Admission Requirements ­& How to Apply

Applicants holding (or expecting to hold) a university master's degree (MSc or equivalent) including a written master's research thesis are eligible to apply. Our PhD students typically have a background in (molecular) biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computational biology, computer science or epidemiology/public health studies.

Applicants still studying for their degree should anticipate to receive it not later than 6 months after the application deadline. A provisional certificate or bona fide statement from the University, stating the examination marks already obtained, should be provided. During completion of the online application form, you will be required to upload a scanned copy of your certificates as a PDF file of not more than 5MB.

In case you hold a degree that is NOT a MSc but that you think is equivalent to a MSc (including a written master's thesis), please contact the Graduate Program Office, listing the name of the degree in the original language and the English translation and we will inform you whether you are eligible to apply. 

Degrees from countries outside the European Union are subject to a recognition procedure if a faculty of a German university is chosen. The faculty may ask for additional qualifications or an entrance examination to be completed in the early phase of the thesis work.

If you hold a bachelor degree, you are unfortunately not eligible to apply. However, you might be interested in the Master's Program Major Cancer Biology, organized by the German Cancer Research Center in collaboration with the University of Heidelberg.

A language test for English is requested for all applicants except those coming from German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), as well as native English speakers from Australia, Canada, Ireland, UK and USA. If your studies were in English, then please upload a PDF document from your University (or Director of Studies) in which this is stated and select "Degree in English" in the section "Proof of English" in the online application system.

The following proof of English is accepted:

• TOEFL test with a score of 95+ (internet-based), 240+ (computer-based) or 587+ (paper-based)
• IELTS certificate with a band score 7.0+
• Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)

If you are planning to take a TOEFL test for your application to the DKFZ International PhD Program, you may have the results sent directly to us by quoting the DKFZ code number, 4320, when you take the test. If not, then you will be required to upload a scanned copy of the certificate as a JPEG or PDF file of not more than 3MB.

A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not mandatory. If you have a GRE certificate, please scan and upload this to your online application under the "Documents" section. Both English proficiency certificates and GRE score certificates can be uploaded under the tab "English Certificate".

We also require a copy of your high school certificate.

As part of the online application form, you are asked to provide the names and contact details of two referees. As soon as you have entered the name and contact details of your referees we will automatically send them an email with a link, requesting that they provide us with a letter of recommendation online.

Note: Please submit your application once you have completed the online form. Your letters of recommendation do not have to be submitted by your referees in order for you to submit your application.

However, please be aware that the deadline for your referees to submit their letters of recommendation is the same as the application deadline. Therefore, you need to make sure that you register with the online system and enter the contact details of your referees in good time, so that they have time to submit their letters before the deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure that they provide these letters.

Please apply using our Online Application System, which opens approximately 6-8 weeks before each application deadline.

In your written application, you'll have the opportunity to showcase your academic achievements, research experience, and motivation for pursuing a PhD at DKFZ. In the application form, you will provide information about your educational qualifications, internships, honors, skills and interests. A statement of motivation and letters of recommendation from two referees are also required. When filling in the online form, electronic copies (PDF files of not more than 5MB) of your academic certificates and an English language certificate are required to be uploaded. If you have questions about the online application process, please check the FAQs.

Please don't forget to click the submit button once you have completed the online application form. Your letters of recommendation do NOT already have to be submitted by your referees in order for you to submit your application but they need to be submitted by the application deadline for your application to be considered.

Applications are reviewed and evaluated within six weeks following the application deadline. The reviewers assess aspects such as your academic track record and achievements, the depth and relevance of your previous research experience and your passion and commitment to contributing to cancer research.

Shortlisted applicants are invited to participate in two independent panel interviews, where the required scientific qualifications and suitability for our program are formally assessed. As a basis for discussion, candidates give a short presentation of a recent research project (typically their master's thesis) and a scientific paper (selected from a pool of peer-reviewed, original research articles provided by the PhD Program Office). During the interviews, the panels evaluate aspects such as intellectual brightness, scientific knowledge, creativity, motivation, perseverance, and independent thinking.

The most succesful candidates from the panel interviews are invited to the individual interviews with potential PhD supervisors and an on-site visit. They select up to five preferred PhD projects for which they wish to interview. Pre-interviews with supervisors can be arranged online, but we strongly recommend attending the on-site visit for in-person interviews. This visit allows candidates to explore potential research environments, meet PhD supervisors and their lab members in-person, and gain a firsthand impression of the DKFZ, Heidelberg, or our participating partner sites.

The on-site visit takes place at the DKFZ in Heidelberg about 10-12 weeks after the application deadline and lasts 3 days. During the on-site visit, candidates gain deeper insights into the DKFZ International PhD Program and its unique opportunities, and participate in social events organized by our current PhD students, providing an excellent chance to get to know the DKFZ and connect with our academic community.

If you have previously submitted an online application for the PhD Program and were NOT invited for interviews, then you are eligible to re-apply. You will need to create a new account in the online system and re-submit all your documents, including the letters of recommendation. It is not possible for you to "re-use" a previous application.

If you have previously submitted an online application for the PhD Program and WERE invited for interviews, but were unable to obtain a position, then you are NOT eligible to re-apply through the online application system. Instead, we encourage you to contact PhD supervisors directly.

Candidates who are currently working at or have previously worked at the DKFZ are eligible to apply through the online system. However, they must indicate in the supplementary information that they are working (or have worked) at the DKFZ and provide details.

Candidates who have already secured third-party funding and wish to apply for PhD Program funding may apply providing that they started their PhD no earlier than the application deadline of the previous selection round. Details of their affiliation with the DKFZ must also be clearly stated in their online application.