PhD / Doctorate •

Degree

PhD, MD/PhD (for medical students), Dr rer nat, Dr rer medic, Dr phil

In cooperation with

• NeuroCure – Cluster of Excellence
• Berlin School of Mind and Brain
• Bernstein Center for Computational Neurosciences Berlin
• Medical Neurosciences International Graduate Programme
• Center for Stroke Research Berlin

Teaching language

• English

Languages

Courses are held in English.

Full-time / part-time

• full-time

Mode of study

Fully on-site with voluntary online elements

Programme duration

8 semesters

Beginning

Winter semester

Application deadline

Second week of January each year
See the website for details.

Tuition fees per semester in EUR

None

Combined Master's degree / PhD programme

No

Joint degree / double degree programme

Yes

Description/content

The PhD programme of the Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin (ECN) offers selected students the opportunity to become experts in neuroscience research and related disciplines. The combination of the ECN curriculum and courses offered by our partner institutions allows students the interdisciplinary study of neuroscientific disciplines (such as anatomy, physiology, cell biology, computation, pharmacology, neurolinguistics and philosophy). Learning about the research questions and methodologies of different scientific fields will help each student to generate his or her own curriculum and pursue an individual research focus and career plans.

The goal of the core curriculum is to provide a common foundation, so that all students have a strong knowledge base and a common language across the breadth of neurosciences, which is a highly diverse and multidisciplinary field.

Course organisation

Incoming ECN PhD fellows will attend a boot camp at the beginning of October. This three-week intensive programme will help the students to get an overview of the interdisciplinary fields of study before they take part in their first laboratory of choice.

Students will familiarise themselves with the core curriculum of the Einstein Training Programme (ETP). The intensive programme features lectures on key neuroscience concepts. The focus will be on fundamental aspects such as neuroanatomy and neurophysiology as well as other relevant disciplines like philosophy and ethics.

During the boot camp, the students will take a test for individual assessment and the identification of personal interests and strengths.

Additionally, the students will attend weekly lectures to complement the core curriculum of their studies in each field. At the end of the lab rotation period (about six months), each ECN student will select a laboratory and a mentor for the PhD thesis.

International elements

• International guest lecturers
• Study trips

Integrated internships

Internships are required. During the first six months, all students are expected to perform three separate laboratory rotations in labs of their choice. Each rotation usually lasts for a period of two months. During this time, the students gain hands-on experience in a variety of approaches and methods. They also get to know faculty members and their laboratory groups better.
In this way, all PhD fellows are able to make an informed choice about their respective thesis labs.

Special promotion / funding of the programme

• Other (e.g. state level)

Course-specific, integrated German language courses

No

Course-specific, integrated English language courses

No

Pace of course

Instructor-led (Specific due dates for lectures/assignments/exams)

Phase(s) of attendance in Germany (applies to the entire programme)

Yes, compulsory

Types of online learning elements

• Access to databases with study material
• Flipped Classroom
• Online sessions
• Online study material provided by institution

Tuition fees per semester in EUR

None

Semester contribution

Approx. 315 EUR
The student ID entitles students to free use of the public transportation system.

Costs of living

The cost of living will depend on your lifestyle. Given as a guide only: living costs might amount to 1,300 – 1,500 EUR per month, including accommodation and insurance.

Funding opportunities within the university

Yes

Description of the above-mentioned funding opportunities within the university

The selected Einstein Center for Neurosciences (ECN) PhD fellows will be fully funded by scholarships for the first twelve months (1,800 EUR per month, tax-free, no insurance included). After the initial funding, an employment contract with the thesis advisor will be sought.

Further information: https://www.ecn-berlin.de/education/phd-fellowships.html

Academic admission requirements

The formal qualification is a MSc or an equivalent degree.

Language requirements

You have to provide a proof of proficiency in English through the TOEFL, IELTS or an equivalent test (see list below). If you are an English native speaker OR the main language of your study programme was English, you do not need to provide a language test.

In order to prove your proficiency in English, the following certificates will be accepted:

• Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (grade "B" or higher)
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (grade "C" or higher)
• IELTS Academic (6 or higher)
• TOEFL iBT (score 80 or higher)
• TOEFL PBT (score 550 or higher)
• CEF (C1 or higher)
• UNIcert (level III or higher)

Application deadline

Second week of January each year
See the website for details.

Submit application to

https://www.ecn-berlin.de/education/phd-fellowships/how-to-apply.html

Possibility of finding part-time employment

Fellowship students are allowed to work parallel to their studies for a limited amount of working hours and a limited salary.

Accommodation

A simple way to find a room or an apartment is to search on the private housing market. Many students in Berlin live in shared apartments ("WG"). You will find these offers online, in various Berlin magazines or e.g. at the Welcome Service of the Freie Universität Berlin.

Structured research and supervision

Yes

Research training / discussion

Yes

Career advisory service

Yes, PhD students will be guided by the career development coordinator. The ECN also offers an internal job database.

Support for international students and doctoral candidates

• Welcome event
• Visa matters
• Support with registration procedures

Supervisor-student ratio

3:1

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