Scholarship Program for Chinese Doctoral Students
- Model One: Scholarships for a doctoral project pursued only at LMU
- Model Two: Scholarships for a Doctoral Program following a Sandwich Model
- Application Procedure
- Information about specific programs and project coordinators
- Information for new scholarship holders
China Scholarship Council (CSC) offers in cooperation with LMU two different kinds of doctoral scholarships to outstanding Chinese students and researchers
The following fields of study are open to applicants:
All fields of studies at LMU (except engineering) with an emphasis on Biology, Chemistry, Communication Science, Computational Linguistics, Computer Science, Economics and Business Administration, Geo-Sciences, Law, Life-Sciences, Mathematics, Medicine, Neuropsychology, Neuroscience, Pharmaceutical Science, Political Science, Physics, Psychology of Excellence in Business and Education, Sociology and Statistics
Model One: Scholarships for a doctoral project pursued only at LMU
The doctoral title will be conferred by LMU. Length of program: Three to four years.
The duration of the scholarship cannot be extended when in Munich.
Application documents required for Model One (Doctoral title at the LMU):
1. Application Form for Admission to Studies for Foreign Applicants: Please mark the top of the application form with “CSC Model 1” in red capital letters! Please write your family name in capital letters!
2. Curriculum vitae, up to date at time of application
3. Statement of planned research project with time schedule.
4. Statement certifying when the Master-Diploma will be attained. The Master Diploma is a prerequisite for final admission to doctoral Studies. It is, however, not required at the time of the application.
5. Two letters of recommendation by university professors.
6. The letter of acceptance by a Professor of LMU.
7. University documents: notarized copies of the “official transcript of record”: Bachelor + Master Studies as well as Diplomas. School certificates are not necessary! If your application is not successful, the documents will be returned.
8. A label with your correspondence address.
9. Your application must be sent as a PDF-file directly attached to your email (not in RAR or RAW format) and also in paper-form! Please note that only applications in paper-form will be considered.
Language requirements for Model One (full doctoral scholarship)
Business Administration, Computational Linguistics, Law, Political Science, Communication Science, Sociology as well as for other fields of the Humanities: excellent knowledge of German required: Test-DAF: test score with the minimum result of 4 in all parts of the examination or “DSH-2”. A certificate of one of these tests has to be submitted at the time of the application!
Biology, Biological Psychology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Geo-Sciences, Life-Sciences, Mathematics, Medicine, Neuropsychology, Neuroscience, Pharmaceutical Science, Physics, Statistics: English language certificate of the IELTS Test Academic 6.0 (no module below 5) required. A basic knowledge of German is of great advantage! If an applicant has an excellent command of German no English test will be required. The course can then be pursued in the German language.
Model Two: Scholarships for a Doctoral Program following a Sandwich Model
The first year of the doctoral course will be pursued at the Chinese university. The doctoral students then complete one to two years of research at LMU and return to China for project completion. The doctoral title will be conferred by the Chinese university. The doctoral project has to be approved and coordinated jointly by professors of LMU and of the Chinese university. The project should therefore not be an individual project of the doctoral student but a joint project of the doctoral student, the Chinese supervising professor and the professor of LMU! This program has been especially designed to strengthen the scientific cooperation between LMU and Chinese universities of excellence.
The duration of the scholarship cannot be extended when in Munich.
Application documents required for Model Two (Sandwich Programs, doctoral title at the Chinese university):
1. Application Form for Admission to Studies for Foreign Applicants: Please mark the top of your application form with “CSC Sandwich Model” in red capital letters! Please write your family name in capital letters!
2. Curriculum vitae, up to date at time of application.
3. Statement of the planned research project with a time schedule to be carried out in cooperation with a professor at LMU and a professor at the Chinese university. The statement has to be signed by the Chinese supervisor! The contact dates of the Chinese professor and the LMU professor have to be included in the research proposal.
4. Letter of the doctoral supervising professor in China referring to the research project with the LMU and naming the professor of the LMU with whom the Chinese professor is working or plans to cooperate with regarding the research project of the doctoral student.
5. Two letters of recommendation by university professors.
6. The letter of acceptance by a professor of LMU.
7. University documents: notarized copies of the “official transcript of record”: Bachelor + Master Diploma and list of grades as well as a document confirming that you are already registered in a doctoral Program in a Chinese university (doctoral admittance). School certificates are not necessary! If your application is not successful, the documents will be returned to you.
8. A label with your correspondence address.
9. Your application must be sent as a PDF-file directly attached to your email (not in RAR or RAW format) and also in paper-form! Please note that only applications in paper-form will be considered.
Language requirements for Model Two (Sandwich Program)
The language requirements for the sandwich program are not as restrictive as for a full doctoral program and will be negotiated on a case to case basis.
Application Procedure
Age limit
According to CSC regulations applicants for CSC's doctoral scholarship should be no more than 35 years old at the time of application.
Applicants have to apply to CSC as well. In the case of Model Two (Sandwich Program) a copy of the planned research project has to be signed by your supervising professor in China as well as by the professor at the LMU. Without this copy the CSC will reject your application! For documents required by CSC, please see the official updated announcement at www.csc.edu.cn
Application Deadline at LMU: February 28th of each year
Application Procedure
A selection committee of LMU will carefully review your application. In the case of a positive decision you will receive a letter of admission. The official document will be sent on postal way as well as by E-Mail as a PDF–file. You will receive the letter of admission by mid-March 2011. With this letter of admission you can send your application to CSC. Please send the application as a PDF-file and also in paper form to:
Ludwig Maximilians Universitaet Muenchen
Office of International Affairs
China Scholarship Council Application
Geschwister-Scholl Platz 1
80539 Muenchen
Germany, Email: 
csc.international@lmu.de
Email requests concerning our program will only be answered if you attach your up to date academic CV and a short outline of the research proposal you plan to submit (no more than one page) as a PDF – file to your email. Unspecific requests cannot be answered. You may also contact our representative in China Dr. Thomas Zimmer mail to: china.international@lmu.de for information regarding the LMU-CSC program.
Information about specific programs and project coordinators
Please send your enquiries directly to the professor of LMU you would like to work with. You should, however, send it "cc" to E-Mail.
You are expected to find a supervising professor (in the case of post-doctoral fellows and visiting scholars an inviting professor of LMU) on your own. If you have difficulties doing so, our coordinators are willing to assist you. We can only process your request if you provide us with the following: Your complete application as a PDF file, stating your serious intention at studying at LMU, a short outline of the research proposal you plan to submit (no more than one page) and a short letter from your supervising professor in China, endorsing your application to LMU (this could be one of the letters of recommendation).
We can only assist you if you fulfil the above requirements.
Links to specific faculties and programs
Open Positions
The brochure is available for Download:
Application Form
CSC-Program (english - chinese)
Presentation of the LMU-CSC Program
Information for new scholarship holders
If you have any special questions regarding your application, housing, health insurance, etc. please send an E-Mail to csc.international@lmu.de. But first of all, please check out our FAQ section.
