What happens after the admission

What happens after you have been admitted to the BMS PhD program

Phase I

Phase I admission decisions for first round applicants are sent out at the end of February and Phase I admission decisions for second round applicants are sent out in June.
The new Phase I students will receive the BMS Admission Package via email shortly after the receiving the offer of admission. The BMS Admission Package will contain the BMS Guidebook and lots of other helpful information and registration forms for the BMS Language Course, BMS Student Housing and the BMS Buddy Program.
After you have accepted the offer of admission, the BMS will look for a Phase I advisor for you based on your academic interests indicated in your application. If you have a specific wish concerning the selection of your Phase I advisor, you may express this at any time. The university affiliation of your Phase I advisor will determine the university at which you will enroll as a master student.

The BMS will send all new students a detailed checklist for moving to Berlin in July. You will then also be informed about the enrollment procedure. Your BMS Liaison Officer will help you filling out the relevant forms and answer any questions you might have about your move to Berlin.

Phase II

Phase II admission decisions depend highly on the search for a PhD supervisor and funding sources. Most of them will also be sent out in March and June after the Admissions Committee Meetings, however, some may be delayed if the supervisor or funding situation is still unclear.

The new Phase II students will receive the BMS Admission Package via email shortly after the receiving the offer of admission. The BMS Admission Package will contain the BMS Guidebook and lots of other helpful information and registration forms for the BMS Language Course and the BMS Buddy Program.
The university affiliation of your Phase II supervisor will determine the university at which you will enroll as a PhD student.

The BMS will send all new students a detailed checklist for moving to Berlin in July. You will then also be informed about the enrollment procedure. If you are moving earlier, please inform the BMS, so you may receive all the relevant information earlier. Your BMS Liaison Officer will help you filling out the relevant forms and answer any questions you might have about your move to Berlin.

Start of the BMS program

The regular BMS program starts in the winter semester which begins in October. All students are recommended to arrive in Berlin one month earlier so at the beginning of September, in order to get settled, take care of all administrative procedures (incl. the enrollment) and attend the BMS Language Course. Phase II students can be more flexible with their start of the BMS program as this mainly depends on their funding situation. There is also no enrollment deadline at FU, HU or TU for Phase II students.

BMS Buddy program

In the BMS Buddy program, new students are helped by a BMS student, who usually comes from the same country or a similar cultural background. Some advantages are:

  • your buddy could possibly pick you up at the airport when you arrive in Berlin, and help you take care of administrative procedures in the first weeks,
  • you can ask them about their experiences moving to Berlin,
  • you can also discuss with them about academic questions, e.g.
    • Phase I: how to choose your courses, what the exams look like in Germany, how to study for the exams, what is the personal style of some specific professors like, how to find a supervisor for your Master's thesis / PhD etc.
    • Phase II: how personal contact between PhD students and supervisors work, how a working group or a research seminar works, how to manage your time, how to choose workshops/ conferences, how to prepare articles and conference talks etc. 

BMS Language Course

The BMS organizes two German language courses for the last two weeks of September every year. One course is at the beginner’s level (A0) and one is at a slightly higher level (usually A2). These two courses are offered to the new students first and if there are still places available, these will be offered to all current BMS students.
The BMS does not offer a German language course for B or C levels, as there is rarely a group of new students with such advanced German language skills. 

BMS Orientation

At the beginning of October, the BMS welcomes all new students with the BMS Orientation Week. Attendance of the orientation week is mandatory. This week consists of:

The BMS sends all new students an invitation with all relevant details at the beginning of September.

All BMS students will receive an email on how to register for courses with all the current deadlines at the end of September. By mid-October all students should be enrolled and have registered for their courses. The first lectures start in the second or third week of October.