Guest Students: Enrolment at the University of Potsdam

 

This page applies to students who come to the MPI-MP from abroad for a stay as:

  • Guest PhD student
  • MSc students who do research for their Master thesis
  • Internship students

 

If you come to the MPI-MP for an internship or research stay during your studies you may have the possibility to enrol as guest student with the University of Potsdam (UP).

After you have planned and confirmed your research stay with one of our group leaders, you may contact Ina Talke about enrolling as guest student with UP. Ina can nominate you as guest student to UP, if applicable.

Please check below if enrolling as guest student with UP is an option for you. If yes, please contact Ina as soon as possible before your research stay. 

Is enrolling as guest student an option? - Checklist:

  • What is your status? To enrol as guest student with UP during your stay at the MPI-MP, you must also be enrolled as student at your Home University. Your Home University must be outside Germany.
  • How much time in advance do you know that you will come to the MPI-MP? There are deadlines for nominating guest students to UP. They differ for guest PhD students and guest MSc students - see below.
  • For how long and when do you come to the MPI-MP and Potsdam? If you come for a short period (less than 5 months) or for a period that bridges 2 semesters (for example from February to June) it may not bring you an advantage to register as guest student with UP.

Good to know:

Enrolment as guest student with UP can only be done per semester. It is not a requirement for your stay at the MPI-MP. Advantages of enrolment as guest student are: you will have a student ID card and the "Semesterticket" (see below). 

If enrolling as guest student with UP is not an option for you, it may be useful to bring an International Student Identity Card (ISIC). With this, you can show that you are a student at a University abroad and may be eligible for student discounts at museums, cinemas, etc. while in Germany.

Guest PhD students

Deadlines for nominating Guest PhD students to the University of Potsdam:

  • August 15th for the Winter Semester (starts in October of the same year) 
  • February 15th for the Summer Semester (starts in April of the same year)

These nomination deadlines are about 6 weeks before a semester starts. Guest PhD students are nominated to and enrolled via the Welcome Center at the University of Potsdam.

Guest MSc students

Deadlines for nominating Guest MSc students to the University of Potsdam:

  • April 15th for the Winter Semester (starts in October of the same year) 
  • October 15th for the Summer Semester (starts in April of the following year)

These nomination deadlines are 5.5 months (!) before a semester starts. Guest MSc students are nominated to and enrolled via the "Incoming" team at the International Office of the University of Potsdam.

Note: We can nominate individual guest MSc students (so-called "free-movers"). If you come to Potsdam with a University-University exchange programme (for example ERASMUS), you will be nominated by your Home University. If you have any doubts, please contact Ina Talke (Doctoral Programme Coordinator).

Eligibility, Documents & Costs

Eligibility and Documents needed: To enrol as guest student with UP, you must be enrolled as student (BSc, MSc, or PhD) at a University outside Germany and show a proof of enrolment to UP. UP will also ask you for a (normal) copy of your last completed degree (MSc for guest PhD students, BSc for guest Master students), but you do not need to provide certified copies of your degree documents. Students who are enrolled at another University in Germany cannot enrol as guest student with UP.

Costs: If you want to enrol as guest student with UP, you need to pay the semester fee (currently about 300 EUR). This fee includes some administrative charges and the so-called "Semesterticket" which entitles you to use public transport (regional, urban and underground trains, buses, tram) in Potsdam, Berlin, and surrounding areas. 

Semesters: There are two semesters per academic year in Germany, the Winter Semester (October 1st to March 31st) and the Summer Semester (April 1st to September 30th). 

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