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Doctoral Study

Skip to content, your way to a doctorate, first steps, administrative, congratulations, theodor hänsch phd award.

Dear doctoral candidates and all those who want to become one, here you will find all information about doctoral studies at the Faculty of Physics. We will answer your questions and accompany you on the way to your doctorate!

Are you thinking about a doctorate? First of all, think about the field of research in which you would like to work! The choice of your doctoral topic is of central importance, because those who research with enthusiasm will reach their goal in the end! At the Faculty of Physics a PhD is possible in the subjects astronomy , meteorology and physics (only available in German). Afterwards, you should find a supervisor for your doctoral project who is authorized to conduct examinations. Looking specifically for PhD positions and finding out about structured PhD programs can also be very helpful. Contact one of our researchers directly. Information on subjects and research areas as well as an overview of professors can be found in the research section .

A 5-year Master's degree with at least the grade 'good' or a 3-year Bachelor's degree with the grade 'very good' is required for admission to the doctoral program.

We are glad to assist you with all administrative steps - from the admission and submission to the defense of your dissertation. You will find all important information below.

All legally binding regulations can be found in the current version of the examination regulations - these and possible amendment regulations are available for download here (PDF, 130 KB) .

Supervisor Search for and contact a university lecturer on your own. All professors and private lecturers at the university count as a university lecturer. Letter of admission It is mandatory to apply for admission at the dean's office. For this, please hand in all necessary documents: (certified copies can be made in the dean's office)

Confirmation of Supervision (PDF, 96 KB)

Application for Admission to Doctoral Studies (PDF, 146 KB)
Statement criminal investigation (PDF, 183 KB)
Signed curriculum vitae
Identity card or passport as a certified copy
with a German master degree in physics: certified copy of Master's certificate and diploma
with a foreign/non-specialized university degree : certified copy of Bachelor's and Master's certificate, diploma and final transcript of records

Once your admission request has been checked and confirmed, you will receive an admission letter via post mail. With this you can apply for enrollment at the Office of the University Registrar or the International Office .

Admission to doctoral studies is open to students with an outstanding Bachelor’s degree.

an excellent bachelor's degree with a grade of "very good"
or a placement among the top 10% in the respective year,
a mentor who will advise you

Applicants with degrees earned outside the EU must submit GRE Subject Test scores in physics or mathematics.

In addition to the Application for Doctoral Admission (PDF, 146 KB) , please submit this form (PDF, 128 KB) (currently only available in German) to the Dean's Office along with the documents requested therein.
Ask your mentor to send the mentor commitment (PDF, 98 KB) to the Dean's Office.
You then have to enroll in the respective master's program and successfully complete 60 ECTS of Master courses in the following two semesters with an average grade of at least good ( grade ≤ 2.5 ). Course selection will take place in consultation with your mentor.
These required achievements have to be proven to the Dean's Office at the end of the two semesters . To do so, present the master's certificates to the examination office and obtain a statement of account.
Please submit the supervision commitment together with the account statement of the master's achievements to the Dean's Office.
You can then enroll in the doctoral program.

With the doctoral degree, you do not acquire a master's degree. This may have consequences later on, e.g. on the pay group in case of employment in the public service. A doctorate without a master's degree is therefore not advisable for people who want to stay in Germany. However, if you are pursuing a Master's degree, you should remain enrolled in the Master's program and complete the remaining required coursework.

Information on how to obtain a Master's degree can be found in the FAQs on this page.

The faculty member who gives you the mentoring commitment is not obligated to continue to mentor you and give you a mentoring commitment for the doctoral degree.

with a " First Degree Master " or
with a 3-year Bachelor's degree and a one-year Master's degree (" Integrated Master ")

Depending on where you are from and depending on where you obtained your Master degree, the International Office or the Office of the University Registrar is responsible for enrollment as a doctoral student. Please follow their instructions on the information page.

Doctoral studies are not subject to a standard period of study. As a rule, enrollment for the purpose of a doctorate is limited to a maximum of 8 semesters.
If you are seeking a doctorate via access with an excellent bachelor's degree, you must apply as a master's student. See the information page on application, admission and enrollment .

Please note the following for the submission of your thesis:

A time limit of at least six weeks should be granted between the submission of your thesis and your oral examination, so that all deadlines can be duly met. The submission of both reports to the dean's office is decisive, since according to the doctoral regulations there must be at least 3 weeks until the oral examination. We therefore recommend that you consult with your reviewers in order to plan your oral examination.
Your committee will consist of 6 members (old regulations) or 5 members (new regulations). Please note that amongst them there must be one theoretician, one experimentalist and one person from another field in physics than your own. There can only be one external member.
You have to submit eight copies (old doctoral regulations) or seven copies (new doctoral regulations), hard bound in DIN A 4 format. Your doctoral thesis should be preceded by an abstract in German language , included in your thesis.
All documents that have to be submitted together with the hard copies can be found on the last page of the Application for Admission to the Doctoral Examination (new regulations) (PDF, 212 KB) / Application for Admission to the Doctoral Examination (old regulations) (PDF, 201 KB) Please read this form carefully in order to ensure that different documents can be issued in due time.
A list containing the suggested members of the Doctoral Examination Committee (PDF, 97 KB) can be submitted in advance for revision; it always has to be approved by the Dean.
We kindly ask you to make an appointment for your submission at the dean’s office and send us an email to [email protected] on the day of your submission containing your abstract as well as your dissertation as two separate PDFs or as a download link.

Earning a doctorate with multiple publications? Cumulative dissertations usually require at least three published and refereed first author publications in renowned journals. Cumulative dissertations must be submitted to the dean by the supervisor prior to submission, indicating the relevant publications. Only when the application has been approved by the dean a cumulative dissertation is possible. Mixed forms between classical and cumulative dissertation are possible, but require a detailed justification and explanation, with sufficient time before the intended submission date. In all cases, care must be taken to ensure that the dissertation clearly presents and demonstrates independent scientific achievement.

As a rule, the examination should take place in person. The 20-minute-presentation takes place on the blackboard and is followed by questions. A remote examination is only an option if there is an external member outside Munich or in the event of illness of a member.

If a member of the doctoral committee participates remotely, the requirements of the remote examination apply:

The presentation will take place on an electronic whiteboard.
All parties involved in the examination must agree to the procedure described here.
The examinee and those examiner situated in Munich meet in person in a room.
Joining remotely is possible via a suitable video conferencing systems. Suitable and approved according to IT security standards are DFNconf, LRZmeet and in exceptional cases Zoom.
The examiner who takes the minutes signs them and sends the scan of the minutes by e-mail to the commission chair. The chair prints out the minutes, signs them as well, and sends them to the Dean's Office along with all other doctoral documents.
The committee chair is responsible for ensuring that these requirements are met, including proper record keeping and submission of these to the Dean's Office.
you set independently in consultation with all members, especially the chair, of the doctoral committee.
Please notify the Dean's Office of the date, location and time of the examination as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

After submitting your dissertation and passing the oral examination, you are almost there - the doctoral title is within reach.

Please note, that the preliminary notification you receive after the oral examination does not yet entitle you to use the doctoral title; designations such as Doctor designatus (Dr. des.) or similar are also not permitted. Only after receiving the certificate you may officially use the title Dr. rer. nat.

first submit six printed and possibly corrected copies of your dissertation to the University's Office of Publications and publish your dissertation electronically (further information can be found here ).
According to the doctoral regulations, this submission must take place within one year .
The certificate will be issued automatically after the dissertation has been uploaded electronically and submitted to the University Library.
As soon as the doctoral certificate is ready for collection at the Dean's Office (approx. 4-6 weeks after submission of your dissertation to the University Library), you will receive a message from the Dean's Office by e-mail and you can collect it from the Dean's Office during normal opening hours.

Dean's Office of the Faculty of Physics Ms. Merita Shabanaj [email protected]

Ms. Anna-Serena Melo Voigt [email protected]

The office hours can be found here:

Regular office hours for habilitations and doctorates

Postal address of the dean's office of the Faculty of Physics Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Fakultät für Physik Dekanat Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 80539 München

Zentrale Poststelle der LMU (LMU central mail room) Opening hours: Monday - Thursday: 07:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Friday: 07:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Central mail room's postal address: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Zentrale Poststelle der LMU, Zi.Nr. 003 Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 80539 München

How can I currently submit my dissertation?
What do I have to consider when submitting?
How much time must elapse between the submission of the dissertation and the date of the defense?
How do I know according to which doctoral examination regulations I will defend my examination?
What are the differences between the two doctoral regulations?
Is it possible to change to the new doctoral regulations?
Will I be employed at a chair directly after admission?
Where can I get certified copies?
How can I obtain a master's degree if I start a doctorate directly after completing my bachelor's degree?

Examination regulations of the faculty of physics at LMU Munich (starting from 01.01.2020) (PDF, 130 KB)

Examination regulations of the faculty of physics at LMU Munich (superseeded 1993-2019) (PDF, 241 KB)

Application form for Admission to Doctoral Study (PDF, 146 KB)

Application for Admission to the Doctoral Examination (new regulations) (PDF, 212 KB)

Application for Admission to the Doctoral Examination (old regulations) (PDF, 201 KB)

Examination commitee (PDF, 97 KB)

Mentorate confirmation (PDF, 105 KB)

Form Statement criminal investigation (PDF, 183 KB)

Congratulations on your doctorate! You have your doctorate in your pocket. We would like to celebrate this together with you and invite you to the graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Physics , which once a year gives a festive farewell to all graduates of the previous academic year.

Joannis Koepsell, winner of the Theodor Hänsch PhD Award 2022 | © Christoph Hohmann

Joannis Koepsell is awarded the Theodor Hänsch PhD Prize from the LMU Faculty of Physics for his outstanding dissertation entitled “Quantum simulation of doped two-dimensional Mott insulators”. Read more...

The Theodor Hänsch PhD Award is donated by the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation for the Faculty of Physics and is endowed with 4,000 euros. It is named after Professor Theodor W. Hänsch (Nobel Prize winner in 2005) and is intended to recognize particularly outstanding dissertations in the field of physics. The prize is awarded once a year during the graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Physics .

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Your Doctorate in Physics at TUM

With around 450 ongoing doctoral projects, we offer a wide range of possibilities for a doctorate in a dynamic and innovative department. Doctoral studies at TUM are characterized by teamwork, interdisciplinarity and independent thinking, valuable assets for any successful career.

Doctoral candidate at Walther Meissner Institute

Starting a Ph. D. Project

Have you finished your Master studies with above-average results? Are you thirsty for knowledge and keen to discover something new? Then you have found the right place, the Physics Department of TUM!

The first step in our traditional model

The first step to start your doctorate is to find a supervisor among the professors of our department and to find together a research topic. Being part of the research group of your supervisor, you will receive guidance and support with your doctoral project. Since the individual scientific research is the key part of any Ph. D. project enbedding into a research group with supervisor and colleagues with similar interests is important. Hence you apply for Ph. D. positions in the research group fitting your scientific interest best – not at an anonymous school.

The Physics Department with the Department Graduate Center Physics provides the organisational framework for the doctorate with a flexible program to support your research . As an alternative you may in principle become a member of another (thematic) graduate center.

Having found your supervisor and research topic, the application procedure runs through the central online platform Doc-GS. Please keep in mind that the Physics Department issues the degree Dr. rer. nat. for all successful Ph. D. students. You can find more information on the application process and the required documents at the TUM Graduate School – in addition please keep in mind the additional remarks below .

After completing the online registration in DocGS hand in the documents at the Dean’s Office .

additional remarks on the application to enter the doctoral candidacy list

You want to become doctor of natural sciences (dr. rer. nat.).

The Physics Department will not issue other degrees than Dr. rer. nat. Hence you should avoid choosing a different degree in DocGS.

Supervision Agreement

Future members of the Department Graduate Center Physics may find the required supervision agreement on the pages of the Faculty Graduate Center Physics . You only need to add the actual supervision agreement to your documents (the FGC-PH signature can be obtained by the Dean’s Office lateron). You safe-keep the project yourself and continuously review and update it with your supervisor.

Sollten Sie Mitglied eines anderen (thematischen) Graduiertenzentrums werden wollen, so wenden Sie sich für weitere Informationen dorthin.

E-Mail Address

If possible give your TUM E-Mail address in DocGS. In contrast to others you may keep this (at least as forwarding address ) for the rest of your life.

If you do not yet have a TUM account please contact your group’s secretary to get a guest account. If you will pursue your Ph. D. at an external institution (e. g. a Max-Planck institute) your TUM guest account can be issued by the Dean’s Office Physics .

Foreign Degrees

All degrees from foreign universities will be reviewed by the TUM examination office within the processing of your application to enter the doctoral candidacy list. In this way you get an authoritative answer if your degree is recognized already ate the beginning of your Ph. D. project. TUM does not charge a fee for the review process any more.

We thank you for your understanding that we cannot answer questions on the recognition of foreign degrees outside the review process. You may check the anabin database (in German) on the classification of foreign universities and degrees in relation to the German system yourself.

„Direct Track“ from a Master Program

Talented students can continue the Master's research phase seamlessly with a doctoral project, speeding up their academic career. If you do not have a Master's degree, you may choose this track on your way to a doctoral degree from the Physics Department of TUM. The "Direct Track" combines the advantages of the traditional model with the speed of a "Fast Track" – without the disadvantages like a (formally) missing Master’s degree.

Students interested in the "Direct Track" apply for a regular Master program in Physics . You may still use the advanced studies in the first year to become familiar with the research groups and find the perfect group for your science interests.

During your Ph. D. Project: Extensive Qualification Program

The core of your doctoral studies is your research work in collaboration with your group and other research partners. Additionally, our Department Graduate Center offers a wide range of opportunities for subject-related and interdisciplinary qualification . The TUM Graduate School supports our Department Graduate Center.

As member of the Faculty Graduate Center Physics you may find an individual status page on your qualification program in section Membership and Qualification Program . Using this status page you need to report all your passed qualification elements to the FGC-PH administration according to §8 2. a)–d) PromO.

No direct entry into DocGS!

Members of the FGC-PH please refrain from entering "Leistungsanträge" into DocGS! Data from the Physics database will be copied to DocGS in the future. Keep in mind that "Leistungsanträge" not in conforming to the quality standards of Physics Department will be rejected!

Completing your Ph. D. Project: Doctoral Examination

Doctoral thesis ("dissertation").

Having completed your research and the basic qualification program the doctoral examination process starts by submitting your doctoral thesis (see also FAQ about monograph vs. "cumulative" ). The thesis has to be submitted to the examinations office of TUM. You need to apply for this by DocGS. You can find a list of the required documents at the TUM Graduate School’s website . In our department there is no restriction on the submission date – you are not bound by the department council’s schedule.

Remark on the dates of handing in and the final exam

At Physics Department your thesis submission date is not bound by the meeting dates of the council. But keep the following in mind:

After the examination office examined your documents they will be sent to the Dean’s Office. Here we start organising the final exam.

Reports, Acceptance (Rundlauf) and oral exam

Appointment of the examining committee and assessment.

The Dean’s Office asks the supervisor (who is the first examiner) to suggest examining comittee members. The Dean can accept this suggestion or change the committee. The committee members and the candidate are informed on the appointment of the committee. Furthermore each member of the committee receives a copy of the thesis. The Dean’s Office requests the assessments and written reports. Ph. D. committees and exam dates are published in front of the Dean’s Office.

Acceptance of the Dissertation ("Rundlauf")

After a doctoral thesis has been assessed by all examiners as "passed" or better, the dissertation with CV and expert opinion is made available to the "Umlaufgremium" of the Department of Physics for acceptance in the virtual "Rundlauf" list within seven days. The "Umlaufgremium" consists of all full-time faculty, the honorary professors, and the TUM Junior Fellows of the Department of Physics. The dissertation is accepted if there are 20 statements to “accept” and no statement to “reject”, and the seven day deadline passed.

During the "Rundlauf" it is the candidates responsibility to actively seek the 20 "accept" statements. Apart from the classic "Rundlauf" from door to door during the current situation in the CoViD-19 pandemic virtual options for the "Rundlauf" are put to the test. To support the candidates there is a status page for their own "Rundlauf" .

Latest after completion of the roundtrip the candidate should organised the exam date (and place) with the examiners and submit the coordinated date to the Dean’s Office. The exam date needs to be at least 14 days after all reports were received by the Dean's Office (one week deadline for acceptance and one week notice period for the exam date). The Dean’s Office sends out the official invitation to examiners and candidate for the oral exam. Immediately after completion of the roundtrip the Dean’s Office forwards the required documents for the examination to the chair of the committee. After the oral exam the chair returns the completed documents to the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office forwards them to the central examination office.

Distinction „summa cum laude“

Please keep in mind that at Physics Department special rules for the distinction „summa cum laude“ (in German) apply. This needs to be taken into account for the exam date planning especially!

Publication of the thesis and final steps

Publication of the thesis.

After the exam the title page of the dissertation needs to be accepted by the examination office. For this the candidate sends the completed title page (including committee members, submission adn acceptance date) to the examination office. The required data can be provided by the examination office of the Dean’s Office. Only the the thesis may be published. Publication may be done in either of the following ways:

You can find further information on the pages of the university library .

After publication of your thesis you will obtain a preliminary certificate about the completion of the Ph.D. process.

Certificate

As soon as the final certificate is completed by the examination office the new Ph. D. is informed. The certificate is handed over in the Dean’s Office. Every scientist completing their Ph. D. within the last year at Physics Department of TUM will be invited to the ceremony at the Physics Day ("Tag der Physik") end of the summer semester.

TUM GS Certificate

Members of TUM GS receive an additional certificate on the qualification program. This TUM GS certificate with the Transcript of Records on the qualification elements is created independently to the Ph. D. certificate by TUM Graduate School. Your Graduate Center will inform you as soon as this is completed and can be picked up.

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How To Apply

Welcome to the Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics.

If you meet the admission requirements, please check our admission deadlines, and apply either through our webportal (for international students and anyone without prior financial support) or directly, using the forms from the forms section (if you already have an advisor and financial support through him/her).

Important Dates
DIRECT LINK TO START YOUR APPLICATION, DEADLINE - ITN AI IN PHYSICS: 01 June, 2024; DEADLINE - IMPRS-PTFS 16 June, 2024

Admission Requirements

The Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics offers a doctoral programme for students that culminates in the degree "Dr. rer. nat.". In order to enter this programme, the usual requirement is that students must have obtained the minimum of a Master´s degree in Physics or equivalent.

With respect to grades, it is expected that students applying for entrance to the Graduate School have the equivalent of the grade minimum 2,0 in the German system. This corresponds roughly to a "B+" Grade or better in the American or English system.

As an exception to this policy, the Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics can admit excellent students who have completed 4 years of study in physics (Bachelor or Honours' degree). For more details on this, please read the information on the "integrated master/doctoral" programme.

Candidates will be screened for suitability. In the screening process, the grades, theses, as well as two letters of recommendation will be taken into account.

The regulations governing admission to the Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics and the Department of Physics and Astronomy are detailed in the information brochure in pdf-form.

Admission Information
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Orientation Information

On arrival at Heidelberg University, graduate students will be aided by the HGSFP Central Office.

Heidelberg is a small town with ca. 150 000 inhabitants, of which ca. 30 000 are students at the University. The University itself, with many of its Physics Institutes lies in the valley of the river Neckar. The landscape in the valley is extremely flat - a good means of transport for students is thus generally a bicycle. There is of course an excellent bus and tram system too, so that one does not necessarily need a car at all. Some of the Physics Institutes, however, are on the mountain (see Max Planck Institutes) and these are better reached by car or bus.

Useful links

Graduate Academy at Heidelberg University
Information brochure from the Graduate Academy for international doctoral candidates

Please note that in accordance with German law, all persons must be registered with the local authorities in the area in which they live. The Graduate Academy of Heidelberg University will aid you in all these aspects.

Heidelberg Alumni can join the clubs offered by the University.

Alumni of Heidelberg University are welcome to join the central alumni initiative of Heidelberg University "Heidelberg Alumni International" (HAI).

HAI is the worldwide network for former and current students and researchers who would like to stay in touch among them-selves and with the university. Membership is free. For further information on the network as well as the services and activities, please follow the link on the right hand side.

In addition, the "Society of Friends of Heidelberg University" (GdF) uses membership fees to provide benefits for individual students and support departmental initiatives. Thus it is greatly appreciated if you decide to join.

Heidelberg Alumni International
Gesellschaft der Freunde (only in German)
Research Fields

Research towards the degree Dr. rer. nat. can be performed in one of several fields, offered at the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Research encompasses core areas of fundamental physics as well as interdisciplinary border areas. In the core areas, research focuses on elementary particle physics, the structure and evolution of the universe, and the properties of complex classical and quantum systems. The interdisciplinary border areas include environmental physics, bio- and medical physics as well as technical computer science.

Condensed matter physics deals with all aspects of the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter. Research at Heidelberg University includes a wide range of physical phenomena and mathematical concepts in both quantum and classical systems and ranges from fundamental many-body physics and quantum materials to materials science and modern technology. It covers fundamental questions central to our understanding of quantum mechanics, such as unconventional ordering phenomena and how complex multi-body quantum systems can be understood as well as aspects of surface science and nanomaterials.

Condensed matter at low temperatures
Correlated (&) quantum materials
Hybrid and organic devices
Theory of spectroscopy, dynamics and numerical methods for complex materials

Doctoral students of the Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics can concurrently be admitted to one of the topical graduate schools in physics located in Heidelberg. (However, students of these schools must be admitted to the HGSFP). These schools provide a focused programme in a specific research area, ranging from detector specialization through to specialization in quantum control and astronomy. Doctoral students in medical physics can also be members of two schools simultaneously.

GRK2058 - HighRR
GRK1940 - Particle Physics beyond the Standard Model
IMPRS-HD - International Max Planck Research School for Astronomy and Cosmic Physics at Heidelberg University
IMPRS-PTFS - International Max Planck Research School for Precision Tests of Fundamental Symmetries
IMPRS-QD - International Max Planck Research School for Quantum Dynamics in Physics, Chemistry and Biology
LGF School on Basic Building Blocks for Quantum Enabled Technologies
Experimental foundations and applications of quantum phenomena

Abstracts and links to recent dissertations associated with the fields of research at the Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics can be found here.

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PhD in Physics

Doctorate studies in physics.

Degree - Dr. rer. nat
Qualification for an in-depth scientific work
Duration - approx. 4 years
Language - German or English
Beginning - at any time

Excellent international research community

supportive and trusted working atmosphere
cooperation with national and international research institutions
measuring times at the synchrotron BESSY II reserved for Freie Universität
additional qualification at the DRS possible

Requirements

Degree as Master of Science or Diploma
You have already found an open doctoral position in one of our research groups.

Our research

Doctoral program at freie universität, doctoral program in physics - creating fundamentals for future innovations.

Around 130 doctoral students study and work at the Department of Physics. Every year, we award some 30 PhD degrees to physicists at Freie Universität Berlin.

If you are interested in a doctoral program, please contact the research groups of your interest directly.

PhD Program Structure

1 supervisor
1 written doctoral thesis
1 disputation

Doctoral students are usually employed as scientific staff in the research group (AG) where they do a doctorate.

Doctoral Thesis

The dissertation can be submitted as a monograph or cumulatively made up of at least four publications with the doctoral candidate as first author.
The dissertation must be submitted in 8 printed copies and as a pdf file.

Obligatory parts of a thesis:

Title page ( draft )
Summary in German and English (maximum one page)
Declaration of authorship ( draft )

Disputation

The disputation allows the doctoral student to demonstrate their presentation skills and ability to engage in scientific discussions.

30 minutes of presentation
30 to 60 minutes of professional discussion with members of the PhD commission.

The disputation is open to the public: Interested persons can participate as listeners and ask questions about the research results.

Scheduled days for disputation

Mon 16:00 - 21:00 (lecture hall A) Wed 16:00 - 21:00 (lecture hall A) Thu 9:00 - 14:00 (Lecture hall B)

Research Integrity

PhD positions and doctoral thesis

The topic of your doctoral thesis will be determined by the scientific focus of the research group in which you will take up your doctoral position. Please contact the individual research groups directly for information on open doctoral positions.

Theoretical physics
Experimental physics
Physics education

Doctoral Program Natural Sciences

New structured doctoral program offers a variety of qualification seminars and workshops. Those who successfully complete the program can choose between the titles "Ph. D." and "Dr. rer. nat."

Please note that the German version only is legally binding.

Doctoral studies - registration form in German
Doctoral Study Regulations - Physics (2013)
1st Modification Doctoral Regulations Physics (2013) - valid from 27.09.2023
List of documents for enrollment
Good scientific practice for scientific qualification reports and theses in physics

PhD Program Office Mr. Andreas Heß Arnimallee 14, Room 1.1.15 Tel. +49 30 838 56017

Image Credits

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Promotion-Dokumente

Promotionsbüro

Habilitation - Qualification for University Teaching

What is the next step after a PhD program? If you want to teach at a university, you should strive for a habilitation. Habiliation proves that a scientist can independently represent an academic field in research and teaching. For further information please contact our habilitation office.

Habilitation Office
doctor of physics
doctorate degree in physics
phd in physics education
phd in quantum physics
phd physics
phd theoretical physics
physics phd program
postgraduate physics

UNIVERSITY OF COLOGNE

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Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Department of Physics

Doctoral studies.

Official Regulations

All documents covering the procedures and examination regulations for the PhD are available on the pages of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. In particular, we recommend the step-by-step guide from registering in Docfile to publishing the thesis.

For questions regarding Docfile please have a look at the FAQ page of the AMC.

PhD in physics

The PhD in natural sciences is not coordinated by a central application process, as is common in countries such as the USA or the UK, rather the professors of physics should be contacted, if you are interest in a PhD. You should therefore contact them directly, depending on your interests and subject area (with the exception of graduate schools funded by research agencies). The doctorate is usually financed by an emploayment position (usually advertised on the central TU Berlin page) or a scholarship, so that the availability of funds plays a major role in the number of available doctoral positions. Compared to other countries such as the USA or the UK, the courses that in these countries are taken as part of a PhD program are usually already part of our bachelor's and master's degrees program.

The physics student counselling does not provide advice on doctoral studies either; we are only responsible for the bachelor’s and master’s degree program in physics. Administratively, the doctoral program is managed by the School administration .

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Structure of matter and standard model

Novel computational techniques in particle physics
Quantum field theory
String theory
ATLAS: Particle collisions at the LHC
AWAKE: Plasma wakefield acceleration
Belle II: On the track of the antimatter puzzle
NA62: Search for a rare decay and exotic particles

Dark matter and neutrino physics

COSINUS: Test of the DAMA experiment
CRESST: Search for dark matter
LEGEND experiment: Majorana nature of the neutrino:
MADMAX: Searching for axion dark matter
RADES in the BabyIAXO experiment: Detection of cosmic axions

Cosmology and astroparticle physics

Astrophysical Messengers
Particle physics and cosmology
Theoretical astroparticle physics
MAGIC and CTA: Gamma-ray telescopes

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Earn your PhD at a world-renowned location for research in particle physics: The IMPRS EPP (Max Planck Research School on Elementary Particle Physics) in Munich offers excellent options for research and education. The research fields cover high-energy and astroparticle physics as well as cosmology ; the activities can have a theoretical or experimental emphasis. The program lasts three years and is open to students of all nationalities.

The IMPRS EPP is a joint initiative of the Max Planck Institute for Physics, the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich (LMU), and the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

A PhD student is working on a detector module for the dark matter experiment CRESST.

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Our PhD programmes will advance your skills not only in an academic way

Structured phd.

Die strukturierte Promotion verbindet individuelle Forschung mit einem umfassenden Programm mit wissenschaftlichen Kursen und Soft Skills. An der JGU wird die strukturierte Promotion von der MAINZ Graduate School of Materials Science in Zusammenarbeit mit Forschungszentren vor Ort, wie dem Max-Planck-Graduiertenzentrum und der Helmholtz Graduate School for Hadron and Ion Research angeboten.Die durchschnittliche Dauer einer strukturierten Promotion beträgt drei Jahre.

Before Studying
While Studying

5 Reasons for your PhD at JGU

Clear structure and a wide range of support opportunities.

Doctoral candidates who choose a structured doctoral program have a clear advantage. Our students take part in scientific training and get the opportunity to broaden their perspectives in complementary skills courses.

Our support structure offers a wide range of ways to assist our students during their doctorates. Our staff helps with everyday problems such as finding an apartment or opening a bank account.

Get advice from experts in and outside JGU

Our PhD students will have the opportunity to be advised by a mentor in academia or industry. This mentor provides advice and support in the student's academic and personal progress.

Seminars and lab courses, as well as scientific workshops with international lecturers are carefully structured to students' needs. Besides the scientific training during the PhD, complementary skills are also taught.

Effective Mentoring for guidance and inspiration

Most of our students successfully complete their PhD project within three years. This is a challenge that requires good planning, discipline, time and inspiration.

Through mentorship and with the support of the supervisor, we maximize guidance effectiveness to help our students reach their ambitious goals and get ready for their next career steps.

Get ready for a fully funded PhD program

JGU offers junior researchers a fully funded program through a variety of sources. If students get accepted into our graduate school funding is then secured. This includes allowances for language course as well as research travel costs and much more.

PhD students at JGU are hired by the involved research institutes as research assistants. With their contract of employment JGU offers a fixed curriculum, individual support, a defined duration and regular funding.

A program tailored individually to fit everybody's needs

Our structured PhD program aims at providing a flexible and individually tailored training program. It offers our students a training structure that can be adapted to their individual career needs.

This strategy is reflected by our training concept, which is based upon a well-balanced combination of independent high-level research in our laboratories and among renowned researches at JGU and its affiliated institutions.

Important Links

Obtaining your PhD in nine steps
Recognition of foreign certificates and diplomas
FAQ for Recognition / Validation of foreign certificates
Checklist of required documents
Online application
Requirements for a doctorate at JGU with foreign certificates

Important Downloads

Doctoral degree regulations
Important changes to the doctoral degree regulations (German)
Guideline for doctoral candidates with foreign certificates
JoguGate - Platform for international PhD students

What our professors say about JGU

Prof. Dr. Lucia Masetti

Professor for experimental particle physics, atlas group.

"Advanced physics studies allow you to follow your curiosity to explain the basic laws of nature."

Prof. Dr. Concettina Sfienti

Physics professor, nuclear physicist in love with science.

"Concettina Sfienti on building bridges for young researchers at the new Master Academy and passing on the love of science"

Jun. Prof. Dr. Matthias Schott

Lichtenberg professor at etap group (experimental particle and astroparticle physics).

"A Master’s is essential for a career in research and industry."

Prof. Dr. Hartmut Wittig

Professor at the institute of nuclear physics & coordinator of prisma cluster of excellence.

"As a Master’s ‘student’ at JGU, you are already treated as a researcher."

Prof. Dr. Jure Demsar

Professor for solid state experimental physics.

"Physics is a future-oriented field because it drives technological advancement"

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Doctoral Studies in Physics

The Faculty of Physics is a member of the Georg-August-University School of Science (GAUSS) in which all doctoral studies in the natural sciences are organized. Within GAUSS, there are many ways of obtaining a doctorate in physics:

Doctoral Studies in Physics is the normal path and offers a wide range of physical sub-fields - astrophysics, biophysics, geophysics, material physics, non-linear dynamics, particle physics, semi-conductor physics, theoretical physics, and x-ray physics;
PTCN , Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience;
GGNB , the Graduate School of Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences;
IMPRS , the International Max-Planck-Research School for Solar System Science;

Please note that the admission to the doctoral programme is independent of how you finance your studies. There are many possibilities for the latter, including a position within an institute, scholarships, or some other external means.

Universität Bonn

Universitäten Köln und Bonn

The Bonn-Cologne Graduate School for Physics and Astronomy BCGS is a joint program of graduate studies between the universities of Bonn and Cologne. The program leads students with a bachelor's degree in physics (or related subject) through an MSc phase to doctoral studies.

The BCGS provides mentoring and research internships, scholarships and travel funds, and a vibrant research environment at the forefront of modern physics. Research areas at the two departments of Bonn and Cologne span almost the entire range of current physics; from astrophysics, biophysics and condensed matter research to particle physics, quantum optics and string theory.

BCGS poster session 2024: Program now available!

Advanced Topics in High Energy Physics 16.-20. September 2024

Advanced Topics in High Energy Physics 11.-15. September 2023

Bonn Office: Isabela Fox

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+49-228-73-2826

2.011 & 2.012, HISKP

Nussallee 14-16

Opening hours Bonn

Tuesday - Wednesday 09:30 - 14:00
Thursday 10:00 - 14:00
Closed on Monday and Friday. Please contact us via email.

Cologne Office: Dr. Petra Neubauer-Guenther

[email protected]

+49-221-4703554

203, I Physics Institute

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Opening hours Cologne

Monday - Thursday 09.30 - 12.00
Monday - Tuesday 13.30 - 15.00
Thursday 13.30 - 17.00
Closed on Wednesday afternoon and Friday

PhD Astrophysics

Call for applications for phd positions in astrophysics, solar physics, planetary science at mps in goettingen, germany..

EURAXESS: PhD Positions in Solar System Science in Göttingen, Germany DAAD: Solar System School — International Max Planck Research School for Solar System Science (PhD) cfd-online #18573: PhD positions in astrophysics, solar physics, stellar physics

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SCOSTEP Newsletter /mailing list

EAG: IMPRS PhD positions in Solar System Science

UK Solar Physics News

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AGU (15.8-15.9.): Solar System School: PhD Positions in Planetary Science

EAS: PhD Positions in Solar System Science (Göttingen, Germany)

DWIH website; next edition of DAAD and WISSNAMA newsletter; institutional partners (done)

EGU: PhD Positions in Planetary Science, Göttingen

AG Job Market / Stellenbörse der AG ( pdf )

LinkedIn: IMPRS PhD positions in Solar System Science

stellenwerk: Fully-funded PhD positions at International Max Planck Research School

Mastodon @[email protected]

Instagram: PhD Positions - Call for applications

cfd-online #18573: PhD positions in astrophysics, stellar physics, solar physics

cfd-online #18386: ComFyDa (PhD students in DNS of turbulence and data-driven method)

EURAXESS: PhD Positions in Solar System Science in Göttingen, Germany

AAS Job register: PhD in Astrophysics / Solar Physics / Planetary Sciences

AAS - SPD: PhD positions in Solar Physics at Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Göttingen

AAS - DPS: University of Göttingen / Solar System School

DAA D: Solar System School — International Max Planck Research School for Solar System Science (PhD)

MPS de / MPS en / MPG de / MPG en

Euopean Association of Geochemistry - PhD positions in Solar System Science (Goettingen, Germany) (pdf)

Division for Planetary Science of the AAS - University of Göttingen

SCIENCE-JOBS-DE: IMPRS PhD Positions in Solar System Science in Göttingen, Germany

AAS SPD Solar News - PhD positions in Solar Physics at Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Göttingen

UK Solar Physics: PhD Positions 2023 in Göttingen

LinkedIn: PhD positions (m/f/d) | IMPRS Solar System Science

Twitter DWIH / Twitter MPS /

AGU https://findajob.agu.org/ 20.9.-20.10.

AG: PhD positions at the Max Planck Institute for Solar SystemResearch in collaboration with the University of Göttingen / Mehrere Promotionsstellen am MPI für Sonnensystemforschung in Zusammenarbeit mit der Universität Göttingen

DWIH/WISSNAMA: PhD positions at IMPRS Solar System School

EAS - PhD Positions in Solar System Science at IMPRS Göttingen (Germany): Astrophysics, Solar physics, Planetary science

MPG/en MPG/de MPS/en MPS/de

stellenwerk 2022-07-11-792298: Fully-funded PhD positions at International Max Planck Research School

cfd-online #16706: PhD positions in solar physics and computational fluid dynamics - International Max Planck Research School Solar System Science

euraxess: PhD Positions in Solar System Science in Göttingen, Germany

DAAD: Solar System School — International Max Planck Research School for Solar System Science (PhD)

Division of Planetary Science of the AAS: Graduate Schools for Planetary Science

stellenwerk 210813-484761: Fully-funded PhD positions at International Max Planck Research School

AAS Job register dba9f3a1: PhD in Astrophysics and Solar Physics

AGU Career Center: Solar System School: PhD Positions in Planetary Science

EGU: PhD Positions in Planetary Science

EAS 1395: PhD Positions in Solar System Science at IMPRS Göttingen (Germany): Astrophysics and Solar and physics

AG Job Register: PhD Positions in Solar System Science at MPS Göttingen

UK Solar News

AAS SPD Solar News: PhD positions in Solar Physics at Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Göttingen

cfd-online #16706: PhD positions in solar physics - International Max Planck Research School Solar System Science

Twitter: The Solar System School invites applications for several #IMPRS #PhD positions in #Goettingen

Twitter: Four weeks left to apply for several PhD positions in Solar System Science

MPG en / MPG de / MPG@MPS en / MPG@MPS de

stellenwerk 200825-393789: Fully-funded PhD positions at International Max Planck Research School

euraxess 552689: PhD Positions in Solar System Science in Göttingen, Germany

DAAD 4074: Solar System School — International Max Planck Research School for Solar System Science (PhD)

AAS 2fdf67e0: PhD in Astrophysics and Solar Physics

EAS 1208: PhD Positions in Solar System Science at IMPRS Göttingen (Germany): Solar and stellar physics

AG Job Register 1310: PhD Positions in Solar System Science at Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) and the University of Goettingen

UK Solar News: PhD Positions in Göttingen

AAS SPD Solar News: PhD positions in solar physics at Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Göttingen

cfd-online 16706: PhD positions in solar physics

Twitter: The Solar System School invites applications for several #IMPRS #PhD positions in #solarphysics in #Goettingen

DWIH: PhD Positions at The International Max Planck Research School for Solar System Science

Stellenwerk Goettingen GOE-2019-08-20-270304: Voll finanziertes Promotionsstudium International Max Planck Research School

Euraxess 124039: PhD Positions in Solar System Science in Göttingen, Germany

Euraxess Europa 124039: PhD Positions in Solar System Science in Göttingen, Germany

DAAD International programme 4074: Solar System School - International Max Planck Research School for Solar System Science (PhD)

AAS Job Register 608b6a74: PhD in Astrophysics / Solar Physics / Planetary Sciences

EAS 1083: PhD Positions in Solar System Science at IMPRS Göttingen (Germany): Astrophysics, solar physics

cfd-online #16062: PhD positions Solar/stellar physics or Planetary sciences 2020

Euraxess: PhD Positions in Solar System Science in Göttingen, Germany

Euraxess EC Europa: PhD Positions in Solar System Science in Göttingen, Germany

CFD-online: PhD International Max Planck Research School Solar System Science

IMPRS Goettingen Poster 2017 pdf

IMPRS Goettingen Poster 2017 jpg

Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research: IMPRS PhD positions Astronomy & Astrophysics, Germany

Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung Göttingen: IMPRS Promotionsstellen Astronomie & Astrophysik

Max Planck Gesellschaft: IMPRS Promotionsstellen Astrophysik Göttingen

Max Planck Society: IMPRS PhD Astrophysics Germany

stellenwerk Uni Goettingen GOE-2017-08-23-136341: Promotionsstudium Astrophysik in International Max Planck Research School

stellenwerk Uni Goettingen GOE-2017-08-23-136341: Promotionsstudium Astrophysik PDF

DAAD: Solar System School - International Max Planck Research School for Solar System Science (PhD) • University of Göttingen • Germany

DWIH India: PhD Positions in Solar System Science in Germany - Call for applications

European Astronomical Society: PhD Positions Astrophysics, solar physics, planetary sciences

Division for Planetary Science: PhD Solar System School at University of Goettingen, Germany

Division for Planetary Science: Solar System PhD positions at MPS Goettingen, Germany

PlanetaryNews.org: IMPRS PhD positions in Planetary Science at MPI Solar System

SPD Solarnews: IMPRS PhD positions in Solar Physics at Max Planck Institute Goettingen

Spaceinn: PhD Positions in Helio- and Asteroseismology at MPS Göttingen

SCIENCE-JOBS-DE: Several PhD positions Astrophysics and Planetary Sciences at IMPRS Goettingen

e-fellows: Promotion Fachrichtung Astronomie, Physik, Geowissenschaften / IMPRS Sonnensystemforschung

Stipendienlotse: Promotion Sonnensystemforschung - Astronomie, Physik, Geowissenschaften

Doktorandenboerse: Doktoranden und PhD Astronomie und Astrophysik

OEAD: Three-year PhD program Physics, Astronomy

Astrobites: How to apply for astronomy/astrophysics graduate school in Europe

IMPRS Goettingen

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Best Global Universities for Physics in Germany

These are the top universities in Germany for physics, based on their reputation and research in the field. Read the methodology »

To unlock more data and access tools to help you get into your dream school, sign up for the U.S. News College Compass !

Here are the best global universities for physics in Germany

University of munich, technical university of munich, university of hamburg, ruprecht karls university heidelberg, karlsruhe institute of technology, johannes gutenberg university of mainz, rwth aachen university, humboldt university of berlin, university of wurzburg, technische universitat dresden.

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# 28 in Best Universities for Physics
# 47 in Best Global Universities

The University of Munich is a public institution that traces its roots back to 1472. It is situated in Munich – the... Read More

# 49 in Best Universities for Physics (tie)
# 79 in Best Global Universities

The Technical University of Munich, sometimes called TUM, is a public institution that was founded in 1868. The... Read More

# 149 in Best Global Universities

# 53 in Best Universities for Physics
# 57 in Best Global Universities (tie)

Heidelberg University is a public institution that was founded in 1386, earning it the title of Germany's oldest... Read More

# 62 in Best Universities for Physics (tie)
# 226 in Best Global Universities (tie)
# 72 in Best Universities for Physics (tie)
# 241 in Best Global Universities (tie)
# 84 in Best Universities for Physics
# 199 in Best Global Universities (tie)

# 112 in Best Universities for Physics (tie)
# 61 in Best Global Universities

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is a public institution in Germany that was founded in 1810. The university’s campuses... Read More

# 120 in Best Universities for Physics
# 192 in Best Global Universities (tie)
# 128 in Best Universities for Physics (tie)
# 186 in Best Global Universities (tie)

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Science and research in Germany are characterised by a distinguished infrastructure, a wide variety of disciplines, well-equipped research facilities and competent staff. Germany offers various career opportunities for international PhD students and researchers.

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Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month 2024

Institute of International Education

IIE is proud to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month and pay tribute to the contributions and leadership of Jewish Americans to IIE, the field of international education, and the world. To commemorate Jewish Heritage Month this year, we took a look back at the Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced German (later Foreign) Scholars.

In the 1930s, Jewish scholars had been dismissed from their university positions in Europe. Through the Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced German Scholars, IIE stepped in, providing space for some of Europe’s brightest minds to cultivate their ideas and continue their research at U.S. colleges and universities; these acts saved the lives and scholarship of prominent scientists, writers, and other talented individuals who might have faced persecution or death because of their background and beliefs.

From 1933 to 1935, American broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow chaired the Committee, playing a lead role in finding positions and securing funding for refugee scholars from Europe. It was after his time at IIE that Murrow rose to prominence, covering World War II in a series of live CBS radio broadcasts from Europe. In an interview later in his life, Murrow reflected on his time at IIE: “It was the most personally satisfying undertaking in which I have ever engaged, and contributed more to my knowledge of politics and international relations than any similar period in my life.”

It was the most personally satisfying undertaking in which I have ever engaged, and contributed more to my knowledge of politics and international relations than any similar period in my life.” Edward R. Murrow Assistant Director of IIE and Chair of the Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Scholars

Determined to surmount financial and social barriers to entry at U.S. higher education institutions, IIE worked with philanthropic organizations to secure funding for the scholars. The contributions of the Rockefeller Foundation and private philanthropists would extend beyond $1.5 million and between 1933 and 1946, approximately 400 European scholars received such aid. United States higher education gained notable scholars such as Martin Buber, Paul Tillich, Jacques Maritain, and even Nobel Prize laureates.

These four biographical portraits represent just a few of the intellectuals aided by the work of the Emergency Committee:

Felix Bloch

October 23, 1905-September 10, 1983

OF NOTE: NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS (1952)

Felix Bloch began studying physics in his hometown of Zurich before moving on to complete his PhD at Leipzig University in 1928. In 1933, while Bloch was serving as a lecturer in Germany, Adolf Hitler came to power, which prompted the young physicist, who was Jewish, to flee Germany. In 1934, the Stanford University Department of Physics Chairperson invited Bloch to join the faculty. Bloch went on to become one the world’s preeminent physicists, known for his work on nuclear magnetic induction. In 1952, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics.

James Franck

August 26, 1882 – May 21, 1964

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS (1925)

Franck was a German physicist who resigned his position at the University of Göttingen in 1933 following Hitler’s rise to power. Franck showed solidarity with his Jewish colleagues who were being dismissed from German universities under Nazi rule. In 1935, Franck moved to the United States, where he was appointed professor at Johns Hopkins University. He eventually worked on the atomic bomb with other scientists on the Manhattan Project. In addition to the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1925, Franck was awarded the Max Planck Medal in 1953.

Thomas Mann

June 6, 1875-August 12, 1955

OF NOTE: NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE (1929)

Paul Thomas Mann is renowned throughout the world for his body of powerful and often profoundly symbolic literature. His 1901 novel, Buddenbrooks, was such a tour de force that the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to the German writer in 1929 primarily for that literary masterpiece. Years after receiving the award, Mann began a life of self-imposed exile in response to the rise of the Nazis.

Mann lived in Switzerland initially, but in 1938, the President of Princeton University invited him to serve as a lecturer in the United States. Mann eventually moved to California, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen before returning to Europe, where he died in 1955.

Johanna Gabrielle Ottilie “Tilly” Edinger

November 13, 1897- May 27, 1967

OF NOTE: FOUNDER OF PALEONEUROLOGY

Tilly Edinger, a German-born Jewish scientist, published her first book, Fossil Brains, in 1929, establishing the discipline of paleoneurology.

Putting her at even greater risk from the Nazi regime, Edinger had been going deaf from otosclerosis since she was a teenager. In the United States, she continued her work at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology and became the first female President of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. Edinger published nearly one hundred books and articles, singlehandedly establishing that fossilized brains could inform our understanding of brain evolution.

The June 2024 issue of IEEE Spectrum is here!

For IEEE Members

Ieee spectrum, follow ieee spectrum, support ieee spectrum, enjoy more free content and benefits by creating an account, saving articles to read later requires an ieee spectrum account, the institute content is only available for members, downloading full pdf issues is exclusive for ieee members, downloading this e-book is exclusive for ieee members, access to spectrum 's digital edition is exclusive for ieee members, following topics is a feature exclusive for ieee members, adding your response to an article requires an ieee spectrum account, create an account to access more content and features on ieee spectrum , including the ability to save articles to read later, download spectrum collections, and participate in conversations with readers and editors. for more exclusive content and features, consider joining ieee ., join the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences and get access to all of spectrum’s articles, archives, pdf downloads, and other benefits. learn more →, join the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences and get access to this e-book plus all of ieee spectrum’s articles, archives, pdf downloads, and other benefits. learn more →, access thousands of articles — completely free, create an account and get exclusive content and features: save articles, download collections, and talk to tech insiders — all free for full access and benefits, join ieee as a paying member., physics nobel laureate herbert kroemer dies at 95, ieee also reflects on the lives of other members.

an elderly man with glasses and a beard posing for a portrait in a suit jacket and tie

IEEE Life Fellow Herbert Kroemer received the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics for developing semiconductor heterostructures for high-speed and opto-electronics.

Herbert Kroemer

Nobel Laureate

Life Fellow, 95; died 8 March

Kroemer, a pioneering physicist, is a Nobel laureate, receiving the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics for developing semiconductor heterostructures for high-speed and opto-electronics. The devices laid the foundation for the modern era of microchips, computers, and information technology. Heterostructures describe the interfaces between two semiconductors that serve as the building blocks between more elaborate nanostructures.

He also received the 2002 IEEE Medal of Honor for “contributions to high-frequency transistors and hot-electron devices, especially heterostructure devices from heterostructure bipolar transistors to lasers, and their molecular beam epitaxy technology.”

Kroemer was professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara , when he died.

He began his career in 1952 at the telecommunications research laboratory of the German Postal Service , in Darmstadt. The postal service also ran the telephone system and had a small semiconductor research group, which included Kroemer and about nine other scientists, according to IEEE Spectrum .

In the mid-1950s, he took a research position at RCA Laboratories , in Princeton, N.J. There, Kroemer originated the concept of the heterostructure bipolar transistor (HBT), a device that contains differing semiconductor materials for the emitter and base regions, creating a heterojunction. HBTs can handle high-frequency signals (up to several thousand gigahertz) and are commonly used in radio frequency systems, including RF power amplifiers in cell phones.

In 1957, he returned to Germany to research potential uses of gallium arsenide at Phillips Research Laboratory , in Hamburg. Two years later, Kroemer moved back to the United States to join Varian Associates , an electronics company in Palo Alto, Calif., where he invented the double heterostructure laser. It was the first laser to operate continuously at room temperature. The innovation paved the way for semiconductor lasers used in CD players, fiber optics, and other applications.

In 1964, Kroemer became the first researcher to publish an explanation of the Gunn Effect , a high-frequency oscillation of electrical current flowing through certain semiconducting solids. The effect, first observed by J.B. Gunn in the early 1960s, produces short radio waves called microwaves.

Kroemer taught electrical engineering at the University of Colorado , Boulder, from 1968 to 1976 before joining UCSB , where he led the university’s semiconductor research program. With his colleague Charles Kittel , Kroemer co-authored the 1980 textbook Thermal Physics . He also wrote Quantum Mechanics for Engineering, Materials Science, and Applied Physics , published in 1994.

He was a Fellow of the American Physics Society and a foreign associate of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering .

Born and educated in Germany, Kroemer received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Jena , and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Göttingen , all in physics.

Vladimir G. “Walt” Gelnovatch

Past president of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society

Life Fellow, 86; died 1 March

Gelnovatch served as 1989 president of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society (formerly the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society). He was an electrical engineer for nearly 40 years at the Signal Corps Laboratories , in Fort Monmouth, N.J.

Gelnovatch served in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1959. While stationed in Germany, he helped develop a long-line microwave radiotelephone network, a military telecommunications network that spanned most of Western Europe.

As an undergraduate student at Monmouth University , in West Long Branch, N.J., he founded the school’s first student chapter of the Institute of Radio Engineers , an IEEE predecessor society. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering, Gelnovatch earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1967 from New York University , in New York City.

Following a brief stint as a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Virginia , in Charlottesville, Gelnovatch joined the Signal Corps Engineering Laboratory (SCEL) as a research engineer. His initial work focused on developing CAD programs to help researchers design microwave circuits and communications networks. He then shifted his focus to developing mission electronics. Over the next four years, he studied vacuum technology, germanium, silicon, and semiconductors.

He also spearheaded the U.S. Army’s research on monolithic microwave-integrated circuits. The integrated circuit devices operate at microwave frequencies and typically perform functions such as power amplification, low-noise amplification, and high-frequency switching.

Gelnovatch retired in 1997 as director of the U.S. Army Electron Devices and Technology Laboratory , the successor to SCEL.

During his career, Gelnovatch published 50 research papers and was granted eight U.S. patents. He also served as associate editor and contributor to the Microwave Journal for more than 20 years.

Gelnovatch received the 1997 IEEE MTT-S Distinguished Service Award . The U.S. Army also honored him in 1990 with its highest civilian award—the Exceptional Service Award.

Adolf Goetzberger

Solar energy pioneer

Life Fellow, 94; died 24 February

Goetzberger founded the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), a solar energy R&D company in Freiburg, Germany. He is known for pioneering the concept of agrivoltaics—the dual use of land for solar energy production and agriculture.

After earning a Ph.D. in physics in 1955 from the University of Munich , Goetzberger moved to the United States. He joined Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory in Palo Alto, Calif., in 1956 as a researcher. The semiconductor manufacturer was founded by Nobel laureate William Shockley . Goetzberger later left Shockley to join Bell Labs , in Murray Hill, N.J.

He moved back to Germany in 1968 and was appointed director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid-State Physics , in Breisgau. There, he founded a solar energy working group and pushed for an independent institute dedicated to the field, which became ISE in 1981.

In 1983, Goetzberger became the first German national to receive the J.J. Ebers Award from the IEEE Electron Devices Society . It honored him for developing a silicon field-effect transistor. Goetzberger also received the 1997 IEEE William R. Cherry Award , the 1989 Medal of the Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg , and the 1992 Order of Merit First Class of the Federal Republic of Germany .

Michael Barnoski

Fiber optics pioneer

Life senior member, 83; died 23 February

Barnoski founded two optics companies and codeveloped the optical time domain reflectometer, a device that detects breaks in fiber optic cables.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Dayton , in Ohio, Barnoski joined Honeywell in Boston. After 10 years at the company, he left to work at Hughes Research Laboratories , in Malibu, Calif. For a decade, he led all fiber optics–related activities for Hughes Aircraft and managed a global team of scientists, engineers, and technicians.

In 1976, Barnoski collaborated with Corning Glass Works, a materials science company in New York, to develop the optical time domain reflectometer.

Three years later, Theodore Mainman , inventor of the laser, recruited Barnoski to join TRW , an electronics company in Euclid, Ohio. In 1980, Barnoski founded PlessCor Optronics laboratory, an integrated electrical-optical interface supplier, in Chatsworth, Calif. He served as president and CEO until 1990, when he left and began consulting.

In 2002, Barnoski founded Nanoprecision Products Inc. , a company that specialized in ultraprecision 3D stamping, in El Segundo, Calif.

In addition to his work in the private sector, Barnoski taught summer courses at the University of California, Santa Barbara , for 20 years. He also wrote and edited three books on the fundamentals of optical fiber communications. He retired in 2018.

For his contributions to fiber optics, he received the 1988 John Tyndall Award , jointly presented by the IEEE Photonics Society and the Optical Society of America .

Barnoski also earned a master’s degree in microwave electronics and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and applied physics, both from Cornell .

Kanaiyalal R. Shah

Founder of Shah and Associates

Senior member, 84; died 6 December

Shah was founder and president of Shah and Associates (S&A), an electrical systems consulting firm, in Gaithersburg, Md.

Shah received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1961 from the Baroda College (now the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda ), in India. After earning a master’s degree in electrical machines in 1963 from Gujarat University , in India, Shah emigrated to the United States. Two years later, he received a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri in Rolla.

In 1967, he moved to Virginia and joined the Virginia Military Institute ’s electrical engineering faculty, in Lexington. He left to move to Missouri, earning a Ph.D. in EE from the University of Missouri in Columbia, in 1969. He then moved back to Virginia and taught electrical engineering for two years at Virginia Tech .

From 1971 to 1973, Shah worked as a research engineer at Hughes Research Laboratories , in Malibu, Calif. He left to manage R&D at engineering services company Gilbert/Commonwealth International , in Jackson, Mich.

Around this time, Shah founded S&A, where he designed safe and efficient electrical systems. He developed novel approaches to ensuring safety in electrical power transmission and distribution, including patenting a UV lighting power system. He also served as an expert witness in electrical safety injury lawsuits.

He later returned to academia, lecturing at George Washington University and Ohio State Universit y . Shah also wrote a series of short courses on power engineering. In 2005, he funded the construction and running of the Dr. K.R. Shah Higher Secondary School and the Smt. D.K. Shah Primary School in his hometown of Bhaner, Gujarat, in India.

John Brooks Slaughter

First African American director of the National Science Foundation

Life Fellow, 89; died 6 December

Slaughter, former director of the NSF in the early 1980s, was a passionate advocate for providing opportunities for underrepresented minorities and women in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

Later in his career, he was a distinguished professor of engineering and education at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering , in Los Angeles. He helped found the school’s Center for Engineering Diversity, which was renamed the John Brooks Slaughter Center for Engineering Diversity in 2023, as a tribute to his efforts.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1956 from Kansas State University , in Manhattan, Slaughter developed military aircraft at General Dynamics’ Convair division in San Diego. From there, he moved on to the information systems technology department in the U.S. Navy Electronics Laboratory, also located in the city. He earned a master’s degree in engineering in 1961 from the University of California, Los Angeles .

Slaughter earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego , in 1971 and was promoted to director of the Navy Electronics Laboratory on the same day he defended his dissertation, according to The Institute .

In 1975, he left the organization to become director of the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington , in Seattle. Two years later, Slaughter was appointed assistant director in charge of the NSF’s Astronomical, Atmospheric, Earth and Ocean Sciences Division (now called the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences ), in Washington, D.C.

In 1979, he accepted the position of academic vice president and provost of Washington State University , in Pullman. The following year, he was appointed director of the NSF by U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s administration. Under Slaughter’s leadership, the organization bolstered funding for science programs at historically Black colleges and universities, including Howard University , in Washington, D.C. While Harvard , Stanford , and CalTech traditionally received preference from the NSF for funding new facilities and equipment, Slaughter encouraged less prestigious universities to apply and compete for those grants.

He resigned just two years after accepting the post because he could not publicly support President Ronald Reagan’s initiatives to eradicate funding for science education, he told The Institute in a 2023 interview.

In 1981, Slaughter was appointed chancellor of the University of Maryland , in College Park. He left in 1988 to become president of Occidental College , in Los Angeles, where he helped transform the school into one of the country’s most diverse liberal arts colleges.

In 2000, Slaughter became CEO and president of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering , the largest provider of college scholarships for underrepresented minorities pursuing degrees at engineering schools, in Alexandria, Va.

Slaughter left the council in 2010 and joined USC . He taught courses on leadership, diversity, and technological literacy at Rossier Graduate School of Education until retiring in 2022.

Slaughter received the 2002 IEEE Founders Medal for “leadership and administration significantly advancing inclusion and racial diversity in the engineering profession across government, academic, and nonprofit organizations.”

Don Bramlett

Former IEEE Region 4 Director

Life senior member, 73; died 2 December

Bramlett served as 2009–2010 director of IEEE Region 4 . He was an active volunteer with the IEEE Southeastern Michigan Section .

He worked as a senior project manager for 35 years at DTE Energy , an energy services company, in Detroit.

Bramlett was also active in the Boy Scouts of America (which will be known as Scouting America beginning in 2025). He served as leader of his local troop and was a council member. The Boy Scouts honored him with a Silver Beaver award recognizing his “exceptional character and distinguished service.”

Bramlett earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Detroit Mercy .

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Universities In Germany For PhD In Physics
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Best 28 Physics PhD Programmes in Germany 2024
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Ph.D. Physics and Astronomy. University of Bonn. Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. This page shows a selection of the available PhDs in Germany. If you're interested in studying a Physics degree in Germany you can view all 28 PhDs.
Doctoral Study
The Theodor Hänsch PhD Award is donated by the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation for the Faculty of Physics and is endowed with 4,000 euros. It is named after Professor Theodor W. Hänsch (Nobel Prize winner in 2005) and is intended to recognize particularly outstanding dissertations in the field of physics.
Physics Department, TUM
The Physics Department with the Department Graduate Center Physics provides the organisational framework for the doctorate with a flexible ... Doctorates following the traditional model still make up the majority of PhDs in Germany compared to structured programs. For doctoral candidates from abroad, a traditional PhD requires a great deal of ...
HGSFP
The Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics offers a doctoral programme for students that culminates in the degree "Dr. rer. nat.". In order to enter this programme, the usual requirement is that students must have obtained the minimum of a Master´s degree in Physics or equivalent. With respect to grades, it is expected that students applying ...
PhD in Physics • Physics
Doctoral Program in Physics - Creating fundamentals for future innovations. Around 130 doctoral students study and work at the Department of Physics. Every year, we award some 30 PhD degrees to physicists at Freie Universität Berlin. If you are interested in a doctoral program, please contact the research groups of your interest directly.
The Best Universities for PhDs in Physics in Germany (2023)
Pursuing a Physics PhD in Germany offers students the opportunity to learn from acclaimed professors, alongside ambitious and talented peers. Germany is home to some of the world's best research facilities that contribute significantly to scientific advancements. Studying there will provide you with chances to work in these state-of-the-art ...
Physics PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships in Germany
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. Read more. Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide) Germany PhD Programme. More Details.
Doctoral studies
The PhD is usually done within the framework of the Bonn-Cologne Graduate School of Physics and Astronomy . The most important part of a PhD is a research project at the forefront of science under the direct supervision of a professor or research group leader. In addition, PhD students appoint a "Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)" - the members ...
PhD in physics
The PhD in natural sciences is not coordinated by a central application process, as is common in countries such as the USA or the UK, rather the professors of physics should be contacted, if you are interest in a PhD. You should therefore contact them directly, depending on your interests and subject area (with the exception of graduate schools ...
PhD Program
Fast Track PhD. If you already know that physics is your passion, the Fast Track PhD is the right degree for you. As an excellent BSc graduate, you can jumpstart your research career by directly moving on to the PhD level. ... 55128 Mainz, Germany +49 6131 39 20660. [email protected] Degree Programs. Bachelor Degree; Master degree; PhD ...
IMPRS PhD studies
The program lasts three years and is open to students of all nationalities. The IMPRS EPP is a joint initiative of the Max Planck Institute for Physics, the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich (LMU), and the Technical University of Munich (TUM). A PhD student is working on a detector module for the dark matter experiment CRESST.
Structured PhD
Our PhD programmes will advance your skills not only in an academic way. ... Physics professor, nuclear physicist in love with science! ... 55128 Mainz, Germany +49 6131 39 20660. [email protected] Degree Programs. Bachelor Degree; Master degree; PhD Program; Why JGU.
PhD (Physics)
Contacts Fakultät für Physik Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1 Ebene B.01, Raum 102 D-37077 Göttingen Tel. +49 (0)551 39 24095 Fax +49 (0)551 39 24583 [email protected]
Homepage
The Bonn-Cologne Graduate School for Physics and Astronomy BCGS is a joint program of graduate studies between the universities of Bonn and Cologne. The program leads students with a bachelor's degree in physics (or related subject) through an MSc phase to doctoral studies. The BCGS provides mentoring and research internships, scholarships and ...
PhD Astrophysics Germany
DWIH/WISSNAMA: PhD positions at IMPRS Solar System School. EAS - PhD Positions in Solar System Science at IMPRS Göttingen (Germany): Astrophysics, Solar physics, Planetary science. MPG/en MPG/de MPS/en MPS/de. stellenwerk 2022-07-11-792298: Fully-funded PhD positions at International Max Planck Research School.
Best Global Universities for Physics in Germany
India. Italy. Japan. Netherlands. South Korea. See the US News rankings for Physics among the top universities in Germany. Compare the academic programs at the world's best universities.
PhD Studies & Research
PhD Studies & Research. Science and research in Germany are characterised by a distinguished infrastructure, a wide variety of disciplines, well-equipped research facilities and competent staff. Germany offers various career opportunities for international PhD students and researchers. Discover Germany's top-tier PhD programs and research scene ...
212 physics phd Jobs in Germany, May 2024
212 Physics phd jobs in Germany. MSc in computer science, robotics, physics, statistics, or a related field. Note that this position is not in computer vision, but in data science.…. Starting on August 1, 2024 or at the earliest possible date for 2 years full time (100%) with PhD degree or 3 years part time (65 %) with master's degree.….
Valerio Dao
The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers a diverse program and consistently ranks amongst the best and largest in the country. ... officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany (2014-2016). ... He received his PhD in 2014 at the Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Research Statement My research interests focus on ...
OU physics professor ranked No. 1 spin wave researcher in the world
It's not only my achievement, it's an achievement of our institution and the climate created in the Physics Department." Slavin said he's worked closely with the two people ranked just below him: Burkard Hillebrands from the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany and Sergei Demokritov from the University of Munster in Germany.
Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month 2024
Felix Bloch began studying physics in his hometown of Zurich before moving on to complete his PhD at Leipzig University in 1928. In 1933, while Bloch was serving as a lecturer in Germany, Adolf Hitler came to power, which prompted the young physicist, who was Jewish, to flee Germany. In 1934, the Stanford University Department of Physics ...
HQI Executive Director in Cambridge, MA for Harvard University
Doctorate. Position Title: HQI Executive Director. Req ID: 65382BR. School or Unit: Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Description: Job Summary. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) seek an Executive Director to play a leading role in the Harvard Quantum Initiative, a multi ...
Physics Nobel Laureate Herbert Kroemer Dies at 95
Life Fellow, 95; died 8 March. Kroemer, a pioneering physicist, is a Nobel laureate, receiving the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics for developing semiconductor heterostructures for high-speed and opto ...