Links and Downloads

Information about physics/astronomy PhD studies at Heidelberg University is provided by the Heidelberg Graduate School for Physics' web-pages.

Admission requirements for acceptance to the doctoral programme are specified here. (Heidelberg University)

Downloads for admission at the Department:

Agreement on doctoral studies and application for admission as a doctoral student.

Downloads for Enrollment at Heidelberg University

Registration form for German candidates

Annahme als Doktorand/in

Registration form for candidates from foreign countries

Application form for admission as a PhD student at the University of Heidelberg

For enrollment, first contact the Graduate Academy of Heidelberg University. Non-German citizenship fellows later have to go to the Akademisches Auslandsamt.

You will receive this document (Aufenthaltstitel zu Studienzwecken) which has to be signed and stamped by the Local Foreigners’ Office (Ausländeramt).

Thesis & examination

Handing in the thesis & preparing for the examination

Handing in your thesis and preparing for the examination is regulated by the HGSFP.

Start early with reading the documents and prepare to register for the final examination and handing in your thesis.

The current regulations can be found at the HGSFP website.

There several critical points involved in this including the following.

- You may suggest your thesis examination committee, but not all combinations of examiners are allowed. Typilcally the committee must consist of an (1) observational astronomer, (2) a theoretical astrophysicist, (3) a physicist, and a (4) professor from any of these field.

- You may suggest a date for the examination, but not all dates are possible, in particular there are no exams in the semester breaks.

- You have to provide a document that declares your participation in education (16 SWS of course attencance during PhD)

- You have to provide a document that declares your teaching activity.

- The examination is on a black board, so you better train your selve to explain your thesis on a black board in 20 min.

- After the examination you have to hand in your thesis to the university library.

Never give anybody copies, only show it to people.

NOTES:

In order to get enrolled at HD university you must have a valid visa. Unfortunately, you will only get a visa if you are enrolled at university or have a work contract already ... The procedure is therefore that you have to visit the university office and the visa office twice (in most cases). After your first visit to the enrollment office you will receive a preliminary admission certificate (by postal mail), that you have to show to the visa authorities. The will provide you with a form for the university for enrollment. After full enrollment that you have to go to the visa office again to pick up your visa / residence permit.

Similarly, we encountered difficulties with the visa authorities for students who are supposed to have a work contract. The contract is issued for the time period of the visa, but the visa is received for the time period of the work contract.

If your salary is above 50% of a postdoc salary, you won't be able to get a student visa, and need a Hosting Agreement from your employer. Please calrify these issues as early as possible with your supervisor, and keep IMPRS updated so that we can help if necessary.

Even if you don't need a visa, they will first only accept your material for admission, then decide about acceptance and ask you to come again to finialize enrollment. They will tell you which documents to bring (e.g. the health insurance certificate).

Note, that we have experienced constant changes in these procedures from each side every year, unfortunately. So, maybe you will encounter a new problem that has not been foreseen by us. Please immediately tell us and we will try to help. But don't worry, in the end nobody was ever rejected from either getting a residence permit or from enrollment.

More information on fees for study at Heidelberg University can be found here.