Elite Program TopMath
TopMath - Mathematics with Integrated Doctorate Program
TopMath is a doctoral program in mathematics with a research-oriented Elite Master within the Elite Network of Bavaria and offers outstanding Bachelor’s graduates the opportunity to pursue their doctorate directly after completing their Bachelor’s degree.
TopMath supports students in the field of pure and applied mathematics, as well as related areas of informatics. The broad spectrum of internationally renowned professors at the Technical University of Munich and University of Augsburg give TopMath students many opportunities to pursue their interests in research.
Watch the facts about our TopMath program in brief in our video:
Contact

Agnieszka Slota
Coordinator

Study Advisor

What do we offer?
Excellent Study Conditions
- Individual supervision by a professor as a personal mentor and involvement in mentor's research group
- Early introduction to current research topics
- "Independent Studies", which allow students to specialize in their individual field of interest
- Studies together with outstanding young researchers
- Many job opportunities at the Technical University of Munich or the University of Augsburg as a teaching assistant
Attractive Additional Offers
- Professional networking through sponsored study/research stays abroad
- Attendance at international workshops and conferences, supported by the program
- Access to courses of the Elite Network of Bavaria, TUM Gaduates School, Carl von Linde Academy or TUM Language Cente
- Wide range of TopMath events such as TopMath Talk, Spring and Summer School, TopMath Alumni Speaker Series etc.
- Awards for outstanding study and research results
News and events
Alumnus-Talk mit Andre Milzarek
TopMath-Talk with Ben Spies
Supervisory Award for Professor Brandt
Structure of the TopMath Program
The structure of the TopMath Program consists of:
- Elite Master Study Program in Mathematics (PreDoc- and Masterphase)
and
- Doctoral Program in Mathematics (Doctoralphase)
TopMath begins with enrollment on a research-oriented elite Master’s course. The first two semesters (PreDoc phase) are usually devoted to finding and becoming involved in challenging research-oriented work in mathematics and preparing participants for the transition to the doctoral program. In this phase, students follow a tailor-made curriculum comprising of lectures, seminars and individual research. From the beginning, they are integrated into the scientific community by their mentoring professor.
From the second year of study onwards, the elite Master’s program and the doctoral program are completed simultaneously.
After these two years, TopMath students are expected to complete their Master’s thesis and concentrate on their doctoral project, which usually takes another four semesters.
Documents Elite Program TopMath
Information on the design of the program can be found in the program documentation (in German).
Study regulations dated February 23.02.2018:
Study regulations dated December 12.12.2022 ("SPO in der Fassung der 4. Änderungssatzung"):
PhD studies with parallel Masters Hons. (1st July 2014/7th April 2016)
Documents Graduate Center CIT
Statute GC-CIT (German only):
Supervision agreement GC-CIT (German only):
Who can be your TopMath mentor?
You can choose from:
- Professors and assistant professors of the Department of Mathematics at the TUM
- All professors and assistant professors of the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Augsburg
- Some professors and assistant professors with a secondary appointment in the Department of Mathematics:
- Scientific Computing: Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Bungartz
- Computer Vision: Prof. Dr. Daniel Cremers
- Foundations of Software Reliability and Theoretical Computer Science: Prof. Dr. Javier Esparza
- Theoretical Computer Science: Prof. Dr. Susanne Albers
- Decision Science and Systems: Prof. Dr. Felix Brandt
- Complex Networks: Prof. Dr. Clemens Thielen
Applications for TopMath
As TopMath has reached the maximum funding period for programs within the Elite Network of Bavaria, the last TopMath cohort will start its studies in the winter semester 2022/23. Applications are therefore no longer possible.
Administration
TopMath Board
The TopMath-Board is responsible for the professional supervision of the programm. This executive committee specifically ensures the expertise of all persons who are involved in this project, and their compliance with the requirements of the curriculum. It is also in charge of the further development of TopMath.
Members of the TopMath-Board:
- Prof. Marco Cicalese (Speaker, Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Munich)
- Prof. Dr. Bernd Schmidt (Deputy speaker, University of Augsburg)
- Prof. Dr. Felix Brandt (Department of Informatics, Technical University of Munich)
- Prof. Dr. Lisa Beck (University of Augsburg)
- Prof. Dr. Christian Kühn (Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Munich)
- Prof. Dr. Nina Gantert (Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Munich)
- Dr. Carl-Friedrich Kreiner (Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Munich)
Coordination and Advisory Service
For the coordination of the program, quality control measures, organization of workshops, and seminars during vacation within the network of the participating universities and research institutions, as well as the coordination of activities aimed to provide interdisciplinary basic knowledge, the following persons are responsible:
- Agnieszka Slota (Coordinator)
- Dr. Carl-Friedrich Kreiner (Study advisor)
Student and doctoral representatives
Since October 1st, 2022, the student and doctoral student representatives of the elite program TopMath are:
- Chris Dong (also doctoral representative at the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology)
- Katja Ettmayr
The student and doctoral representatives of the elite program are invited to the meetings of the TopMath Board as guests.
Integration within the TUM Graduate School
The former Thematic Graduate Center TopMath (TGC TopMath) has been part of the Graduate Center of the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology since October 1st, 2022. The Graduate Center CIT (GC-CIT) is integrated into the TUM Graduate School (TUM-GS).
TopMath Students
Profiles of the students
A short overview of the TopMath students.