The original BMS Website (math-berlin.de) is currently not online because of the recently discovered PHP vulnerabilites. We are working hard to bring the website back in full scope as soon as possible. In the meantime, all links regarding the BMS redirect here. You can find all information regarding the application process below. We kindly ask for your understanding and apologize for the inconvenience.
Application Period and Deadlines
The BMS application period consists of two application rounds. For admission to our program in 2027, applications will be accepted via our online portal from
1 October to 1 December 2026 (first round)
1 March to 1 April 2027 (second round).
Access to the application portal will end on 1 December and 1 April at 23:59, Berlin time, Time Zone Converter
Students who will have completed a bachelor’s degree by summer 2027 and are interested in doing a PhD in mathematics can apply to start with BMS Phase I (master’s studies). Those who will have completed a master’s degree can apply to start directly in Phase II (doctoral research).
Start of program: October 2027
Phase I (Master studies):
Deadline for application requiring admission with scholarship: 1 December 2026
Number of available places with scholarship: 10
Deadline for general admission without funding: 1 April 2027
Number of available places without funding: 10
Phase II (Doctoral research):
For Phase II applicants, the BMS serves mostly as a “matchmaker” with BMS faculty members in Berlin.
All Phase II applications which are evaluated positively are sent to potential supervisors within the BMS faculty.
Funding can be awarded via the “MATH+ Call for Projects” during which BMS faculty members apply for project funding or other funding sources in the selected research group.
Phase II applicants are only admitted if their funding is secured for at least three years.
The starting date for Phase II depends on the start of the funding contract.
You can also apply for PhD positions in your desired research group / with your desired PhD supervisor directly if they have advertised a position on the FU, HU, TU, WIAS or ZIB job portals: Berlin University Alliance – Job Portal
How do I apply to the BMS?
Applications will be accepted only via our online application portal. You can register for the application portal during the application rounds here:
https://fis.mathplus.de/registration/
After you have created an account and logged in on fis.mathplus.de, please click on your name to start the application.
More informations can be found in our BMS PhD Application Guidelines.
Is there an application fee?
No.
Which documents are required for the application?
-> Personal Statement / Motivation letter
-> Curriculum Vitae (CV)
-> all University transcripts and degrees
-> Proof of proficiency in English
-> two Letters of Recommendation
-> (for Phase II) Research statement detailing a project you would like to work on for your doctoral dissertation
Can I upload my bachelor’s/ master’s thesis as an additional document?
We download every application as one compiled pdf, therefore we ask you kindly to not upload your thesis to the application. Instead, please add a link to it to your CV and/ or upload the abstract or summary of your thesis together with the link as an additional document.
Do I need to upload all of my university transcripts/ all pages incl. the grading scale?
Yes, please upload all transcripts from your university studies. Please also remember to add the backside of the transcript if it shows the grading scale as we will need this information to convert your grades to the German grading system.
I studied in an English speaking country and my transcript shows the language of instruction is English. Can I upload my transcript again as the proof of English proficiency?
We download every application as one compiled pdf, therefore we ask you kindly to not upload any document twice to your application. If the medium of instruction during your university studies is or was English (only accepted for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, USA), please either upload a letter from your university confirming this fact or upload a statement by yourself referring to your transcript where this information can be verified.
What information should be included in the Letter of Recommendation?
Information for Applicants:
Once you submit your application in the BMS application portal, your recommenders are automatically sent an email from our website with an upload link. The deadline for the upload is one week after the application deadline.
In case, your recommenders have not received the email or encounter an issue with the upload, please direct them to this page and ask them to send us their letter via email.
***
For Recommenders:
Should one of your students list you as a source of recommendation for their application to our PhD program at the Berlin Mathematical School, we will contact you directly by e-mail to ask you to support this application by writing a confidential letter of recommendation.
The letters that we require are critical for our final decision. We ask for a frank, specific, personal letter that details to us the potential, the strengths, and the weaknesses of the candidate.
The letter should also tell us about your relationship to the applicant and how highly you rank the applicant among their peers. Please also tell us about their personality and motivation to pursue a PhD in mathematics.
Finally, we ask that you give a clear conclusion as to whether you think the candidate has the potential to succeed in a top graduate school in mathematics.
The letters will, due to the European GDPR, potentially be available to the applicants and are otherwise only visible for the BMS Admissions Committee and staff.
More precise information about this process will appear in the aforementioned e-mail, but should you have any questions in the meantime, please contact us at recommendation@math-berlin.de.
May I submit more than two Letters of Recommendation?
No. Only two letters of recommendation are required by the BMS, so you will only be able to enter the names of two recommenders on your online application form. Once you have entered their contact information and submitted your application electronically, the BMS will automatically send both recommenders an email asking them to upload their letters to our online application system. Letters submitted by the applicant will not be accepted.
As a Phase II applicant, do I need to contact a supervisor before I submit my application?
No. In the application form, please mention which member of the BMS faculty you would like to work with and why. Applicants should be familiar with the research of potential supervisors, but prior contact with them is not necessary.
Do I need to send hard copies of my documents by post?
No. Please simply upload all the necessary documents to your online application. If your documents are neither in English nor in German, you must also upload official translations in one of those languages. Should your application be successful and you accept a study place at the BMS, you must bring all academic documents (together with official English or German translations if that applies to you) in their original format in order to enroll at one of the three universities.
Do I need to submit an APS certificate*?
An APS certificate* is not required by the BMS for an application to its doctoral program. However, it is necessary for the enrollment.
* This only applies to for students who obtained their degree in China, India or Vietnam.