Individual Research Master Leuphana University Lüneburg

The Individual Research Master at Leuphana University allows students to design their own personalised, research-oriented curriculum. At the core of the programme is an individually developed research project that students pursue throughout their studies under close guidance from an academic mentor. Students select courses from different disciplines to build an interdisciplinary profile that supports their research focus.

The programme places strong emphasis on developing advanced academic skills, including research design, methodological competence, and scientific reflection. It encourages students to engage in independent scholarly work, ranging from empirical studies to theoretical investigations.

International experiences such as research stays or study periods abroad are integrated into the programme and can significantly enrich the student’s individual research trajectory.

The Individual Research Master is structured around a flexible and highly personalised study plan that students design in close collaboration with an academic mentor. Instead of following a fixed sequence of modules, students assemble an individual curriculum from courses offered across the university that best support their chosen research project.

Throughout the programme, students work continuously on developing, refining, and conducting their independent research, supported by methodological and theoretical coursework. Research forums and mentoring meetings provide an academic framework, ensuring coherence and progress in the individual study path.

International components such as research stays, summer schools, or study periods abroad can be integrated at any point where they meaningfully advance the research project.

The programme culminates in the Master's thesis, which synthesises the research developed over the entire course of study.

For a detailed list of requirements, please visit the application website.

You do not have to pay tuition fees. You only have to pay a semester contribution of approx. 450 EUR per semester (subject to change). This will entitle you to receive a "semester ticket", which covers public transport in Lüneburg and Germany.

Approx. 900 EUR per month to cover personal expenses:

• Accommodation: 350 to 450 EUR
• Food: 250 EUR
• Health insurance: 120 EUR (not applicable for EU students)
• Leisure activities, books, clothing: 80 to 250 EUR

Students have the opportunity to take up part-time employment alongside their studies. Positions may be available in the city of Lüneburg, within the university itself, for example as student or research assistants, as well as in the nearby city of Hamburg, which offers a wide range of job opportunities in various sectors.

International students with a residence permit are allowed to undertake a limited amount of paid employment (a maximum of 120 days per year, or alternatively 240 days part time — up to four hours a day).

However, please note that Graduate School's Master’s programmes are designed as a full-time courses of study.

Leuphana's own Career Service offers comprehensive services in various fields of activity involving career and vocational orientation linked to programmes of study as well as the possibility to network with the labour market.

More information can be found on the website of Leuphana's Career Service.

Student Counselling Service of the Graduate School

Leuphana University Lüneburg is one of Germany's landmark universities for higher education reform and innovation. With about 10,000 students and 160 full-time professors, the university has developed a highly respected academic profile. Today, Leuphana University Lüneburg is regarded as an institution for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research, academic organisation, innovation in teaching, and academic transfer.

The mission of Leuphana University Lüneburg derives from the fundamental idea of academic education as enabling an individual to live in a self-determined manner and take part in shaping society. A university for civil society in the 21st century, Leuphana follows the mission of being a humanistic, sustainable, and proactive university.

Leuphana University Lüneburg consists of three organisational units focusing on the needs of different academic constituencies: Leuphana College, which offers specialised and interdisciplinary Bachelor's programmes; Leuphana Graduate School, with its consecutive Master's and doctoral programmes; and Leuphana Professional School, focusing on continuing education and knowledge transfer.

The Leuphana Graduate School encompasses both the Master's and the doctoral programmes of all faculties. Thus, students benefit from a seamless transition between Master's and doctoral programmes as well as from close interaction with students from other programmes and faculties. The model of a discipline-independent graduate school also ensures consistently high-quality standards in study, teaching, and administration.

Lüneburg is a 1,000-year-old city of about 80,000 inhabitants, located near Hamburg. Established as a salt mining community, it enjoyed great prosperity in its early years, supplying the whole Scandinavian and Baltic Sea regions with salt. Renowned for its opportunities and affluence, Lüneburg was the place to be for Germany's most wealthy inhabitants, a legacy still evident in the well-preserved city centre.

Today, Lüneburg is essentially a university town. The lavish 14th and 15th-century churches — St. John's, St. Michael's, and St. Nicolai's — the beautiful Baroque main square, and the tranquil medieval monastery attract visitors from all over the world.

The pedestrian city centre invites visitors to linger; a great number of well-assorted specialist shops in historic buildings featuring steep gables provide extensive shopping opportunities, and many cafés and pubs open their doors to visitors every day. In particular, the bars situated at the Stint and in Schröderstraße offer various options for a vibrant nightlife. Lüneburg is also a vibrant cultural hub; numerous musicians, artists, and actors are active in the clubs, studios, and theatres of the town.