The doctoral programs at our institute offer diverse opportunities for aspiring researchers in artificial intelligence and robotics.
While the Max Planck Society does not award doctoral degrees itself, we offer various ways to obtain your doctoral degree through our partnerships with leading universities. Your research and dissertation preparation will typically take place at our institute, under the supervision of an MPI-IS scientist.
Our primary doctoral program, the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS), brings together the MPI-IS with the University of Stuttgart and the University of Tübingen, with over 100 internationally recognized faculty and 400 enrolled students.
We also offer internationally co-supervised programs, including the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems (CLS) and the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS). These programs provide opportunities to work with leading researchers across Europe.
In addition, there are more opportunities to obtain your doctoral degree by doing your research at MPI-IS through individual partnerships of our faculty with outstanding universities.
To apply, visit our program pages for eligibility and application deadlines. Note that admission is competitive. Doctoral positions at Max Planck are funded and offer scientific freedom and financial security, including social insurance and a salary based on the German public funding system.
Whichever option you choose, you will have access to cutting-edge resources and mentorship to accelerate your academic journey in the interdisciplinary field of Intelligent Systems.
The International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems, known as IMPRS-IS, is one of the largest doctoral programs in the Max Planck Society. It's a partnership between our institute, the University of Stuttgart and the University of Tübingen, forming a highly visible and unique graduate school of internationally recognized doctoral students and faculty. This program is a key element within the Cyber Valley research consortium, aiming to accelerate basic research and commercial development in AI, machine learning, and robotics. Doctoral students obtain their degree from either the University of Stuttgart or Tübingen.
Learn more
The Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems, known as CLS, is a doctoral program that addresses cross-disciplinary research questions in the design and analysis of natural and man-made learning systems. The excellent engineering competencies of faculty and research team members at ETH Zurich in Switzerland are ideally complemented by the competencies in natural sciences and computer science of the scientists at MPI-IS. Doctoral students profit from joint supervision by ETH Professors and MPI-IS Directors and Group Leaders, ultimately obtaining their doctoral degree from ETH Zurich.
The European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems, known as ELLIS, is a pan-European AI network of excellence which focuses on fundamental science, technical innovation and societal impact. Founded in 2018, ELLIS builds upon machine learning as the driver for modern AI and aims to secure Europe’s sovereignty in this competitive field by creating a multi-centric AI research laboratory. ELLIS follows a three-pillar strategy, of which one pillar is its PhD and Postdoc program. Both offer outstanding young researchers from all over the world a unique entry point to cutting-edge machine learning research by connecting them to leading scientists across Europe and by offering them a variety of training activities.