Selection process

Admission to IMPRS-IEM is highly competitive and carried out via a centralized selection procedure, divided into three steps: Evaluation of applications, video interviews, and in-person interview days in Freiburg.

Evaluation of applications

All applications received by the deadline and accompanied by three references undergo two levels of evaluation. First, they are checked for completeness and fulfillment of our requirements. In the next step we evaluate your grades, your letter of motivation and statement of research interest, CV, English language skills and references. We also look at any additional certificates you provided. Based on this information we generate a shortlist of promising candidates for the video interviews. Within approximately 4 weeks of the application deadline we will inform you if you are invited for a video interview.

Pre-Selection Video Interviews

The video interviews will be conducted by two faculty members and the IMPRS Coordinator. This is an important step to get to know the candidates better and to help us make a decision about the final invitation list. After the completion of all video interviews we will issue the invitations for the Final Interview.

Final Interview 

Depending on the number of positions available in each round (usually around 10) we invite the best candidates to Freiburg.

During this final interview, candidates have the opportunity to present their own work and get to know our faculty and students and to discuss the offered projects. The first assessment of the candidates is done during the interview with a panel of three faculty members. Students who successfully pass this selection step proceed to the individual interviews with group leaders. The decision on admission to the program is made by the selection committee consisting of recruiting group leaders and the IMPRS graduate committee.

Offers to join IMPRS-IEM are made within 1 week of the interviews.