Guide to a PhD-Position at the University of Bayreuth - International ...

1. APPLYING AT A GRADUATE SCHOOL……………..…2
Information for PhD students
at the University of Bayreuth
1.1 HUMANITIES………………………………………..…2
1.1.1 BIGSAS – Bayreuth International Graduate School of
African Studies………………………………………………..…2
1.1.2 Kulturbegegnungen – Cultural Encounters –
Rencontres Culturelles…………………………………………3
1.1.3 Graduate School: Central Europe and the English-
Speaking World 1300–2000................................................ 4
1.1.4 Media Culture and Media Economy ......................... 4
1.1.5. Intellectual Property and the Public Domain ......... 5
1.2 NATURAL SCIENCES ............................................ 6
1.2.1 TERRECO (Complex Terrain and Ecologcial
Heterogeneity) ...................................................................... 7
1.2.2 International Graduate School “Structure, Reactivity
and Properties of Oxide Materials”................................... 7
1.2.3 BIGSS: "Lead Structures of Cell Function"............ .8
1.2.4 Macromolecular Science........................................... 9
1.2.5 BayNat: Bayreuth Graduate School for Mathematics
and Natural Sciences.......................................................... 10
2. APPLYING FOR ADVERTISED POSITIONS............... 11
3. INDIVIDUAL PhD-PROJECTS..................................... 12
4. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ..................................... ..13
5. ADMISSION AND ENROLMENT AT UBT ................... 14
5.1 Formal admission to the University of Bayreuth ............... 14
5.2 Enrolment at the University of Bayreuth ........................... 16
5.3 After completion of your PhD.…...………………………….19
6. VISA PROCEDURE ..................................................... 20
6. 1 § 16: Student Visa............................................................ 20
6. 2 § 18: Work Visa................................................................ 21
6. 3 § 20: Researcher Visa ……………………………………...21
7. LIVING IN BAYREUTH ................................................ 22
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1. APPLYING AT A GRADUATE SCHOOL
There are several ways to study as a PhD student resp.
doctoral fellow and to obtain a degree from the University of
Bayreuth.
Bayreuth University has a variety of specialized and
Graduate Schools and Graduate Programs. The
regular time to degree is 3 years, resp. 6 semesters.
Most PhD projects are being extended to 8 semesters.
1.1 HUMANITIES
1.1.1 BIGSAS – Bayreuth International Graduate School
of African Studies
The aims of BIGSAS are to
bring together outstanding
young African and non-African
scholars to work jointly in the
field of African Studies, and to
offer a centre of creative and
innovative PhD training and
research in Germany in
African Studies. Four research
areas allow for challenging theoretical studies sensitive to
emerging basic problems; they also take into account
practical questions and problems concerning the African
continent. Thus the BIGSAS research areas encompass
basic, strategic and applied research.
1.1.2 Kulturbegegnungen – Cultural Encounters –
Rencontres Culturelles
The overall heading
of Cultural
Encounters serves
to unite a range of
research foci, which
in turn provide the
framework for
diverse individual
historical,
systematic and
interdisciplinary studies. Globalization has dramatically
increased the need for reflection on all intercultural issues.
Research in language, literary and media studies over the
last two decades has significantly shifted towards the study
of cultural identity, cultural stereotyping and intercultural
communication, migration, alterity (‘otherness'), syncretism
and hybridity. Language, literary and media studies are
among the disciplines at the vanguard of such research
since cultural encounters occur within the context of
communicative processes which operate through language
and the media.
http://www.promotion-kb.uni-bayreuth.de/en/index.html
The instruction language is English. There is the possibility
for excellent applicants from lusophone or francophone
countries to attend English classes.
www.bigsas.uni-bayreuth.de/en/index.html
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1.1.3 Graduate School: Central Europe and the English-
Speaking World 1300–2000
The Graduate School „Central Europe and the English
speaking world 1300-2000“ offers an integrative Master and
PhD program. With regards to content, both programs are
closely intervowen. The combination of MA degree and PhD
amounts to a duration of five years. Applicants can join at
the PhD level. The instruction language is German.
1.1.4 Media Culture and Media Economy
Dissertations in the PhD
program Media Culture and
Media Economy focus on at
least two out of five fields
(Media Culture, Media
History, Media Law, Media
Management, Media
Informatics). Besides
writing their dissertations,
PhD students attend interdisciplinary research
colloquiums. They present and discuss their research
projects, get to know different research methods, learn
how to apply for research funding, how to manage
projects and how to prepare international conferences.
The instruction language is German.
1.1.5. „Intellectual Property and the Public Domain“
The research program
aims at analyzing the
tension between
intellectual property rights
such as patents, trade
marks and copyright on
the one hand and the
public interest in the
freedom to use
inventions, distinguishing signs and literary, musical and
artistic works, i.e. the public domain, on the other hand.
This subject of research pertains to all types of intellectual
property rights; it encompasses not only private law but also
constitutional law, criminal law and international law,
including their historical dimensions; it aims both at
fundamental legal research and at specific issues of
practical relevance, which need the overall perspective for
convincing solutions; finally it is of great current relevance,
particularly in the light of recent developments in the field of
information technology. The instruction language is
German.
www.gkrw.uni-bayreuth.de/index.php?id=91
www.geschichte.unibayreuth.de/de/studium/graduateschool/
http://www.mekuwi.unibayreuth.de/en/application/index.html
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1.2 NATURAL SCIENCES
1.2.1 TERRECO (Complex Terrain and Ecologcial
Heterogeneity)
The TERRECO-IRTG program
examines the way to carry out
land management in mountain
regions, in order to ensure
sustainable yield of ecosystem
services. Ecosystem services are
all of the products and gains that
people obtain from natural
ecosystems and natural resources in a region.
The training program is planned to support three
consecutive groups of 13 doctoral candidates over three
year periods in the fields of meteorology, plant ecology,
agroecology, zoology, soil ecology, soil physics, hydrology,
and population and social geography. The speaker of the
TERRECO program is Prof. Dr. John Tenhunen, head of
the Department of Plant Ecology.
www.bayceer.uni-bayreuth.de/terreco/
Salaried positions are open from 2012 again.
Scholarship awardees can apply any time.
The instruction language is English.
1.2.2 International Graduate School: “Structure,
Reactivity and Properties of Oxide
Materials”
Oxides are the most important (inorganic)
substances in nature and at the same time
important materials with many industrial
applications. They exist in a wide variety of
chemical compositions, crystal structures, and
synthesis paths. The study of oxides is
providing both an intellectual challenge as well as being a
practical necessity, and consequently provides an
outstanding basis for the training of excellent researchers in
the sciences.
In this Graduate School we will focus training and research
on the interaction of crystal structure, texture, reaction
kinetics, and physical-chemical properties. For research
methods we plan to combine unconventional synthesis
methods with state-of-the-art analytical methods. We will
synthesize materials under extreme conditions (pressure
and temperature) as well as by chemie douce. We will
combine experimental analytical methods (diffraction and
spectroscopy) with simulations, ranging from the atomic to
the macroscopic scale. The lab language is English.
www.oxides.uni-bayreuth.de
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1.2.3 BIGSS: "Lead Structures of Cell Function"
BIGSS will admit students with
strong background in natural
sciences and/ or engineering.
Students with biological background
will need to learn the requisite
chemical skills and vice versa.
The objective of this Elite Graduate
School is to prepare investigators
with diverse background for
independent research careers in
which the concepts and methods of
biochemistry, chemistry, medicine, and physics are applied
to biological problems. This objective will be met through
individually designed programs involving courses in the
biology, chemistry, medicine, structural biology and in
related fields as well as rotation in different labs, proposal
preparation, improving soft skills, independent research,
and thesis writing. The lab language is English.
www.chemie.uni-bayreuth.de/bigs/
1.2.4 Macromolecular Science
Students who excel on
both a personal as well as
professional level are
encouraged by the elite
study program in the
research fields of
chemistry, biochemistry,
polymer and colloid
chemistry, physics, biophysics,
biology and material sciences. Thus besides
acquiring a broad and in-depth education in their own field
of study, elite students participating in this program have the
opportunity to acquire additional skills in neighboring
research fields of Macromolecular Science.
These additional top-class courses held in English as well
as the offered day care service open up doors to a careerstart
as an internationally oriented junior scientist in the
research field at the highest level or to train for a
management position at national or international
companies.
www.chemie.uni-bayreuth.de/macromolecules
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1.2.5 Bayreuth Graduate School for Mathematics and
Natural Sciences (BayNAT)
The Bayreuth Graduate School of Mathematical and Natural
Sciences (BayNAT) was founded in 2009 as a joint venture
between the Department I (Mathematics, Physics and
Computer Science) and the Department II (Biology,
Chemistry and Geosciences) at the University of Bayreuth
and will be open to scientists who are members of any
department at the University of Bayreuth.
The Graduate School is headed by a Dean and by an
Associate Dean. The individual PhD programs are presided
over by an Executive Board each - generally comprising
three members, whose chair is the main person of contact
for the respective PhD program.
2. APPLYING FOR ADVERTISED POSITIONS
The other direct option to study for your PhD at Bayreuth
University is to apply for one of the positions officially
advertised on our university´s homepage by our chairs. It is
worth checking the websites of the chairs for further job
offers.
http://www.unibayreuth.de/universitaet/stellenangebote/doktorandenstelle
n/index.html
Please also check these websites for further offers of PhD
positions available in Germany and Europe:
www.euraxess.de/portal/jobs.html
http://zeit.academics.de/action/av/search/luf?cbId=1
http://www.baynat.uni-bayreuth.de/de/phds/index.php
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3. INDIVIDUAL PhD-PROJECTS
It is generally possible and common to organize your PhD
project independently. The first step is to identify to write a
research proposal. Please check this link for information on
how to write a research proposal:
http://ic.daad.de/kualalumpur/How_to_write_a_research_pr
oposal.pdf
Then you need to identify a suitable supervisor. This can be
done by browsing the homepages of the different faculties
of our university with the aim of finding the chair, whose
research and work group can accommodate your research
interest best. Many chairs provide information in English on
their homepage.
Please make sure that you find someone as close to your
research background as possible. Avoid contacting anyone
at random. Random emails will not be answered.
Via email you can introduce yourself and your envisaged
project to the professor. You should send a short email but
attach your CV and a brief research proposal.
Should you be successful and raise the professor´s
interest, he/she will write a letter including a supervision
agreement or host guarantee. He/She might even offer you
a salaried position at his/her chair.
If no salaried position is available, you can use the
supervision agreement to research funding possibilities
and/or scholarships. You will also need the supervision
agreement to apply for admission at our university.
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4. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
If the chair you would like to join cannot provide you with a
working contract or scholarship, there are several
possibilities to apply for external funding. Please note, that
Bayreuth University does not offer scholarships for
prospective PhD students. Only enroled students can apply
for grants. These are not full scholarships but only a limited
financial support.
Please check the link-list on our International Office´s
homepage:
Please also check these external sources of funding and /or
scholarships:
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD):
www.daad.de/deutschland/foerderung/stipendiendatenbank/
00462.en.html
The e-fellows-network:
www.e-fellows.net/show/detail.php/325
The Gender Office of Bayreuth University offers grants for
female PhDs and PostDocs, but only for the final stages of
the PhD or habilitation project:
http://www.international-office.unibayreuth.de/en/05_Grants/index.html
http://www.frauenbeauftragte.unibayreuth.de/de/promoting_women/index.html
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5. ADMISSION AND ENROLMENT AT UBT
Not all PhD students need to be officially enrolled as
students at our university.
• Those PhDs who receive a work contract don´t need
to enroll but they may, if they wish.
• All members of graduate schools and programs are
required to enroll.
• Scholarship awardees might be enrolled.
• Those PhDs who do research at Bayreuth University
for a limited time only, should check with the
admission staff in the International Office.
Please note: The degree regulations of the subject or the
school/program in which you are graduating gives you final
information on whether you need to enroll to obtain your
PhD-degree.
5.1 Formal admission to the University of Bayreuth
You will be asked to go through an online application
process on the International Office´s homepage. Here is the
link to the relevant website:
https://unibayreuth.moveonnet.eu/moveonline/incoming/welcome.php
?_language=en
You will find detailed information on the online application
process here:
https://unibayreuth.moveonnet.eu/moveonline/incoming/procedure.ph
p
For a correct application, you will need certified copies of all
your certificates. In particular, this should include a full
transcript of your academic records as well as BA and MA
diploma(s) and/or certificate(s). The certification might be
done by your home university’s administration. Furthermore,
please attach the supervision agreement from the hosting
chair/professor.
These certified documents and, if required by the chair, a
proof of your language proficiency, have to be send via
regular postal services to the International Office at
Bayreuth University.
Postal address:
University of Bayreuth
International Office
Mr. Richard Kastner
D-95440 Bayreuth
Germany
For further questions, you can use this email address:
incoming@uni-bayreuth.de
After the International Office receives your application, it will
check if your academic qualification fulfills the requirements
for admission at our university. If this is the case, you will
receive an admission letter in German with detailed
information about the enrolment procedure. The
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International Office will then forward your documents to the
student registration office (Studentenkanzlei), where
enrolment takes place.
5.2 Enrolment at the University of Bayreuth
Enrolment has to be done by you in person at the student
registration office (Studentenkanzlei). The regular
registration periods are August to October for the winter
term, March to May for the summer term. PhDs who are not
part of a graduate school or a PhD program might enroll at
any time of the year.
Place of enrolment:
Studentenkanzlei
Building: Central University Administration
Room: 1.09
Opening hours: Monday – Friday 9 – 12 am
Wednesday 9 am – 3.30 pm.
Documents needed for enrolment:
a) Supervision agreement / resp. letter by the supervisor in
which he/she offers you a salaried position
b) Admission letter by the Student Registry Office
c) Confirmation of a valid student health insurance
d) Passport photographs according to biometrical
standards
e) Receipts for the following fee:
The Campus Card which you receive upon enrolment can
be charged with money in order to pay at the campus
restaurant, the cafeteria, the library and at the sports
facilities.
a) Contribution to the Studentenwerk Oberfranken
(SWO)
The SWO offers services as counseling and tutoring and
also runs most of the student dorm. All students have to pay
a compulsory contribution to the SWO each semester. With
this contribution you also acquire the right to use public
transportation in Bayreuth and surrounding areas. The
contribution amounts to about 80 Euro per semester and
increases slightly every year. This fee has to be paid before
enrolment.
Here you find the information regarding the current SWOcontribution
to be paid:
http://www.unibayreuth.de/studieninteressierte/studentenkanzlei/einschrei
bung/einschreibung-beitraege/index.html
Please use the following bank details for your bank transfer:
Bank: Staatsoberkasse Bayern (Landshut)
Banking Code: 700 500 00
Account Number: 4101190315
IMPORTANT! Don´t forget your reference number!
It is made up of
„Application number,IM122,Surname,First name“
If you do not have an application number:
“IM122,Surname,First name”
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For transfers from abroad, you will need the following
banking information:
BIC-number: BYLADEMM
IBAN-number: DE36 7005 0000 4101 1903 15
b) Tuition fees
PhD students are exempt from tuition fees for the duration
of six semesters.
If you need more than six semesters to finish your PhDproject
the following regulations apply:
a) Members of a graduate school or graduate program
are exempt from tuition fees for the entire duration of
their PhD-project (max. 8 semesters).
b) PhD students who encounter financial problems
during the 7 th and 8 th term of their PhD-project can
apply for an exemption from tuition fees claiming
undue hardship. This application implies that you
have to prove your financial distress. Please consult
the Welcome Centre for further information on the
application procedure.
c) As a PhD student you do not need to be enrolled as
a student at the university. In case you cannot pay
the tuition fees for the 7 th and 8 th semester you can
deregister and still continue your PhD-project.
Please contact the Welcome Centre if you intend to
deregister as this option might conflict with your
residence title.
5.3 Exmatriculation after completion of your PhD:
Potential problems with your residence title
a) Looking for a job after the completion of your PhD
As soon as the purpose of your stay in Germany has been
accomplished, you theoretically have to start preparing your
departure from Germany. Nevertheless, the German
residence law (Aufenthaltsgesetz) stipulates that you may
extend your stay for another 18 months after
accomplishment of your PhD in order to look for a job.
If you want to do so, it is necessary to apply for the
extension of your residence title before you finish your
degree course, e.g. before your final exams which lead to
your exmatriculation. Please be aware that you need to
have enough financial means for the time you intend to look
for a job (approx. 700 € per month).
b) Publication of your PhD-thesis
After submitting and defending the doctoral thesis PHD
students are required to publish Yet, residence permits for
students (§ 16) expire with the completion of the PhDproject,
e.g. the defense of the thesis. The defence
automatically results in the exmatriculation.
Nevertheless you will need some extra time to prepare the
publication of your thesis. Therefore you have to apply for
an extension of your residence permit before defending
your thesis. You should apply for a “Fiktionsbescheinigung”.
To receive this provisional residence title you have to make
sure that you have enough financial means for the time
needed for publication.
In all this instances please ask for support from the
Welcome Centre.
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6. VISA PROCEDURE
German immigration law (Aufenthaltsgesetz / AufenthaltsG)
offers several access paths to enter and live in Germany as
a PhD student.
6. 1 § 16: Student Visa
The study visa (§16) is the recommended visa by most
embassies for PhD students. However, with this visa you
are allowed to work and receive a salary only for a
maximum of 120 days, resp. 240 half-days per year. This
does not permit PhD-students to work on the basis of a full
contract (100%).
With this visa you are only allowed to bring your family to
Germany after you have settled here. The access for the
family is then the § 30 AufenthaltsG = family reunion visa
which has the restriction that
a) Spouses have to prove their German proficiency or
acquire it quickly after their arrival here.
b) Spouse will not receive a work permit.
Please beware that with the visa according to § 16 you
cannot extend the amount of your work contract, e.g. accept
a raise of workload and remuneration to a 75%- or a 100%-
position, which sometimes happens if professors are very
satisfied with the work of their PhDs.
Please beware that with a §16-student visa you can apply
for a § 18 = work visa only after you have finished your PhD
project and received the degree.
Members of graduate schools and structured PhD-programs
can only apply for a visa according to § 16.
PhD students who have a scholarship, e.g. from the DAAD,
should apply for this type of visa!
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6. 2 § 18: Work Visa
The work visa is suitable for PhD students who will receive
a work contract with more that 50%-position and who do not
intend to bring spouses and children along.
6. 3 § 20: Researcher Visa
This visa type applies to PhD students who have at least a
50%- work contract and who intend to bring their spouse
and maybe children along.
Further conditions:
1) A salary of minimum 1,200 € net per month.
2) An intended stay of minimum 4 months.
3) Submission of a hosting agreement.
Advantages:
1) You may bring your spouse and children along
immediately.
2) Your spouse is exempt from German knowledge.
3) Your spouse can obtain a work permit.
Our university is entitled to issue hosting agreements.
Please contact our Welcome Centre for support.
Email: Welcome-centre@uni-bayreuth.de
Phone: +49-(0)921-55-5318
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7. LIVING IN BAYREUTH
Please check the following link for general information:
Accommodation:
Rooms and shared apartments in student dormitories are let
by the SWO. Please check their website:
www.swo.uni-bayreuth.de.
Costs are approximately as follows:
• rent excluding electricity costs: 115 Euro per month
• deposit: 210 Euro
• electricity costs: 40 Euro
Private accommodation is more expensive. In a flat-sharing
community, you would have to budget 150 to 250 Euros.
For an individual single-room apartment, you would have to
calculate up to 400 – 500 Euros.
Check this link for private accommodation:
www.old.uni-bayreuth.de/unimarkt/home/home.php
Bank account:
For the transfer of your scholarship as well as for the direct
debiting of the health insurance contribution or the rent, you
will need to open a German bank account as soon as
possible after your arrival. Almost all banks offer free
current accounts (Girokonto) for students.
Health insurance:
Students need a health insurance for the entire duration of
their stay. This is a precondition for enrolment at the
University of Bayreuth as well as for getting a residence
permit by the Immigration Office.
Please replace your travel health insurance, with which you
arrive in Germany, immediately after your arrival in
Bayreuth and take out a statutory student health insurance.
This has to be done before the registration at both, the
university and the Immigration Office.
For scholarship holders, a private health insurance is
allowed as an exception. Please note that once you take out
a private health insurance, it is impossible to revert to
statutory health insurance!
We strongly recommend that if you choose a private health
insurance, you should be careful regarding the contract
periods. We strongly advise you to sign a contract for the
entire duration of your stay instead of choosing one-year
periods to be extended regularly.
Please check this link to the DAAD for further information:
http://www.international-office.unibayreuth.de/en/04_On_Site/index.html
http://www.daad.de/deutschland/deutschland/leben-indeutschland/06266.en.html
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Food:
Food is available at the university’s dining hall (Mensa) at
costs from 2.50 to 4.50 Euro per meal.
Opening hours: Monday – Thursday 11 am – 2 pm
Friday 11 am –1.15 pm.
The cafeteria adjacent to the Mensa offers breakfast,
snacks and small meals on
Monday – Friday 8 am – 8 pm
Saturday 9 am – 2 pm
and Thursday 4 – 8 pm.
Cash payment is not possible at either the Mensa or the
Cafeteria. You can charge your CampusCard (student ID
card) with money at terminals in the Mensa in order to pay
at both locations.
Passport photographs:
If you bring passport photos along, please make sure that
they meet biometrical standards, e.g. the following
requirements:
• size 35mm x 45 mm
• from point of the chin to hair line 32-36 mm
• background white or neutral like light grey
• frontal view
Check this website for information regarding biometrical
standards:
http://www.bundesdruckerei.de/de/service/service_buerger/
buerger_persdok/persdok_epassMstr.html
Rooms and shared apartments at the student dormitories
have a kitchenette where you can prepare your own food.
There are several shopping opportunities (supermarkets,
bakeries, butcheries) near the dormitories.
Journey and arrival:
The airport closest to Bayreuth is Nuremberg (1 h from
Bayreuth). Other possibilities are Munich (2,5 h from
Bayreuth) or Frankfurt am Main (3,5 h from Bayreuth).
For the plane ticket, please ask your local travel agency.
For railway connections to Bayreuth, please also consult the
website of the German railway company (Deutsche Bahn).
You find the link to their homepage here: www.bahn.de
Editor: Welcome Centre
welcome-centre@uni-bayreuth.de
Updated: September 2012
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