Course Catalog

18 ECTS are necessary for the GHS PhD program. The following catalog lists suggestions for the different course categories (mandatory requirements, core courses, method skills, special knowledge). Upon request to the GHS Office, it is possible to choose and participate in courses not listed in the course catalog.

 

Courses taken at other Swiss universities and abroad at acknowledged universities can be recognized if they meet the criteria mentioned here: recognition of courses and conferences.

Doctoral candidates and supervisors are very welcome to suggest topics for new courses to be added to the GHS course catalog. For suggestions, please contact the GHS Coordinator, Dr. Tullia Padovani.

NOTE FOR ECTS AS PART OF A CAS: If you intend to or are already taking CAS courses, please be aware that you can either use the courses for your PhD as part of the mandatory 18 ECTS or acquire the CAS diploma. The ECTS cannot be used to acquire both certificates (PhD and CAS) at the same time.
When you enroll for the CAS, make sure to inform the CAS Office if you want to use the ECTS for your PhD.

In case of questions, please contact the GHS Office.

Mandatory Requirements (3 ECTS)

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Mandatory Requirements
Additional Information Term/Dates ECTS Offered by
Basics of Ethics in Health Sciences Research

Registration via KSL (root number 425545) 

In case of limited capacity, priority will be given to candidates who are close to their defense. The registration is therefore provisional.

The GHS Office will confirm your registration after the registration deadline.

May 21-22, 2026


 

  1.0  GHS
GHS Symposium:
Poster presentation/oral presentation

Symposium

December 03-04, 2026
  1.0  GHS

Core* Courses (2-4 ECTS)

*Core courses refer to courses that are essential for completing the PhD regardless of the specific PhD topic, such as article writing, presentation skills, or transferable skills.

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Core Courses
 Additional Information Term/Dates  ECTS Offered by
Presenting with Confidence

KSL 425946

max. 16 participants

See KSL

  0.5 Graduate School for 
Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (GCB)
Core courses offered by SSPH+ (gebührenpflichtig / subject to charges)

SSPH+

Please check if the courses meet the GHS course recognition requirements, e.g. active participation.  

 Several dates in 2026 (check link)

SSPH+ (please see specific registration guidelines here)
Core courses offered by the Transferable Skills Program

Transferable Skills Program

 Several dates in 2026 (check link) Transferable Skills Program
Core courses offered by the Public Health Sciences Program

Public Health Sciences Course Program

 Several dates in 2026 (check link) Public Health Sciences Program

Open Science: Open Access & Open Research Data

KSL 518939

 

 September 22, 2026 1.0 University Library Bern
The Paper Trail: Detecting Fraud and AI in Scientific Publications

KSL 526275

 November 12 & 26, 2026 0.5 University Library Bern
Scientific Communications for PhD Students

KSL 420465

See KSL

  2.0 Dr. Sarah Longnus, Department 
of Cardiovascular Surgery, Inselspital

Scientific Writing Course

Inselspital

KSL 473600

See KSL

  2.0

Inselspital, contact: Peggy van Loo
Systematic Literature Searching for Health and Biomedical Scientists: Clinical Databases

KSL 506466
HS2027
Dates tba

0.5

 Zayne Milena Roa Dìaz, University Library Bern, Medical Library
DCR Medical Grant Writing for Clinicians

Course description and registration

 

See link

 

 2.0 Department of Clinical Research (B. Ineichen, S. Mitchell)

Method Skills (4-6 ECTS)

-
Research Approaches, Tools and Applications
Additional Information Term/Dates ECTS Offered by
Courses on methods and data analysis offered by the Public Health Sciences Program

Public Health Sciences Course Program

 Several dates in 2026 (check links) Public Health Sciences Program
Courses on methods and data analysis offered by SSPH+

SSPH+

The courses will be subject to charges from January 2023 onwards.

Please check if the courses meet the GHS course recognition requirements, e.g. active participation   

Several dates in 2026 (check link)

 SSPH+
Courses on methods and data analysis offered by the Transferable Skills Program

Transferable Skills Program

Several dates in 2026 (check link)

 Transferable Skills Program
An introduction to EEG: Theory and applications in clinical and social neuroscience

KSL 434879

See KSL

 

  5.0 Department of Psychiatric Neurophysiology (L. Gianotti, T. König, M. Stein)
Research methods

KSL 489919 

See KSL

 1

University Psychiatric Center (UPZ) (M. Cavelti, S. Lerch)

Introduction to Research Data Management

Transferable Skills

 Check link 0.5

Dr. Olga Churakova, University Library Bern
-
Statistics Additional Information Term/Dates ECTS Offered by
Statistics courses offered by the Public Health Sciences Program

Public Health Sciences Course Program

 Several dates in 2026 (check link) Public Health Sciences Program
Statistics courses offered by the Department of Clinical Research (DCR)

DCR Course Program

 Check link for dates Department of Clinical Research (DCR)
Advanced statistics courses offered by SSPH+ 

SSPH+

The courses will be subject to charges from January 2023 onwards. 

Please check if the courses meet the GHS course recognition requirements, e.g. active participation  

  Several dates in 2026 (check link) SSPH+
Research Methods (quantitative and qualitative research methods)

KSL 454874

See KSL

  5.0 Institute of Sport Science 

Special Knowledge (min. 6 ECTS)

-
Active Participation at International Meetings Additional Information Term/Dates ECTS Offered by
Conference or congress participation An abstract must have been accepted and participation must be confirmed by the organizer.
0.5 for half day
1.0 for 1 day onwards
-
Research Areas: Epidemiology, Health Promotion, Medical Education, Social Sciences & Clinical Sciences Additional Information Term/Dates ECTS Offered by

Courses offered by the Public Health Sciences Program

Course program

 Several dates in 2026 Public Health Sciences Program
Various courses for Clinical Researchers 

DCR Course Program

 Check link for dates Department of Clinical 
Research (DCR)
Epidemiology - Book Club

KSL 10416

 See KSL 1.0 (without exam)
3.0 (with exam)
 ISPM
Swiss Epidemiology Winter School

ISPM Winter School

January 2027

See program 

ISPM Winter School
Module der Bewegungs- und Sporttherapie bei inneren Erkrankungen

Inselspital

Teaching language: German

 Various schedules Various

Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Sport- und Bewegungsmedizin Inselspital

Neglected Infectious Diseases and Populations (NIDP)

KSL 515879

See KSL

 3.0

Dr. Magali Roques, Institute of Cell Biology, and Prof. Carmen Faso, Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Disease
-
Colloquia, Seminar, Journal Clubs & Lecture Series Additional Information Term/Dates ECTS Offered by
Scientific Journal Club in Psychiatry 

KSL 474597

See KSL

 1.0 

University Psychiatric Center (UPZ) (L. Tarokh, T. König) 

Lecture series: Transdisciplinary Data Science to Understand Human Beings in a Digitalised World

KSL 493415

 Starting 19.02.2026 (see dates in KSL) 3

Prof. Malte Elson and Dr. Beth Macartney Clarke, Institute of Psychology
-
Research Area: Neuroscience Additional Information Term / Dates ECTS Offered by

Research Seminar: Longitudinal and Experimental Psychopathology

KSL 518288

 See KSL 1.5 University Psychiatric Center (UPZ), (A. Steinhoff)
Non-invasive brain stimulation and advanced neuroimaging

KSL 515798

 12.01. & 26.01.2026 1

University Psychiatric Center (UPZ), (Y. Morishima, S. Straub)
Peer Review in Neuroscience Training Course

KSL 485397

 

 next course in fall 2027 1.5 University Psychiatric Center (UPZ), (M. Grieder)
Brain Dissection Course


No course planned at the moment

 1.0 Medical Studies (max. 2-3 students, G. Herrmann)

Courses offered by Lémanic Neuroscience Doctoral School

Please check if the courses meet the GHS course recognition requirements, e.g. active participation.

Lémanic Neuroscience

 Participation by request Various Lémanic Neuroscience
Central Nervous System


No course planned at the moment   M. Sc. Biomedical Sciences, Prof. Claudio Bassetti
Multimodal Non-invasive Brain Stimulation


No seminar planned at the moment

 1.0
Disease and Repair in the CNS

KSL 27340

See KSL 1.5  MLS 

Neurogenetics (together with the University of Fribourg)

KSL 25469

 See KSL 3.0  MLS 
-
BENEFRI Program and Neuroscience Courses Additional Information Term/Dates ECTS Offered by

Various courses offered by BENEFRI

Option: Specialized PhD in Neuroscience

Please check if the courses meet the GHS course recognition requirements, e.g. active participation

BENEFRI Course Program

 Various dates - check link

BENEFRI
Annual Meeting "Clinical Neurosciences Bern" - full day participation & first author presentation

Clinical Neuroscience Bern

 

Annually 

  1.0

Clinical Neuroscience Bern
Disease & Repair in the CNS

KSL 27340

 See KSL 1.5

Lecturer: Prof. Volker Enzmann (email) 
-
Colloquia and Seminars Additional Information Term/Dates ECTS Offered by
Journal Club UPZ, at least 12 sessions

UPZ
See link
 1.0 University Psychiatric Center (UPZ)

UPZ Scientific Conference

Registration in KSL 482226

 Wednesday 16:30-17.15
Start: January 7, 2026
 1.5 University Psychiatric Center (UPZ)
Colloquium in Cell and Developmental Biology

KSL 25847, 25848 and 25849

 See KSL 1.0 or 1.5 per module  MLS