Doctoral studies

Doctoral students have both the right and the duty to continue their education. The primary objective of doctoral study is to increase your knowledge and skills in the field of your doctoral thesis project. However, it should also serve to broaden your education in associated and interdisciplinary fields and lead to your closer integration in the scientific community.

Recognition for doctoral studies is in the form of credits. One credit corresponds to a period of study of 25-30 working hours. Credits are only awarded for work that is verifiably your own.

A total of at least 12 credits is required, of which at least one third have to be acquired outside the field of research. Credits can be awarded for active participation in ETH Zurich committees and working groups. The department responsible for you decides on the awarding of credits. If you have any questions, please contact the relevant department.

Note:

Despite certain similarities, these are not ECTS points, but specific separate credits for doctoral studies. These often do not correspond to the ECTS credit points given in the Course Catalogue. Each department regulates in its detailed requirements for individual doctoral study how many credits are awarded for how much work.
12 is the minimum number of credits, as prescribed in the Regulations for Doctoral Studies. The departments determine for themselves the exact number of credits that have to be accumulated. Please find out from the department in question how many credit points they require, or check the detailed requirements for individual doctoral study.

Doctoral students have the duty and the right to continue their education within the framework of their doctorate. Doctoral studies include the deepening of specialised knowledge, the expansion of interdisciplinary competences, as well as integration into the scientific community. Doctoral students coordinate the details of their individual doctoral studies with the supervisor of their doctoral thesis.

All doctoral students must complete a regular doctoral studies comprising at least 12 ECTS credits.

While the Ordinance on Doctoral Studies lays down the basic elements for this, the details are up to the individual departments. Depending on the department in which you are doing your doctorate, the required scope and other provisions for the regular doctoral studies may therefore vary. The corresponding details can be found in the detailed stipulations of the departments regarding the doctorate.

For the prescribed ECTS credits, either a performance assessment must be passed or an active, verifiable contribution must be made. Generally, 1 ECTS credit point corresponds to 25 to 30 hours of work.

The following areas must be covered within the regular doctoral programme:

Deepening and broadening of knowledge within and outside the research area of the doctoral thesis
Acquisition of transferable skills, incl. ethics and good scientific practice (min 1 ECTS credit point)
Integration into the scientific community

There are also clear guidelines for courses and assessments that may be credited within the regular doctoral studies, which are set out in the document "Download Doctoral Studies - Quality of Creditable Coursework (PDF, 177 KB)". In particular, externally offered courses and completed performance assessments must be checked against these standards to ensure that they can be recognised. It is equally important that the coursework to be completed is agreed individually between the doctoral students and the supervisors of doctoral theses and that the department's doctoral administration is involved in this process at an early stage.

Under certain circumstances, admission to the doctorate may be linked to the requirement of extended doctoral studies. This is the case if the evaluation of the application dossier by the Prorector Doctorate and the doctoral committee of the department leads to the conclusion that there are professional gaps in the research area that need to be filled. If admitted, a recommendation will be made in this regard. Doctoral students coordinate the details of the extended doctoral programme with the supervisor of their doctoral thesis.

Any extended doctoral studies will be stipulated in the official admission letter at the time of provisional admission.

To enrol for the coming semester and to register for courses use myStudies.

Doctoral studies are administrated by the departments. All questions about course registrations, the collection and accreditation of ECTS credit points, final exams etc. must be directed towards the doctoral administration of your department.

Reasonable adjustments enable doctoral students suffering from disability and chronic illness to study without disadvantage. Reasonable adjustment measures usually involve modified examination conditions, e.g. extension of the examination time or the use of certain aids. Learning objectives remain unchanged.

NOTE: Reasonable adjustments can only be granted for performance assessments in courses offered by ETH.

You may request reasonable adjustments using the form "Request for reasonable adjustments".

A fully completed request will contain the following documents:

Completed request form
Medical certificate
If available: evidence of decisions regarding previous reasonable adjustments at other educational institutions

Medical certificate

The medical certificate must set out how far your disability or chronic illness causes disadvantage, and describe the possible measures which would compensate for the disadvantages listed.

Checklist "Medical certificate reasonable adjustments"

Submission deadline

The request and all supporting documents must be submitted on time, i.e. at the latest by the deadline (closing date). The submission is regarded as on time if the fully completed request is uploaded at the latest by midnight (24:00) on the closing date.

Form "Request for reasonable adjustments"

> Contact the Doctoral Administration