MSc/PhD Program


Selection & Admission

Only complete applications which have arrived at the coordination office by January 15 can be considered for admission. Selection and admission involves three steps: evaluation of written application, subject test, personal interviews.

Written application:

Applications are subjected to an initial screening by the admissions committee based on academic qualification and recommendations. Promising candidates will be notified within approximately two weeks after the application deadline with regard to their participation in a written subject test (see below). Unsuccessful applicants will be informed of their rejection by the end of February at the latest.

The Neuroscience Program processes all applications without delay. Please refrain from inquiries regarding the status of your application. You will be informed as soon as the results are known.

Subject Test:

The subject test is typically conducted in the home countries of the applicants and is supervised by local branches of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Goethe Institutes, Max Mueller Bhavan, German embassies, or scientific partners abroad. The tests are returned to the coordination office by our partners via express mail or fax. Grading takes several days and all participants will be informed about their results by e-mail thereafter.

According to the tentative planning, the subject test for 2012 will take place on Thursday, February 9 or Friday, February 10, 2012. Applicants are informed with regard to their participation and the exact location on short notice and should be prepared accordingly. Important: the test is organized by the coordination office and the entire correspondence should thus be sent to this address. DO NOT inquire with nearby DAAD branches, Goethe Institutes, or German embassies regarding the test.
 

The program subject test asks for general background knowledge in biology, chemistry, and physics. Proficiency in just one of these fields is not sufficient for admission. The test is scheduled for two hours. Common textbooks, handbooks for Graduate Record Examinations, or Schaum's outline may serve as preparation. Passing the test should not be a problem for candidates familiar with the following books (all of these books are available from Internet bookstores, e.g. Amazon.com, or your local branch of them):

To download sample questions of the subject test as pdf-file, click here .
To download sample questions of the subject test as word-file, click here .

Interviews:

Applicants who pass the program subject test will be invited for interviews in Göttingen (travel expenses will be covered by the program) within the following time window (tentative schedule):

In some countries (e.g. P.R. China, India), interviews will be organized by video conference in collaboration with local partner institutions. The video conferences are provisionally scheduled between February 27 and March 1, 2012.

The admissions committee will reach a decision with regards to admission based on the written application, the subject test and the interviews by March 16, 2012.