Doctorate
The doctoral programme is conducted in one of our research groups. It contains a combination of research, study and a small portion of teaching. A doctorate at D-USYS takes three or four years, on average.
Doctoral Administration D-USYS
The application for doctoral studies is open to all university graduates with a university diploma or Master's degree. To be admitted, you will need a supervisor for your thesis. Please contact a professor or research group at one of our six institutes. Enrolment for doctoral studies is possible at any time.
Registration for the doctorate takes place via eApply.
If the doctorate is supervised by an adjunct professor (TitularprofessorIn) of ETH Zurich or the ETH Domain, the approval of the department must be obtained prior to registration. In this case, the following documents/information must be submitted to the Doctoral Administration Office D-USYS before official registration:
- How is the doctorate financed?
- Which ETH professor (according to Article 1 of the Download ETH Professors’ Ordinance (PDF, 169 KB)) will act as co-examiner?
- Content of the planned project
- The completed and signed form: Supervision of the Doctorate by a Privatdozent or an Adjunct Professor
The Doctoral Administration D-USYS takes care of the approval by the department.
In consultation with the doctoral student, the supervisor must appoint an academically qualified person to act as a second advisor. The second advisor maintains contact with the doctoral student and advises the student, particularly in academic matters. A professorship is not required. Second advisors may be internal or external and dispose of a PhD. The second advisor must be notified to Academic Services prior to the aptitude colloquium using the official form.
Specific roles of the second advisor:
- the second advisor is part of the aptitude committee.
- the second advisor can be present during the first part of the annual status conversation between doctoral student and supervisor.
- the second advisor must receive the progress report and the report on the status conversation for information purposes.
- if disagreement or conflicts arise between the doctoral thesis supervisor and the doctoral student, the second advisor will seek to settle die dispute amicably between the parties.
If the second advisor is also acting as co-examiner, please submit the form for approval of co-examinors in addition.
In addition to the second advisor, doctoral students have the right throughout their doctorate to request a further person to be available to them for additional specialised or non-specialised advice and support. This further advisor must be reported to the Central Doctoral Administration Office using the official Download form (PDF, 232 KB). You must also inform the supervisor of your doctoral thesis and the second advisor of this person.
Please note:
- The further advisor assists the doctoral student academically and non-academically throughout the entire doctoral period until graduation.
- In principle the further advisor is not a member of the aptitude committee. If this is desired, the authorisation of your doctoral thesis supervisor and your department's doctoral committee is needed. Please contact the doctoral administration of your department for this.
- The further advisor is not automatically involved in the annual progress report and the annual status conversation. If this is desired, coordinate that with your doctoral thesis supervisor.
- The further advisor is not a co-examiner at the final doctoral defense. However, he/she can certainly take on this role if he/she meets the requirements for it.
The doctoral plan consists of 10-15 pages and must include the following:
- D-USYS title page (included in page count)
- Summary/Abstract (approx. half page)
- About the research project (this should constitute the main part)
- State of research
- Research objectives / research questions
- Work plan (incl. methodology)
- Optional: selection of preliminary results
- Schedule and milestones
- References / literature (not included in page count)
- State of research
- Brief description of teaching tasks during the doctorate
- Brief description of additional tasks (such as organization of workshops, other tasks within the research group, etc.)
The doctoral plan must be submitted in electronic form to the D-USYS Doctoral Administration, signed by the supervisor and the second advisor, no later than 15 working days before the aptitude colloquium.
If necessary, an updated version of the doctoral plan can be submitted after the aptitude colloquium, but this is not obligatory. The decision lies in the responsibility of the supervisor and the doctoral student.
Doctoral students present their doctoral plan at the latest 12 months after provisional admission on the occasion of the aptitude colloquium.
The aptitude colloquium lasts a maximum of one hour and proceeds as follows:
- Presentation of the project/research proposal in the form of a twenty-minute talk
- Question & answer session
- In-depth discussion and recommendations by the aptitude committee
Passing the aptitude colloquium is a condition for definitive admission to the doctorate.
If the aptitude colloquium cannot be completed within the first year, a request for extension of the deadline must be submitted.
Further information can be found in the fact sheet "Aptitude Colloquium" and in the guidelines of the institutes. Not all institutes have additional guidelines.
Progress report
Doctoral students who have been definitively admitted write an annual progress report on the status and planned progress of their research project, as well as on any significant deviations from the research project described in the doctoral plan.
Annual status conversation
The first annual status conversation must take place no later than 12 months after passing the aptitude colloquium. The date of the most recent interview must be recorded by the doctoral student on myStudies.
The annual status conversation consists of two separate parts:
- Academic progress (basis: progress report)
- Assessment, career and personal development
The first part deals with the doctorate and the research work. The previously written progress report forms the basis for this conversation where all points recorded in the doctoral plan, the next steps and, if necessary, significant changes to the research project are discussed. It is recommended to involve the second advisor in the first part. Other persons may also participate.
The second part is a development discussion that includes mutual feedback and the further development of competences. This part is conducted confidentially between the supervisor of the doctoral thesis and the doctoral candidate.
In any case both parts - the progress report and the result of the annual status converstaion - are sent to the second advisor for information.
Please note, it is the responsibility of the conversation participants to keep this document until the completion of the doctorate. The documents do not have to be submitted to the doctoral administration.
Doctoral students who were admitted definitively before 1 January 2022 will pursue regular doctoral studies according to the previous regulations. Doctoral students who were admitted provisionally – but not yet definitively – before 1 January 2022 can choose whether they will pursue regular doctoral studies according to the new regulations or according to the previous regulations.
Doctoral students are not only employees, but students as well. They have both the right and the duty to continue their education and attend courses in their research field, but also in related research areas and interdisciplinary areas.
At least 12 credit points are required for doctoral studies, of which at least one third has to be acquired outside the field of research. A credit point corresponds to a study performance of 25 to 30 working hours. Credit points are only awarded if your own performance can be demonstrated.
For ETH courses, the following regulations apply:
- Only credits visible on the transcript of records on myStudies are accepted
- The compliance with the performance assessment as per the course catalogue is mandatory
Courses which cannot be enrolled under myStudies will be confirmed on the form Download confirmation of course attendance for doctoral students (PDF, 25 KB).
The confirmation by the Doctoral Administration of D-USYS, should be obtained as soon as the 12 credits are acquired. The following documents are required:
- Transcript of records from myStudies, signed by the supervisor
- Download Confirmation of course attendance (PDF, 25 KB) for credits outside of myStudies, signed by the supervisor
- Download Registration for doctoral examination (PDF, 725 KB)
Please mark the credits which have been acquired outside of your research field.
Doctoral students who were admitted after 1 January 2022 will pursue regular doctoral studies according to the new regulations. Doctoral students who were admitted provisionally – but not yet definitively – before 1 January 2022 can choose whether they will pursue regular doctoral studies according to the new regulations or according to the previous regulations.
To obtain the minimum 12 ECTS credits required in regular doctoral studies, the doctoral student must either pass a performance assessment or demonstrate an active, verifiable contribution. One ECTS credit generally corresponds to a workload of 25–30 hours. Credits must be earned in each of the following three categories:
- Consolidation of knowledge in the research area of the doctoral thesis and the extension of knowledge beyond the original discipline, e.g., through attendance of courses designed especially for doctoral students, regular Master’s degree courses or courses from the third year of Bachelor’s degree studies.
- Acquisition of transferable skills, e.g., by attending soft-skills courses or participating in ETH Zurich bodies or committees.
- Integration into the scientific community, e.g., by attending international conferences.
Doctoral students must acquire at least 1 ECTS credit by attending a course on the topic of ethics and good scientific practice. This academic achievement falls under category b (transferable skills).
The following achievements/activities are excluded from counting towards the 12 ECTS credits for regular doctoral studies:
- Achievements before entering the doctorate;
- Achievements in the framework of multiple matriculations at another level of studies, except for credits earned in the context of teacher training / Teaching Certificate courses;
- Participation in seminars/courses of the individual professorship, such as group meetings, retreats etc.;
- Participation in teaching;
- Attendance of courses with no verification of personal performance.
As soon as you have earned the 12 credit points, you can request for completion of your doctoral studies in myStudies. Check your transcript of records and edit it if necessary using the "Assign category" function.
The composition of the entire examination committee must be submitted to the D-USYS Doctoral Administration no later than three months before the examination.
At least one co-examiner must come from outside ETH Zurich. Eligible are active professors from other universities or persons who are proven experts in the area of the doctoral thesis and are equivalent to professors in this. This does not include persons from universities of applied sciences or private industry with the corresponding expertise, they may, however, be appointed as further members of the examination committee (binding for doctoral examinations conducted on or after 1 January 2024).
It is mandatory that an independent person is part of the examination committee (for example: not part of the same professorship, no cooperation in the context of the doctoral thesis). This can be the external co-examiner. In case of a dependency relationship between the supervisor and/or the doctoral student with the external co-examiner, another independent co-examiner is necessary.
The doctoral examination must be taken no later than 6 years after the temporary admission. Doctoral examinations are usually open to the public. If doctoral students wish to have a non-public examination, they must submit a request to the D-USYS Doctoral Administration. The examination includes a presentation (duration 20 minutes), followed by a defense, including questioning by the members of the examination committee. The doctoral examination lasts at least 1 hour and 20 minutes, Questions from the audience are allowed after the questioning by examiners is completed (questions from the audience do not count towards the minimum duration of the doctoral examination).
The doctoral student organises the date and room for the doctoral examination together with the supervisor and the co-examiners.
There are still three options on how to carry out doctoral exams:
- Doctoral exams can be held with the doctoral student, the members of the examination committee and the chair physically present.
- Doctoral exams can be held as hybrid with some of the participants present.
- Doctoral exams can be held entirely via Zoom.
The doctoral exam is chaired by a professors of D-USYS.
Available dates from 01 July 2024
If one or more members of the Examination Committee are attending the Doctoral Examination via videoconference, we recommend that you book the room via the videoconference service.
As soon as the date is fixed, and/or, at the latest, 8 weeks before the doctoral examination, please send an e-mail to the Doctoral Administration of D-USYS.
The examination copy of the doctoral thesis must be submitted in electronic form by the doctoral student to the examination committee and the D-USYS Doctoral Administration at least 20 working days before the examination.
Registration must take place at least 15 working days before the examination date and involves submitting the Download title page (PDF, 128 KB) of the thesis and the official Academic Services form. The two documents must be submitted in electronic form to the ETH Doctoral Administration and the D-USYS Doctoral Administration ( / ).
The reports must be submitted in electronic form to the D-USYS Doctoral Administration at least 5 working days before the examination by the examination committee.
Registration for the doctoral examination may only proceed with the consent of the doctoral thesis supervisor and in consultation with the co-examiners.
The doctoral examination is open to the public; it is announced on the department's website.
The following steps have to be taken before you receive your doctor’s title:
- Approval of the thesis by the Department Conference
- Submission of the deposit copies of the thesis maximum 3 months from the date of the Department Conference
The title «Doctor of Science ETH Zurich» may only be given if the copies and the electronic version have been handed over.
If you wish to change the supervisor for your thesis project, you need the agreement of the new supervisor. Please submit the form Download Change of supervisor (PDF, 549 KB) to the Doctoral Administration Office, signed by the new and if possible the former supervisor.
If it becomes apparent that you will not be able to finish your doctorate within the maximum period of 6 years, a well-founded Download request for extension of deadline for doctoral studies (PDF, 2.6 MB) is to be handed in to the Doctoral Administration D-USYS.
If you withdraw from your doctorate prematurely, it is not enough simply not to enroll for any more semesters. Your withdrawal must be reported to the Doctoral Administration Office using the form Download Withdrawal declaration for doctoral students (PDF, 889 KB). It is only when you have submitted the form, together with your ETH card, that you will officially be dematriculated.