Certainly, all our Ph.D. candidates will have to come up with an outstanding research project and thorough scientific work to be awarded a scientific degree. But of course, spending time in an international Ph.D. program has just as well financial implications for each candidate. Please find below an estimate of costs to be faced by regular candidates accepted to the Ph.D. program Medical Research - International Health at CIHLMU . Please note that all costs are estimates and may vary.
Important notice:
Every applicant accepted as a Ph.D. candidate will have to transfer an advance payment of 350 EUR via PayPal or bank transfer to CIHLMU
. This advance payment will be offset with the necessary payments needed for the stay in Munich, once the candidate arrives. After having received the official Letter of Acceptance to the Ph.D. program, the advance payment can be paid here.
Reimbursement policy: For cancellations of your acceptance before August, the complete Advanced Payment will be reimbursed. For cancellations after August or for no-shows, the Advanced Payment will not be reimbursed.
Research costs
As a general rule, CIHLMU does not fund research. Ph.D. candidates must submit an already planned research project at the time of application, including sufficient funding for the entire research project. Ph.D. candidates must be aware that projects that are interrupted during the curriculum due to ceased funding may result in the candidate’s exclusion from the program. CIHLMU cannot support research funding in any way, nor can CIHLMU assist in finding additional or supplemental funding. All applicants have to provide a clear declaration of secured funding for their projects at the time of application.
Publication fees
Graduation from the Ph.D. program Medical Research - International Health is accompanied by the submission and publication of the individual Ph.D. candidate´s research results in scientific journals. Depending on the publication process, publication fees are usually incurred for these publishing activities. CIHLMU is not able to cover any publication fees. Any fees and costs associated with the publication of the results of Ph.D. candidates must be covered by the candidate´s research project budget or other funds.
Costs and living expenses for PhD candidates during stays in Munich
Travel
Accepted Ph.D. candidates will have to travel to Munich at the beginning of each Module Block (MB I and II) and the Defense Period. It is mandatory that candidates arrive before the introductory session and leave after the conclusive session at the end of each Module Block. Absence from the introductory or conclusive session cannot be accepted and will result in non-award of credit points.
In total, each Ph.D. candidate will have to cover at least three round trips to Munich for Module Blocks I, II and the Defense Period. At the same time, Ph.D. candidates will have to organize and pay their three-month visa for each of the three stays in Munich.
Expected travel costs (return flight to Munich, including visa costs):
| Point of departure | Costs |
|---|---|
| from Europe | 100-1000 EUR |
| from Africa | 600-2000 EUR |
| from Asia | 800-2000 EUR |
| from Americas | 1000-2000 EUR |
| from Australia | 1200-2500 EUR |
Living costs during Module Blocks in Munich
Module Block I and II each take place in Munich and last about three months. Starting from Module Block I 2025, CIHLMU is unfortunately no longer able to provide student dormitory rooms for the PhD students. Each applicant has a responsibility to find their own accomodation prior to arrival in Munich. PhD students are encouraged to reach out to the coordination team for advice on how to search for housing.
Important notice: For the Ph.D. candidate´s stay in Munich during the Defense Period no accommodation can be provided by CIHLMU !
Insurance Costs in Munich
As the coverage of foreign health and liability insurance is often vague and at risk that essential acute health care or caused damage will not be covered, CIHLMU offers to arrange proper health and liability insurance coverage for each Ph.D. candidate. Please note that acceptance into the Ph.D. program is obligatorily linked to a health and liability insurance package. Only Ph.D. candidates who can provide proof of an appropriate alternative insurance for both health and liability coverage may be exempt from this package. Ph.D. candidates have to face the following monthly costs for health and liability insurance:
Health and liability insurance coverage, fee per month: approx. 100 EUR
Local Public Transport Costs
All Ph.D. candidates will have to use the public transportation in Munich on a daily basis. Using the system without a valid ticket or pass is subject to heavy fines and may result in legal consequences for the Ph.D. candidate and possibly also for CIHLMU . Therefore, each Ph.D. candidate is required to purchase a ticket for public transportation in Munich.
Deutschland Ticket, fee per month: approx. 40 EUR
Student Service Fees
All Ph.D. candidates will be enrolled at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München. Neither LMU nor CIHLMU charge tuition fees for Ph.D. candidates. Nevertheless, Ph.D. students will have to cover the general LMU administration fee due each semester to stay enrolled at LMU (i.e. for 6 semesters if the Ph.D. is finalized within 3 years) and the monthly CIHLMU student support fee for each month spent in Munich (covering CIHLMU administration costs):
LMU Administration Fee per semester: approx. 85 EUR
CIHLMU
Student Support Fee per month spent in Munich: 50 EUR
Excursion Costs
During Module Block I, all Ph.D. candidates will go on an excursion together for the duration of 3-4 days. Participation in this excursion is mandatory. At the time of writing, May 2025, all PhD candidates from a high income country will have to pay the excursion costs directly to CIHLMU at the beginning of Module Block I.
Excursion Costs: approx. 300 EUR
Living Expenses in Munich
This includes food costs and the occasional drink at a bar or trip to the movies on Saturday night, as well as an optional local phone card. Based on a standard calculation for students that go grocery shopping at discount supermarkets such as Aldi, Lidl or Penny, Ph.D. candidates should expect the following minimum monthly living expenses:
Living Costs (depending on food and life style), per month: approx. 400 EUR
Thesis printing costs
After successful defense of the dissertation, each Ph.D. candidate will have to submit two bound copies of the Ph.D. thesis to the LMU university library.
Printing costs: approx. 50 EUR
Approximated Costs (Example for a PhD candidate from Africa)
Each Module Block (I and II)
| Concept | Price | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| Flight | 1000 EUR | arranged by candidate |
| Health and Liability Insurance | approx. 100 EUR | payable directly to CIH |
| Deutschland Ticket | 40 EUR | purchase by candidates upon arrival in Munich |
| LMU Administration Fee |
85 EUR | payable directly to CIH |
| Student Support Fee | 3 x 50 EUR = 150 EUR | payable directly to CIH |
| Excursion Costs | 300 EUR | payable directly to CIH |
| Living Costs and Other | 3 x 400 EUR = 1200 EUR | |
| Approximated costs for each Module Block (I and II) | 3325 EUR |
Defense Period
| Concept | Price | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| Flight | 1000 EUR | arranged by candidate |
| Hotel Accommodation (if applicable) | approx. 12 x 80 EUR = 960 EUR | arranged by candidate |
| Health Insurance (for Visa application) | depending on respective country of origin | arranged by candidate |
| Living Costs and Other | approx. 200 EUR | |
| Printing costs 2 bound copies of PhD thesis | approx. 50 EUR | arranged by candidate |
| Public Transport | - | if applicable, individually arranged by candidate |
| Approximated costs for Defense Period | 2210 EUR |
Living expenses for PhD candidates during Research Periods spent in home/research countries
Living expenses generally depend on the local conditions in the respective home countries and the individual lifestyle. Ph.D. candidates will have to expect a minimum stay of 30 months at the research site during the course of the Ph.D. program. The calculation of these living expenses is highly individual and therefore cannot be predicted by CIHLMU .