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  1. Home
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  3. PhD
Researchers celebrating their graduation

PhD

The German doctorate enjoys an outstanding reputation. Germany’s research institutions, universities and companies welcome international researchers and offer excellent opportunities for doctoral students. Structured PhD programmes, for example, often have a strong international orientation with English as the team language.

Roughly 29,000 graduate students complete a doctorate in Germany every year – far more than in any other member state of the European Union. Every year, over 5,500 international scholars are awarded a doctoral degree by a German university.

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Good reasons

There are many good reasons for coming to Germany. It is a leading research nation – especially when it comes to the disciplines of the future – and its universities and research institutions are among the best in the world. But that is not all …

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A researcher is working on a computer in a lab.
© (c) DAAD/Volker Lannert

Two ways to get your PhD

Germany offers two ways to do your PhD. Before you start your search for a PhD place you should choose between "individual doctorate" and "structured PhD programmes".

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Three researchers are standing at a whiteboard and are looking towards the camera laughing. The one in the middle holds a pen in her hand holding it near the whiteboard as if she was interrupted in writing something on it.
© DAAD / Volker Lannert

Find your PhD position

Germany offers a wide range of different doctoral opportunities. Search now and find your PhD place in Germany

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Two researchers in a lab
© DAAD / Volker Lannert

Funding programmes

PhD students in Germany usually work as a research associate (paid PhD position) at a higher education institution or receive a scholarship.

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A PhD candidate is looking at different funding opportunities.
© iStock/Andrey Popov
A PhD candidate is looking at different funding opportunities.

Funding organisations

Research funding in Germany is provided by government bodies, various organisations and foundations, including many of the large non-university research institutions, and industry.

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Three researchers in chic clothing are standing outside a research institute. They are looking at booklet the one on the right is holding. The researcher on the left is pointing at the booklet.
© DAAD / Focke Strangmann

Funding databases

Search for a wide range of funding programmes for international PhD students, postdocs and senior researchers.

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A researcher working on an experiment
© DAAD / Volker Lannert
A researcher working on an experiment

Job portals

We help you navigate through the large number of job portals that specialise in openings for academics and scientists. These are some of the sites that may get you started.

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A researcher using the Nano-Spintronic-Cluster-Tool in the Peter Gruenberg Institut (PGI) for the research of Electronic Properties (PGI-6) in the Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (fz Juelich)
© DAAD / Volker Lannert

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