Duna

At the very least, you'll need to have a complete Masters and you'll need to have a research project in mind. You should also find potential advisors in the area you'll live in and contact them. A PhD in European countries is usually research heavy and requires little to no coursework. You essentially get hired to work on a certain project, sometimes through a funded project your advisor might have (and then you work on a question that has already been defined for you by your advisor) and sometimes not. Either way, you're expected to quite independently work on your own project right from the get go, so you need to be able to formulate research questions that you think you'll be able to answer with the tools you'll have by the time you graduate from your Masters degree.

I think you're confused about the nature of discussions on this board. At least ones I'm involved in. I don't "confront and address" your "bad behavior." I express my opinions, when I have them. They may be different from yours, and we may discuss our differences and agree or disagree on varying matters. If I thought you were disrespecting me or calling me names, I would not take the time to reply. I have better things to do.

And no, I don't think that showing solidarity with someone who describes intense feelings of hate is being helpful to them. I think that telling them they're over-reacting and there's a healthier path they could choose, difficult though it may be, is much more helpful.

I can't really say too much about doctoral programs in Germany and I got my master's from an arts school, which is obviously not the normal Uni. However, I did study at a "normal" German university for 4 years before that.

In my opinion, the main difference is the faculty's and staff's attitude towards students. At my school here in the US everyone is super nice, helpful and happy to have us here (or at least good enough at pretending). In Germany I always felt like an intruder who disturbs everyone, asks stupid questions and is merely tolerated but not really welcome.

I believe LMU is a great school. I do know a few people who went there / are still there. I do think that it will be a bit of a cultural shock though Not German culture but German university culture. You need to be very proactive and persistent. People will be rude and professors busy. Other than that and especially if you don't mind working independent, you'll be fine.

In addition, Bavarians are very warm compared to other folks in Germany...

If you are trying to plan YOUR finances you might want to consider asking YOUR desired programs about their funding structure

No, but I think they will also get a bunch of emails with the same lame "I am really interested in your work on xxxy" which applicants got from the webpage.
If you can come up with: "I am really interested in work xxy, especially the method you used to do xyy and I am intrigued by studying this by combining it with work from yyx on the same topic employing a slightly different methodological approach" then this might appear just a tiny bit more like a motivated and well prepared candiate.

No, but I think they will also get a bunch of emails with the same lame "I am really interested in your work on xxxy" which applicants got from the webpage.
If you can come up with: "I am really interested in work xxy, especially the method you used to do xyy and I am intrigued by studying this by combining it with work from yyx on the same topic employing a slightly different methodological approach" then this might appear just a tiny bit more like a motivated and well prepared candiate.

1. You do not need to be a left wing activist to be sensitive to race or gender bias or simply to our naturally implemented bias towards symmetrical faces.
2. Really? It's "today's Zeitgeist to be non-discriminatory"? Fashionably liberal? This just sounds wrong.
3. What do Google PR employees have to do with this?
4. "(You are) aware of the bias risk with photos (...) weight this as (you yourself) want to." This comment clearly shows you are not.

And the "clean" universities... I do not even want to address that.

I have seen several companies in Germany that switched to the no-photo CV policy and I like where this is going.

However, pictures are not to be included in CVs / resumés in the US (and several other countries, of course). I even think that it could make it harder for you to get in because no one wants to risk appearing biased. In addition, one could argue that researching grad schools in a foreign country and applying would include researching such customs and not making stupid mistakes...

1. You do not need to be a left wing activist to be sensitive to race or gender bias or simply to our naturally implemented bias towards symmetrical faces.
2. Really? It's "today's Zeitgeist to be non-discriminatory"? Fashionably liberal? This just sounds wrong.
3. What do Google PR employees have to do with this?
4. "(You are) aware of the bias risk with photos (...) weight this as (you yourself) want to." This comment clearly shows you are not.

And the "clean" universities... I do not even want to address that.

I have seen several companies in Germany that switched to the no-photo CV policy and I like where this is going.

However, pictures are not to be included in CVs / resumés in the US (and several other countries, of course). I even think that it could make it harder for you to get in because no one wants to risk appearing biased. In addition, one could argue that researching grad schools in a foreign country and applying would include researching such customs and not making stupid mistakes...

1. You do not need to be a left wing activist to be sensitive to race or gender bias or simply to our naturally implemented bias towards symmetrical faces.
2. Really? It's "today's Zeitgeist to be non-discriminatory"? Fashionably liberal? This just sounds wrong.
3. What do Google PR employees have to do with this?
4. "(You are) aware of the bias risk with photos (...) weight this as (you yourself) want to." This comment clearly shows you are not.

And the "clean" universities... I do not even want to address that.

I have seen several companies in Germany that switched to the no-photo CV policy and I like where this is going.

However, pictures are not to be included in CVs / resumés in the US (and several other countries, of course). I even think that it could make it harder for you to get in because no one wants to risk appearing biased. In addition, one could argue that researching grad schools in a foreign country and applying would include researching such customs and not making stupid mistakes...

I think "kaykaykay" and "comp12" totally misunderstood my point. I don't bother to explain here. I was just asking one simple question where I already acknowledged the correct answer in my second response. Don't understand how these people read English.

Precisely this. Definitely just a cultural/legal thing in North America where discrimination on the base of gender, age, sexual orientation, etc. is illegal when it comes to job applications.

Besides, do you really want to be admitted just because you're a girl?

Suck it up.

@ Hiyou:

I happen to know Chinese and Korean people who are not only living in Germany but are also part of my family and I can definitely provide you with more than one exception to your very generalized statement about all Europe (which really made me laugh because Europe is pretty diverse with all of its different cultures and nations...)

What I liked most about your comment was that you're actually trying to tell a European to stay out of Europe because he will feel like an outcast.

I think this whole thread is simply adorable. Girl, I wish you all the best!

And if it doesn't work out, there'll be others...

Führung von US-amerikanischen bzw. kanadischen
Ph.D.-Forschungsgraden in Deutschland

Beschluss der Kultusministerkonferenz vom 15. Mai 2008.

Laut KMK-Beschluss vom 15. Mai 2008 können Inhaber eines PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
von bestimmten amerikanischen Universitäten in Deutschland die deutsche Abkürzung "Dr."
ohne Einschränkung, d.h. ohne fachlichen Zusatz und ohne Herkunftsbezeichnung führen.
Es sind dies die Universitäten, deren Forschungsaktivitäten laut Carnegie Classification als
high bzw. very high eingestuft sind:
Laut Carnegie Foundation gibt es etwa 280 doctorate-granting universities in den USA
Diese Universitäten vergeben mindestens 20 wissenschaftliche Doktorgrade jährlich. Sie sind
enthalten im Web unter http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/descriptions/basic.php.
Nicht dazu zählen die sog. Berufsdoktorate / professional doctorates, die auf bestimmte
reglementierte Berufe vorbereiten, z.B. JD, MD, PharmD, DPT. Die Carnegie-Einteilung lautet:
▪ 96 Research Universities (RU/VH) – very high research activity)
▪ 103 Research Universities (RU/H) – high research activity)
▪ 84 Doctoral/Research Universities (DRU)
Für die dritte Kategorie gilt der Beschluss der KMK vom Mai 2008 wegen zu geringer
Forschungsaktivitäten NICHT. Inhaber eines PhD von einer Kanadischen Universität können generell ebenfalls die deutsche Abkürzung „Dr.“ ohne Einschränkung führen.

source: http://usa.fh-hannover.de/carnegie-graduate.pdf


Srsly, do some research before you come up with stuff...

Führung von US-amerikanischen bzw. kanadischen
Ph.D.-Forschungsgraden in Deutschland

Beschluss der Kultusministerkonferenz vom 15. Mai 2008.

Laut KMK-Beschluss vom 15. Mai 2008 können Inhaber eines PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
von bestimmten amerikanischen Universitäten in Deutschland die deutsche Abkürzung "Dr."
ohne Einschränkung, d.h. ohne fachlichen Zusatz und ohne Herkunftsbezeichnung führen.
Es sind dies die Universitäten, deren Forschungsaktivitäten laut Carnegie Classification als
high bzw. very high eingestuft sind:
Laut Carnegie Foundation gibt es etwa 280 doctorate-granting universities in den USA
Diese Universitäten vergeben mindestens 20 wissenschaftliche Doktorgrade jährlich. Sie sind
enthalten im Web unter http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/descriptions/basic.php.
Nicht dazu zählen die sog. Berufsdoktorate / professional doctorates, die auf bestimmte
reglementierte Berufe vorbereiten, z.B. JD, MD, PharmD, DPT. Die Carnegie-Einteilung lautet:
▪ 96 Research Universities (RU/VH) – very high research activity)
▪ 103 Research Universities (RU/H) – high research activity)
▪ 84 Doctoral/Research Universities (DRU)
Für die dritte Kategorie gilt der Beschluss der KMK vom Mai 2008 wegen zu geringer
Forschungsaktivitäten NICHT. Inhaber eines PhD von einer Kanadischen Universität können generell ebenfalls die deutsche Abkürzung „Dr.“ ohne Einschränkung führen.

source: http://usa.fh-hannover.de/carnegie-graduate.pdf


Srsly, do some research before you come up with stuff...

It comes from the (German) reality. Real labour world, not forums or student fantasies, not what universities or official vacancy notices tell.

I just replied because he asked about a PhD obtained in Germany. I can only point out that the PhD system is new to Germany and the PhD might be appreciated at companies as BASF or in the university where exactly it was obtained but it has less value 100 kilometres away and much less outside those special worlds. In contrast a Dr.-title is striking. Every hotel and every ragtag and bobtail respects a Dr.

It is not allowed in Germany to call yourselves a Dr. (in front of name), but you can request to have your US-PhD changed into the academic Dr.-title which will work without problems when it is obtained at a renowned US university. (US top 20, after some approval also with others) Some PhD graduates (US Top 5 !!!) were sued with dramatic consequences to them, it's not regarded as peccadillo or anything close to. Just recently it all got very easy with top 20 PhDs. Probably such dramatic punishments would not exactly occur again, but I would not try.

In most subjects it is really not easy to have the chance to "promote" (how it is called to obtain the Dr.-title) while it is relatively easy to get into (any) PhD program and bring it to a successful end.
A Dr. - title (obtained at any university) is really distinguishing while with PhDs it very much depends where it is obtained. This system is still very new to Germany and it will take decades to work as in the US. For only academic value-added the highest academic rank in Germany is Dr. habil.

(As it is common practice in most countries you will have to explain your regional title on your business cards (including most of all where it was obtained) whenever you are in another country or in another economic zone. The US research universities are an exception because many of them are known worldwide and as best (still different, no matter how appreciated and leading they are). In contrast whoever cannot study medicines in Germany, not even in Austria, still can do it (in German) in Hungary. He then must write "(university of Budapest)", but indeed he can later work as physician back home in Germany. This Hungarian faculty has more or less specialized on German students. Over the three decades its reputation has become proper up to decent but still the "university of Budapest" is needed on every doorbell and a little handicap, it used to be more a handicap in the past, still it is no plus)

I think this whole thread is simply adorable. Girl, I wish you all the best!

And if it doesn't work out, there'll be others...

Is it really a PhD program (PhD after name) or a Promotion to obtain the Dr. - title in front of the name ?

The Dr. - title has much more value but it depends on the subject.

It has the highest value in law and engineering where it separates top-earners from moderate or low earners.

For example when I search for a patent attorney candidate in chemistry I don't take applicants without the promotion or only in very special cases.

In many subjects the title cannot be overestimated. It still has a high prestige on German doorbells.

It is easy to obtain the degree in biology and medicine. In biology it is needed to get a job at all, in medicines the studies are long also without promotion and you get it easily and quickly then.

In social sciences, politics, psychology it has not that high value but every landlord will prefer you in cities where small flats are over-demanded (Munich) and many bank clerks will estimate you richer, even if it is not that true. It's also valuable on the marriage market.

@ Hiyou:

I happen to know Chinese and Korean people who are not only living in Germany but are also part of my family and I can definitely provide you with more than one exception to your very generalized statement about all Europe (which really made me laugh because Europe is pretty diverse with all of its different cultures and nations...)

What I liked most about your comment was that you're actually trying to tell a European to stay out of Europe because he will feel like an outcast.

As far as I understood, stipends are considered taxable income but they're so many experts around in this forum that I'd suggest posting your question again in the "bank"

I have officially declared war.