Doctoral Candidates
Table of contents
Studying at UZH
Application and admission
International students holding a Master’s degree are eligible to apply for admission to a doctoral program at UZH. The application procedure depends on whether you are interested in an individual doctorate or a doctoral program. Please note that the two procedures differ considerably.
Information on the application procedures, forms, semester fees and deadlines can be found on the University's website.
Admission to Doctoral Studies at UZH
Information on exchange programs and financial aid
Please ask your home university whether it has an exchange agreement with the University of Zurich. You can find more information about Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (Bundes-Exzellenz-Stipendium) at The Swiss Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Scholars and Artists.
Information about other sources of financial aid is available at Euraxess Switzerland.
Research funding
Information on funding opportunities for doctoral candidates at UZH can be found on the following website.
Working at UZH
Employment at UZH
For employment-related matters, your supervisor and Human Resources are the best source of information. At ISC, we're happy to help you find the right contact person, answer general questions about working in Switzerland or support you in case of language issues.
HR has collected the basic questions on the website UZH as employer. You'll find information on the probation period, working hours, family benefits, parental leave and more topics on the following website and document.
Employment as a doctoral candidate
An employment at UZH is based on public law. Instead of a contract signed by both employee and employer, you will receive an agreement signed only by the employer. This is called an employment by means of an order ("Anstellungsverfügung").
As a doctoral candidate, you're employed non-permanently. The exact duration of your employment is stated in your employment order. A position as doctoral candidate is limited to six years. As a project employee, your employment can last one to three years. This can be extended to up to nine years in total.
Please note that for scholars from non-EU/EFTA countries, the maximum period of studies is 8 years (including degree, doctorate and postdoctorate studies or employment).
Information and Services
The website UZH for Doctoral Candidates compiles links to all relevant topics and services for PhD candidates at UZH, ranging from the University's sports association ASVZ (of which you are automatically a member once you've received your student card) to information on libraries, continuing education, career services, entrepreneurship and much more.
Relocation to Switzerland
For detailed information on what you need to take into account upon relocating to Switzerland, please refer to our page Before and After Arrival.