The Max Planck School Matter to Life brings together researchers from Max Planck Institutes and German universities to train researchers at the intersection of physics, chemistry, biology, materials science and engineering. The programme offers opportunities to pursue research at the Master’s and PhD levels, working on interdisciplinary projects exploring how living systems can be understood, designed and engineered.
Table of Content
Summary
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Benefits
Requirements
Applications are open to passionate and motivated students worldwide. Applicants should have at least one of the following by the start of the program.
- a Bachelor of Science degree (e.g. in Chemistry, Physics, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Materials Science, Biotechnology) or
- a Bachelor of Engineering (e.g. in Molecular Systems Engineering, Bioengineering) or
- a course of study in a related natural science or engineering disciplinein at least six semesters
Application Documents
- Certificates/ Diplomas of all higher education degrees (e.g. B.Sc., etc.) – if already obtained. If you do not have a certificate of graduation yet, please submit your preliminary transcript. At the latest, your final certificate must be submitted at the time of enrollment at the university.
- Official transcripts of all completed and ongoing degrees
- All submitted documents including certificates and transcripts should be in either English or German. Alternatively, only official certified translations of the originals are accepted. Please check our FAQ page if you are unsure what is meant by “certified” translations are (FAQ section “Application documents”).
- The English language test is required for admission to the program, but not for the application submission.
Proof of English language proficiency is required for non-native English speakers unless your previous program was taught in English. If you cannot complete the test before applying, you will be able to indicate this within the portal under the “English Language Proficiency” section. Please submit the results of a valid English test no later than July 15th of the year in which your program begins (you will find a list of accepted English test within the FAQs).
- Students within non-ECTS programs/degrees, please provide a grading scheme of your institution as well as a description of your program/degree/major's requirements/curriculum/course modules, as outlined by your institution either in English or German. Alternatively, translation along with the originals are also accepted. Please also provide a conversion of how many work hours equals one credit in your program.
- Students who received their educational certificate from China, India or Vietnam need to hand in a verification by the Academic Evaluation Center (APS). Please note that degrees received from institutions in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are exempt from this.
- We do not need or accept letters of reference
Check also:
2026 Fully Funded Humboldt Research Fellowship
2026 Eutopia PhD Co-tutelle Call
Application Deadline
December 1, 2026How To Apply
For more information, kindly visit the Max Planck webpage.
