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IMPRS on Astrophysics 2027: 25 PhD Positions in Astronomy and Astrophysics at LMU Munich (Germany)

PhD position

10/25/2026

Deadline: 1 November 2026 (23:59 CET), including recommendation letters | Location: Munich and Garching, Germany | Field: Astrophysics | Start: 1 September 2027

If you want to do your PhD in one of the largest centres for astronomy and astrophysics in Europe, the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) on Astrophysics at LMU Munich is hard to beat. About 25 PhD positions are on offer for the programme starting in September 2027. The deadline is 1 November, so the clock is running.

About the programme

The school brings together four institutions on the Munich-Garching science campus: the University Observatory Munich (LMU), the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Together they cover everything from planets, stars and galaxies to cosmology, and students get access to some of the world’s largest telescopes, state-of-the-art instrumentation and high-performance computing for simulations.

The programme combines lectures, seminars and a research project supervised by leading scientists at one of the partner institutions. Doctoral degrees are awarded by the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU). The PhD usually lasts 3 to 4 years and starts each year on 1 September.

Key dates

  • Application platform opened: 5 August 2026

  • Application deadline: 1 November 2026, 23:59 CET

  • Recommendation letter deadline: 1 November 2026, 23:59 CET

  • Application review: Application files are shared with potential IMPRS supervisors at the beginning of November

  • Recruitment Workshop (shortlisted candidates): 1 to 3 February 2027, in Munich

  • Programme start: 1 September 2027

Who can apply?

Applicants need a five-year Master’s degree in physics or astrophysics, with at least the grade “good”. You can apply even if you won’t finish your Master’s before 1 November 2026, as long as you expect to complete it by Fall 2027.

There are other routes for applicants with a Bachelor’s degree:

  • Excellent Bachelor’s degree: Students with a Bachelor’s graded “very good”, or proven placement in the top 10% of their class, can be admitted to doctoral studies at LMU. Before you are fully admitted to PhD studies, you must earn 60 ECTS credits from one of the Faculty of Physics’ Master’s programmes, which usually means about five two-hour lectures per week (plus tutorials) in both the winter and summer semesters.

  • Average Bachelor’s degree (3 years): You need to apply to the Master of Astrophysics or Master of Physics programme at LMU first, and then to the IMPRS PhD programme.

What you need to apply

Applications are only accepted through the online application platform. You need:

  1. A fully completed online application form, including a list of all your courses and credits or grades

  2. Your CV as a PDF, uploaded in the form

  3. Up to three letters of recommendation, uploaded by your referees. You enter their names and email addresses in the form, and they receive an automated email asking them to upload a letter. Their deadline is also 1 November. The upload of letters is independent of your application’s processing status.

  4. Copies of all academic certificates and transcripts (M.Sc., B.Sc., etc.) as one PDF. Originals must be shown if you are selected for a position.

The application form also asks for personal data including your date and place of birth, gender and nationality, plus your passport number, which is shared with the selection committee. German and EU citizens who can travel freely to Munich don’t need to provide a passport number.

Visa note for shortlisted candidates

If you are shortlisted, you need to be able to obtain a visa in time to travel to Germany for the February recruitment workshop. If you need a visa, check processing times at your nearest German mission now.

How selection works

Students are chosen through a selection procedure that may include invitations to interviews in Munich. The student selection workshop for the previous cycle was held over three days in February, and the 2027 workshop is scheduled for 1 to 3 February.

How to apply

Apply at application.imprs-astro.mpg.de. For general information about the programme, see imprs-astro.mpg.de. To be notified when the platform opens in future years, email office@imprs-astro.mpg.de.

Tips for a strong application

  • Ask your referees today. The letters are due on the same day as your application, and a late letter is a risk you don’t need.

  • Fill in the course list carefully. The form asks for every course with its credits or grades, so have your transcripts open when you do it.

  • Check the visa timeline. If you’d need a visa, start looking into it before you hear back about shortlisting.

  • Browse the available PhD topics. The school lists the research topics on offer, so read them and be ready to say which areas interest you if you’re invited to the workshop.

  • Don’t wait for the last evening. The deadline is 23:59 CET, so allow for upload problems or time-zone confusion.

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