Student examining a sample under a microscope in a research lab – part of the Integrated MSc/PhD Program at the Max Planck School Matter to Life. In the lower right corner, there is a yellow button that says “Apply by Dec.1st.

Join our Integrated MSc/PhD Program!

Obtain a Master's and PhD in five years

Matter to Life Studierende in einem modernen Forschungslabor arbeiten gemeinsam mit hochentwickelter Technologie an wissenschaftlichen Projekten. Im Eck rechts unten befindet sich ein gelber Button in dem „Apply by Dec 1st“ steht

Excellent Research Opportunities!

Build up and benefit from an outstanding network and work in cutting-edge research facilities

Start your research career!

Learn from world-renowned scientists
All courses taught in English
Generous financial support

The Max Planck School Matter to Life

Crossing disciplines to understand life

Your excellent and international Graduate Program in Germany

The Max Planck School Matter to Life (MPS MtL) offers an integrated MSc/PhD Program
in the unique topic of Matter to Life for excellent graduates from across the globe.

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Full funding and no tuition fees

Just concentrate on your studies! We will financially support you with a stipend during your Master’s and a working contract during the PhD phase of the graduate program.

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Top-notch research infrastructures and teaching

Conduct cutting-edge research at the forefront of Matter to Life, a highly interdisciplinary and rapidly emerging field. With a student body from across the globe, our program is taught entirely in English.

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Unique network of world-renowned Fellows in Matter to Life

During our integrated graduate program, you will be supervised by one or more of our MPS MtL Fellows and profit from the broad and excellent School’s network.

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You will be well-prepared for diverse career options

Our graduates are prepared for a broad spectrum of careers — from academia, research management and industrial R&D to consulting, data science, and many more. Whichever path you choose, we will equip you with the skills and experience to thrive.

"The Matter to Life program is the perfect choice for me where I could understand what life is from the perspective of Biology, Chemistry and Physics during the Master’s phase and then continue in my area of interest in the PhD phase."

Nitin Bohra, MtL Master Student

Matter to Life student wearing safety goggles examining a liquid sample in the lab

Integrated Master/PhD Program

The MPS MtL program is structured in two phases. You will enter the program with a Bachelor's degree and begin your two-year master study at one of two teaching universities depending on your specialization. In the following PhD phase, you will conduct your research in one of more than 60 MPS MtL Faculty labs.

Matter to Life student wearing a lab coat smiling at the camera – portrait in a research setting

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

We offer a 10 week research internships for undergraduate students!
When?
Yearly, during the months of June – November in a laboratory of one of our MtL Faculty members.

MtL Lecture Series with Viktorija Glembockyte on 26 November, 2025 at 3 pm

Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg

MtL Lecture Series with David Zwicker on 21 January, 2026 at 3 pm

Lecture topic: Droplets Come to Life
Droplets, which organize the cytosol of present-day cells, might have played a crucial role in the origin of life. These droplets form complex, active entities, which exhibit surprisingly many traits commonly associated with living creatures. In this talk, I will demonstrate physical principles of how molecules spontaneously organize into droplets. These droplets form well-defined entities separated from their surroundings and can metabolize elements in their vicinity to control their size and shape, move around, and even divide. Despite these hallmarks of life, current models lack the internal complexity required for information processing and the adaptation necessary for evolution. I will briefly speculate on how we could incorporate these aspects in the future.