The graduate school application process and requirements may vary quite a bit between institutes in the European Union(EU) and the United Kingdom(UK), especially after Brexit. This page describes the application process for countries in the European Union. We will have a section for the UK soon!

What do you need?

A three or four year bachelor’s degree for master’s admissions, and a master’s or integrated master’s degree for PhD admissions
CV
Research Proposal or Motivation letter (also called Statement of Purpose)
Cover letter (optional)
References or recommendation letters
Language requirements (TOEFL/IELTS)
Finances

Rough timeline

You can prepare ahead by learning as much as you can in classes, getting research experience, figuring out your research interests, and building relationships with professors and mentors.

For master’s programs:

Early college/university: do the best you can in your classes, seek out opportunities to do research
A year or two before applying: start thinking about who will write your letters of recommendation
Summer before application: make a list of programs you want to apply to, ask your letter writers for letters, start working on your essays
August/September: when applications open, sign up on the university website and start filling out the forms for biographical information, etc.
November-February: submit your applications.
August-October: start your degree!

For PhD programs, much of the application process is similar to applying to a master’s, but you are expected to have more well-defined research interests and experience.

Admissions in the European Union work on a rolling basis, so positions could come up at different times of the year. That being said, the most likely time for submitting applications is October-January.
A year or two before applying: start thinking about who will write your recommendation letters
Summer before application: make a list of programs you want to apply to, ask your letter writers for letters, start working on your essays
August/September: when applications open, sign up on the university website and start filling out the forms for biographical information, etc.
November-February: submit your applications.
August-October: start your PhD.

Picking universities

How do you pick where to apply? For Master’s, you can apply to programs that are mostly course-based, mostly research-based, or some combination of both. For PhDs in Europe and in the UK, you apply to specific positions offered by research groups of certain advisers. You need to have a well-defined PhD interest already, and then you can search keywords related to that area of research on websites that list PhD positions. Here are a couple of websites to get started on, but please do your own research, by simply Googling keywords related to your research interest, locations, names of professors, etc.:

www.positions.dolpages.com/phdpositions

https://inspirehep.net/jobs (for positions in high energy physics)

CV

A CV (short for curriculum vitae) is a document summarizing your skills and experiences, and for a CV for admission to a graduate program, you want to highlight the skills and experiences that show your promise as a graduate student. Here are some tips on preparing an effective CV for graduate school applications in STEM.

Research proposal

The research proposal can vary depending on the funding body or university, the advertised position and the research adviser. In physics within Europe, you are likely applying to a position that already exists, with the overarching theme and objectives of the project already defined in the advertisement. Do your research on the group you are applying to, go over their recent publications, or if it’s a new group, other people’s publications in the area of proposed research. Use the proposal to show that you have the skills to complete the project. Explain the objectives, methods and expected outcomes of your proposed research. Of course, you haven’t done your PhD yet, you cannot know ahead of time how it will go: scientific research is full of surprises. But you should be able to argue for the importance and potential impact of your chosen research question. You can also use the research proposal to show how the university you are applying to, its laboratory facilities, its research ecosystem, etc. are all a good fit for your project. The desired length can be specified in the advertisement for the PhD position, and is usually between 2-4 pages. Show your draft to classmates, professors, students you know who have been successful in their applications, anyone you can think of who could help. If you already have a relationship with your prospective PhD adviser, and they seem really supportive of your application, you can also ask them for their advice and feedback.

Cover letter

A cover letter, sometimes also called a motivation letter, is a short piece of writing, approximately a page, addressed to your prospective adviser or the funding agency you are applying to. You can highlight the skills and experiences that are already mentioned in your CV or your research proposal that make you a great fit for the position. It is a chance to build a narrative about yourself, your research experience and interests. Write a strong introduction to who you are, your motivations for doing a PhD, write a second paragraph on your research skills and experiences, and then conclude with why you are a great fit for the position and project advertised. Remember to address it politely with “Dear Professor/Dr. ____” and sign off with “Yours sincerely”!

References or recommendation letters

You may need two or three letters of recommendation for admission to a master’s or PhD. Here are some guidelines to asking for and getting recommendation letters.

Language requirements

You may have to take the IELTS or the TOEFL to show you can understand and communicate research in English. In many cases universities may also exempt you from taking a language test if you can prove to them you have completed your past education in an english medium institute.

Finances

Application expenses

Compared to the US, application fees in the EU are lower (at some institutions, applying is free!). This is an important factor to consider while applying for Master’s or PhD programs. It may also be worth reaching out to the admissions email of the program you are applying to and requesting a fee waiver.

Some EU programs, master’s or PhD, may require a language score (TOEFL or similar), so that’s a cost to keep in mind.

Master’s expenses

Master’s programs in the EU are usually funded using specific scholarships that cover your tuition fees and living expenses. Without a scholarship, the student is expected to take care of both the expenses. In some countries like Germany, the tuition fees are very low, while in some countries like Denmark, it may be higher. The living expenses also vary drastically based on the country and the city. Many students support themselves through a part-time job while pursuing their Master’s in the EU. You can reach out to your program and/or advisor to ask about additional teaching or research based employment opportunities, in case the stipend is not sufficient to cover your needs.

PhD expenses

PhD programs in the EU (for 3-4 year programs) come with a stipend/salary and benefits. There are no tuition fees for PhD programs in the EU as the PhD is considered a job. The stipend, as always, can vary between countries, institutions and disciplines. Make sure that the stipend can cover the cost of living in the place where your program is based.

The EqualSTEM Project

Graduate School in Europe