Information for Bachelor and Master students
Internships, BSc and MSc theses, student assistantships
Our institute pursues basic research in the Plant Sciences. We collaborate with the University of Potsdam (UP), specifically the Institute of Biochemistry and Biology at the UP Faculty of Science. MPI-MP group leaders and senior scientists teach courses in the MSc programmes “Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” and “Bioinformatics” at the UP Faculty of Science.
We offer the following opportunities for junior scientists who are working towards their Bachelor or Master degree in a discipline relevant for the research at our institute and who share our passion for plant science.
Student assistants / helpers
Student assistants work with members of our research groups, supporting them in their research projects. The specific tasks depend on the project. Student assistant (“HiWi” in German) jobs are restricted to students who are enrolled at a German university and who have not yet completed an MSc degree.
Internships
The aim of an internship is to gain research experience. Internship students work on a small, independent project that is integrated into the research of the group they join. They closely cooperate with and are supervised by members of our research groups. The duration of an internship is flexible, from 4-6 weeks to 2-6 months. Internships are open to students enrolled in a BSc or MSc study course, at a university in Germany or abroad.
BSc or MSc thesis research
We offer opportunities for research projects in the frame of BSc or MSc theses. BSc or MSc thesis research is done in cooperation with and supervised by members of our research groups. Note that students cannot – by regulation – be paid for BSc or MSc thesis research.
Our guest programme enables students from abroad who have completed their Master degree to join our institute for up to six months. The “junior scholarship” track enables an orientation phase for students after they completed a Master degree. The “senior scholarship” track is for junior researchers who are pursuing a PhD abroad and would like to join one of our groups for a research stay.
To join our institute under the guest programme, please identify relevant research groups and establish initial contact with the respective group leader as described below at “How to join” for opportunities for BSc/MSc students. Please plan ahead and establish contact several (at least 6) months before your intended stay, especially if you require a visa for Germany.
More information about the guest programme is given here. If you would like to join our institute to pursue a PhD / doctorate, please consult “PhD Application - How to join”.
We do not offer an MSc study programme. If you would like to study for an MSc close to our institute, you need to look at programmes offered by universities nearby. Master programmes in the Life Sciences are offered and organized by the University of Potsdam and Berlin Universities (Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Technical University of Berlin), among others. Information about programmes offered, course content, entry requirements, admission procedures and deadlines is provided on the universities’ websites.
A selection of MSc study programmes in the Potsdam/Berlin area that may be of interest is given below. Note that this is not a complete list of relevant programmes.
At University of Potsdam
At Freie Universität Berlin
At Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
How to join us for internships etc.
For the opportunities described above – internships, BSc or MSc thesis research, and student assistant jobs:
- Inform yourself about our research.
- Identify research groups that you are interested in – because of their research question or because they use specific methods, or both.
- Contact the group leaders of relevant research groups by email and enquire about open opportunities. Contact details of the respective group leader can be found on their group website.
When contacting group leaders, you should address:
- Which opportunity – student helper position /internship /BSc or MSc thesis – your enquiry is about
- Your basic qualifications, interests and goals
- Why specifically you are interested in working with/for the respective research group, and what you expect to learn.
- When you would like to join the group (especially for internships and BSc/MSc theses)
- Attach a CV (as PDF, without photo) that gives information about your study background and previous research experience.
Note that all opportunities are limited and competitive. If your enquiry is generic and unspecific, it may not elicit a response. Please refrain from sending enquiries to our institute’s general contact address.
Please keep in mind:
Send enquiries for internships or BSc/MSc thesis research several months ahead of time. If you require a visa for Germany and are not yet residing /studying in the EU, please inform yourself about the visa process for internships in advance and plan accordingly. Note that it is not permitted to do research at our institute on a tourist visa.
Joining our institute for an internship or for BSc/MSc thesis research does not include enrolment as (guest) student with the University of Potsdam. Enrolment as guest student with UP is not a requirement for a research stay at the MPI-MP. Please inform yourself here about eligibility, requirements and time frames for enrolment as guest student with UP.
Questions?
If you have any questions about opportunities for students that were not addressed above, please contact the IMPRS graduate programme coordinator, Dr. Ina Talke (talke@...). However, please refrain from sending applications to her. “How to join” (above) explains how to apply.