Shape Your Future with our PhD Program

The weekly HEPP seminar offers HEPP students a platform for academic presentations and discussions. The doctoral students meet in Garching and Greifswald and are connected via videoconference. HEPP students give two presentations: A 10-minute introductory presentation at the start of the PhD project serves to introduce and provide an overview of the research project. In the second year, a 20-minute progress presentation follows, which presents results and the underlying physics. This presentation should be accessible to a general audience and address potential challenges or interesting aspects of the work.

Each year, HEPP members from the IPP locations in Garching and Greifswald meet for a colloquium that is integrated into the spring meeting of the German Physical Society (DPG). They present either a research poster (during the first and second years of their doctoral studies) or a 20-minute presentation (in the third year, shortly before completing their dissertation).

The final presentation is ideally given during the HEPP session at the DPG Spring Meeting and should cover key sections of the dissertation as well as preliminary results. For those with preliminary results or who are at the beginning of their third year, an additional HEPP Fall Colloquium is organized at the end of the year.

Attendance at the weekly seminar and the annual colloquium is mandatory for all students. It is your responsibility to select additional courses from the universities’ extensive offerings, and your choice will depend on your personal background. According to the regulations of the Graduate Centers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), retreats, summer schools, or conferences may also be recognized. The final decision on whether to recognize these educational activities rests with the advisors.

During the regular three-year PhD program, students must attend at least 6 weekly course hours.

To ensure a successful application, we strongly recommend that you first familiarize yourself with our research projects and academic fields and explain in your application how your own knowledge and skills would align with them.

For data protection reasons, please apply exclusively online through our application portal. Fill out the form completely and upload relevant documents such as transcripts, certificates, and proof of language proficiency.

It is best to apply up to three months before you complete your master’s degree.

The HEPP office ensures that your application materials are fully processed and securely distributed to over 80 qualified advisors at IPP. To ensure the best possible support, the selection process is conducted with great care. The entire selection process may therefore take up to six weeks before you are invited for an interview or receive a rejection notice.

If your application stands out, you may receive several offers from potential supervisors. They will contact you directly to clarify further details or arrange an interview.

Both sides have the opportunity to get to know each other and clarify expectations. An initial conversation usually takes place by phone or video before you are invited to further interviews at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics.