In Berlin: Charité Medical Faculty, Freie Universität Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Max Planck School of Cognition, Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Berlin Center for Advanced Imaging, MPI for Human Development
Outside of Berlin: Magdeburg, Potsdam, and Leipzig universities; MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig
English (100%)
15 January for the following winter semester (start: 1 October)
The Berlin School of Mind and Brain is an international research school and is located in the vibrant heart of Berlin. Founded in 2006 as part of Germany's Excellence Initiative, it offers a unique, three-year, interdisciplinary doctoral programme in English in the mind/brain sciences.
Research within the school focuses on the interface between the humanities and neurosciences. Of particular interest are research areas that fall on the borders between the mind sciences (e.g. philosophy, theoretical/neuro-linguistics, behavioural and cognitive science, economics), and the brain sciences (e.g. neurophysiology, computational neuroscience, neurology, and neurobiology).
Doctoral candidates acquire a strong foundation in interdisciplinary work by attending a teaching programme during the first year of their doctoral project, which covers all fields relevant to mind/brain-related research and allows students to explore research methods and topics to which they have not been previously exposed. Each doctoral candidate is assigned two professorial advisers - one from the brain sciences and one from the mind sciences - in order to maximise the interdisciplinary impact of their work.
Major topics of research within the programme include conscious and unconscious perception, decision-making, language, brain plasticity and lifespan ontogeny, mental disorders and brain dysfunction, social cognition, and philosophy of mind. However, research is not limited to these areas, and students are strongly encouraged to develop and work on their own initiative on any projects that are relevant to interdisciplinary questions relating to the mind and the brain.
Excellence in Training and Research:
The school has a faculty comprising nearly 60 distinguished researchers who cover the gamut of research in the mind and brain sciences.
Research within the school is strongly embedded in the basic and clinical research conducted within the region, allowing for strong synergistic research initiatives and opportunities. Hosted by Humboldt-Universität, the school's faculty is based at Humboldt-Universität; Freie Universität; Technische Universität; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience; Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Berlin); Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (Leipzig); and the nearby universities of Potsdam, Leipzig, and Magdeburg.
Students receive financial support for travel to (international) workshops and meetings.
Doctoral candidates will be able to design a curriculum that caters to their specific needs and interests. The mandatory teaching weeks take place during the first year of the doctorate. The second and third years of the doctorate will be dedicated almost exclusively to research and paper writing.
Throughout the three-year doctoral programme, doctoral candidates will work on their research projects/dissertations (60 ECTS per year, total: 180 ECTS). The obligatory teaching programme (30 ECTS) consists of teaching weeks with the following structure: focus courses that will lay the foundation for interdisciplinary research by teaching students analytical, theoretical, and methodological skills (20 ECTS, usually during the first year); four academic key competencies courses (5 ECTS); and participation in project presentations, lectures, and workshops (5 ECTS).
Soft and hard skills courses will be offered throughout the three-year programme. Candidates will participate in journal and methods clubs, the international mind and brain lecture series, and the annual thesis presentations.
Candidates wishing to present their findings at conferences and workshops (nationally or internationally) can apply for financial support from the school.
Teaching opportunities (not obligatory)
Enrolment fees amount to approx. 340 EUR per semester.
This includes a semester ticket for public transport in the Berlin metropolitan area and the surrounding Brandenburg region including Potsdam (without semester ticket: approx. 100 EUR).
Minimum 1,200 EUR per month to cover personal expenses (including accommodation, food, health insurance, enrolment fees, and public transport)
One option for financing the research stay and covering the cost of living is to apply for one of the school's own "Mind and Brain" or DAAD GSSP doctoral scholarships: http://www.mind-and-brain.de/doctoral-program/funding/.
Humboldt-Universität additionally administers several scholarship programmes: https://www.hu-berlin.de/promovierende-en/finanzierung_promotion-en/.
Master's degree or equivalent (research Master's, e.g. MA, MSc, MPhil, MLitt) in a field related to mind and brain research, such as philosophy of mind, theoretical or neuro-linguistics, psychology, cognitive sciences, medicine (esp. psychiatry, neurology, or neurobiology)
At least a total of five years of university study at the level of Bachelor's and Master's degrees
An application that includes a proposal for a doctoral research project
Non-native English speakers must submit proof of very good English-language skills in the form of language test results.
For further details regarding the programme's language requirements, see: http://www.mind-and-brain.de/doctoral-program/application/requirements/
15 January for the following winter semester (start: 1 October)
All applications must be submitted through the online application tool. The central requirement for admittance to the school is the applicant's proposal for a doctoral research project that was developed by the applicant himself or herself. All research proposals must have clear mind-brain relevance.
For more information, see: http://www.mind-and-brain.de/doctoral-program/application/
Candidates may get a paid teaching assignment in one of the Bachelor's or Master's programmes at the university, if available.
In Berlin, paid university student research assistant positions ("studentische Hilfskraftstelle" or "wissenschaftliche Hilfskraftstelle" in German) are not available to doctoral candidates.
Accommodation in Berlin has recently become much more difficult to find. Prices for student accommodation in a dorm or a room in a shared flat or in a one-room studio flat range from 500 to 800 EUR/month, depending on the district in Berlin and the amenities provided.
We offer courses on career development, networking opportunities, mentoring programmes, and career coaching.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is a member of the Berlin University Alliance. In an international comparison, Humboldt-Universität ranks as one of the top ten German universities. Scientists here research socially relevant topics and challenges of the future and communicate these with the public. Humboldt-Universität invests all its energy in being a place of excellent research and teaching. Its aim is to promote young talents and to positively influence society and economy outside the university framework.
Every year, nearly 6,000 students decide to embark on their studies at Humboldt-Universität in the heart of Berlin. There is hardly any other place where they can choose from the same variety of degree courses - among them, some international Master's programmes with lectures and seminars held in English.
For a first-rate university, international exchange in research and study is a matter of course. Humboldt-Universität has academic partnerships with more than 400 Erasmus partners in Europe, with over 150 university partners worldwide, with partners in two Erasmus Mundus programmes, and four Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Windows programmes with over 1,500 mobile students.
Every year, about 800 academics from abroad spend time at Berlin's oldest university. Additionally, researchers from Humboldt-Universität are welcomed at many different international universities where they conduct projects or field studies and teach as guest lecturers. Humboldt-Universität helps students with the preparation of their study time abroad and provides consultation to international students and academics on all questions relating to their stay in Berlin. Through the creation of international networks, intercultural research and teaching are thus being furthered.
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