university of stuttgart phd students

• jump to content
• jump to footer

Doctoral degree programs

The University of Stuttgart has graduate schools, PhD research groups, and doctoral degree programs in an interdisciplinary research environment for doctoral researchers from Germany and abroad.

The University of Stuttgart offers multiple structured programs leading to a doctoral degree in a variety of subjects. Please refer to the respective homepages of individual programs to find out how to apply.

Cooperative doctoral degree programs Thanks to the University of Stuttgart’s cooperation with both post-secondary technical schools (universities of applied sciences that lack the right to confer doctorates) and with private sector companies, students in cooperative doctoral degree programs get an excellent scientific education with strong practical relevance. As a student in one of these programs, you will have two supervisors, one from the University and one other from the technical school or business enterprise.

Doctoral Degree Programs

Cooperative doctoral degree programs.

Engineering and Natural Sciences

• German-French doctoral student research group: Analyse intelligenter Systeme unter Berücksichtigung von Mehrfeldkopplungen
• Doctoral student research group: Aerothermodynamic design of a scramjet propulstion system for future space transportation systems
• Graduate School: Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (GSaME)
• Graduate School: Simulation Technology (SimTech)
• Graduiertenkolleg: Intelligent Methods for Test and Reliability (GS-IMTR)
• International doctoral degree studies program: Environment Water (ENWAT)
• Integrated doctoral student program: CRC/TRR Biological Design and Integrative Structures
• Integrated doctoral student program: Interface-Driven Multi-Field Processes in Porous Media (IRTG-IMPM)
• International Research Training Group: Droplet Interaction Technologies (DROPIT)
• Graduate and Research School: Efficient Use of Energy Stuttgart (GREES)
• Research Training Group 2543: Intraoperative Multisensoric Tissue Differentiation in Oncology

Completed projects

• Doctoral student research group: Non-linearities and upscaling in porous media (NUPUS)
• Graduate School  KIC InnoEnergy , a European consortium for promoting sustainable energy supply that has some 160 partners from industry, universities, research facilites and business schools. The University of Stuttgart is one of its founding members.
• Doctoral degree studies research group: HYBRID (University of Stuttgart, Esslingen University, Daimler AG, Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Doctoral degree studies research group: PROMISE 4.0 – Intelligent production systems and methods in the Industry 4.0 context for smaller and mid-size enterprises (University of Stuttgart, Esslingen University, Aalen University, Heilbronn University) (in formation).
• Doctoral degree studies research group: Windy Cities (University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart Technology University, Esslingen University)
• Doctoral degree studies research group: Robert Bosch Center for Power Electronics
• Doctoral degree studies research group: Services Computing (University of Stuttgart, Reutlingen University)
• Doctoral degree studies research group: Soft Tissue Robotics (University of Stuttgart, University of Auckland)  

Media studies

• Doctoral degree studies research group:  Digital Media (University of Stuttgart, University of Tübingen, Stuttgart Media University)

Team of the Graduate Academy GRADUS

Pfaffenwaldring 5c, 70569 stuttgart.

• Further information

Jürgen Hädrich

Managing Director GRADUS

• Profile page
• +49 711 685 84222
• Write e-mail

• CHE University Ranking
• DAAD database on admission requirements
• Help and Advice

International Programmes 2023/2024

Computer Science Computer Science

University of stuttgart • stuttgart.

• Course details
• Online learning
• Costs / Funding
• Requirements / Registration
• About the university

The programme is entirely conducted in English (100%).

• part-time (study alongside work)

Working students and students who are unable to study full time due to special conditions (e.g. childcare, care of relatives) have the option to study part time. The standard period of study can be extended up to a maximum of nine semesters.

15 January for the winter semester starting in the same year 15 July for the summer semester starting in the next year The application deadlines are identical for EU and non-EU applicants.

EU citizens do not pay tuition, whereas non-EU citizens pay a tuition of 1,500 EUR per semester.

https://www.student.uni-stuttgart.de/en/organizing-studies/formalities/tuition-and-fees/index.html

Combining the breadth of a traditional course of study with the specialisation in one out of three highly attractive majors, the English-taught Master's degree programme in Computer Science is perfectly suited to obtain an excellent education tailored towards the needs of the working market. The majors / study profiles are:

• Autonomous Systems in Computer Science (AUT)
• Service Technology and Engineering (STE)
• Visual Computing (VC)

Moreover, the English Master's degree programme constitutes a great opportunity to qualify for a PhD programme in the case of an outstanding degree. Obligatory courses in the Master's programme in Computer Science are entirely in English. However, as there is a great variety of courses the students can choose from in the elective part of the programme, there is the possibility of attending courses in German as well.

Details of the programme contents, curricula, timetables, and further information can be found on the programme website.

The University of Stuttgart is an international well-established research university, especially in computer science and engineering. The research budget funded by national and international research foundations and by industry is the largest of all computer science faculties in Germany. Moreover, Stuttgart is located right in the heart of the leading technology region in Europe. Companies including Daimler AG, Porsche, Bosch, Celesio, Hewlett-Packard and IBM have their world or European headquarters here. In addition, research and development laboratories of international companies like Philips, IBM, Lucent Alcatel, or Agilent are located in Stuttgart. The University of Stuttgart has strong relations to these industrial partners.

Apart from these strong industrial ties, the University of Stuttgart offers several PhD programmes in computer science for Master's students. These programmes cover various scientific fields such as robotics, visual computing, computer engineering, service technology and engineering, database systems, parallel as well as distributed systems just to name a few of them. Together with its connections to industry, this structure leads to an excellent research and working environment with great job opportunities in industry and academia for talented and motivated international and national Master's and PhD students.

In the first semester, the module theoretical and methodological foundation of computer science, which is specific for each major, is compulsory. Core and extended modules can be chosen form the respective catalogues. The core modules of the major serve to get a deeper understanding and knowledge in the field of the major. The extended modules are courses to support the core modules with boarder knowledge. In the breadth catalogue, modules are complemented by a broad education in computer science. All modules of the computer science faculty, except the modules of the respective major, can be selected as breadth modules. The graded seminar is part of the second semester and imparts you the knowledge and techniques to present results in written or oral form. The third semester offers great flexibility. For example, it is possible to stay abroad. Alternatively, different modules can be selected instead, for example:

• research project (project 9 ECTS + Seminar 3 ECTS) with 12 ECTS
• modules from other Master's programmes
• modules that were not taken in any of the catalogues
• laboratory course

The fourth semester is reserved for the Master's thesis.

• International guest lecturers
• Specialist literature in other languages
• Around 99% of the students in the programme have an international background.
• Our institutes collaborate with  numerous international (university) partners . Guest lectures conducted by international professors and researchers are often integrated into the lectures.
• Furthermore, enrolled students have the possibility to go abroad with programmes such as  ERASMUS+ (especially in the third and fourth semesters, as there are no compulsory modules).

There are no obligatory internships.

Approx. 200 EUR per semester

Living expenses amount to about 940 EUR per month. You will have to demonstrate that you have sufficient finances to cover your living expenses for 12 months. EU citizens may apply for state-guaranteed loans during the time of enrolment. For more information, see the links on our websites.

Please check our website on financial aid and scholarships: https://www.uni-stuttgart.de/en/study/living-in-stuttgart/finances/index.html .

The admissions requirements include:

• Bachelor's degree with a programme duration of at least six semesters in computer science, software engineering or in a closely related subject
• Examination results from the Bachelor's programme that support the qualification of the applicant for the Master's programme in computer science
• Adequate knowledge of the English language (level C1)

Proof of sufficient English skills (minimum C1 CEFR) must be submitted before the application deadline.

 Accepted forms of proof are:

• recognised certificates, e.g. TOEFL iBT 95 points, IELTS (academic) min. band score 7, etc.
• Medium of instruction (If at least six semesters of the undergraduate studies were entirely conducted in English, it is sufficient to provide a confirmation from the university.)

C@mpus organisational platform: https://campus.uni-stuttgart.de/  

ILIAS platform contents: https://ilias3.uni-stuttgart.de

Please follow the application procedure stated on the university’s  Admissions Office website .

We look forward to receiving your application!

Best regards,

Your Faculty 5 team

The region is home to numerous companies and offers students many opportunities to get a student job or internship.

Please be aware that it may be challenging to finance your studies solely by working. Non-EU citizens are by law allowed to work for a maximum of 120 days per year. Only students who are employed by the university in one of the institutes or departments ("Studentische/Wissenschaftliche Hilfskräfte") are exempt from this regulation, but other restrictions may apply.

For more detailed information, please consult our websites: International Students: Financing Your studies and  Working During Your Studies .

Both the campus in Stuttgart-Vaihingen and the campus in the centre of Stuttgart have on-site halls of residence. Dorm rooms (ranging from 240 to 350 EUR per month) are furnished. Some are equipped with a sink, and all have access to kitchen and sanitary facilities, telephone and Internet. From the campus in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, the city of Stuttgart can be reached by suburban railway within ten minutes.

• Company contact fairs, organised twice a year by the faculty
• Job offers, published by the Computer Science student association

Furthermore, the Faculty 5 International Service Point (ISP) is happy to assist you with career-related queries.

• Welcome event
• Buddy programme
• Accompanying programme
• Cultural and linguistic preparation
• Pick-up service
• Specialist counselling
• Visa matters
• Help with finding accommodation
• Support with registration procedures

Faculty 5 offers extensive support for international students in the fields of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Information Technology:

• Personal counselling & support before, during, and after your studies by the Faculty 5 International Service Point (ISP)
• Guaranteed spots in study-related German language courses (DaF, German as foreign language) for enrolled international students ( free of charge )
• Social activities such as semester opening gatherings, international days, career planning workshops, cultural events, welcome packages, and much more!

University of Stuttgart

Intelligent systems for a sustainable society

The University of Stuttgart is one of the leading technically oriented universities in Germany with global significance. Located centrally in an economically strong region with vast cultural integration, the university sees itself as a hub of university-based, extramural and industrial research. Furthermore, it takes a role as a leader in research-based teaching, focused on quality and holism. The university is dedicated to researching and strengthening the interfaces between technology, society and culture in an interdisciplinary manner, defined as the "Stuttgart Way". This means the integration of engineering, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences based on the fundamentals of cutting-edge research at a disciplinary level.

Excellent research and teaching

The University of Stuttgart implements innovative concepts in research and teaching in order to provide knowledge and strategies for a meaningful and sustainable development. It focuses on basic research that is both knowledge-oriented and application-related. To facilitate this research, the university is actively part of regional, national and international research networks.

The university is committed to the principle of unity between research and teaching. Students acquire knowledge, expertise and the power of judgement, in accordance with the guidelines of scientific research and awareness. The university fosters fascination for the sciences, supporting its students and junior researchers at all stages of their careers. It promotes independent thinking and provides an environment for responsible action. In doing so, it educates individuals into exceptional experts who think in an integrative and global manner and act responsibly in the sciences, economics and society.

A powerful region

Founded in 1829, at the beginning of the Industrial Age, the University of Stuttgart continues to prepare the way for innovation within an economically and scientifically powerful region and contributes to the economic success and prosperity of our society. This process combines the requirements of a social and cultural change, which allows an early and extensive input of social interests in research and design as well as teaching and further education.

Open-mindedness

The University of Stuttgart stands for open-mindedness, individuality and community spirit. It brings together students that are eager to learn, highly motivated employees, outstanding teachers, and excellent researchers as well as visionary thinkers and inventors. By means of its culture of integration, the university creates and conveys knowledge for shaping the future of our society.

University location

The University of Stuttgart is nestled in one of Europe’s most vibrant industrial regions. This fosters many forms of interdisciplinary collaboration – for instance, in numerous Collaborative Research Centres (also known as CRC or sometimes CRC/TRR) and in application-oriented research assignments. The University of Stuttgart sets up a close relationship and a successful transfer of knowledge and technology between its research institutions and business enterprises in the region and beyond. This very practical orientation benefits research and teaching. At the same time, economic players profit from rapid access to new scientific knowledge and contact to experts in their specialised fields. There are numerous possibilities of collaboration for businesses. Furthermore, the university also maintains a close relationship with non-university research institutions such as the Max Planck Society, the Fraunhofer Society, the German Aerospace Center and the German Literature Archive Marbach. Thus, the optimal prerequisites for cutting-edge research at the highest level are all to be found in Stuttgart.

Activate map

To activate the map, click on the "Show map" button. We would like to point out that data will be transmitted to OpenStreetMap after activation. You can find out more in our privacy policy. You can revoke your consent to the transmission of data at any time.

We need your help to improve our website!

we are re-designing our website and want to include you in the process. Please fill out a short questionnaire. This will only take a few minutes, but will help us tremendously to determine how we can improve the usability of our website. Thank you very much for your support!

Best regards, Your DAAD Team

© DAAD

Information for IMPRS-CMS PhD students

Here you can find links to information of the University of Stuttgart for your registration and enrollment as well as the regulations for doctoral studies.  

GradUs - University of Stuttgart

The Graduate Academy of the University of Stuttgart (GRADUS) is the central institution at the University of Stuttgart for the promotion of early career researchers and direct partner of the IMPRS-CMS. If offers a wide range of qualifications, information, counseling and mentoring services.

Instructions and Guide for Registration, Application, Enrollment of Doctoral Students at the University of Stuttgart

On this page you will find very detailed information on the registration and enrolment at the University of Stuttgart as well as all necessary documents for the applyinf for acceptance as doctoral student. Please follow the instructions carefully. https://www.uni-stuttgart.de/en/research/early-career-researchers/doctoral-degree-studies/enrollment/ under "Application for acceptance"

NOTE: For a PhD in physics please use the form “ aggreement on doctoral studies ” which can be found on the pages of physics department (see link below) instead of the one linked here.

IMPORTANT: All PhD students with foreign university degrees have to fill in and hand in following document which you can download here .

Regulations and forms for doctoral studies in the Department of Physics

Agreement on doctoral studies Information on the application as Teaching Assistant in Physics. The page “Teaching Assistant in Physics” exists in German only. On the bottom of the page you can find a link to the application form.

Regulations and forms for doctoral studies in the Department of Chemistry

Agreement on doctoral studies form Catalogue of potential credit points accepted by the Faculty of Chemistry

Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)

Each MPI-FKF student is assigned to an individual thesis advisory committee (TAC). The main goal of the TAC is to identify any problems before they become serious impediments to the student’s thesis research.

• jump to content
• jump to footer

Doctorade and habilitation

• Organization
• PhD Application
• Admission requirements
• Application time

At the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning it is possible to gain a doctoral degree in engineering (Dr.-Ing.).

Architects and urban planners tend to be a rare commodity because – unlike many other academic disciplines – proof of an academic qualification in the form of a doctoral degree is not a prerequisite for a successful career in architecture or urban planning. There are thus comparatively few doctoral researchers at our Faculty. However, interest in doctoral degree studies has grown over the past few years.

In scarcely any other subject is the spectrum of dissertation topics as broad as in architecture and urban planning. Likewise, the diversity across the Faculty's institutes is reflected in the broad spectrum of research topics and methodology of our research. There are dissertations in engineering which experimentally address issues related to building physics and structural design; dissertations on history of art and architecture which study historic buildings, architectural styles, construction techniques or master builders or matters of monument protection; and dissertations investigating architectural and planning theory , architectural sociology, building economics, building, urban and landscape ecology, design and planning methods, building studies and urban and landscape planning .

The doctoral procedure is set out in the current  Doctoral degree regulations   of the University of Stuttgart. Doctoral studies at our Faculty are also open to applicants with a university degree in a subject other than architecture and urban planning provided their chosen topic is relevant and supervised by a member of the Faculty's teaching staff. Past doctoral researchers have included civil engineers, geographers, art historians and biologists.

Non-German applicants must prove beforehand that the university degree from their home country is regarded as equivalent to that of a German university.

• Current projects
• Excellence cluster IntCDC
• E1ns zu E1ns

If you wish to enroll as a doctoral researcher, you should discuss your chosen topic with a member of the Faculty teaching staff who specializes in a field relevant to your planned area of research. You will finalize the topic of your doctoral study with your prospective supervisor and submit an application for acceptance to the Faculty as a doctoral researcher . Decisions on matters related to doctoral studies are taken by the  doctoral committee .

So far the Faculty has only admitted individual doctoral researchers and has not yet set up a research training group or graduate schools. Some institutes organize regular Doktorandenkolloquien at which doctoral researchers can present, report and discuss the progress of their work. In 2004 the Faculty introduced cross-institute discussion forums specifically for doctoral researchers whose dissertation topics are related to urban development and urban planning ( Doktorandenkolloquium Stadt ).

The participating institutes are the  Institute of Urban Planning and Design , the  Institute for Housing and Design , the   Institute of Architectural History  and the  Institute of Spatial and Regional Planning  (Faculty 2).

Secretariat doctoral committee

Keplerstr. 11, 70174 stuttgart, k1 - 1. floor, room 1.23 - n.n..

• +49 711 685 83223
• Write e-mail