Application
Applications for this year are closed.
Notification of acceptance to the second stage of the selection process will be given one to two weeks after the application deadline. The IPP study programme begins in mid-October 2026. The applications for October 2026 are closed.
Applicants should submit the following documents:
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a cover letter stating your motivation for applying to the IPP, addressing how your project fits with the IPP profile. Though not mandatory, it will help your application with us if you can suggest a potential supervisor at the JLU as well. Please have a look at JLU's professors in Faculty 5 (Language, Literature, Culture).
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curriculum vitae with a detailed description of your academic profile.
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copies of all relevant school-leaving / university entrance certificates and university degree certificates (including transcripts of records).
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a copy of your diploma/MA thesis (If the thesis is not written in English or German, we will accept the full-text copy in the original language plus a summary of the thesis and the table of contents in English or German).
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two letters of reference from university teachers providing information about your academic qualifications.
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an abstract for your dissertation project, no longer than one page. If you are selected to proceed to the next stage, you will be asked to send us a full research proposal (approx. 10 pages) as well an indication of the time-frame envisaged for the completion of the project.
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we strongly recommend that applicants search and apply for funding options parallel to their applications to the IPP. International applicants can consider applying for a Research Grant for Doctoral Studies in Germany sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) or comparable funding institutions.
All applications have to be submitted using the Application Form (accessible only during the application period). Please, upload all the required documents as one single pdf file titled "<last name>_Application" in the corresponding field. Additionally, upload your diploma/MA thesis as a separate pdf, titled "<last name>_Thesis".
Covering letters should be addressed to the Academic Director of the IPP:
Prof. Dr. Kirsten von Hagen
International PhD Programme (IPP) "Literary and Cultural Studies"
Giessen Graduate School for the Humanities (GGK)
Justus Liebig University Giessen
Otto-Behaghel-Str. 10
35394 Giessen
Germany
For further information, please contact the IPP Team:
E-Mail: ipp
Telephone number: + 49-(0)641-99 300 44
Note: Please, check the FAQs in the Application section. Many of the common doubts the applicants have are answered there.