program

Students entering the program at the research phase must either have successfully completed the study phase of the program or have otherwise received an excellent Master's degree with sufficient exposure to physics from elsewhere.

During the research phase, students focus on scientific research for their Ph.D. project which is conducted within a research group led and supervised by an MPSP Fellow. Students are also assigned a co-supervisor, ideally located at another university. Close supervision is ensured through regular meetings and progress reports. Students are also encouraged to conduct short- or mid-term research stays with the research group led by their co-supervisor.

Excellent Education meets Soft Skill Training

Our PhD candidates are offered various training opportunities and workshops on social and professional skills such as project management or start-up leadership and organization, as well as more discipline-specific expert seminars. These courses are held either through our virtual campus or during the MPSP spring and autumn schools. They also give our PhD candidates the chance to meet and connect with each other and with the MPSP Fellows.

Additionally, Ph.D. students present and discuss their research progress at doctoral seminars offered on a regular basis, bringing together participants from the various research groups. Due to the nationwide character of the program, courses during the research phase will be provided largely via MPSP Virtual Campus.

Research Topics

The research fields listed below are currently available for Ph.D. research within the MPSP program. Students applying for entry into the research phase directly are required to provide a preference of at least one (and a maximum of five) of the listed research fields on which they would like to base their Ph.D. research. Specific topics within these fields are presented on the website and can be adapted within the selection process together with the potential supervisor. Changes regarding the preferences can be made before the application deadline.

• Advanced Imaging
• Attosecond Physics
• Biophotonics
• Fiber Optics
• Laser Source Development
• Nanophotonics
• Nanoscopy
• Optical Design
• Optical Communication
• Quantum Optics
• Strongfield Physics
• Ultrafast Imaging
• X-ray Science

Learn more about our research topics 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.