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Life Science Zurich

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Communication & Events

Life Science Zurich Communication & Events connects the life science research at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich. In addition, it communicates the importance and impact of ongoing scientific research to the interested public, focusing on fundamental knowledge.

Graduate School

The Life Science Zurich Graduate School consists of seventeen highly competitive Ph.D. programs and one MD/PhD program. It is run jointly by the ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. The Ph.D. programs of the LSZ GS attract the best students worldwide by offering them a strong teaching curriculum and a clear mentoring system.

Learning Center

Operating at the intersection between academic research, practical scientific education and the public, the LSZ Learning Center offers a wide range of events and activities such as lab practices for pupils, training and further education for teachers and for selected professionals.

Young Scientist Network

The LSZ Young Scientist network is created and run by a group of graduate students / post-docs of the University and the ETH Zurich. They strive to reduce the existing gap between academic research and the life science industry by hosting events for young academics and by stimulating interactions between people from various life science sectors.

Business Network

The LSZ Business Network promotes cooperations between the Life Science stakeholders in academia, industry and the public sector in the Greater Zurich area as well as with other Life Science Centers in Switzerland and across the world.

Weiterführende Informationen

Subscribe to the lsz newsletter.

The Life Science Zurich newsletter informs you about ongoing events.

Life Science Research in Zurich

Life scientists at the University and ETH Zurich are active and successful. Do you want to form your own view on a life science topic or to get the necessary knowledge for a founded decision? Life Science Zurich summarizes the main research findings of the two Zurich universities and publishes them here.

Visualising multiple sclerosis with a new MRI procedure

Scientists successfully simulate protein complex that initiates fertilisation, new agent blocks stress response.

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Department of Management, Technology, and Economics

Doctoral studies.

Doctoral studies ensure that you deepen your knowledge within and beyond the subject area of your thesis and master skills important for your future career.  

Doctoral studies are a compulsory part of the doctorate. They enable you to deepen your knowledge within and beyond the subject area of your thesis and master skills important for your future career. Additionally, these courses should help you broaden your knowledge in associated and interdisciplinary fields and lead to a closer integration in the academic community.

As a doctoral student, you will determine your courses in consultation with your supervising professor and have to earn 18 ECTS credits. Credits earned before commencement of your doctoral studies will not be recognised.

Please note that depending on what courses you take, accreditation might have to be done manually in myStudies:

Course Catalogues

Doctoral courses offered at d-mtec.

• chevron_right Doctoral courses in economics at D-MTEC
• chevron_right Doctoral courses in management at D-MTEC

Courses offered at ETH Zurich

• chevron_right ETH Course Catalogue
• chevron_right LET Educational Development and Technology
• chevron_right Communication Academy
• chevron_right ETHics Resource Platform

Selected courses offered at other Swiss universities

• external page call_made University of Zurich
• external page call_made University of St. Gallen
• external page call_made University of Bern

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MaP Doctoral School

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Ready to make an impact in science and society!

The MaP Doctoral School of ETH Zurich provides topclass international doctoral education in advanced materials, processes and manufacturing technologies.

Join the ETH Zurich MaP Doctoral School for your doctoral studies and drive future transformations in the way materials and processes shape the world:

• join cutting-edge laboratories directed by internationally renowned professors
• acquire technical knowledge through customised thematic tracks
• profit from a multifaceted programme to develop your skills  
• dive into the collaborative spirit of the School & take on an active role in shaping a vibrant community

learn more sign up

Current doctoral students

learn more about

• overall initiative
• more detailed information depending on advancement of your doctoral studies
• overview of benefits when joining the School
• upcoming events

Prospective talents

open doctoral positions

Questions & Support

Social Media

external page ETH Zurich Competence Center for Materials and Processes (MaP) call_made

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Institute for Biomedical Engineering

Doctoral students, phd students.

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Zurich PhD Program in Molecular Life Sciences

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General information: 

https://www.ethz.ch/en/doctorate/registration-admission.html

Application Deadlines: no specific deadlines for doctoral students.

1. Fill out either the pdf application form (bilingual German/English) which lists all the documents you need to provide.

https://www.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/main/doctorate/files/application_form_doc.pdf

2. Ask your supervisor to sign the “Confirmation of doctoral thesis supervision” included in the application form above.

If your thesis supervisor is a honorary professor or a senior lecturer but not a professor at ETH, please also provide the following form:

https://www.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/main/doctorate/files/approval_supervision.pdf

3. Pay the registration fee of CHF 50.- (holders of a Swiss Master degree but not ETH or EPFL) or 150.- (holders of a foreign Master degree) and send the payment slip or other proof of payment with your application.

Provided your application is complete, matriculation at ETH will be immediate. The admission as a PhD student is provisional at this stage and the official admission together with the decision regarding possible additional requirements to fulfill (courses, exams to take) will take longer.

Please also check the doctoral studies page of the department you will be doing your PhD at, there may be additional regulations to follow.

Biology (D-BIOL) >>

Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE) >>

Chemistry and Applied Biosciences (D-CHAB) >>

Health Sciences and Technologies (D-HEST)  >>

Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS) >>

Ordinance for doctoral studies ETH (in German) >>

PhD Survival Guide ETH  >>

Weiterführende Informationen

ETH Survival Guide

Regulations phd studies ethz.

Ordinance PhD Studies ETHZ (in German) >>  

Special departmental regulations:

General Information about PhD Student

https://www.ethz.ch/en/doctorate.html

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Institute of Biochemistry

Most of our PhD students are members of one of the various PhD programs in the framework of the “Life Science Zurich Graduate School”.

Life Science Zurich Graduate School:

external page http://www.lifescience-graduateschool.ch/ call_made

PhD thesis committee

For each PhD student, a thesis committee serves as a scientific advisory board throughout the PhD work. Committee members give comments, advice and support to students in order to ensure that the thesis can be completed in an appropriate time frame and with the best possible outcome. In addition to the student’s own research group, the thesis committee provides an independent forum for scientific discussion. Moreover, the thesis committee might help in solving points of disagreement between the student and the supervisor. Finally, the thesis committee can help the supervisor to define the end of the thesis. The thesis committee should be defined when starting the PhD work and when the project has been decided as a joint decision between the supervisor and PhD student. The committee should be composed of at least two scientists who have an expertise in the scientific field or related area. Thesis members often work in and around Zurich, but this is not exclusive. Costs for travel of thesis committee members are paid by the supervisor. The student should meet with the committee at least once per year and committee meeting organization is the student's responsibility. Committee meetings generally start with a presentation by the PhD student of their work, followed by a discussion of the data, problems, and future perspectives. The thesis committee generally writes a short report about each meeting to the Director of the PhD program. Members of the thesis committee can eventually become “Koreferent” for the thesis. The decision whether somebody can be suggested as a “Koreferent” is made by the Doktoratsausschuss of D-Biol.

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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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Cancer Biology

(doctoral program), degree program: doctorate faculty of science.

General description Admission requirements ECTS credits Degree Language of instruction

General description

The PhD program in Cancer Biology trains participating students towards a PhD (Dr. sc. nat. or Dr. sc. ETH Zürich) in basic or clinical cancer research. In the course of the studies, the students’ scientific achievements actively contribute to the success of cancer research in Zurich. To be admitted to the program, the students must hold a Master Degree in biological sciences and pass an admission interview. The original research carried out during the course of the studies must be described in a PhD thesis, which is externally reviewed. Subject to a positive review, the students must defend the thesis in a public presentation that is followed by a closed examination by the responsible faculty members. During the course of the studies, the students must acquire at least 12 ECTS credits, and attend four mandatory courses and one students’ retreat. Furthermore, the PhD students are required to hold regular meetings with their thesis committee.

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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Life Science Zurich Graduate School

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• Biomedical Ethics and Law
• Biomedicine
• Biomolecular Structure and Mechanism
• Cancer Biology
• Clinical Science
• Drug Discovery
• Epidemiology and Biostatistics
• Evolutionary Biology
• Integrative Molecular Medicine
• Microbiology and Immunology
• Molecular Life Sciences
• Molecular and Translational Biomedicine
• Neuroscience
• Plant Sciences
• RNA Biology
• Science and Policy
• Systems Biology