Research and Discovery, Innovation and Excellence
Over the past years, UniBw M has constantly expanded its main field of research “Security in Technology and Society”. We encounter current aspects of security research in a variety of different areas: political conflicts, unpredictable natural disasters, security gaps in IT systems, and the global financial crisis. Against this backdrop, the university’s scientists analyze and study the topic of security in its full complexity in various fields of research and application. Security requirements in technology and society are changing at a dazzling pace, and it is up to scientists to develop procedures and methods to adequately deal with these challenges. Today the ability to accomplish this task necessitates cooperation among scientists of different disciplines and different institutions who share their experience and knowledge and make optimal use of synergies.
International undergraduate, graduate and PhD students can register at UniBw M either as interns/trainees or gust researchers for a maximum period of 12 months, for example, participating in a project or completing their thesis (or part of it) at a UniBw M chair or institute, or spending a few months at UniBw M within the scope of a grant program (e.g. Erasmus SMP, IAESTE, etc.). Interns/trainees and guest researchers are not entitled to sit examinations and will not receive a transcript.
If you are planning to do your doctorate full-time for 4-6 years under the supervision of one of our professors, your doctoral supervisor will put you in contact with our examination office. The responsible person in the examination office will be able to help you to enroll as a doctoral student.
Please also check our University's Research page.
Guest Research Stay at UniBw M in Easy Steps
Application
If If you are not from a partner university (e.g. via ERASMUS+) and aspiring to complete an internship/traineeship in one of our technical departments, write your Bachelor's or Master's thesis under the guidance of one of our professors, or pursue a PHD under the supervision of one of our professors, please skim through our website for more information about our various departments and institutes and contact the professor of your choice directly by sending him your complete application documents (cv/resumé, letter of motivation, degree certificates and current transcript of records (if applicable) alongside an outline of your endeavour at UniBw M.
Once you will have obtained a supervision agreement from a UniBw M professor to an internship, thesis or PHD, please contact the International Office and send us your application documents (at best 2-3 months prior to your expected arrival in Munich). The International Office will possibly advise you on matters regarding visa, for example, and help you attend to administrative tasks on campus upon your arrival.
Application Documents
If you require administrative and organisational support from the international office, all Interns/trainees and guest researchers must submit a supervision agreement from a UniBw M professor along with a single copy of each of the following documents:
- Supervision Agreement (if already available)
- Registration Form
- CV in German or English
- Confirmation of Insurance
- Photocopy of your passport/ID card
Please send the online forms and all other documents, combined into one PDF file, by email to susanna.nofal@unibw.de at least 2 months prior to your expected arrival in Munich.
Language Skills
Whether completing an internship/traineeship, writing a scientific paper or intending to persue a PHD under the supervision of one of our professors, very good English skills at at least B2 level, are indispensable.
German skills, though, are not a requirement, even though having basic German skills would certainly facilitate your stay in Munich, day-to-day.
Health and Nursing Care Insurance
In Germany, people are obliged by law to have health and nursing care insurance.
As a guest researcher from a non-partner university, you are self-responsible for health and nursing care insurance. The "German Academic Exchange Service" offers an affordable combined health, accident and liability insurance package.
It is also an option to take out insurance with a private health insurance provider such as MAWISTA.
When applying for a gust research stay, please complete and sign the Confirmation of Insurance form and add it to your application documents.
Visa Regulations
EU nationals do not require a visa to enter the Federal Republic of Germany.
Non-EU nationals
Most other foreigners do require a visa for stays in Germany. For visits up to 90 days in a 180-day period a visa is not required for nationals of those countries for which the EU has abolished the visa requirements. You will find a good overview on visa requirements on the website of Germany's Federal Foreign Office.
The Federal Foreign Office also provides detailed information on The Schengen Agreement and the Schengen Visa Regulations.
Registration and De-registration of Residency
When moving to Germany with the intention of staying for longer than three months contrary to a tourist, you need to register your address in person at the Residence Registration Office within two weeks of your arrival. De-registration when leaving Germany need not be done in person, but by filling out the respective form and by sending it to the Town hall. For further valuable information and forms available for download, please go to the website of Munich's Residence and Registration Office.
Residence Permit for the Purpose of Studies
Do you need a residence permit? With the exception of nationals from EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Lichtenstein, who do not need to apply for a residence permit, all other foreign nationals need a residence permit to stay in Germany for longer than 90 days. The German residence permit for the purpose of studies will allow you to study or carry out research in Germany beyond the period of 90 days. After entering Germany, firstly, register your address in Munich at the Residence Registration Office (Bürgerbüro) operated by the Department of Public Order (Kreisverwaltungsreferat) within two weeks. Secondly, you will need to apply for a residence permit for the purpose of studies by handing in the following documents to the Foreigners Office:
- Application form (to be downloaded from the website of Munich's Foreign Office and to be completed in full)
- Valid passport
- One recent photograph that satisfies biometric criteria (photo booths available at the Foreigners Office)
- Your UniBw M invitation letter
- Proof of adequate funding (e.g. a formal obligation by a third party)
- Proof of adequate health insurance
For more information and forms to be downloaded, please visit the website of Munich's Foreigners Office.