ESPACE PhD Program

Highly qualified graduates of the ESPACE M.Sc. program have the chance to continue with a PhD in a related field upon graduation. The prerequisite for obtaining a PhD from the TUM is an above average M.Sc. degree, i.e. a final grade of better than 2.5. Currently there are 17 PhD students working on ESPACE related research topics at both institutes.

Normally it is recommended that students first complete the ESPACE Master's program before continuing with a PhD. The M.Sc. program contains many useful courses needed before doing the PhD. There is no true "PhD program" to which one gets admitted. Instead, professors may have open positions as scientific collaborators or PhD scholarships for which graduated students can apply. Since these positions are limited, the chance to get a position is of course much higher if you are an ESPACE M.Sc. graduate.

ESPACE offers a structured PhD program in the field of Earth Oriented Space Science and Technology under the umbrella and according to the rules of the TUM graduate school.

The first step towards a PhD is applying for some type of funding. This can be either a regular position offered by one of the participating institutions (to be asked from the respective professors) or a scholarship. There are various scholarship offers from different funding bodies. The most common ones for ESPACE graduates are offered by the

• International Graduate School of Science and Engineering (IGSSE), of which ESPACE is one of the scientific backbones in the research fields of energy, geodynamics, and the environment.

• Doctorate program THESIS (Theory, Experiment and Simulation) of the Elite Network Bavaria.

The minimum period for obtaining a PhD is three years. During this time the PhD student has to prove his/her ability to conduct independent research by working on an up-to-date scientific topic. Methodology and results have to be presented in a comprehensive PhD thesis and defended according to the regulations for the award of doctoral degree at the TUM.