International origin

You can pursue your doctorate in a position as a research assistant at a chair/institute. These positions are usually temporary and part-time positions. There are basically two different types of positions that you can apply for in Germany:

• On the one hand, there are budget positions that are paid directly from the budget of a chair or institute. In budget positions, you are employed directly by the chair or institute of the supervisor. You will support the supervisor in carrying out the chair's or department's tasks, such as teaching courses for Bachelor's and Master's students, participating in the research programme and providing administrative support. At the same time, you will have the opportunity to work on your dissertation.
• On the other hand, there are so-called third-party funded positions, which are paid from a third-party funded project realised by a chair. In these positions, you will work on the research topic of the project and will also have the opportunity to qualify yourself. In these positions, you usually do not have to take on tasks of the chair, such as teaching.

If you would like to apply for these positions from abroad, it is important to carefully check the requirements stated in the job advertisement. Especially for positions in the humanities and social sciences, knowledge of German is often an important requirement, as the working language at the institute and in teaching is often German. In the natural and life sciences, English is more widely used as a teaching and working language at institutes. The language in which the job advert is written often gives an initial indication of the language skills expected.

The job market of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena can be found here.

International researchers can complete their doctorate as part of a structured doctoral programme. This path to a doctorate is more common internationally than in Germany. However, doctorates within a structured doctoral programme are also becoming increasingly popular in Germany - particularly in the natural and life sciences.

In structured doctoral programmes, doctoral candidates conduct research within the thematic framework of a common research topic - the topic of the doctorate is therefore not completely freely chosen and must match the thematic focus of the programme. The doctoral candidates are supervised in teams and therefore do not have just one supervisor as is mostly the case during an individual doctorate. Funding is usually provided either through the programme's own positions or scholarships.

You can also apply for admission to such a programme from abroad. There are over 20 graduate schools, research training groups and doctoral programmes at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. You can find an overview of the programmes here. There you will also find information on the frequency of calls for applications for new doctoral candidates in each programme.

There are many different organisations that award scholarships for doctoral candidates in Germany. The application procedure of the individual scholarship foundations and funding programmes varies. In order to apply for a scholarship, you already need a doctoral supervisor and a topic.

Most scholarships within Germany are awarded by the 13 organisations for the promotion of gifted students. The state of Thuringia also finances state graduate scholarships for doctoral researchers at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. A frequently used scholarship for international doctoral candidates is the DAAD research scholarshipExternal link.

In addition to these scholarships that are not subject-specific, there are also numerous subject-specific scholarships. Many of these scholarships are publicly advertised. You can find some current announcements here. To search for subject-specific scholarships, we recommend that international doctoral candidates use the DAAD databaseExternal link or EURAXESSExternal link.

You can find general information on applying for a scholarship here.

As an international researcher, you can also start your doctorate if you have a certain amount of money saved up and deposited in a blocked account. In this case, you will have to look for a doctoral supervisor in Germany by yourself. The first step is to find a chair that best suits your research focus. A starting point for your search can be the list of all faculties at the University of Jena.

Once you have done this, you should send an e-mail to the professor asking whether he or she would be willing to supervise your doctorate. It is important that your enquiry contains the following information: Details of your previous academic achievements, the topic of your thesis and the subject area in which you would like to specialise. It is important that you explain how your research interests and experience match the research work of your future supervisor. Once you have received a letter of acceptance, you can make further preparations for your research stay.

It is usually no problem to communicate in English in an academic environment in Germany. Difficulties can only arise when dealing with authorities or academic administration, as German is (unfortunately quite often) the only language spoken there. Also, sometimes forms are only available in German. However, the university and the city do their best to employ people with English language skills at all levels. The Graduate Academy also offers a tutoring service that can accompany you when dealing with the local authorities.

If you already know that you will be staying in Germany for a longer period of time, we recommend that you take a German course as early as possible. Level B1 is enough to be able to communicate in Germany and if necessary apply for a permanent residence permit later on. Here you will find an overview of all language courses offered in Jena.

Unfortunately, the German pathways to professorship are hardly comparableExternal link with international standards. In recent years, this has improved a little with the introduction of the tenure-track professorshipExternal link. Nevertheless, international researchers are often uncertain about the long-term career prospects available in Germany. For this reason, the Graduate Academy regularly organises workshops in which the German academic system is explained to international researchers. Postdoc career counselling can also be used to discuss one's own path and clarify individual questions.

German bureaucracy can be frightening: Nobody likes submitting lots of documents to German authorities in a foreign language. Especially not when it comes to important issues such as a residence permit in Germany or an employment contract during your doctorate. But there is good news: We can help! The Graduate Academy has a tutoring service that helps to overcome the initial bureaucratic hurdles on arrival in Germany. And even later, international researchers can always turn to the Graduate Academy if they have problems with the German authorities.

Jena is a cosmopolitan and international city. The University of Jena has over 2,500 international students and almost 1,000 doctoral candidates from more than 100 countries. Campus life is colourful and intercultural. Despite all this, there can sometimes be experiences of discrimination in city life. If you have such experiences, please do not hesitate to report them to the university's Diversity Office.