Doctoral Programme in the Field of Cognition

What you would need to do

In the order you must act, not the order things get published. Some steps depend on your nationality — tell us where you are from and this list gets sharper.

1. APS certificate (Akademische Prüfstelle) — IndiaVerification of academic documents issued by Indian institutions. Required for the German student visa. It does NOT replace a university's admission decision, and it can run in parallel with university applications. · by 2026-11-03Academic Evaluation Centre India (APS India) ↗
2. Submit your applicationBefore you applyApplications close on 2026-12-01 · by 2026-12-01Max Planck School of Cognition ↗
3. APS India minimum Class XII score of 70%Before you applyA hard academic floor applied at COUNTRY level, outside any university's own criteria. A student holding a university offer can still be refused the APS certificate, and therefore the visa. Announced 23 February 2026, effective Winter Semester 2026/27.Academic Evaluation Centre India (APS India) ↗
4. dMAT (Digital Master Test) — required for some Master's fieldsBefore you applyStandardised academic aptitude test run by APS India with g.a.s.t. Required as part of APS documentation for Master's applicants whose PREVIOUS degree is in Engineering; Commerce, Accounting, Finance or Economics; or Business and Management. Applies from the s · EUR 150APS India with g.a.s.t. ↗
5. German language proficiency (institution-set level)No national minimum level. The recognised EXAMS are standardised nationally (TestDaF and DSH), but the required level and any waiver are set by each institution.Individual higher education institutions; exams standardised nationally ↗
6. Proof of financial resources (Finanzierungsnachweis / Sperrkonto)Applicants must prove funds for one year, commonly by depositing into a blocked account (Sperrkonto). Blocks the visa, not the university application. · EUR 11,904Federal Foreign Office / DAAD Study in Germany ↗
7. Health insurance (compulsory)Proof of health insurance is demanded at BOTH university enrolment and residence-permit application.DAAD Study in Germany ↗
8. Anmeldung (residence registration)Every international student moving to Germany must register at the residents' registration office, usually within one week. The written confirmation is needed to obtain the residence permit.Einwohnermeldeamt / Bürgeramt, then Ausländerbehörde for the permit ↗

Cost

tuition — EUR 0 per year (international students)DAAD International Programmes: Doctoral Programme in the Field of Cognition at Max Planck School of Cognition — tuition fees as published: 'No tuition fees'Checked 2026-08-16 · daad.de

Entry requirements

• languageDAAD programme detail for Doctoral Programme in the Field of Cognition at Max Planck School of Cognition — english language requirement as published: B2 required, please provide an official language certificate, e.g.: TOEFL iBT (before 2026): 110 Reading: 18 Listening: 17 Speaking: 20 Writing: 17 IELTS Academic: 6.5 Cambridge English Qualifications: B2 First
• otherDAAD programme detail for Doctoral Programme in the Field of Cognition at Max Planck School of Cognition — academic admission requirements as published: By the time of admission into the programme, applicants must have completed a Bachelor's and/or Master's degree in a field related to cognition, such as artificial intelligence, biology, cognitive neuroscience, neuroscience, genetics, linguistics, mathematics, neurobiology, neuroimaging, neurology, neurophysics, philosophy, physics, psychiatry, psychology, or a related subject. A subject is related when it has at least 60 ECTS or 30 equivalent credits in the British/American/Australian credit system including assignments in the fields mentioned above. These assignments must be clearly defined as relating to the aforementioned subjects in the Bachelor's transcript. German language skills No m