Application - Procedure
Before the selection procedure starts (Step 0)
Please make sure to start looking for a potential MCLS supervisor as early as possible. Once you found a potential supervisor make sure that he/she is ready to provide a MCLS Recommendation Letter for you via the online application tool (he/she will receive an e-mail with further instructions once you entered their contact information in the online application tool). In case you do not manage to find a potential MCLS supervisor who is willing to provide a recommendation letter, you may participate in the pre-screening period. This implies submitting your application early. The documents from the referee and the MCLS member have to be uploaded by the end of the application phase.
Program start is in October.
Selection Procedure
Step 1a ---------------------- Step 1b
(Student & MCLS members)
Submit documents online
without with Step 3 Step 5
MCLS Recommendation Letter (Program) (Program)
April 01 April 15 Review Stage Final decision
l---- pre-screening period ----l June 01 April April/May May/June
---------------- O --------------------------------- O ---------- O ----------------- O --------------- O ----------------- O
Step 0 Step 2 Step 4
(Student) (International Students) (Student & Program)
Look for potential Submit documents (hardcopy) Interview Stage
MCLS supervisor
Step 1: Application Stage - Submit documents ONLINE
- Step 1a: Submit documents by April 01 if you do not have a MCLS Recommendation Letter
Submit all required documents but the MCLS Recommendation Letter in the required format by April 01, 11:59pm (UTC+1) via the Online Application Tool and indicate your interest to participate in the pre-screening period (Tab: MCLS Recommendation Letter in the Online Tool). - During April 01 and April 15 the submitted applications will be made available to all potential MCLS supervisors
- In the event that one of the MCLS members considers supervising your doctoral project, he/she will upload a MCLS recommendation letter until April 15 and thereby complete your application documents
- Step 1b: Submit documents by April 15 if you do have an MCLS Recommendation Letter
Submit all required documents (including the upload of the MCLS Recommendation Letter by the MCLS member) in the required format by April 15, 11:59pm (UTC+1) via the Online Application Tool
Step 2: Submit HARDCOPIES (for international students, who do not hold either German citizenship and/or do not hold a prior German degree: university entrance qualification, Bachelor, or Master; more info here):
- If you are an international student and want to profit from assistance with your request for admission directed to the International Office, please make sure to additionally send the required hardcopies to the Program.
We offer assistance for all applications we receive by June 01 (we confirm the arrival of the documents via mail)
Should you not be able to hold this deadline, please contact the coordination immediately.
An overview of all necessary documents can be found here.
Step 3: Review Stage
We will review the applications based on the:
- submission of a MCLS Recommendation Letter (upload from potential supervisor and submission of application occurred by April 15 - either through the contact form in the application tool or during the pre-screeing period, if you participated therein by submitting your otherwise complete application by April 01)
- submission of a reference letter from a previous professor (upload from referee and submission of application occurred by April 15)
- quality of the research proposal
- quality of the motivation letter
Step 4: Interview Stage
Successful applicants in the documents review stage will be invited to an interview. The interviews will presumably take place in May. The interviews can be conducted in person or online.
In the interview candidates have to deliver a short presentation of their master thesis research (or equivalent), as well as their proposed doctoral research project. The main criteria for evaluation are scientific skills, empirical research experience and the relevance of the topic to the learning sciences field. The selection committee consists of MCLS members. English proficiency is also validated during the interview.
Step 5: Final Decision
We will inform you about the final decision regarding your acceptance or rejection (presumably in May/June; in July the latest).
If you are an international student, you need an additional acceptance letter from the International Office to start your studies (i.e. upon enrollment) and to apply for your VISA (the program acceptance letter is not always sufficient to get your VISA)
- In case you have not sent the hardcopies to our program, please take care of this process yourself. In this case please check which documents you need in the International Office directly.