Information on the general application process of the Max Planck School of Cognition
A fully funded international doctoral program in Germany
The current application cycle for the doctoral program started again on September 1st 2025. The application portal will remain open from this day until December 1st 2025 for intake 2026! The program starts each year on September 1st.
General information on the application procedure
Your complete application needs to be submitted through our online application portal . Please prepare the following documents:
- Certificates or proof of current enrollment (B.S. and / or M.S.) (see FAQs 1.3-1.5)
- Copy of your passport / identity card
- Academic curriculum vitae
- Personal statement (see FAQ 2.2)
- Names of three potential supervisors from the Max Planck School of Cognition Fellows for your doctoral phase (2nd - 4th years; please do not contact the potential supervisors ahead of admission to the program; only necessary to identify 3 names of interest in the application)
- Contact of two referees for recommendation letters (see FAQs 3.5-3.6). Note, the deadline of the application call also applies to the referees
- Non-native English-speaking applicants must provide evidence of their English language proficiency (see FAQs 1.11-1.12)
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are voluntary and not a requirement
The previous GRE requirement is optional now.
The application involves a multi-step process from 1st of September until the end of March each year.
Online Q&A sessions about the application process
As in previous years, we offer our online Q&A sessions again to answer any questions you may have about the application process or the program in general. Please register here for the next Q&A session.