Joint PhD with King’s College London
Since 2010, the joint PhD programme between Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and KIng’s College London offers students a unique opportunity to pursue a binational PhD, working with supervisors from both universities and spending at least one academic year at the partner institution.
The joint PhD programme offers students the opportunity to pursue a binational PhD at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and King’s College London. Students in the programme work with supervisors at both institutions and benefit from access to research resources at two universities. Although the major work on the PhD research or dissertation project takes place at the home institution, students also spend a significant period of time (at least one academic year) at the partner institution. The programme follows the so-called ‘home rule procedure’, which means the doctoral regulations of the home university apply, while the doctoral culture of the other university is respected.
Joint PhD – what it means, benefits
Pursuing a joint PhD allows candidates access research resources at two excellent and internationally renowned universities. Participating in a transnational academic exchange can also provide key qualifications for a career path in academia and elsewhere. Last but not least, PhD candidates will have the opportunity to widen their professional and cultural horizons while living in two vibrant, European capital cities.
A minimum stay of one academic year at each university is mandatory, with most students spending the first year at their home institution, the second at the partner institution, and returning home to complete their project. The final examination takes place at the home university and leads to a jointly awarded degree (as opposed to two individual degrees).
Structures and support – who is involved
Below you will find more information about the faculties involved as well as the role of supervisors, Joint Academic Committee and programme coordinators.
At the moment, the following faculties and departments are involved in the Joint-PhD programme.
At King’s College London
- School of Arts and Humanities: the department of Cultural Media & Creative Industries, and the departments of English, German and Philosophy Research
- School of Natural and Mathematical Sciences: Mathematics Research
- School of Social Science and Public Policy: Geography Research / Comparative Urbanism
- Currently in negotiation: School of Law
At Humboldt-Unversität zu Berlin
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
- Faculty of Arts and Humanities
- Faculty of Language, Literature and Humanities
- Faculty of Law
For more information, please visit the overview of HU faculties and their departments.
Supervision within the Joint PhD programme must be provided by authorised supervisors from both participating universities. Before applying for the programme, the doctoral candidate must find a supervisor at each institution. Candidates and supervisors should discuss the procedures and details of the programme. Supervisors from both universities should be in regular contact to ensure substantial joint supervision.
The Joint Academic Committee (JAC) consists of academic and administrative staff from both universities. The JAC assesses applications to the programme as they come in. Any changes, for example to the mode or length of study, must also go through them as well as the faculty administration. There is one JAC at each university and both JACs meet regularly to discuss the process and development of the programme.
The program coordinators at both universities will be your point of contact for any questions you may have about the programme - from initial enquiries to programme procedures. Applications will also be sent to the coordinator at the respective home university, who will liaise with the partner university and the JAC.
Finances
Find out about tuition fees and funding opportunities below.
If Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is your main university, you have to pay a student contribution for each semester at HU. Depending on the regulations of the respective semester, this might include a ticket for public transport (Deutschlandsemesterticket). During your stay at King's College London, you can apply to be exempted from the Deutschlandsemesterticket fee. As part of the application, you will need to prove that you will spend at least three consecutive months of the semester at KCL.
If King's College London is your main university, you will be enrolled at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin as a secondary student. For enrolment and re-registration, you must prove that you have enrolled or re-registered as a main student at King's College London for the semester in question. If you are enrolled as secondary student at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, you do not have to pay the student contribution during your stay at HU (although other fees may apply). However, if you wish to take advantage of the Deutschlandsemesterticket, you need to apply for a change of student status in order to be enrolled as a main student for the relevant semester. In this case, you would also have to pay the student contribution at HU for the relevant semesters and could be exempted from the re-registration fee of 50 euros upon application in accordance with Section 2 (7) BerlHG.
Please note: Fees are subject to change each semester. For more information, please visit the overview of re-registration details. The regulations with regard to the Deutschlandsemesterticket, for example, may vary. In the winter semester 2024/25, doctoral candidates are obliged to purchase the ticket. The trend for the summer semester 2025 is not yet clear.
For HU home candidates, there is currently no funding attached to the programme. PhD candidates can apply for fulltime scholarships offered by a variety of institutions, or they can apply for partial funding of research visits and mobility grants e.g. the DAAD Research Grants - Bi-nationally supervised doctoral degrees (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst). For further information on funding opportunities at German universities, please check the following websites:
- Financing the doctorate – brochure provided by the Humboldt Graduate School
- Funding of doctoral candidates – information on HU’s doctoral candidates' portal (English version)
- PhD funding – information on HU’s Promovierendenportal (additional suggestions in German)
If you choose to apply through KCL as your home institution you may be eligible for funding advertised in the KCL Postgraduate Funding Database which includes three annual, fully-funded joint PhD scholarships. KCL also offer a Global Research Grant, allowing joint PhD students to apply for grants covering travel between KCL and Humboldt. Alternatively, the London Arts & Humanities Partnership (LAHP) may provide scholarships that cover joint PhD programmes.
How to apply
You can apply for admission to the joint PhD programme through either university. Whichever one you choose will become your home university, where you will conduct the main part of your research. No matter whether you want to apply as a HU or KCL home candidate, the first step that precedes your application is to find two supervisors, one at HU and one at KCL. Next, you need to decide which will be your home university.
At the moment, Humboldt-Universität only admits candidates into the joint PhD who who have already been accepted as doctoral candidates at HU. If you intend to become a Humboldt home student within the joint PhD programme, you must first enrol as a regular Humboldt PhD student. Information about the necessary forms and qualifications can be found on the websites of the respective faculties. Once you’ve become a PhD student at Humboldt-Universität you can – in accordance with your supervisor – apply for becoming a Humboldt home student within the joint PhD programme.
For such an application you need to follow these next two steps:
- You need to send your application for the Joint-PhD to the programme’s Joint Academic Committee (JAC) for approval. Applications for the JAC should be sent via the local programme coordinator.
- If the JAC approves your application, you can go ahead and apply for the joint PhD programme via the KCL Admission’s Portal, following the regular KCL admission procedure. For more details, please visit the postgraduate website of the respective PhD programme at KCL. Please also note KCL’s application deadlines.
If KCL also accepts your application in this final step, you will receive an offer letter and can enter the programme at the assigned date. If KCL declines your application, you can still pursue your PhD as a regular Humboldt PhD student.
At KCL, the application is a centralised online procedure with specific deadlines. Joint PhD applications follow the same initial process as a single KCL PhD, with guidance available on finding a supervisor and submitting an application under each KCL PhD subject page. KCL home candidates use KCL’s Admissions Portal to apply for the Joint-PhD Programme. Once you have applied for the joint PhD programme via the KCL Admissions Portal, the Joint Academic Committees (JACs) at both universities will review your application. If both JACs approve your application, you will get an offer letter from KCL. Once you have accepted the offer, you also need to apply and enrol as a PhD student at HU. For this, you first need to submit a formal application to the examinations office of your chosen HU faculty. This should be done immediately after accepting the offer from KCL. There is no deadline for applying as a PhD candidate at HU and applications can be sent in digital form to the HU faculties’ examination offices. Information about the necessary forms and qualifications can be found on the websites of the respective faculties. Once you have been accepted as a PhD candidate at your HU faculty, you need to formally enrol at HU. We recommend that KCL home students enrol once they come to Berlin.
If you’re applying as a HU home candidate, your application for the joint PhD – addressed to the programme’s Joint Academic Committee (JAC) – should include:
- an official form confirming your status as a PhD student at HU
- the confirmations of supervision by two professors (one from HU, one from KCL)
- a CV
- copies of your BA and MA certificates
- two recommendations or references from two university professors
- an exposé
- a travel plan
Contact
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Hannah Zoller
HU programme coordinator
International and European science cooperation joint-phd.kcl@hu-berlin.de
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