LMU Klinikum
Center for International Health CIHLMU
CIHLMU is a center at LMU Klinikum

Costs

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 first rent once the candidate arrives in Munich. 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 Module 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. Since it is almost impossible to arrange accommodation for such short-term stays, CIHLMU is fortunate to be able to provide accommodation in a student dormitory for each Ph.D. student. The CIHLMU student apartment rents are far below the average accommodation costs in Munich. Each apartment has its individual bathroom, free DSL internet connection, and a shared kitchen with 6-10 flatmates. The rent also includes heating and electricity, while cleaning of the apartments is not included. The apartments are to be kept tidy by the residents and to be handed over properly cleaned.

Important notice: For the Ph.D. candidate´s stay in Munich during the Defense Period no accommodation can be provided by CIHLMU !

Please note that acceptance to the Ph.D. program is obligatorily linked to being allocated to the CIHLMU student apartments. Therefore, Ph.D. candidates have to face the following monthly apartment rents: Apartment in dormitory, rent per month: approx. 350 EUR

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.

Munich Metro Pass, fee per semester: approx. 200 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. 150 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. Each candidate 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
Apartment 3 x 350 EUR = 1050 EUR payable directly to CIH
Health and Liability Insurance approx. 100 EUR payable directly to CIH
Munich Metro Pass 200 EUR purchase by candidates upon arrival in Munich
LMU Administration Fee
150 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) 4715 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 .