Fast Track to PhD
After the 3rd semester, students have the possibility to directly transition into doctoral studies at TU Dresden. This makes the CMS Master’s Program suitable to study a joint M.Sc./Ph.D. degree. At TU Dresden, there are two types of doctoral studies towards earning a PhD degree: (1) direct doctorate, (2) enrollment in a structured PhD program. Both options are open to CMS students either as “fast track”, or regularly. Following the regular schedule, students first complete the CMS M.Sc. degree, including the master’s thesis, and then apply for PhD positions. When using the fast-track option (it is just an option, not an obligation and not a right; the regular way is always possible), students write their master’s thesis already on the dissertation topic in the working group where they will do their PhD. This reduces the overall duration of the combined M.Sc./Ph.D. by one semester, as the master’s thesis is already written on the PhD topic. During this period, the student can also be paid and employed as a PhD student. However, even in the fast-track case, the master’s thesis must be written and submitted on time, before continuing with the PhD. This research-oriented approach is modeled after the successful fast-track options from other Master's programs at the Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB) to the Dresden International PhD program (DIPP).
In both cases, regular doctorate and “fast track”, admission to the CMS Master’s program does not imply admission to Ph.D. studies. Only top-performing students will be admitted into Ph.D studies, and it remains the responsibility of the student to find a professor who is interested in being their Ph.D. supervisor and who has a Ph.D. position available. This should be done in the 3rd semester when academic credentials and project experience are available. After being admitted into the CMS Master’s program, admission to Ph.D. is therefore neither automatic, nor guaranteed, and there is no legal claim to it. In particular, Ph.D. candidates must fulfill the requirements defined in the doctoral regulations of the respective faculty, and the stipulations of the respective Ph.D. program, and successfully clear the admission procedure into Ph.D. studies at or after their 3rd semester of CMS Master’s studies.
Direct Doctorate
In order to start a direct doctorate, students must independently find a supervising professor who has an available PhD student position and who offers a suitable PhD topic of interest to the student. Hiring and enrollment as a PhD student will then directly be handled by this professor.
The prerequisites for starting a direct PhD, either as “fast track”, or regularly, are specified in the doctoral regulations of the respective faculty or TU Dresden. They must be met by the time the master´s thesis is handed in. For example, in the faculty of Computer Science, a GPA of 2.0 or better is required in order to be eligible for PhD studies. Regulations of other faculties will differ, so please make sure you check the respective doctoral regulations.
Structured PhD programs
In order to start a PhD in a structured program, students need to apply to the respective program. Each program has different prerequisites in order for applicants to be eligible. Please check the respective program web pages as listed below. In addition, the doctoral regulations of the faculty awarding the degree must be met by the time the master´s thesis is handed in.
When applying to a structured program, the students do not need to identify a suitable supervisor upfront. Instead, finding a hosting group for the PhD is typically part of the application and selection process of the program. There are many structured PhD programs at TU Dresden, and all are open to the fast-track option. The following ones are probably most directly related to the topic of Computational Modeling and Simulation, but your choice is not limited to these:
- Biomedicine and BioengineeringDIGS-BB
- Computational biology and systems biology:IMPRS
- Computational Physics and Material Science IMPRS MPSSE
More information about doing a PhD at TU Dresden:
TU Dresden Graduate Academy —> https://tu-dresden.de/ga
The fast-track option is only available for PhD studies at TU Dresden. Students intending to enroll as a PhD student in another university must use the regular procedure. Students wishing to do a PhD in a non-university research institute (such as a Max-Plank, Helmholtz, Fraunhofer, or Leibnitz Institute) require an elected TUD Professor as an official thesis supervisor and one of the examiners.