Finding a supervisor

How can I find a supervisor for my PhD?

While we are not in a position to find a supervisor for you, we can help you with your search and offer some useful advice.

First of all, you can search for doctoral positions in Germany specifically for international applicants at PhDGermany Database.

When you are looking for a supervisor you can also search for a good university with the right fit for your research focus. Here are some useful links and databases:
- The CHE University Ranking enables you to search for universities by subject or by city.

- The 'Research Map' offered by the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) allows you to search for German universities where your field of interest is available.

- The online database 'Higher Education Compass' allows you to search specific research fields and find institutes you can apply to if you wish to earn a PhD.

- The 'Research Explorer' is a database containing over 25,000 research institutes in Germany. It includes information on institutes and departments at German universities, as well as research institutions and organisations working outside the university sector.
Once you’ve identified a potential supervisor you need to apply directly to the professor in question. When applying you should provide details about your previous academic achievements, the topic of your master’s thesis and the subject area in which you wish to specialise. Your application can include a well-considered proposal for your dissertation.

You can find more general information about doing a PhD in Germany here.