Application Process FAQs

You have questions regarding the application process? Some requirements for admission are unclear to you? Below, we have collected frequently asked questions. If the issue you would like to address is not included in our FAQs, please do not hesitate to contact the GSPoL coordinator, Dr. Anna Thiemann.

  • Deadlines

    When is the application deadline?
    End of May for admission for the following winter term and end of November for admission for the following summer term. Please note that the application deadline for DAAD scholarships is sooner (end of November for admission for the next winter term in the following year).

      
    Can I submit my application documents after the deadline?  
    Only the following documents may be submitted after the deadline: reference letters, language certificates and degree certificates (if the applicant provides a provisional certificate and transcript of records). An admission letter will only be issued after submission and verification of all required documents. Please refer to additional information further below and on the DAAD scholarships website.

  • Language Skills

      
    What are your language requirements for admission?

    • German and English language skills are a key prerequisite for being admitted to the bilingual doctoral program at the GSPoL (see §5, section 2 of our doctoral regulations). In one of these languages, applicants need to have at least C1-level skills according to the Common European Framework of Reference (GER). In the other language, B1-level skills are required when applying to the GSPoL and B2-level skills by the end of the program. Native speakers of German or English only need to prove their knowledge of the respective other language. You are considered a native speaker if German or English is an official language in your home country.
    • In addition, applicants are required to provide evidence of subject-specific foreign language skills, which are listed in Appendix B of the doctoral regulations for the departments of philology and history/philosophy. In exceptional cases and upon the applicant's written request, it may be permitted that missing subject-specific language skills are acquired during the PhD program, that knowledge of a foreign language required according to Appendix B is replaced by knowledge of another foreign language or that the requirement is waived.

      
    Which German and English language certificates are accepted?
    In principle, language skills acquired at secondary school or at the university as well as internationally recognized language certificates for the required (or a higher) level are accepted, such as the following:

    Level Proof* Validity
    German B1 telc Deutsch, Zertifikat Deutsch
    telc Deutsch, Test für Zuwanderer
    telc Deutsch, Beruf
    Goethe-Zertifikat
    DSD I der KMK
    UNICert I für DaF    		 2 years
    A levels in Germany indefinite
    completed, fully German-speaking BA / MA indefinite
    German C1 Test DaF (TDN 4 in allen Teilprüfungen)
    telc Deutsch, Hochschule
    Goethe-Zertifikat
    DSD II der KMK
    DSH2
    UNICert III for DaF    		 2 years
    A levels in Germany indefinite
    English B1 TOEFL: at least 42 points
    IELTS: at least 4,5 points
    Pearson PTE Academic: at least 43 points
    Cambridge, Preliminary
    Trinity College London, ISE I
    DAAD-Sprachnachweis (3 x B1)    		 2 years
    sufficient knowledge acquired at secondary school, equivalent to:
    English in German A levels;
    at least 6 years of English lessons at a German secondary school (grades: 1-4);
    high school year in an English-speaking country (grades: A-C)    		 10 years
    bilingual Abitur (A levels) German/English 10 years
    at least 6-month studies in an English-speaking university programme with successfully completed exams 10 years
    completed, fully Englisch-speaking BA / MA indefinite
    English C1 TOEFL: mind. 95 Punkte
    IELTS: mind. 7 Punkte
    Pearson PTE Academic: mind. 76 Punkte
    Cambridge, Advanced (& Proficiency)
    Cambridge, Business Higher
    Trinity College London, ISE III
    UNICert III für Englisch
    DAAD-Sprachnachweis (3 x C1)    		 2 years
    high school diploma from an English-speaking country (grades: A-C) 10 years

    * Please refer to the websites of the language test provider for the most current information on GER levels and the required test results. Certificates and proofs of language proficiency that are not listed here can be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

      
    My language certificates are not yet available by end of the application period. Can I submit them later?
    Proof of language skills may be submitted after the application deadline if the applicant convincingly demonstrates in their cover letter that the required documents will be available and submitted by September 30 (for admission for the winter semester) or by March 30 (for admission for the summer semester).

  • Supervision

    How many supervisors does each doctoral candidate have at the GSPoL?
    Our PhD students are supported by an individual interdisciplinary advisory panel, which consists of three professors: a primary supervisor from the University of Münster who works in the same field as the doctoral candidate as well as two additional advisors. Key requirements for the selection of the second and third supervisors are the involvement of another university and of another field in literary studies.

      
    Do I need to have a supervisor at the University of Münster when applying to the GSPoL?
    No, in most cases, PhD candidates select their supervisors after admission at the beginning of their studies.

  • Letters of Recommendation

    Should I include the letters of recommendation into my application?
    Letters of recommendation should be emailed separately by your professor.

       
    My professor needs more time to write his*her letter of recommendation. Can it be submitted after the application deadline?
    If a letter is not available by the end of the application period, it can be submitted later, before the first meeting of the admissions committee.

  • Applying before the End of MA Studies

    I am currently finishing my MA program, but I will not receive my degree certificate before the end of the application period. Can I still apply? Which documents do I need to submit? When do I have to hand in my final certificate?
    Applicants who are in the process of finishing their MA program may still apply and submit a provisional degree certificate and transcript of records. The final certificate needs to be handed in before the beginning of the semester (October 1 or April 1) in order to be admitted to the PhD program.