The Max Planck Schools

The Max Planck Schools are a joint graduate program of currently 24 universities and 34 institutes from non-university research organizations.

Ambitious and promising PhD candidates engage in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research in the fields of Cognition, Matter to Life, and Photonics and study in the context of a unique network, closely supervised by outstanding scientists, who are leaders in their respective field. The PhD candidates benefit from early access to a versatile, first-class research infrastructure and innovative teaching methods, as well as fully financed PhD positions for Bachelor and Master graduates.

Our Offer

Our PhD candidates benefit from:

Cutting-edge interdisciplinary research in the fields of
Cognition, Matter to Life, and Photonics;
Close supervision by outstanding scientists in their respective field;
a unique network of leading German universities and non-university research organizations;
An integrated MSc and PhD program (or standalone PhD program)
Early access to first-class research infrastructures and innovative teaching formats;
An internationally competitive funding scheme without tuition fees.

Our Fellows

Together with our students, the Fellows of the Max Planck Schools form the foundation of every School. Our Fellows are Germany’s leading scientists in their respective field and are to pass on their knowledge to the most ambitious and talented Bachelor and Master graduates through close personal exchange in small groups and with the aid of excellent infrastructures. The Fellows mentor our talented and ambitious young researchers and accompany them throughout their PhD studies.

Find out more about our world-class supervisers and their inspiring research!

THE THREE MAX PLANCK SCHOOLS

Max Planck School
of Cognition

Cognition research covers topics from disciplines as diverse as psychology, physics, computer science, philosophy, biology and medicine. In this rapidly developing research field scientists with access to the methods and approaches of the various disciplines are in high demand.

Max Planck School
Matter to Life

What, exactly, is life? Can processes, functions and objects related to life be simulated and recreated in the laboratory? These are the overarching questions addressed in the curriculum and research training of the Max Planck School Matter to Life.

Max Planck School
of Photonics

Photonics is the science of light, enabling numerous modern technologies such as non-contact sensors, quantum computers and energy and information carriers. The Max Planck School of Photonics unites research in many subdisciplines to light up the world.

Prof. Bernhard Eitel, Rector of Heidelberg University (left), and Göttingen University President, Prof. Metin Tolan (right), signed the agreement. From now on, the universities of Heidelberg and Göttingen will offer a joint master's degree in the interdisciplinary "Matter to Life" study program.

Matter to Life - Prepared for the future

February 08, 2023

Max Planck School Matter to Life

It is official: The partner universities in Heidelberg and Göttingen finalize the unique joint degree within the Max Planck School Matter to Life. Last Thursday the two university heads from Heidelberg and Göttingen, Rector Prof. Bernard Eitel and President Prof. Metin Tolan, signed an agreement for a joint Master's program based on the already close cooperation between the two universities within the Max Planck School (MPS) Matter to Life – an interdisciplinary joint degree program which is now unique in Germany.

The three new decision-makers in the strategically most important committee of the Max Planck Schools: Prof. Anja Steinbeck, Prof. Ulrike Cress, and Prof. Anita Schöbel

Three Women, three questions

January 30, 2023

New additions to the Max Planck Schools Steering Committee: At the end of last year, three new members joined the strategically most important body of the Max Planck Schools - Anita Schöbel, Anja Steinbeck, and Ulrike Cress are now contributing their expertise and multi-faceted experience to the programm. With this interview, we would like to not only briefly introduce the three scientists, but also convey the importance of such a decision-making body - consisting of representatives from the partner institutions involved in the Schools - for our cross-organizational program.

Asifa Akhtar, Vice President of the Max Planck Society and Director of the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg

“Make our leaders more approachable”

December 22, 2022

Leading in Top-Level Science: Asifa Akhtar is Vice President of the Biology and Medicine Section of the Max Planck Society and Director of the Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology in Freiburg, where she is heading the Department of Chromatin Regulation. In the interview conducted by Christiane Walch-Solimena, who is heading the Science Policy and Strategy Department at the Max Planck Society’s Administrative Headquarters, she talks about her time as a PhD student, her career path and what is needed today to make leadership positions more attractive for young scientists.

"Passion for Science" is the motto of the Max Planck Schools

At last - finally networking, discussing and celebrating together again

September 22, 2022

Festive welcome: After two years of virtual get-togethers, the Max Planck Schools Day took place again at the Harnack-Haus in Berlin on September 05. With this year's leading theme "Interdisciplinarity - Chances and Challenges for Research and a Career in Science", roughly 170 participants across all three Schools gathered on site to get to know each other, to exchange ideas and to celebrate the start of the new academic year together. In addition, the fourth student cohort at the three Max Planck Schools – Cognition, Matter to Life, and Photonics – was warmly welcomed.

The Max Planck Schools call on forward-thinking scientists in the interdisciplinary research fields "Cognition", "Matter to Life" and "Photonics" to apply for the positions as Max Planck Schools Fellows.

Fellows Open Call 2022

August 01, 2022

The Max Planck Schools call on forward-thinking scientists in the interdisciplinary research fields "Cognition", "Matter to Life" and "Photonics" to apply for the positions as Max Planck Schools Fellows. Apply now and become a Fellow of the Max Planck Schools. Application deadline is October 13, 2022.

Students and members of the Max Planck School Matter to Life celebrate the first master's cohort of the same-titled study program at Ringberg Castle.
© Axel Griesch / MPS Matter to Life

Reason to celebrate for the Max Planck School Matter to Life

July 15, 2022