Doctoral degree and partner universities
The MDC is a research institution in the Helmholtz Association and as such not entitled to award the doctoral degree. For this reason we work in close collaboration with our partner universities in Berlin, Humboldt-Universität and Freie Universität, that are entitled to award the doctoral degree. MDC doctoral students enrolled at one of our partner universities must conduct their doctoral studies according to the regulations and guidelines of the respective university. Students can opt to graduate at any other university, provided that this university agrees to a joint supervision with the MDC. German university departments in life sciences currently award a Dr.rer.nat. which is the equivalent to the American PhD.
We require that students enrol at university within the first year of their PhD. Registration at our partner universities is at present approx. 80 Euros per semester or 250 Euros including a semester ticket for public transport.
Links to the PhD procedures at the Freie Universität Berlin:
Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie, Pharmazie (German)
Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy (English)
Links to the PhD procedures at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin:
Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät I (MNFI)
Timeline of PhD studies at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin