Page Overview: ProMotion Programme for Phd Students
BMW Group Career Students and graduates doctoral programme PhD employees with laptops

Shape your passion into a career.

With our ProMotion Programme for PhD students.

We offer PhD students the opportunity to realise their promotion in cooperation with the BMW Group. The dissertation is a relevant step on the way to a scientific career – which you can create with us. In cooperation with experienced mentors, you will have the opportunity to combine passion and scientific competencies with real-life challenges and thereby help to shape the future of mobility. As a PhD student, you will have the chance to qualify yourself with your dissertation for a further career at the BMW Group, to promote your chosen specialist area in our company and to position yourself for your aspired career. We support you financially as well as professionally – with many excellent trainings and development opportunities.

PROGRAMME CONTENTS IN DETAIL.

Getting started.

An introductory event will tell you all about ProMotion, our company and the people who will be accompanying you during the three years.

Events and fireside chats.

You can get an insight into the company and networking opportunities in forums and lectures, or fireside chats with our BMW executives.

Qualifications.

We attach great importance to your professional and personal development. Your department will provide support in professional matters and provide necessary specialised training. In addition, all ProMotion participants receive multidisciplinary qualification that counts towards personal development.

Practical and orientation assignments.

We want you to gain as much experience as possible during your time with us – even beyond research and promotion. An assignment in the production division or customer service department will give you first-hand experience of our products and customers. Two other orientation assignments in related departments will help you network, gain a better understanding of the BMW Group and complete your work experience. The practical assignments can also be completed abroad if agreed with the manager.

ProMotion Dialogue Day.

A doctoral candidate fair is held once a year, the ProMotion Dialogue Day. This is where doctoral candidates present their topics to the general BMW community and representatives of the supervising universities, engage in dialogue and thereby continue to bridge the gap between science and business.

BMW Group doctoral candidate group.

As a ProMotion participant, you will be part of a scientific network. The doctoral candidate group, an initiative of BMW Group doctoral candidates, is a platform for sharing professional experience as well as for building up social, interdepartmental contacts.

PROGRAMME CONTENTS AT A GLANCE.

BMW Group Career Students and graduates Doctoral programme PhD overview of programme modules

General conditions and doctoral candidate contract.

  • As a participant in the BMW Group ProMotion programme, you will receive a doctoral candidate contract with a term of three years, and will receive support in the amount of 2,712 euros gross per month.
  • Your contact for general questions about the ProMotion programme and the acceptance process is the programme director. Your specialist contact will be your departmental supervisor, with whom you will meet once a year to discuss the progress of your thesis and your personal development.
  • You also have the option of a personal mentor as a contact and coach.
  • After completing your doctoral degree, you can apply to BMW internal job adds worldwide. Taking part in the programme, you have the best possible chances to start a professional career at the BMW Group.

Your way into the programme.


Your application should reach us four months prior to your desired start date at the latest. Please apply online only. Before signing the contract, all essential questions about your PhD should be clarified with the supervising professor and the BMW specialist department.

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BMW Group Career students and graduates Doctoral programme PhD Stefan at work
"I independently coordinate budget and capacity for my project and have all the freedom I need to devote myself fully to my doctoral thesis."

Stefan, PhD candidate Augmented Reality

BMW Group Career students and graduates PhD programme Promotion Lisa on the laptop
"As a PhD student at BMW you get to experience a proper hands-on mindset and you get to see how you can really make things happen – it’s a super feeling to watch your work shape our mobility in front of your very eyes!"

Lisa, PhD candidate Autonomous Driving

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