Frequently Asked Questions

How can I apply?

Application is only possible via our online application system, which will be available in September. For further information please visit https://imprs-neurocom.mpg.de/how-to-apply.

I missed the deadline. What can I do?

We are very sorry, but we do not accept post-deadline applications. You may try it again next fall.

I have not finished my MSc degree yet ? Can I still apply?

Students may apply before receiving their Master’s degree (or equivalent degree). In this case, they need to indicate the expected date of their degree, and they must submit their most current academic transcripts. The degree must have been awarded by the time the student starts the IMPRS NeuroCom programme.

My proof of English language proficiency is outdated. Is it still recognized from your graduate school?

We accept proofs of English language proficiency, which are not older than five years.

Can I apply without a TOEFL or IELTS test?

Candidates are expected to be proficient in written and spoken English. For PhD applicants a minimum score required for a TOEFL paper-based test is 550. The minimum score for the TOEFL computer-based test is 213, for internet-based test 79–80. For IELTS the overall band score should be 6.5. Coursework in English is also accepted, either at your home university or from a university abroad. In this case, please submit an official letter from your University registrar stating which sort of course work you accomplished (e.g. study program is taught in English; BSc/Msc thesis written in English etc.).

Is it possible to hand in missing documents at a later stage?

As the evaluation process is tightly timed, usually late document submission is not possible. Only in very rare cases we do make exceptions from this.

Is it necessary to provide my academic records in English or German?

In case your academic records are not in English or German, we kindly ask you to provide us with officially certified translations of these documents. Please understand that otherwise we cannot further process your application.

Can I select a faculty member for my PhD project, who is not selectable in the application form?

No, that’s not possible. Only faculty members who are selectable can be indicated as potential supervisors.

How do I make sure that the referees I have listed will be contacted by IMPRS NeuroCom?

Once you named the referees they will automatically receive a reference requests asking to fill in an evaluation form and provide us with a recommendation letter. Reference requests will be sent by: lotus2/GWDG/de@lotus1.gwdg.de. Unfortunately, this address is often filtered as *SPAM*. Please inform your referees beforehand that they receive an Email from this sender and make sure that they check their spam folder. It may take 30-45 minutes after you submit your application until they receive this Email. Deadline for submitting the reference letters is 17 November 2019. Please be aware, that in case your referee(s) don’t submit their recommendation on-time, we won’t send reminder emails. It is YOUR duty to make sure your referees submit the letter on time. You will receive a notification once a referee has submitted a recommendation letter on your behalf. So, if you haven’t received such Emails by 14 November you should remind your referees upon the deadline.

How do I know whether my referees submitted their recommendation letters (LOR)?

You will receive an automated Email from lotus2/GWDG/de@lotus1.gwdg.de confirming that a reference was submitted for you. So please regularly check your SPAM filter in case you don’t find it in your “usual” mailbox. If you can’t find an Email confirming the submission of your two reference requests, you should contact your referees (please also see below).

My referee can’t find a reference request for me in his/her mailbox. What should I do?

Please send us an Email, with the respective name and Email address. We will then check whether the address you indicated in the form is identical to the one you send us. If so, please ask your referee to check his/her mailbox for: lotus2/GWDG/de@lotus1.gwdg.de. If there was a typo, we will change the contact data accordingly and resend a reference request. Please note: In Germany Saturday and Sunday are not working days. Thus, after 15 November, 12.00 am (CET), we will ignore requests to check the correctness of the provided Email address(es) of your referee(s).

One of my referees already provided me with a LOR. Is there any chance that I upload it instead?

No, we will not accept LOR submitted by applicants. For your application to IMPRS NeuroCom, your referees will have to answer questions and mark your performance accordingly. This allows us a better comparison of different applicants. Therefore, in order to be further considered for the IMPRS NeuroCom application procedure, your referees need to fill-in the provided form. However, there is a “comment” box, where referees can copy and paste a prepared LOR.

Can I edit my application after I have submitted it?

No, once you submitted your application, no more changes can be made.

I successfully submitted my application and my referees also filled in the evaluation form. Who will review my application?

First the IMPRS NeuroCom coordinator checks applications for completeness and general match to the programme and applications are ranked accordingly. In a second step, each pre-selected application is evaluated by three IMPRS Faculty members. Most presumably, we will forward your application to the faculty members you indicated as your preferred ones. Finally, candidates are ranked and the best candidates are invited for the Interview Days.

I am invited to attend the interview days. Who will be in my admissions committee?

Interviews are organized module wise. This means, if you indicated Module “Neuroimaging Physics and Signal processing” as your preferred module. You are also interviewed by the faculty of this module. First the IMPRS NeuroCom coordinator checks applications for completeness and general match to the programme and applications are ranked accordingly. In a second step, each pre-selected application is evaluated by three IMPRS Faculty members. Most presumably, we will forward your application to the faculty members you indicated as your preferred ones. Finally, candidates are ranked and the best candidates are invited for the Interview Days.

In my application I indicated faculty members from different modules as potential supervisors. From the faculty of which module will I be interviewed?

This is not a straightforward answer as it is not only you who is asked to indicate from whom you’d like to be supervised. During the evaluation procedure, faculty members are also asked whom they are interested in supervising. Assignment of candidates to interview panels is thus based on matching interests of candidates and faculty members. This means that if you indicated supervisors from different modules and all of them are interested in supervising you, you will have up to three interview sessions. However, this special case does not enlarge your chance to accepted to our graduate school.

If I am accepted to the IMPRS NeuroCom, when am I supposed to start with my doctoral studies?

The starting date of the programme is flexible but should not be later than 01 October. In general, starting dates are decided upon in agreement with the respective faculty member. The official start of the new cohort of IMPRS PhD students start is in October.