Financing your PhD

German universities do not charge tuition fees for Bachelor, Master or PhD Programmes. However, at BTU and any other German university, a semester fee for university services and a public transportation ticket (Berlin and the State of Brandenburg) of currently approx. 350 euros applies. It also covers costs for the Student Services Organisation (Studentenwerk) and the Student Council (StuRa).

Living in Cottbus

When applying for your visa, you must prove you are able to finance your studies in Germany. You must be able to prove you can fully support yourself for at least the first 12 months. The exact living expenses depend on your lifestyle. Further information can be found here.

Living expenses in Cottbus are generally lower than in big cities such as Berlin, Leipzig or Dresden. Accommodation and other essential living expenses will amount around 600 to 900 EUR/month.

As for accommodation, PhD students at BTU can – contrary to many other universities in Germany – apply for a place in a student dorm. Our Welcome Centre provides a list of accommodation options in Cottbus and can you support at every stage of your study at the BTU. Please note that student accommodation is managed by the Studentenwerk – an entity separate from the university – and student dorms are open to students on all levels (Bachelor, Master, PhD).

Financing your doctoral studies

Apart from your living expenses, your PhD, of course, entails manifold costs for your research - e.g. field trips, experimental and lab work, software etc. For the financing of your doctoral studies, there are various options to choose from. In addition, our BTU Graduate Research School offers funding for active conference participation and research trips abroad, or PhD students profit from BTU´s software licenses for students.

More information about scholarships for international students can be found here.