Information for PhD students and Researchers

Excellent research requires highly qualified young scientists. That is why, in addition to bilingual and English-language degree programs, we also offer doctorates in cutting-edge fields of research and support young scientists in their professional careers after they have completed their PhD. Our young scientists also benefit from close contacts with former doctoral students and postdocs in research and industry around the world.

Topics on this page:

Doctorate at the Faculty of Computer Science

We are delighted that you have decided to pursue a doctorate with us or are considering doing so. To help you find your way here and ensure that your doctorate is not just work but that you also enjoy it, we have compiled some information, support services, and useful links for you. You will also find an overview of how best to search for a position for your doctoral thesis and to get in touch with other doctoral candidates on site. Organizational information, e.g., on registering for a doctoral program, can be found on our doctoral program website.

  • Open PhD positions are usually posted on the websites of our chairs. You can find an overview of our chairs and working groups here.
  • Please feel free to contact our professors or researchers directly and ask if there are any doctoral positions available.
  • The research institutes we cooperate with also publish open doctoral positions. Please refer to the respective websites for more information, e.g., CASA or the Institute for Neuroinformatics.
  • Job advertisements of our chairs and research institutes are published on standard job portals, including the RUB job portal.

General information on living and working in Bochum, such as finding accommodation or applying for a visa, can be found below at “Life and work in Bochum”.

PostDoc at the Faculty of Computer Science

As a young scientist in computer science or IT security, you are in good hands in Bochum, one of the leading regions in these fields of research. The ecosystem of research institutes, companies, start-ups, and, of course, the RUB itself provides the best conditions for deepening your own research and advancing your career.

  • Open positions are usually posted on the websites of our chairs. You can find an overview of our chairs and working groups here.
  • Please feel free to contact our professors or researchers directly and ask if there are any positions available.
  • The research institutes we cooperate with also publish open positions. Please refer to the respective websites for more information, e.g., CASA or the Institute for Neuroinformatics
  • Job advertisements of our chairs and research institutes are published on standard job portals, including the RUB job portal.
  • International cutting-edge research
  • Extensive social benefits, e.g., supplementary pension insurance, flexible working hours, home office arrangements, minimum vacation of 30 days per year
  • Family-friendly university, dual career options, university-organized childcare
  • Salaries above the European average income
  • Extensive support for international scientists by the Faculty of Computer Science, International Office of RUB, and the Welcome Center of RUB (for more information, see “Life and Work in Bochum”)

Networking of Doctoral candidates and PostDocs

We want you to feel at home as an (international) researcher during your doctoral studies and postdoctoral research at the Faculty of Computer Science. You will undoubtedly network with other young researchers around the world as part of your research. To help you integrate well at RUB and get to know other researchers in a relaxed atmosphere, there is the International Social Club (to which national researchers are also warmly invited). This is organized by doctoral students and postdocs and serves as a platform for you to exchange ideas and form a close-knit community, e.g., through game nights or joint excursions.

Next Social Club Event:

tba

Previous Social Club Events:

Game night with drinks and pizza on Friday, November 28, 2025, starting at 5:30 p.m.

If you have any further requests or ideas on how we can support you as an international researcher at the faculty, please send them to cs-international@rub.de.

Networking with PhD students from other faculties is straightforward through the RUB Research School. In addition to a qualification program and individual counseling, it also offers an internationalization program, “Research Around the World”, through which international research projects can be supported and financed.

Life and Work in Bochum

In addition to your position at the Faculty of Computer Science, there are a few other aspects you should consider before and during your stay in Bochum. Helpful information on visa matters, living in Bochum, health insurance, and other formalities is available on the RUB Welcome Center website, including online events on various topics. Once you have arrived in Bochum, it is worth registering with the Welcome Center to make the most of your stay in Bochum.

The city of Bochum is also delighted to welcome you to Bochum. As it can be difficult, especially for international scientists, to find out what services are available and what needs to be done, the Welcome Office Bochum serves as a central point of contact for you in the city. The staff are available to answer questions and address issues related to living and working in Bochum, and have compiled the most important information for you on their website.

Of course, your free time should not be neglected either. Bochum and the Ruhr metropolitan region offer a wide range of leisure activities – from cultural institutions such as the “Schauspielhaus” (the local theater) to an extensive range of sports facilities and a good selection of restaurants and bars, e.g. in the Bermuda Triangle, which is known far beyond Bochum – find out more on the websites of the city of Bochum and Ruhr Tourism.

Stay in touch

Even the best of times come to an end – whether you decide to continue your research career elsewhere after completing your doctorate or postdoc with us, take up a position in a company, or start your own business – we would be delighted if you stayed in touch with us. Of course, this also applies if you leave Germany! Sign up for our alumni program and/or become a member of B-ITS-I, the Bochum Association for the Promotion of IT Security and Computer Science.

You can benefit from our alumni network both as current students or scientist at our faculty and as alumni, i.e., former students or employees. The network promotes close exchange between current and former students and employees, thus providing a wide range of opportunities for exchange and networking, e.g., at our company contact fairs IT.Connect for computer science and ITS.Connect for IT security.