Application

Before applying to the GHS, doctoral candidates must have been accepted by a thesis advisor and offered a position. Check the websites of the participating faculties for details about research activities and open PhD positions at the University of Bern.

General Information: Application Procedure

The application procedure comprises two separate steps:

  1. Registration at the University of Bern (before application to the GHS)
  2. Application to the GHS

Requirements for admission to the GHS is a master's degree or an equivalent diploma from a Swiss or a foreign university. Adequate knowledge of English is a mandatory prerequisite.
Applications to the GHS must be submitted to the GHS Coordinator within 6 months of having started the research project.
Within 1-3 months after having submitted the written application, each candidate will be invited to a personal interview with one of the GHS Expert Committees (FK).

Which Rules Apply to My PhD Program?

All candidates who were admitted to the GHS after 01.05.2023 will do their PhD under the new regulations.

Step 1: Registration at the University of Bern

Registration at the University of Bern

At the University of Bern, all applicants are required to apply online for admission, as indicated on the websites mentioned below. Read the instructions on the respective website, fill in the relevant form "Confirmation of Supervision," and follow the steps indicated on the form. The form "Confirmation of Supervision" has to be signed by the GHS Coordinator in the last section of p. 2. No signature is required from the Dean's Office.

Please keep in mind the application deadlines of the Admissions Office.

Please also note that registration at the University of Bern is a prerequisite for applying to the GHS. The decision about acceptance of the applicant to the GHS is made after the application to the GHS and the interview with the Expert Committee (see above).

Candidates with Foreign Diplomas

Registration at the University of Bern is required before signing your employment contract with your supervisor. Therefore, please contact the ZIB so that they can verify that your certificates are recognized.

Please be aware that the credit system used by a non-Swiss university might be different than the one used by Swiss universities (ECTS – European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System; 1 ECTS = 25-30 hours of work).

If there is no information about the number of ECTS in the diploma documents, please include official information about the ratio of your degree's credit points compared with ECTS when you send your diploma.

Make sure that the title of your master thesis is inserted in your CV.

 

 

INFO

Please note that candidates must register at the same faculty with which their supervisor is affiliated.

  • Choose PhD in Health Sciences med. if your thesis advisor is from the Medical Faculty
  • Choose PhD in Health Sciences phil.-hum. if your thesis advisor is from the Faculty of Human Sciences
  • Choose PhD in Health Sciences vet. if your thesis advisor is from the Vetsuisse Faculty

Step 2: Application to the GHS

Deadlines for Application

Application deadlines for the GHS: January 10th, May 1st, September 1st
 

Application Procedure

Submit your electronic documents #1-8 as a single merged PDF file to info.ghs@unibe.ch.
Incomplete files/folders will not be considered.

 

GHS Application Checklist

  1. Fully completed dated and signed GHS Application Form. Please note that either an electronic or scanned signature is necessary.
  2. Curriculum vitae - add the title of your master thesis and a list of publications, if any, to your CV.
  3. Letter of acceptance by the thesis advisor including financial pledge by the thesis advisor, granting the candidate, as a rule, a salary according to the standard of SNSF regulations (Letter of acceptance and financial pledge). Financial support must be granted  for a minimum of 3 years for Expert Committee I and II (FKI and FKII). For candidates for Expert Committee III (FKIII), both research and clinical salaries must be awarded for a minimum of 4 years.
  4. Written Statement co-referee (old regulations) or Statement co-referee (new regulations), dated and signed.
  5. Only if you also have a co-thesis advisor (not mandatory): Written Statement co-thesis advisor (old regulations) or Statement co-thesis advisor (new regulations), dated and signed.
  6. Additionally and only for candidates that apply to the Expert Committee III (PhD in Clinical Sciences, FK III):
    Clear and explicit confirmation of the clinical position from the head of the clinic. This document should also include a statement that 50% of time is allocated to research for the entire duration of the PhD. We recommend embedding a prospective study in the proposal based either on an observational or a randomized control trial study. We would accept a retrospective study based on a new methodology that is originally applied by the candidate and in which the candidate's substantial innovative contribution is clearly described.
  7. Description of planned research project using the GHS research project form. Ensure that your research project stands out by crafting a detailed 4-6 page description (including references). Emphasize the significance of hypotheses and objectives while providing sufficient insight into methodologies and experimental design. Confirmation by the Ethics Committee that the planned experiments are approved needs to be included, if applicable. Here is a good example: Example research project form.
  8. Photocopies of university diplomas and intermediate diplomas/exam certificates (e.g. bachelor and master).
  9. Photocopies of all transcripts/grade sheets (e.g. bachelor and master). Certified photocopies of translations of all documents from #8 and #9 if they are issued in a language other than German, English, French or Italian. Transcripts must include a conversion key for grades if needed.

  10. Only for candidates with a master’s degree from a Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen, FH) or a University of Teacher Education (Pädagogische Hochschule, PH), these additional requirements apply:

    • Master’s degree with a minimum grade of 5.
    • Joint supervision from the University of Bern and the FH/PH.
    • The application will be reviewed by the Bridge Commission, which will assess how many ECTS the candidate should complete as additional demands. The Bridge Commission evaluates the CVs of the candidates with a master's degree from a FH and a PH sur dossier in accordance with the new regulations.

 

For further details, see:
http://www.ghs.unibe.ch/application_and_admission/application/index_eng.html