Doctoral Studies
The doctorate degree at University of Zurich is divided into the:
- General Doctorate and
- Structured Doctoral Programs / Graduate Schools
The application procedures for both types of doctorate degree programs are different.
Application Procedure
1a. General Doctorate
If you are interested in a general doctoral program, you must first contact an instructor at the institute in your field of study and present your thesis idea. You can submit an application for doctoral studies as soon as you have found an advisor. The advisor then signs a confirmation form which must be submitted with the rest of the application material.
(not for applicants of the Faculty of Arts)
1b. Structured Doctoral Programs / Graduate Schools
Candidates
for these programs are required to pre-register at the institute in their chosen field
of study. The institute itself will decide on admission to its program. You
will find information on requirements and application material as well as
registration deadlines on the homepage of the faculty or institute in question.
2. Online Application / Application Form (PDF) and Application Documents
After you have received the doctoral student’s confirmation, please fill in either the online application form or the application form in English (PDF). Please note that you have to fill in an application form in case you apply for the generale doctorate as well as if you apply for a structured program / graduate school. The admissions office will confirm receipt of the application and inform you about what documents to submit and what the next steps will be.
If you are a UZH student in a Master's or licentiate's program and want to continue studying in a doctoral program, you must apply for the program during the next online semester enrollment. Do not use the online application.
Please note the application deadlines.