MPSP Program: The Study Phase

The preparatory MSc program

The application process for the Study Phase will change this year 2025. Therefore, please refrain from creating a study phase profile on our portal for the time being and wait until the official start date in early September. The process for the research phase applications remains unchanged. We will share further information about the new process with you as soon as possible. So check our website regularly to make sure you don't miss the latest information about the application process.

During the study phase, MPSP candidates undergo a full-time master's program at three internationally recognized universities within the Max Planck School of Photonics network:

Map of Germany, highlighting the cities of Jena, Erlangen, and Karlsruhe. The logos of Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU), Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are also shown.

Friedrich Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg
ASP program at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena
KSOP program at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Our teaching universities are world heavyweights of academic and science-related education, as well as epicenters of photonics research.

Beside the university courses, study phase candidates also participate in courses aimed at the development and advancement of scientific and social skills via e-learning or workshops, such as practical laboratory skills training or scientific writing seminars.

In a newly established joint degree program, our study phase candidates can profit from the expertise at all teaching universities in collaborative lectures. Furthermore, students can choose their specialization modules and research topics from the offer of all three universities. This allows for conveying profound theoretical knowledge and practical training as a foundation for their first research projects or even become an expert in a specific research field.

Towards the end of the two years master’s program, the MPSP study phase candidates carry out an internship at one of the network institutes and write their master thesis. The master thesis is written under the supervision of one of the scientists within the MPSP network (so-called "Fellows"). Fellows also assist the PhD candidates in identifying potential research topics for the subsequent research phase of the program.

Spring and Autumn Schools

The MPSP organizes spring and autumn schools in which all PhD candidates from different locations get to know each other and exchange experiences and research ideas. We provide different expert and soft skill courses to prepare the PhD candidates for their research and their professional lives. In scientific colloquia, students present the results of their Specialization modules and Research Training. Moreover, spring and autumn schools aim to connect the study phase candidates with MPSP Fellows who match their research interests and could act as PhD supervisors. All study phase candidates are encouraged to conduct their curricular internships and master theses at the various locations within the MPSP network.

If you want to know what a MPSP Spring School looks like, take a look here!

Study program

The study program is research-oriented and focuses on acquiring research-relevant competencies. Students will learn within a cross-location network of the three universities. Central modules are taught jointly by lecturers from all three universities. The laboratory training involves all locations. In terms of specialization, students have access to the full range of research focuses pursued at the individual locations. The course of study is divided into three parts. The first semester is dedicated to acquiring subject-relevant basic competencies and aligning heterogeneous prior knowledge. The second and third semesters focus on specialization, imparting research-relevant competencies. The fourth semester concludes with the master's thesis as an independent scientific achievement.

Overview graphic showing the structure of the 4-semester master's program.

Study Locations

ERLANGEN

Erlangen is a university city located in northern Bavaria, close to the city of Nuremberg. The Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuernberg (FAU) is Bavaria's second largest university, hosting some 40,000 students. Erlangen has a long tradition in optics research and teaching and is home to the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light.

For more information on the Master's program in Erlangen, please check the university's website here.

JENA

Jena, also known as the "City of Light" is located in the Free State of Thuringia and is a center of education and research. Optics and photonics are the leading technologies in Jena’s industrial sector.
The city lies on the Saale River and is nestled between shell limestone slopes and the Ilm-Saale Plateau, offering not only research and education but also space for many outdoor activities. With 17.000 students, the Friedrich Schiller University Jena is the largest university in the Free State of Thuringia and one of the 15 oldest universities in Germany.

KARLSRUHE

Karlsruhe is the third-largest city of the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Karlsruhe is the third-largest city in the state of Baden-Württemberg and home to the Federal Court of Justice and the Federal Constitutional Court. For this reason, the city is also known as the “residence of law.” The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is a technical university and research center in the Helmholtz Association. In 2024, KIT was recognized as the German university with the strongest research in engineering and natural sciences. Approximately 22.800 students study there.