Application MATS - Frequently Asked Questions
Please make sure to first read our application page before you look for more detailed information in the FAQs below.
General
1. Can I apply even though I have not yet finished my master’s degree?
If you will have your master's degree in hand by the time you would start the scholarship, that is October 2022, you can apply by submitting an official, current (!) transcript of records/mark sheet and a letter by your department confirming your probable graduation date.
If you plan to attend a preparatory language course, you must have completed your studies in time for the language course.
2. Is there an age limit?
No, there is no age limit for applicants to the GPTS.
3. How does the application process work?
In the first stage, you submit a written application via email in one PDF file. Letters of recommendation may be included in this file, or they may be submitted separately by your referees. The deadline for application applies either way.
Based on these application portfolios, the selection committee shortlists the most promising candidates and invites them to present their projects in an individual interview (videoconference). The interviews take place around mid-April.
After the interviews, the selection committee makes its final decision.
4. Can I apply for other than the GSSP/DAAD scholarships?
We currently do not have other scholarships available. However, if you have secured your own funding for your doctoral project, you may apply for a membership in the GPTS as well.
5. What documents do I have to submit?
You find a complete list of all documents you have to submit and further information on the application requirements and procedure on our application website.
6. Can you help me with the application form?
The application form is formatted to be filled in electronically. To do so, please click on the link on our website – the PDF will open in your browser. In a next step, please download the form to your computer and open it again, for example in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. You can then fill in your details, save the completed form and include it in your application portfolio.
Please keep in mind that the form is optimized to be used on a personal computer, not on a mobile device, such as a phone.
7. When will I be notified of the result?
Candidates will likely be informed of the final decision by the end of April.
8. I realized my application is not complete after I submitted it – can I correct it?
Once you have submitted your documents, no changes or re-submission is possible. We therefore strongly recommend that you carefully check all documents for spelling and completeness before you submit the PDF.
Supervisor
9. Who can serve as supervisor for my project?
In the German academic system, generally only “Hochschullehrer” (Prof.") and "Privatdozenten" ("PD Dr."), i.e. senior scholars with habilitation or equivalent, may serve as doctoral supervisor. By exception, also junior research group leaders may supervise doctoral candidates. Please be advised that your supervisor must be a full member of Heidelberg University. To learn more about the requirements, please refer to the website of Heidelberg University's Graduate Academy.
10. How do I find a supervisor?
Besides the five professors at the HCTS, any professor in Humanities and Social Sciences at Heidelberg University could serve as your supervisor. You can search them at the department closest connected to your previous degrees and most interesting to you. Here you find links to all faculties at Heidelberg University.
11. Do I have to contact a supervisor before I submit my application?
In the first stage of the application process, we only ask you to name a potential supervisor in your portfolio. You do not need to contact them. Shortlisted applicants who have been invited to Heidelberg are then welcome to contact the supervisor mentioned before they present their project.
On the other hand, if you are already in contact with a professor prior to your application or maybe even have started your doctoral project under the supervision of a professor at Heidelberg University, please indicate so in your application.
Letter of Motivation/Proposal
12. Do I have to write my letter of motivation and my proposal in English?
Yes. As the language of instruction in the GPTS is English, your letter of intention, your proposal and all other parts of the application that you write yourself need to be in English.
13. How long should the letter of motivation be? Should I mention something specific?
The letter of motivation should be approx. 600 words long. In your letter, you should explain why you want to pursue your doctoral studies within the GPTS and how your research project and interests specifically connect to the programme and the HCTS research framework.
14. How long should the proposal be? How should it be structured?
Your proposal should be 2000–2500 words long. It should include your project title, a summary, an overview of research area and literature (state of the art), your key research questions and objectives, information on your methods and sources as well as a bibliography. The bibliography does not count towards the word limit.
References
15. Whom should I contact as referee?
Referees should be experienced scholars who can judge your performance and potential in your chosen field of research. Many applicants choose their advisors from their MA and/or BA programmes.
A superior in the company you are currently working in will most likely not be a good choice, as they will not be able to judge your academic potential.
16. How do the referees submit their letters of recommendation?
Letters of recommendation can be submitted in two ways:
a) Your referees can send their letter of recommendation to you. In this case, you need to include them into your PDF application file. Please make sure to keep to the order of documents as indicated on the application website.
b) Alternatively, your referees may send their letter of recommendation directly to us. They can do so by sending it as one PDF file to application-gpts@asia-europe.uni-heidelberg.de. In this case, we will assume that the letter is confidential and will not share it with you. Please contact your referees directly if you want to confirm that they sent the letter.
17. Do the referees have to submit their letters of recommendation in English?
Letters of the recommendation should be in English or in German to ensure that all members of the selection committee can consider them.
18. When must the letters of reference be submitted?
The letters of recommendation must be submitted by the application deadline, that is 4 February 2022, 23:59 CET.
English Certificate
19. Are there exemptions for the English certificate?
Native speakers and applicants who received their complete high school and/or university education in an English speaking country are exempt from further proof. All other applicants must provide a certificate.
20. I have neither a TOEFL nor an IELTS – what other certificates would be acceptable to prove my knowledge of English?
We accept a wide range of certificates. They must be issued by an institution authorized to test language skills (e.g. a university language centre) and explicitly confirm your knowledge of English at a level of at least level C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
21. I took some seminars in English during my MA, would that be proof enough?
No. You still need to provide some kind of certificate confirming your skill level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
22. Can I submit my English certificate later?
In exceptional cases, it may be possible that you submit your English certificate after the application deadline. If you expect such a delay, please make sure to contact the Graduate Programme Manager as early as possible.