Admission Requirements & ­How to Apply

The standard minimum eligibility requirement is a 3-year bachelor + 2-year master degree, including a written master's research thesis. Our PhD students typically have a background in (molecular) biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computational biology, computer/data science or epidemiology/public health studies.

Candidates with a 1-year Master degree (e.g. MRes), including a written master's research thesis, may also apply. However, to be accepted by a faculty, such candidates should expect to have to pass an entrance exam and/or complete substantial additional coursework at the start of their PhD.   

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria above, 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.

Applicants still studying for their degree should anticipate to receive it not later than 6 months after being accepted to the program. 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.

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.

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  or ≥ 5. We only accept the score mentioned in the report under ‘Total Score’ and not ‘My Best Score’.
• IELTS certificate with an overall band score of ≥ 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. We only accept references from institutional (e.g. university) or organisational (e.g. company) email accounts. We do not accept references from personal email accounts.

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 one day after 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.

Step 1: Create a login in our Online Application System, opening 6–8 weeks before each application deadline.

Step 2: Fill in the application form

• Personal and academic information: education, internships, honors, skills, and interests.
• Statement of motivation explaining why you want to pursue a PhD at DKFZ.
• Two letters of recommendation from referees using institutional email addresses.
• Choose at least 1 and up to 5 projects of interest along with a short motivation describing your interest in the projects

Step 3: Upload Documents

• Academic certificates (PDF, max 5MB each)
• English language certificate (PDF, max 5MB)

Step 4: Submit Your Application

   Click “Submit” once your application form is complete.

Your referees do not need to submit their letters before you submit, but all letters must be received by the application deadline for your application to be considered.

Our selection process has recently been updated. Please read the application guidelines handbook and FAQs carefully.

All candidates must select at least one and up to five projects as part of their application. The PhD Program Office checks all applications for eligibility and completeness and reviews and scores all eligible applications within six weeks following the application deadline. The review and initial scoring of applications is based on objective criteria such as academic track record and achievements, the depth and relevance of your previous research experience and your passion and commitment to contributing to cancer research among others.

Following the eligibility check and initial scoring by the PhD Program Office, all eligible applications are shared with the recruiting groups who then review the applications and nominate candidates for a qualifying online panel interview.

Nominated applicants are then invited to participate in a single qualifying panel interview, where the required scientific qualifications and suitability for our program are formally assessed. As a basis for discussion, candidates give a 3-minute elevator pitch (with or without a presentation) of a recent research project (typically their master's thesis) and present 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 acumen, scientific knowledge, creativity, motivation, perseverance, and independent thinking.

Following the panel interview, the recruiting groups nominate their final preferences for an on-site visit and individual interviews. Although the on-site visit is not mandatory, we strongly recommend attendance. 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 the online panel 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 reuse a previous application.

If you have previously submitted an online application for the PhD Program and WERE invited for the online panel 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.