PhD Degree (new regulations)

As soon as you start planning your thesis defense, please inform the GHS via email at info.ghs@unibe.ch (email subject "Defense plan").

Guidelines for the Submission of the PhD Thesis

General Information

It is the doctoral candidate's responsibility to schedule a date for the defense, in agreement with the thesis committee and the independent expert. Furthermore, enough time must be granted to the examiners (thesis advisor, co-thesis advisor (if applicable), co-referee and independent expert) for writing the thesis assessments. Please clarify directly with the examiners how much time they need.

The GHS Office is responsible for checking if the suggested independent expert qualifies for this role. Please contact the GHS Office with the name of the suggested independent expert when you start planning your defense.

Instructions for the preparation and submission of your PhD defense documents are detailed below.

The doctoral degree will be issued jointly by the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Human Sciences and the Vetsuisse Faculty, after submission of the written thesis and successful thesis defense.

As a rule, the thesis must be submitted no later than one year after completion of the research work.

The university regulations require enrollment until the successful completion of studies. If the thesis is submitted before January 31 or July 31 and the defense takes place before the start of the new semester, i.e. by week 7 or 37 respectively, enrollment in the following semester is no longer required.

 

Step-by-Step to the PhD Degree

1. Submission Details

  • Please inform the GHS at least two months in advance of your planned thesis defense date via email at info.ghs@unibe.ch (email subject "Defense plan").
  • All PhD defense documents must reach the GHS Office 6 weeks before the specified date of the thesis defense at the latest. 
  • In good time before submitting your documents to the GHS, you should provide your thesis advisor, your co-thesis advisor (if applicable), your co-referee and the independent expert with a copy of your thesis, after it has been discussed with your thesis advisor. Please clarify directly with the examiners how much time they need.
  • The thesis advisors/co-referee and the independent expert should send their assessments directly to the GHS-coordinator Dr. Tullia Padovani Schipper with the GHS Office in CC 6 weeks before the defense date. 
  • The electronic copy of your PhD thesis must be uploaded on SWITCH FileSender and addressed to info.ghs@unibe.ch.
  • Please be aware that the title of the thesis must be the same as in the PhD Degree form. Furthermore, no changes to the title of the thesis or your PhD title are allowed after submission to the GHS, unless the change is made upon agreement with the GHS Office.

2. Requirements for PhD Degree Application

  • All required ECTS for the curriculum collected
  • Successful completion of 1st and 2nd year examinations
  • At least three scientific papers submitted to peer-reviewed journals: One paper for which the candidate is the first author must be accepted for publication and another two (first author or co-author) must have reached the peer-review stage before the defense documents submission deadline. See detailed publication requirements on our website
  • Sufficient assessment (graded 4 or above) by the thesis advisor, co-thesis advisor (if applicable) and co-referee
  • Sufficient assessment (graded 4 or above) by the independent expert

3. PhD Thesis

The default PhD thesis is cumulative. If the candidate wishes to submit the thesis in the form of a monograph, permission from the GHS Steering Board is required. This implies that the candidate, together with their supervision team, must submit a reasoned request and have approval from the Steering Board before the deadline for the defense documents.

The thesis must have been approved by the thesis advisor and must contain the following sections:

  • Front page (use the GHS template) 

  • Abstract

  • Detailed introduction into the field

  • Hypothesis and aim of the thesis

  • Results section (publications): For the default cumulative thesis, the results need to be added as published or submitted manuscripts. A separate page needs to be inserted before each manuscript in the thesis, where the title of the manuscript, journal, submission status and a short description of your own contribution is stated

  • Comprehensive discussion and outlook/perspectives

  • Curriculum vitae and list of publications

  • Declaration of Originality, which must be dated, signed and included in the electronic copy of the thesis, with your scanned-in or electronic signature 

Layout: The cover page and deans’ signature page must be printed on one side only, while for the remaining pages of the thesis, duplex (double-sided) print is preferred.

Each PhD thesis submitted to the GHS will be screened for improper citations and potential plagiarism by means of a specialized plagiarism detection system. It it important that neither you, your thesis advisor nor others conduct a plagiarism check of your thesis. For guidelines on scientific integrity and prevention of plagiarism, please consult the links referring to scientific integrity in the "Find out more" section at the bottom of this page.

Downloads:

4. Assessments by Thesis advisor, Co-thesis advisor, Co-referee and Independent Expert

The thesis is evaluated within 6 weeks after submission with two expert assessments:

  • A first assessment by the thesis advisor, co-thesis advisor (if applicable) and co-referee evaluates the work process and reviews the written thesis. The thesis advisor, co-thesis advisor and co-referee express one common grade. The assessment should follow the guidelines for thesis advisor and co-referee assessment.

The assessments must be written in English and sent as a PDF directly by the examiners to Dr. Tullia Padovani Schipper, with the GHS Office in cc, no later than 6 weeks before the defense date. Please note that the GHS does not send reminders to the supervision team prior to the deadline.

Downloads:

5. Application for the PhD Degree

No later than 6 weeks before the date of the thesis defense, the candidate should submit the following documents to the GHS Office:

  • One electronic dated and signed PDF copy of your thesis, uploaded on SWITCHfilesender and addressed to info.ghs@unibe.ch

  • Completed and signed PhD Degree Form, 4 pages

  • An updated and signed Doctoral Agreement 

  • The courses mentioned in the Doctoral Agreement should already be registered in KSL before the document submission deadline and correspond exactly to your courses listed in KSL. Please check this in advance. If there are courses that meet the requirements but are not included in KSL that you want to be part of the PhD curriculum and appear on the diploma supplement, make sure to send the certificates to the GHS Office well before the deadline

  • Written information on the date, time and venue (room and exact address) of your thesis defense

  • Current official registration confirmation from the Admissions Office of the University of Bern

  • Proof of payment of examination fee of CHF 500, to be paid to:

Berner Kantonalbank BEKB AG
Bundesplatz 8, 3001 Bern
IBAN: CH63 0079 0016 6042 9051 9
Universität Bern, Graduate School for Health Sciences GHS, 3012 Bern

Vermerk: GHS DK 35 992 

Swift/BIC: KBBECH22

 

Downloads:

Link: SWITCHfilesender (log in with your edu-ID)

 

 

6. Processing of the PhD Documents by the GHS

  • The GHS Office checks the defense documents and does the plagiarism check of the thesis. If the formal requirements are met, the GHS Coordinator recommends the acceptance of the thesis to the GHS Steering Board.
  • The GHS Steering Board and the respective Expert Committee (FK) receive the relevant documents (PhD Degree From, submitted thesis and the two assessments) from the GHS Office. The Steering Board decides on acceptance of the thesis.
  • The GHS Office notifies the candidate of the Steering Board’s decision one week before the defense date.

Additionally, the GHS provides the mentor with instructions concerning the format of the thesis defense, the PhD Degree Form, the submitted thesis, and the Template for the Thesis Defense Protocol and Assessment

Download: 

7. Thesis Defense and Final Assessment

The thesis defense must be conducted in English and consists of a public lecture of 40-45 minutes and a discussion of at least 30 minutes. The candidate and the examiners thoroughly discuss the research project, the results and its strengths and weaknesses in a scientific context and evaluate the background knowledge of the candidate.

Examiners are:
(1) the thesis advisor (and co-thesis advisor*),
(2) the co-referee, and
(3) at least one independent expert** 

The defense is chaired by the mentor, who is responsible for taking notes and writing the protocol. The mentor does not grade the defense.

Immediately following the thesis defense, each examiner determines a grade in accordance with the GHS Promotionsreglement* **. The grades are to be noted on the last page of the Thesis Defense Protocol (PhD Thesis Defense Assessment). The protocol must be signed by all examiners.

The candidate must attend the defense in person, with at least one examiner present in person. The GHS must be informed in advance if one or more examiners attend the defense online.

Please note that the GHS does not coordinate the defense with the examiners and the mentor. The candidate must contact all examiners and the mentor and organize the time of the defense, room and – if needed – online participation.

 

*If the co-thesis advisor participates, the thesis advisor and co-thesis advisor give one common grade. 
 ** If more than one independent expert participates, the independent experts give one common grade.  

Download: 

 

8. Submission of Deposit Copies of the PhD Thesis

No later than 2 weeks after the thesis defense, the candidate must submit the following to the GHS Office:

  • Three paper-bound (not spiral-bound) deposit copies of the final version of your thesis (required corrections implemented)
  • If you have made changes to the text after submitting your PhD Degree Form to the GHS Office: One new electronic dated and signed copy of the final version of the thesis must be uploaded on SWITCHfilesender and addressed to info.ghs@unibe.ch

Furthermore (optional):
You may submit one electronic copy directly to the University Library (UB) Bern. Please see the UB website for further information.

9. Conferment of the PhD Degree

The PhD Degree is jointly awarded by the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Human Sciences and the Vetsuisse Faculty, upon proposal of the GHS Steering Board.

The GHS issues PhD diplomas 3-4 times a year. You are entitled to use the PhD title only after receiving the PhD diploma and diploma supplement. In the meantime, you will receive a confirmation that you have passed the doctoral degree when the GHS Office has received the signed Thesis Defense Protocol, the three deposit copies and the electronic PDF copy of the final version of the thesis.

Once you have completed your PhD , you should deregister from the university's student registry, unless you want to continue studying in another study program. Please find more information here: https://www.unibe.ch/studies/organizational_matters/renewal_of_semester_registration/deregistration/index_eng.html.

For candidates enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine: You may attend the graduation ceremony organized by the Faculty of Medicine. The Dean's Office will request the GHS Office to provide the names and email addresses of recent graduates. We will communicate the email address you provided on your PhD Degree Form.