For students

Information for students interested in the MCMP's offerings.

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Need support?
At LMU Munich and at the MCMP there is a network of many different supportive and representative institutions for students. Among them, the Faculty women's representatives (Fakultätsfrauenbeauftragte), the Philosophy Student Council (Fachschaft Philosophie), or the Munich Student Union's advisory network are there for you in matters regarding the university environment. Please do not hesitate to contact them as well as members of the MCMP with functions in the above mentioned institutions or any other service for counseling.

Bachelor students

Many courses taught at the MCMP contribute to the Bachelor in Philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Religious Studies at LMU Munich. The Bachelor in Philosophy as well as other Bachelor degree programs at LMU are classified as undergraduate degree programs. To be admitted to a Bachelor program, you will need to be proficient in German and in possession of a university entrance qualification. In addition, admission to many Bachelor programs is dependent on further conditions, e.g. pre-registration, academic advising and orientation, or aptitude tests. For general information about degree studies, please visit the page for prospective students.

Master students

Our Master (MA) program in Logic and Philosophy of Science was founded in October 2012. It is an international MA program of the Faculty of Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Religious Studies at LMU Munich.

LMU has a long-standing tradition in both philosophy of science and logic reaching back to the time of Wolfgang Stegmüller and Kurt Schütte. In recent years, this tradition has been revived by establishing two new chairs in logic and philosophy of language (held by Hannes Leitgeb) and in philosophy of science (held by Stephan Hartmann), and by founding the MCMP. Hannes Leitgeb was awarded an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in 2010. In 2012, a second Alexander von Humboldt Professorship was awarded to Stephan Hartmann. In 2021, Christian List joined the center as co-director. He holds the chair of philosophy and decision theory.

Our MA program is not just open to philosophy and logic undergraduates - we also aim to attract undergraduates from relevant scientific disciplines, such as mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, computer science, engineering, economics, linguistics, psychology, cognitive science, the social sciences, and related disciplines.

Norbert Gratzl and Alexander Reutlinger are the program coordinators of the Master in Logic and Philosophy of Science, and are happy to answer questions about the program.

PhD students

The doctorate (Dr. phil.) serves to demonstrate the ability of the doctoral student to perform original and in-depth academic research and is based on a written dissertation (doctoral thesis), conducted independently, and, finally, a defense of the dissertation. The core element of the doctorate is the doctoral thesis or dissertation. The topic of the dissertation is agreed upon with the candidate’s academic supervisor. The student then produces the dissertation as a piece of independent research, which serves to demonstrate the new academic knowledge gained during the doctoral project.

At the MCMP, such a dissertation prepared in the form of an individual project, supervised by one of our authorized examiners. More information can be found in the tabs below.

What kind of PhD projects are suitable for the MCMP?

The MCMP accepts applications from the following fields of research:

  • Epistemology
  • Logic
  • Philosophy of science
  • Philosophy of physics
  • Decision theory and philosophy of social science
  • Philosophy of language
  • Philosophy of mathematics

How do I apply?

The prerequisite for admission as a doctoral student is, as a rule, an excellent degree in a relevant subject from a university or an equivalent institution of higher education. The MCMP accepts applicants with a Master degree in philosophy.

To apply for doctoral studies at the MCMP and to propose your individual project to one of our authorized examiners, please send your application to:

Your application should include:

  • a cover letter that addresses why you want to do your PhD at the MCMP, your academic background, your research interests and the proposed starting date;
  • a CV;
  • a list of publications (if applicable);
  • BA and (if applicable) MA certificates;
  • a sample of written work of no more than 3000 words;
  • a description of the planned PhD project of about 2000 words; and
  • a letter of recommendation.

Applicants who have not finished their Master degree at the time of the application have to provide evidence that they will have their Master degree in hand at the proposed project starting date.

How can I fund my project?

Funded positions for doctoral students are announced on our website when available. We also support applications to funding institutions, such as DAAD or DFG.

General information on doctoral studies at LMU can be found on the website of the GraduateCenter.

Learning materials

Just as in any other area in which logical or mathematical methods are being used, it is necessary to understand and practise these methods before they can be applied successfully. One way of achieving this is of course to take courses at the MCMP. Additionally, here is some background material on logic and philosophy that will be of use for self-study:

Basic

Advanced