Timeline
The maximum duration for a doctorate at ETH Zurich is 6 years.
At D-HEST, doctoral students have to acquire 12 credit points during their doctoral studies.
Information about regular and extended dotoral studies, and credit points
Agree on a date and time for your doctoral examination with your supervisor (examiner) and co-examiners, find a chairperson and inform the doctoral administration of the department accordingly.
On the doctoral examination registration form, the department must confirm that you have obtained the required credit points. Fill in the form and ask the responsible person for approval of your credit points:
For doctoral students studying under the previous regulations:
- Food Science: Dr. Jeannette Nuessli Guth, Study Programme Coordinator
- Health Sciences and Technology: Dr. Roland Müller, Study Programme Coordinator
For doctoral students studying under the new regulations:
- Food Science, Health Sciences and Technology:
Register for the examination at the ETH Doctoral Administration, Academic Services department, at least 15 working days before your examination date.
An electronic version of the thesis is to be submitted to the examination committee, the chair of the examination and the doctoral administration of the department upon registration. Printed versions are only to be provided on request.
The doctoral administration of the department will issue and distribute the invitation to the examination. They will also ask the examiner and co-examiners for reports on the thesis.
Doctoral examinations at D-HEST last at least 1 hour, not including the candidate’s presentation. As a rule, they are open to the public and published on the website of the department and in the event calendar of ETH Zurich. On request of the supervisor, a doctoral examination can also be non-public.
A doctoral examination can take place physically or virtually. A combination of these two forms is also possible (hybrid format). The department can make restrictions to the formats offered.
In case of a successful examination, the D-HEST Department Conference will be asked for approval of the graduation. The doctoral examination must take place at least 2 weeks before the date of the conference at which the graduation is planned to be approved. The request for approval of the graduation will only be submitted to the Department Conference when required corrections to the doctoral thesis have been carried out.
Once the thesis has been approved by the Department Conference, the title and content may no longer be changed.
After approval by the Department Conference, you will receive a confirmation letter for your graduation from Academic Services (ETH Doctoral Administration) and automatically be de-matriculated.
The deposit copies of the thesis have to be handed in within 3 months after the Department Conference approving your graduation.
Detailed information on the further steps after approval by the department is available on the student portal.