JMU: A history of Success

Renowned Scientists

Many eminent scholars and scientists, 14 Nobel Laureates among them, have conducted research and taught in Würzburg. Notable scientists include Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who discovered X-rays in Würzburg in 1895, and Klaus von Klitzing, who discovered the Quantum-Hall Effect.

An Extensive Choice of Subjects

In addition to the four classic subjects – medicine, theology, philosophy, and law – the university also offers many new degree programmes. The most recent additions include Artificial Intelligence & Data Science, Computer Science & Sustainability, German-french Studies, Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology, Diversity, Ethics and Religions and Mathematical Data Science, just to name a few.   

Our research profile: future-oriented and internationally recognised

True to its guiding principle of "Science for Society", Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) strives to gain new insights in Research Areas relevant to the future. In interdisciplinary Focal Research Areas and innovative Emerging Research Areas, scientists are working on solutions for the challenges of tomorrow.

At the University of Würzburg, excellent research achievements at the highest international level are already being made in four Focal Research Areas:

• Functional Materials for the Future: Bridging Quantum Innovation and Molecular Design
• Molecules of Life: Pioneering a Healthier Future 
• Disrupting Disease Dynamics: A Gateway to New Therapeutic Interventions
• Where Code Meets Culture: AI and Computational Humanities

In addition, the university is strengthening three Emerging Research Areas that are being strategically expanded due to their high development potential:

• Global Environmental Challenges: Ecosystems and Human Societies in Transition
• Pillars of Change: Insights from History and Society
• Complex Minds: Drivers of Decisions and Behaviour

A Policy of Expansion

As the number of degree programs offered has grown, so too has the university. To accommodate the growth of the student population, the Hubland Campus was built on a hill at the eastern edge of the city. Newly-designed degree programs and a steady influx of students continue to drive the institution’s growth. In 2011, the university expanded to include the newly established Campus Nord, a 39-hectare area in the immediate vicinity of Hubland Campus.

JMU is one of the leading institutions of higher education in Germany, according to the rankings of domestic and international research organizations and international expert committees. On an international level, the University of Würzburg ranks in the top bracket of academic institutions in many scientific disciplines including biology, medicine, physics, and psychology.

Research Centres as a Trademark

In the 1990s, the university began founding cross-faculty research centers, which opened up new research areas and possibilities for innovative degree programs. These interdisciplinary centers, such as the Research Center for Infectious Diseases, have become an internationally prominent trademark of the University of Würzburg.

The creation of research centers has pushed the university into the top tier of German academic institutions and has had numerous positive effects. For example, it has rapidly boosted the amount of public funding, private donations, and research funds from industrial companies. The number of academically prestigious publications has also grown significantly since the mid-1990s, even though the number of positions for professors and assistants at the university remained almost constant during that period.

Science and Success

The University of Würzburg’s numerous Collaborative Research Centers, Research Training Groups, and Research Units, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) have greatly contributed to the university’s high standing in the scientific community.

JMU has secured two Clusters of Excellence for the 2026-2032 funding period of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments. The university was successful with its proposal for the new NUCLEATE project and a renewal proposal for the ct.qmat Cluster of Excellence as ctd.qmat. This also means that it can now enter the race for the title of ‘University of Excellence’.

Promoting science – shaping the future: Support in every career phase

The University of Würzburg is strongly committed to promoting early career researchers.

The JMU Graduate Academy is the central point of contact for information about doctoral studies at the University of Würzburg. At the University of Würzburg, you have the opportunity to do a doctorate at a specialised graduate school or at one of the ten faculties.

Doctoral programmes and research training groups offer doctoral candidates a structured environment for their academic work. Whether in research, interdisciplinary collaboration, teaching or transfer – postdocs play a key role in shaping our university. The Professional Development Network (PDN) of the University of Würzburg, together with other co-operation partners, offers postdocs a wide range of services.

JMU regards junior research group leaders and junior professorships with tenure track as equivalent career paths to professorships, which enable early academic independence and profile development . The university thus offers both groups structured institutional integration and clearly defined development prospects.

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