university of zurich phd application

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The University of Zurich offers numerous  doctoral degree programs . 

Besides meeting the formal admission requirements , prospective doctoral students must fulfill the relevant academic admission requirements to be admitted to doctoral studies. Whether or not these requirements are met is decided as part of a defined admission procedure . 

Admission constitutes the right to matriculate in the doctoral studies in question at the University of Zurich. Doctoral students must remain matriculated for the full duration of their doctoral studies.

Formal Admission Requirements

Master’s degree diploma from a state-accredited university .

Credits for any transferred coursework must also have been acquired at a state-accredited university.

The diploma itself is state-accredited.

The diploma grants entitlement to pursue doctoral studies at a state-accredited university in the relevant country.

The Master’s degree diploma does not necessarily have to be available at the time of application. If you are admitted, it may be submitted at a later date (by 30 September at the latest for admissions for the Fall Semester, by 15 March at the latest for admissions for the Spring Semester). 

Depending on the doctoral studies in question, admission is also possible with a degree from a university of applied sciences or university of teacher education in a  signatory state to the Lisbon Recognition Convention . Further information can be found on the  website of the faculty concerned .

Academic Admission Requirements

The prospective doctoral student has the academic knowledge and skills required to pursue the doctoral studies in question. Additional requirements and/or conditions (generally in the form of Master’s modules) may be attached to admission in certain cases. Conditions must be met in a preparatory phase within the framework of doctoral studies. No doctoral modules may be booked during this preparatory phase. Additional requirements may be fulfilled during the preparatory phase or in parallel with doctoral modules.

An instructor with the right to award a PhD (generally at the faculty concerned) agrees to be principal supervisor for the planned doctoral thesis. Depending on the doctoral studies in question, further individuals must or may take on a supervisory role, for example as co-advisors. 

Additionally for doctoral programs: The prospective doctoral student is accepted on to the doctoral program in question (following a selective acceptance procedure).

Additionally, depending on the doctoral studies: The prospective doctoral student is employed as a doctoral student, or teaching and research assistant.

Further requirements may have to be fulfilled in certain cases, such as a Master’s degree with a minimum overall grade. 

Details of the academic admission requirements for individual programs of doctoral study can be found on the website of the faculty concerned .

Admission Procedure

The admission procedure begins with the faculty or graduate school concerned. Here, you must: – secure the approval of one or (as appropriate) more supervisor(s) for your planned doctoral thesis, – in the case of doctoral programs, have been accepted on to the program, and – as appropriate, have been offered a position as a doctoral student, or teaching and research assistant. Which of these steps must be completed, and in which order, depends on the doctoral studies in question. Details in this regard can be found on the website of the faculty concerned .

You must also apply to the University of Zurich Admissions Office to pursue your chosen doctoral studies. Before you apply, please find out about the application procedure and documents to be submitted  and apply via the application portal . Please note the relevant  application deadlines . It can take up to three months to process your application. 

If all admission requirements are fulfilled, you will receive the decision on admission from the University of Zurich Admissions Office. You can then matriculate at the University of Zurich and begin your doctoral studies. 

Important Information on the Admission Procedure:

If you have been offered employment for your doctoral studies, and you are a citizen of a state that is a not a member of either the European Union or EFTA , you will need the relevant  visa to enter Switzerland . The University of Zurich will generally apply for this visa on your behalf. Please contact the faculty or graduate school concerned. The visa is issued by the Canton of Zurich Migration Office and is always subject to confirmation of matriculation being submitted within 14 days of entry. You will receive this confirmation of matriculation as soon as you have matriculated at the University of Zurich having received the decision on admission, and paid the bill for the semester fees. Your visa will only be converted into a residence and work permit after the Migration Office has received your confirmation of matriculation. If you are not able to fulfill this condition within the set deadline, you will have to leave Switzerland. 

► Do not travel to Switzerland until you have received the decision on admission from the University of Zurich Admissions Office (i.e. until you are entitled to matriculate) (see point 3 above). 

► Do not begin your doctoral studies until you have matriculated at the University of Zurich, and you hold a residence and work permit. 

To speed up the admission procedure (which may be advisable especially in the case of individuals requiring a visa ), you can submit an application to the Admissions Office (see point 2 above) before the procedure with the faculty or graduate school is complete (see point 1 above). However, the Admissions Office decision on admission (see point 3 above) cannot be issued until confirmation of supervision and, in the case of doctoral programs, the notification of acceptance on to the doctoral program in question have been received.

Students currently matriculated at Master’s level at the University of Zurich must request a change of degree program  to doctoral studies under “My Requests” in the student portal and must not submit an application . 

Weiterführende Informationen

To the online application.

• UZH Application Portal
• Information on Application Procedure

Application Deadlines

Please note the different application deadlines.

• Overview of application deadlines

Confirmation of Supervision

• Form for doctoral students at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
• Form for doctoral students at the Faculty of Science (PDF, 425 KB)
• Form for doctoral students at other faculties (PDF, 264 KB)

UZH Graduate Campus

UZH Graduate Campus supports UZH doctoral students.

• To UZH Graduate Campus
• Accommodation

If you have questions please contact the Admissions Office .

Bereichs-Navigation

Unterseiten von doctoral studies.

• Admission to Doctoral Studies – Faculties

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Department of Economics

Quicklinks und sprachwechsel, main navigation, admission procedures.

Students applying to the Zurich Graduate School of Economics must submit all (complete) documents on our recruiting platform by January 15th of the academic year previous to the one in which they intend to join the program. A committee of faculty members with expertise across the sub-disciplines in economics led by the Director of Graduate Studies evaluates the candidates and selects those that should be admitted. 

The Zurich GSE typically receives 400 applications and admits between 12 and 15 students each year.

Most candidates are awarded departmental scholarships from the first year on. Additional funding options, such as the URPP, or the UBS Center Scholarship can be awarded to advanced students from the pool of PhDs of the program at a later point.

Student Qualifications

Excellent previous academic performance is required for admission to the ZurichGSE. A degree in Economics is recommended, but applicants from other (especially related) fields will be considered if their academic performance is outstanding. Student holding a Master’s Degree are applying for the PhD Track B, students who didn’t attain a Master’s but hold an excellent Bachelor’s Degree may apply for admission to the Track C (Fast Track). For more information see here .

It is strongly recommended that applicants take the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) General Test. Applications from a “Bologna Accord” country without GRE scores will be reviewed, but not submitting GRE results will be considered a major drawback and must be offset by other strong academic credentials. Applicants obtaining a university degree from a non-Bologna country must take the GRE in order to be considered.

All courses are given in English and applicants to the program must show proficiency in English to be considered for admission. No specific test is required, but applicants who have taken the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) are encouraged to provide a copy of the official test results. Applicants obtaining a university degree from a non-Bologna country whose native language is not English must provide a recognized English language certificate (IELTS, TOEFL, CPE, or CAE) in order to be eligible for admission.

Note:  Degrees from Master of Advanced Studies programs (e.g. MAS, EMBA, MBA, etc.) do not qualify for acceptance to our program.

Students are expected to devote themselves full-time to our PhD program.

How to apply

Applications for the following academic year open each year in October. Please use our online recruitment portal to submit your application.

Checklist for application (PDF, 45 KB)

Only online applications submitted via the application portal will be taken into consideration.

Annual submission deadline: 15th of January

Courses start in the fall term, although there is also a compulsory pre-sessional Introductory Maths course that begins in mid-August.

All complete applications submitted by the submission deadline are reviewed by the Selection Committee. Applicants are informed about the outcome of their application by no later than the end of April.

If you are shortlisted for an interview, you will be invited by email. Interviews can be conducted either in person or in a conference call.

Besides the admission to the Graduate School of Economics a general application for for matriculation at the University of Zurich must also be submitted. We will inform candidates who are accepted to the program accordingly. Please do not send any documents to the central Admission Office of the University of Zurich without prior acceptance to the doctoral program in Economics.

Rules and Regulations

Official regulations are provided by the office of the dean

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Department of Informatics

Quicklinks und sprachwechsel, main navigation, phd program, welcome note.

The Doctoral Program of Informatics is where academia and industry meet, where theories are developed and challenged in praxis, where new knowledge is created, and where scholars emerge. The Department of Informatics offers Switzerland’s best application oriented informatics and, internationally, ranks among the best institutions in its field. Application areas range from business information systems to social sciences, linguistics, natural sciences, and medicine. The Department creates joint research ventures and integrates their results in the teaching of students. In addition, internationally renowned visiting professors regularly give courses on special topics. All of us in the Department of Informatics wish you good fortune as you pursue your advanced degree, and we hope you will contact us if we can help you along the way.

Direct Links

Programs Description of our Doctoral Programs

Admission Information about the admission process

PhD: While studying All the information you need while doing your PhD (e.g. Curriculum, PhD Proposal Defense, PhD Thesis, PhD Defense, Publication)

Summer Schools Information about the current and past PhD Summer Schools

IfI Colloquium Information about the current and past IfI Colloquium Series

Team/Advisory Service Contact information

PhD Theses Archive

Here you find the PhD theses published at IfI since 1968.

Weiterführende Informationen

Best practice guideline for doctoral education at the university of zurich.

• Best Practice Guideline

Bereichs-Navigation

Unterseiten von phd.

• Admission/Registration
• PhD: While studying
• Summer Schools
• IfI Colloquium
• Team/Advisory Service
• Previous IfI Colloquia

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UZH for International Students and Scholars

Quicklinks und sprachwechsel, main navigation, study at uzh, join us in zurich - become part of a vibrant, international student community.

Studying at the University of Zurich (UZH) means developing independent and critical thinking skills, welcoming new and unfamiliar ways of looking at the world, and learning how to generate new ideas, test new procedures, and gain fresh insight.

Students, and PhD candidates find ideal conditions at UZH to achieve their potential.

• The largest and most comprehensive offer of Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in Switzerland, with over 100 different major subjects and flexible program design
• Outstanding libraries and study centers
• State-of-the-art teaching methods
• Student advisory and career services
• Attractive PhD programs
• In-house research fund to promote talented junior academics

Doctoral Programs

Did you know that Albert Einstein earned his doctorate at UZH? Follow his footsteps and discover the opportunities to complete your doctorate at UZH. We offer attractive doctoral programs and, with our Graduate Campus , offer a central and cross-faculty platform to support doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers.

First Steps to a PhD

Admission and Application

Health insurance for PhD candidates

Funding opportunities for PhD candidates

Further information for PhD candidates

Master's Study Programs

As a research university, UZH is committed to inspiring, research-based teaching. Our Master's degree study programs provide in-depth knowledge in fields such as banking & finance, bioinformatics, quantitative earth sciences and others, for tomorrow's global leaders and change-makers. The main language of instruction for most Master's study programs is either German or English. For some programs in language and literature, it can also be French, Italian, or Spanish.

Find out more about:

Master's Study Programs

Language Requirements

Application and Admission

Bachelor's Study Programs

UZH offers more than 60 study programs for undergraduates, ranging from astrophysics and business administration to social anthropolgy and theology. The main language of instruction for all Bachelor's degree programs is German.

Bachelor's Study Programs

Curious? Listen to our students' stories and find out more about student life at UZH.

Tuition Fees and Living Expenses

How much does it cost to study at UZH?

Find information about our tuition fees, living expenses in Zurich, and ways to finance your studies on the following websites:

Fees and contributions

Finances and living expenses

Visa, Entry and Residence Permit

For detailed information on what you need to take into account before travelling to Switzerland, please refer to the following websites:

International Students - Entry Residence

FAQ for international students and scholars

Information for Refugees

The University of Zurich wants to help refugees gain access to university education. The Coordination Office Explore at Global Affairs is responsible for coordinating the various services available. For more information visit t.uzh.ch/refugees .

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Einstein's doctorate at uzh.

Zurich played an important role in the scientific career of Albert Einstein– he was a student here, and in 1905 submitted his dissertation to the University of Zurich. Einstein’s doctoral certificate has now returned to the university and is on permanent display. 

• UZH News: “Doctor Einstein”
• Press Release: “Einstein’s Doctoral Certificate Returns to UZH”
• New Publication "Albert Einstein: Revolutionizing Physics"

FAQ for International Students and Scholars

• Link to FAQs

Further information

Find links to further information on the following websites:

• For Prospective Students
• For UZH Students
• For Doctoral Candidates

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Department of Astrophysics

Quicklinks und sprachwechsel, main navigation, phd programme in theoretical astrophysics and cosmology, graduate school for theoretical astrophysics and cosmology.

This program is available as a doctoral Program in Physics at the University of Zürich. For an admission to this PhD program you have to meet certain criteria concerning your education in Physics, Astronomy, or related fields (e.g., 4~5 years up to Master’s degree) but it is also essential that you inform yourself in advance about open PhD positions in one of our research groups . You should submit to the group leader of your interest a CV, a statement of research interests and previous research experience, course grade transcripts and letters of reference.

The doctoral program in astrophysics is focused on carrying out original research and is completed within three to four years (full-time). The salary will easily allow you to cover all local living expenses including all the necessary social and health insurances. Research topics range from the formation of planets, stars and galaxies, to understanding the large scale structure of the universe, dark matter and dark energy. The program includes a curricular part for which doctoral students must obtain at least 12 ECTS credits. These can be obtained in a variety of ways, such as by attending graduate schools, giving talks at conferences or by attending advanced lectures. Appropriate lecture courses will be chosen by the PhD advisor together with the doctoral student. Doctoral students attend weekly research seminars, the “astrophysics journal club” and “astrophysical thinking”.

Official PhD regulations for the Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology progeram: PDF EN / PDF DE

Open PhD positions are advertised here.

Admissions to Promotion - Useful links and documents:

Admission to Doctoral Studies at the University of Zurich

Factsheet Admission to a PhD Program at the ICS (PDF, 238 KB)

Checklist for PhD students

Institute for Computational Science "Confirmation of Supervision for Doctoral Students" (PDF, 242 KB)

Institute for Computational Science "Acceptance Confirmation Structured Doctoral Program" (PDF, 136 KB)

Institute for Computational Science "Doctoral Agreement" (PDF, 908 KB)

Annual committee meeting minutes (PDF, 927 KB)

Confirmation Sheet - TA Hours (PDF, 107 KB)

Fact sheet PhD Defence (EN) / Merkblatt (DE)

The Fast Track

In some cases we allow talented students in a Master's course in Physics to directly enter the PhD program ("Fast Track"). This means that the student can use his or her research results for the Master's thesis as part of their PhD thesis, and any credit points obtained during the Master course in addition to the minimum of 90 can be transferred to the Doctoral Program program. See Fast Track in MSc section

Program Director Prof. Dr. Jaiyul Yoo [email protected]

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Department of Chemistry

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A master's degree is the prerequisite for starting a PhD. This study consists mainly of independent research work, but also additional courses, seminars and attendance at congresses. The PhD program should promote independent thinking and an extended knowledge of chemistry. The PhD study can mainly be arranged by the PhD student in discussion with the supervisor. With the PhD degree the student should be able to take over and to solve independently scientific research problems. The study ends with the award of the PhD degree (Dr. sc. nat. = PhD). The regulations for the PhD studies can be found here.

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Graduate School CMSZH

The Graduate School of Chemical and Molecular Sciences Zurich (CMSZH) is a melting pot of science and innovation, offering a highly competitive Ph.D. program for a comprehensive and challenging education.

• To the website of CMSZH

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PhD Program Biomedicine

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The comprehensive study and understanding of organ function in health and disease requires multidisciplinary approaches in basic, applied and translational biomedical research. The PhD program “Biomedicine” (BioMed) is part of the Life Science Zurich Graduate School (LSZGS) and imparts knowledge, concepts and modern technologies to address complex questions in biomedical sciences on a molecular, cellular and systems level with the vision to advance clinical translation and improve patient care. BioMed offers students a strong and interactive program that combines groups from the University of Zürich (UZH), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETHZ) and the University Hospital Zürich (USZ). The highly international scientific environment at the institutions combines cutting-edge research with a modern teaching curriculum.

The PhD students of the PhD program in Biomedicine can not only choose from a broad selection of research topics and participate in front line science, but can also take advantage of a large number of graduate courses on various topics. Topics range from human physiology to cancer biology, stem cells, genomic medicine and laboratory techniques. They also include transferable skills like statistics, project management for research, scientific writing and career planning. The PhD program organizes an annual retreat for scientific exchange and networking among students.

The PhD students of BioMed can either register at the University of Zürich or the ETH Zürich, depending on the affiliation of their direct supervisor and her/his research group.

Students can apply to the program via Track I by July 1st and December 1st through the website of the LSZGS or via Track II (see application ). Enrollment into the program is decided by an admission committee.

• Research groups
• Current students
• Application
• Travel Grant
• Documents to download and useful links

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(Doctoral Program)

Degree program: doctorate faculty of science.

General description Admission requirements ECTS credits Degree Language of instruction

General description

The doctoral program in Physics includes a written dissertation about the own independent scientific research project. The program includes a curricular part of at least 12 ECTS credits. The curricular part is determined individually for each doctoral student through the doctoral committee and focuses on the specific environment of the research area but also considers a general physics education. Per year, the visit of at least one scientific congress or summer school, relevant to the own research area, is compulsory. The regular participation in weekly research seminars is compulsory (no ECTS credits). Additionally, doctoral students must take at least one teaching load in each semester.

Admission requirements

Admission to doctoral study is governed by the ordinance on admission to studies at the University of Zurich (Verordnung über die Zulassung an der Universität Zürich VZS). The main requirement for admission to doctoral study is a Master's degree from a university or an equivalent degree. Each PhD project must receive approval from a professor at the Faculty of Science or from a person who has the right to confer a PhD at the Faculty of Science. There is no general right to be granted admission to a PhD program. Admission may be made contingent on conditions and/or restrictions in the form of additional coursework. Conditions must be met prior to admission to doctoral study; restrictions may be fulfilled during doctoral study. Coursework required to meet conditions and/or restrictions may not exceed a total of 60 ECTS credits; requirements are specified according to the demands of the subject in which the PhD thesis will be written. The Vice Dean of Studies decides on admission, on recognition of similar degrees, and on conditions and/or additional requirements that may apply. As a rule, the language of instruction in the PhD programs is English. All applicants whose native language is not English, or whose prior studies have not been conducted in English, are required to provide proof of sufficient knowledge of English.

ECTS credits

12 ECTS Credits

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Language of instruction

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Faculty of Medicine

Quicklinks und sprachwechsel, main navigation, doctoral program clinical science, table of contents, application, program management, curricular content.

The doctoral program Clinical Science, which focuses on research with healthy or sick people in a clinical setting, has been established to open a university postgraduate qualification opportunity in the field of clinical research. The university hospitals will keep on promoting clinical research, making this program a true trendsetter.

The Clinical Science program allows candidates to carry out an in-depth clinical research in the field of medicine. It is open to highly motivated candidates who have proven to be academically outstanding and show a strong interest in clinical research.

This program is coordinated by the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Medicine.

The doctoral program consists of original research as well as of curricular content, with mandatory and optional modules of at least 12 ECTS points, for which a minimum of three years in full-time employment is scheduled. However, in justified cases exceptions to this may be authorized by the doctoral program commission.

In order to apply for this doctoral program, candidates must have a university degree of master in either medicine, biomedicine, biology or psychology. Further academic qualifications which are compulsory for eligibility as well are listed in the following document “Doktoratsordnung”. All candidates must have good skills in English.

Doktoratsordnung vom 9. Februar 2022 (PDF, 64 KB)    

The guidelines govern the doctoral program Clinical Science, which is offered at the faculty of Medicine of the University of Zurich. They formalize the promotion regulation for the title Dr. sc. med. (equivalent to a PhD) from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zurich

In order to apply for this doctoral program, candidates must at least hold a university master's degree in either medicine, biomedicine, biology or psychology. Further academic qualifications that are compulsory for eligibility as well are listed in the document "Doktoratsordnung". All candidates must have good skills in English and German.

Double Matriculation*

Double matriculation in the general doctorate of the Faculty of Medicine (Dr. med.) and in the PhD program Clinical Science is not planned. If, at the time of your application for the PhD program, you are about to graduate as Dr. med., please indicate this in your application. Otherwise, the simultaneous completion of the general doctorate and the PhD program is not intended. *Applies to future PhD students

Application Deadline

May 1, 2024

The registration fees are set by the Student Administration Office of the University of Zurich and also apply to doctoral students. Doctoral students must be enrolled throughout the entire period of study.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted by using the online application portal of the Life Science Zurich Graduate School exclusively (for the links for Track 1 and Track 2 see at the bottom of the website in the teasers Application, Track 1 Application, Track 2 Application). Applications sent by e-mail or mail will not be accepted.

There are two ways to apply for the Clinical Science doctoral program:

Track 1: Applicants without a PhD position have to apply via track 1. Within the doctoral program, PhD positions will be advertised competitively in each application round. Open positions will be published on www.jobs.uzh.ch in spring/autumn. All applications received via track 1 will be checked for their suitability for the open positions. In an interview, the admissions commission examines the admission to the doctoral program. The person who has an open PhD position also takes part in the interview.

Track 2: Applicants who already have a supervisor for their PhD-project have to apply via track 2. In an interview, the admissions commission evaluates the qualification and motivation of the candidate. Please do not start your PhD-position before the interview. For the applications track 2 the deadlines May 1 and November 1 apply.

License to Practice Medicine

For some PhD positions, the licence to practice Medicine from the Swiss Bundesamt für Gesundheit (BAG) is mandatory for candidates with a master’s degree in Medicine that was not issued in Switzerland.

Applications will be reviewed by the admissions committee after the deadline. Please refer to your personal Glowbase account to find out about your current status. Interviews will be held in English and German.

The general responsibility for the doctoral program Clinical Science lays within the program committee which is set up by the Faculty of Medicine.

The doctoral program is managed by:

• Prof. Beatrix Latal, MD, Director
• Lea Schwab, MLaw, M.A., Program Coordinator

The current senior members of the doctoral program committee are:

• Prof. Beatrix Latal, MD, Director website
• Prof. Milo Puhan, MD, PhD, Deputy Director website
• Prof. Maries van den Broek, PhD, Vice Dean of Research website
• Prof. Dr. phil. Gerhard Rogler, MD website
• Prof. Barbara E. Stähli, MD website
• Prof. Susanne Wegener, MD website

Additional members of the doctoral program committee are:

• Lea Schwab, MLaw, M.A., Program Coordinator ( contact )
• Anna Joachimbauer, MD, PhD Student Representative
• Parisa Rahimzadeh, MD, PhD Student Representative

This committee decides on the development of the curriculum, coordinates the curricular requirements, is involved in the selection and admission of candidates and supports the cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine.

Member's Meeting

The Member's Meeting consists of faculty members taking part in the program. In addition, supervisors who are not faculty members but supervisors of students (mostly with private research programs) may be elected members. Tasks of the General Assembly include the strategic direction and organization of the doctoral program, the selection of the Directress or the Director as well as their deputies, and active participation in the doctoral program.

Compulsory Modules

Introduction to epidemiology (milo puhan, viktor von wyl et al.).

The overall goal of this 4-week block course Introduction to Epidemiology is to introduce students to the major questions of clinical and epidemiologic research and to methods to address these questions. The course follows an overall framework (Figure) that describes the course of scientific discovery from the detection and burden of disease and its causes, to diagnosis and prognosis of disease up to the development and evaluation of preventive and treatment interventions and their consequences for population health. We will discuss study designs in the context of existing knowledge and the type of evidence needed to advance knowledge for specific questions. Thereby, students learn to combine subject knowledge and methods expertise to design, conduct and interpret substantive medical research. The course will provide a basis for further studies and research in the fields of Medicine and Public Health (on Master or PhD level), both of which are very dynamic and diverse fields.

Next conduct in Fall Semester 2024

Advanced Medical Research Methods (Milo Puhan, Henock Yebyo, Miquel Serra-Burriel)

Modulleitung: Prof. Milo Puhan, MD, PhD Link: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute

This course has been designed for Clinical Science PhD students to learn and experience the scientific and practical aspects of applied clinical research methods.

Course Description:

Advanced Medical Research Methods The aim of this course is to introduce students to advanced research methods and apply previous knowledge in epidemiology and biostatistics into real-life research. To achieve this, the lectures will cover novel study designs (special designs of RCTs and observational studies like factorial RCTs and nested case-control studies), advanced statistical methods (propensity scores, missing data). We will introduce special topics in epidemiology related to modifiable risk factors (nutrition and physical activity) which can be applied to a variety of outcomes, as well as current topics in research (molecular epidemiology, big data and translational research). The ‘lab’ sessions will provide practical techniques, (using R) that will further expand the set of tools that the future PhDs will be able to apply in their research. Furthermore, the practical experience will be complemented by the group exercise of writing protocol for a fictional RCT (designed and developed during the semester) under a guidance of an epidemiologist/researcher at the ZAM.

Group Project:

Three groups of 3 to 4 students, preferentially with diverse interests and backgrounds, will design a feasible RCT to address a real public health problem. One lecturer will be assigned per group. Further administrative information will be provided at the beginning of the first lecture.

Prerequisites :

Intro to Epidemiology or RCT course (BME361) & Basic course in Biostatistic (ie Clinical Biostatistics or similar) & experiences in R.

Clinical Biostatistics (Leonhard Held, Stefanie von Felten)

The aim of the course "Clinical Biostatistics" is to give students an introduction to statistical methods in clinical research.

The following topics will be addressed: randomized controlled trials, bias, hypothesis tests and sample size calculation, randomization and blinding, confidence intervals and p-values, analysis of continuous and binary outcomes, multiplicity, subgroup analysis, protocol and protocol deviations, some special designs (crossover, equivalence, and clusters), analysis of diagnostic studies, analysis of agreement.

Please note that PhD students are asked to use the time between 12 and 15 h to prepare work for the lab.

Case Studies in Clinical Biostatistics (Ulrike Held, Manja Deforth) (1 ECTS Credit)

The aim of the course is to give students practice in different stages of clinical research projects: study design, primary outcome definition and sample size calculation, plausibility checks, data analysis and modelling, computation, interpretation, and communication of results, as well as dissemination according to EQUATOR guidelines. In 3 research projects, students will face real-world problems typically associated with study design, data analysis and reporting. A focus of the course will be on good research practice, application of statistics knowledge and reproducibility. We will use the statistical programming language R in combination with R Markdown for reproducibility and dynamic reporting.

Project 1: Comparison of the means of two populations, hypothesis testing with parametric and non-parametric tests, confidence intervals. Baseline adjustment with ANCOVA model.

Project 2: Research protocol for a clinical study, primary outcome, secondary outcomes, sample size determination.

Project 3: Estimation of the treatment effect in a randomized experiment with a time-to-event outcome, Kaplan-Meier curves, Cox proportional hazards model.

Students are encouraged to work in groups. At the end of each project, students will be asked to hand in individual reports and present their results in a 15 min talk. The talks and reports will be assessed. In order to enroll in this course it is mandatory without exception to have passed CS16_003 Clinical Biostatistics (Vorlesung und Übung).

Conduct: Thursdays, February 22 – April 4, 2024, 10:15 – 11:45 a.m., small seminar room (i.e. rooms 290 and 288), Careum 2 , 2nd floor, Gloriastrasse 18, 8006 Zurich

PhD Seminar (Bea Latal, Alisa Berger, Markus Grütter)

The objective of this course is to have a more detailed look into diverse research topics, methods and problems. Sessions are either based on a talk by an experienced researcher followed by a student lead discussion or on a general research topic which is being prepared by a group of PhD students for discussion with peers. Examples for discussed topics include personalized medicine, biomarkers, evidence based medicine, graphs in publications a.o.

Career Development, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 4:15 – 5:45 p.m. , large seminar room (i.e. rooms 290, 288 and 286), Careum 2 , 2nd floor, Gloriastrasse 18, 8006 Zurich

Bibliometrics and Social Media for Researchers, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 4:15 – 5:45 p.m. , large seminar room (i.e. rooms 290, 288 and 286), Careum 2 , 2nd floor, Gloriastrasse 18, 8006 Zurich

Scientific Integrity, Tuesday, May 28, 2024, 4:15 – 5:45 p.m. , large seminar room (i.e. rooms 290, 288 and 286), Careum 2 , 2nd floor, Gloriastrasse 18, 8006 Zurich

Optional Courses

Winning the publication game (jürgen barth).

Jürgen Barth teaches in this module the relevant steps to publish a manuscript. Participants will have the chance to exercise the process. This process includes the preparation work, writing the paper and submitting it. There are 10 major topic involved in the successful publication of a paper. Publication starts with the identification of the target group. Further, the main message has to be shaped. The lecturer gives advice on the covering letter for the editor. He instructs how to handle the comments of the reviewers. Prerequisite for the participants is to have specific plans for a manuscript, that will be submitted within 6 months. In the course, the relevant steps for the submission of the manuscript are conferred. The lecturer will deal with all individual manuscripts. All PhD students in their 2nd or 3rd year are welcome to register. By actively participating and doing the exercises, the participants will be able to develop the skills to win the publication game.

Basic Introduction to Programming in R Focusing on Medical Research (Ulrike Held, Monika Hebeisen)

The course covers basics of programming and data formats in R, and the essential steps of a data analysis including data manipulation, descriptive statistics, statistical tests and graphical representations. The course is taylored to medical research and limited to 20 participants.

Get R_eady: Introduction to Data Analysis for Empirical Research (Ulrike Held, Monika Karin Hebeisen, Stefania Iaquinto)

The course offers an introduction to data analysis in the transdisciplinary field of empirical research in the programming language R. The R system of statistical computing is openly available from https://www.r-project.org and provides a simple and flexible software environment for statistical analyses and graphics. Tailored to the application of empirical research the course covers basics of functions and data formats in R, as well as the essential steps of a data analysis including data manipulation, descriptive statistics, statistical tests and graphical representations. Reflections on research methodology and transdisciplinarity will take place and critical thinking will be enhanced.

Conduct: Thursdays, April 11 – April 25, 2024 , 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. , KO2-D-54 , Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich

Implementation Science in Health Care (Lauren Clack, Rahel Naef et al.)

Implementation science is the scientific study of methods to promote the systematic integration of research findings and evidence-based practices into care delivery and the de-integration of low value care. Implementation science is a newer field of study that addresses the know-do gap in health care and builds on the insight that proving effectiveness of an innovation (practice, model of care, intervention, treatment modality etc.) does not automatically translate into effective adoption in clinical practice.

Implementation science therefore aims to:

• increase and accelerate the adoption of research findings and evidence-based practices;
• scale-up effective interventions to different contexts;
• develop knowledge on implementation strategies that are tailored to contextual barriers and enablers to adoption and research use;
• increase the involvement of clinicians, patients, families, and the public in research;
• achieve knowledge circulation i.e., to enable the transfer of knowledge from practice to research.

In this course, students will gain an understanding of the role of implementation science in clinical health research, familiarize themselves with implementation science methods, and develop skills by applying implementation science methods in their field of research.

Conduct: Wednesdays, February 28 – May 8, 2024, 09:00 – 11:45 a.m. , Institute for Implementation Science in Health Care, UNK-E-2 , Universitätsstrasse 84, 8006 Zurich

Applied Implementation Science in Health Care (Lauren Clack, Rahel Naef)

This module will help students to gain a deeper and applied knowledge of Implementation Science. Students will have the opportunity to tailor course content to their current projects and interests by selecting from a pre-defined list of implementation topics to be covered during the semester. Working in small groups, students will prepare their chosen topics and present them to the class. Every session will furthermore provide the opportunity to transfer learnings from the presented topic (s) to one’s own project. Topics to choose from (finalization in the first session):

• Human-centered design (co-design) and implementation science
• Tailoring implementation strategies
• Evaluating context
• Research logic models
• Theories, Models, and Frameworks
• De-implementation
• Quantitative & qualitative measures
• Health economic evaluation and implementation science

Statistische Modelle mit R ( Christina Ramsenthaler )

Der Kurs widmet sich den wichtigsten statistischen Auswertungsmethoden für unterschiedlichste Arten von Studien (Experimentalstudien, Beobachtungsstudien (Kohorten-, Fallkontrollstudien, deskriptive Quer- und Längsschnittstudien), Sekundäranalysen (z. B. Metaanalysen)). Es werden die wichtigsten Auswertungstechniken quantitativer Daten und die wichtigsten statistischen Modelle der Gesundheitswissenschaften mit der Open-Source Software R besprechen:

• lineare Modelle und deren Spezialfälle (LM: t-Test, ANOVA, Regression);
• Regressionsmodelle für ausgewählte Datentypen wie Zähldaten und zweiwertige Daten (GLM: Poisson, logistische Regression);
• multivariate Verfahren (Hauptkomponenten- und Faktoranalyse);
• Einführung in Überlebensanalysen (survival analysis);
• hierarchische Modelle (LMM: lineare gemischte Modelle); 
• ausgewählte Methoden der Metaanalyse;
• Arbeit mit dem Grafikpackage ggplot2, Arbeit mit den Packages im Tidyverse und Einführung in RMarkdown zur Berichterstellung.

Conduct: Tuesdays, February 20 – March 12, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 05:00 p.m., on February 20, 2024, room 286, Careum 2 , 2nd floor, Gloriastrasse 18, 8006 Zurich on February 27 and March 12, 2024, by Zoom on March 5, 2024, room 274, Careum 2 , 2nd floor, Gloriastrasse 18, 8006 Zurich

Überfachliche Kompetenzen

Zu den Kursen des Graduate Campus für Doktorierende im Frühjahrssemester 2024 gelangen Sie hier .

University of Zurich Dean's Office / Office of the Board of Directors of the Academic Medicine Zurich (UMZH) Pestalozzistrasse 3 CH-8032 Zurich

Lea Schwab, MLaw, M.A. Telefon: +41 44 634 48 39 E-Mail: [email protected]

Weiterführende Informationen

Application to the doctoral program track 1: click here Application to the doctoral program track 2: click here Next deadline: Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Interview dates (for the application period November 2, 2023 – May 1, 2024) : Tuesday, June 11, 2024, 09:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Friday, June 14, 2024, 09:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Track 1 Application

Candidates seeking PhD positions may apply for a PhD position within the PhD program Clinical Science and use the following link to apply. The job announcement will be posted here in due course.

Track 2 Application

Candidates who have a PhD position use the following link to apply.

Employment Rules

Employment should be in line with the rules of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF).

• Clinical Science_Empfehlung Anstellung (PDF, 158 KB)

Life Science Zurich Graduate School

Graduate Campus

Promotion regulation.

The promotion regulation for the title Doctor scientarium medicarum (Dr. sc. med.) of the University of Zurich can be found under the following link (available in German only).

• Promotion Regulation of September 6, 2021
• Overview Applicable Regulations (PDF, 101 KB)

Regulations for the General Outline of Rights and Responsibilities

The Regulations for the General Outline of Rights and Responsibilities of the Faculties for Teaching and Research Assistants and Doctoral Candidates can be found under the following link.  Regulations for the General Outline of Rights and Responsibilities

Information on the modules can be found in the course catalogue under the following link.

• Curriculum Overview (PDF, 121 KB)
• Curriculum Mandatory Modules DO 2022 (PDF, 143 KB)

Recommended MOOCs

The doctoral program committee recommends the following high-quality massive open online courses (MOOCs) on the topic of systematic review and meta-analysis:

• Introduction to Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• Understanding Systematic Reviews – an Introduction for Health Professionals
• Meta-Analysis – Advanced Methods Using the Stata Software

Summary of Teaching Activities

This form is to be completed and signed by the PhD student at each annual PhD committee meeting, endorsed by the responsible professor.

• Summary of Teaching Activities (PDF, 696 KB)

Guidelines Multiple Affiliations

The guidelines should be followed when specifying the affiliation in all publication. This assures recognition of the scientific achievements.

Information

Information on the promotion within this program:

Fact sheet Completing a Thesis in the Doctoral Program Clinical Science DO 2022

Example of the cover sheet of your thesis:

Please follow the instructions concerning the print of your thesis. Spiral binding is not permitted.

The following contact persons and counseling centers are available to you in the event of a conflict: Program Specific Consulting Lea Schwab, MLaw, M.A. Conflict Management for PhD Candidates Psychological Counseling Services Advice on Problems Related to Employment, Job Specifications and the Position as a Member of the UZH Mid-Level Staff Association of Junior Researchers of the University of Zurich (VAUZ) Advice also for External PhD Candidates in Case of Difficulties at the Workplace Employee Assistance Office (MBS) Contact Point for Suspected Scientific Misconduct Among UZH Researchers Ombudsperson and Deputies Research Integrity

We congratulate

our PhD student:  Antonio Giulio Gennari, MD, for the Anna-Müller-Grocholski-Prize 2023 of the Swiss Society of Neuropaediatrics for his work: "Lesion volume and spike frequency impact perfusion in focal cortical dysplasia: a pediatric arterial spin labeling study" (1st prize in the scientific work category).

Florian Alexander Wenzl, MD, for the FAN Award 2023 in the field of medicine and natural sciences for his research on the topic: "Sex-specific evaluation and redevelopment of the GRACE score in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes in populations from the UK and Switzerland: a multinational analysis with external cohort validation."

our graduates: Melanie Ehrler, PhD, for the FAN Award 2024 in the field of medicine and natural sciences for her research project: "Die Verbindung zwischen Herz und Hirn – ein interdisziplinärer Ansatz zur Verbesserung der Entwicklung von Kindern mit angeborenem Herzfehler." 

Kevin Sven Akeret, MD, PhD, for the Annual Prize 2023 of the Faculty of Medicine for his dissertation: "Cerebrospinal fluid hemoglobin in the pathophysiology, diagnosis and therapy of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage related secondary brain injury". Florentia Dimitriou, MD, PhD, PD, for the Research Fellowship 2023 of the Siegenthaler Foundation for her research focus: "Delineating the role of the microbiome and immunotherapy response across melanoma subtypes", the Skin Cancer Award 2022 from the Association for Skin Cancer Research at the University Hospital Zurich for her research project: "Serum and tissue biomarkers associated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patient treated with anti-PD1-based immune checkpoint inhibitors" and to the Georg Friedrich Götz-Prize 2022 of the UZH Foundation for her research topic: "Immunotherapy in advanced mucosal melanoma". Egle Ramelyte, MD, PhD, for the Pfizer Research Prize 2022 for her research topic: "Effects of oncolytic viruses on cell function in skin lymphoma" and for the Skin Cancer Award 2020 from the Association for Skin Cancer Research at the University Hospital Zurich for her research project: "Ocolytic virotherapy mediated anti-tumor response through a single-cell’s perspective".

Impressions from the retreat on September 22, 2023

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Registration for the Doctorate

> Contact the Doctoral Administration