For internships starting during other months: No fixed central deadline. Applicants should apply at least five months before their intended starting date.
Applications outside the summer period depend on available projects and the needs of individual research groups.
Host Institutions
Successful applicants may be placed at one of the following participating institutes:
Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Saarbrücken
Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, Saarbrücken or Kaiserslautern
Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy, Bochum
Important: the central application does not cover the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart or Tübingen. Applicants interested specifically in MPI-IS must contact individual MPI-IS faculty members.
Who Can Apply?
The internship is open worldwide to:
Bachelor’s students
Master’s students
Doctoral students
Recent graduates transitioning to another degree programme, provided they meet the academic requirements
Industry professionals with a comparable computer science background and a genuine interest in academic research
Students seeking research that may become part of a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis
Applicants from interdisciplinary fields may also be considered where their interests connect directly with computer science.
Benefits
Selected interns receive:
A monthly stipend intended to cover living expenses
Covered accommodation during the internship
Covered round-trip travel from their habitual residence to the host institute
Access to an international, English-speaking research environment
Practical experience conducting academic computer science research
Potential participation in research that may lead to a co-authored academic publication
The possibility of using the internship project for a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis, subject to approval by the applicant’s university and Max Planck mentor
The official page does not publish a standard monthly stipend amount. Applicants should therefore avoid websites claiming a specific payment unless that amount appears in their individual offer.
Internship Duration
A typical summer internship lasts approximately 12 to 14 weeks.
Longer internships may be possible. Exact dates and duration are agreed between the selected intern and the assigned research mentor.
Internships may take place throughout the year, although most participants begin between May and August.
Eligibility
Applicants should demonstrate:
Strong interest in academic computer science research
An excellent academic record
A substantial computer science foundation
Coursework approximately equivalent to the first three years of a standard computer science Bachelor’s degree by the internship start date, or relevant prior research experience
Strong knowledge in the proposed research area
Professional fluency in English
German language knowledge is not required.
Applicants do not necessarily need prior research experience, but selection is highly competitive and depends on academic preparation, skills, references, research potential and matching with an available research group.
This internship is generally unsuitable for applicants who only have basic programming knowledge but lack broader university-level computer science education.
It is also an academic research internship, not a general industry placement or career-switching bootcamp.
Research Areas
Possible fields span the participating institutes’ computer science research, including areas such as:
Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Algorithms, theory and logic
Computer graphics and computer vision
Human-computer interaction
Computer systems
Data, knowledge and the web
Programming languages and formal verification
Robotics and cyber-physical systems
Security and privacy
Social computing
Computational social science
Interdisciplinary applications of computer science
Applicants may indicate preferred researchers or research areas, but placement is not guaranteed with a particular faculty member.
The programme does not provide a fixed list of internship projects in advance. The final project is normally developed with the assigned mentor after selection.
Required Documents
Applicants must provide:
Curriculum vitae
Academic transcripts
Contact information for at least one academic or professional reference
Motivation letter, optional but strongly recommended
Preferred internship period, optional
Preferred faculty members or research groups, optional
Unofficial transcripts are accepted during the initial application.
Where transcripts are not available in English, applicants may prepare an English translation and combine the translation with the original transcript in one PDF.
Applicants should speak to their proposed referee before listing the referee’s details.
The Max Planck programme contacts referees directly where a reference letter is required. Referees should not send unsolicited letters by email.
Application Steps
Review the participating institutes and available research areas.
Identify research areas and faculty members that closely match your academic background.
Prepare a focused academic CV.
Obtain and organise your university transcripts.
Select at least one suitable academic or professional referee.
Prepare a tailored motivation letter, although the letter is officially optional.
Submit one application through the official online portal.
Do not submit duplicate applications for different research areas. Mention additional interests in the comments section.
Monitor the email address entered in the application.
Attend an online or telephone interview if invited.
If selected, agree on the project, dates and duration with the assigned mentor.
Applications and supporting documents are not accepted by email.
Selection Process
Applications are reviewed by research groups at the participating institutes.
Selection is based on:
Academic record
Relevant coursework
Technical skills
Research potential
Previous research experience, where available
References
Fit with a research group seeking an intern
An interview may be conducted online or by telephone.
For summer internships, successful candidates should normally hear back by February 1.
Applicants who receive no response by February 1 for a summer application should assume that they were not selected.
For internships outside the summer period, applicants who receive no response within four months should assume that they were not selected.
Due to application volume, every unsuccessful applicant may not receive an individual rejection email.
Visa Support
Selected interns who require a German or Schengen visa will receive the necessary supporting documents from the host institute.
However:
The applicant must submit the visa application personally and on time.
The final decision belongs to the relevant German authorities.
Max Planck cannot guarantee visa approval.
Applicants should not contact the internship team with visa questions before receiving an offer.
Some internships of up to three months may qualify for a visa-fee exemption.
Where a fee applies, selected applicants should ask the programme whether reimbursement is available.
This should be described as visa-document support, not guaranteed visa sponsorship.
Important Warnings
The programme is extremely competitive.
Funding does not mean automatic acceptance.
A strong computer science academic background is required.
Basic programming knowledge alone may be insufficient.
There is no published fixed stipend amount.
Do not claim that every applicant will receive a visa.
Do not submit application documents by email.
Do not send reference letters unless Max Planck requests them.
Do not submit multiple applications for different research areas.
The main application does not include MPI for Intelligent Systems.
Max Planck does not publish predetermined projects for applicants to choose from.
Never pay an agent or third party to submit the application.
