Degree Programs & Courses Doctorate

Admission Requirements

For admission at doctoral level, you must

  1. hold a master's degree or a licentiate from a Swiss university or Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, or an equivalent university degree and
  2. you must also fulfill any other requirements set out by the relevant faculty or graduate school (e.g. specific average grades or a specific result in your master's degree, licentiate, diploma or state exams).

Admission to doctoral studies with continuing education qualifications (Master of Advanced Studies, Executive Master or similar) is not possible.

Applying for doctoral studies

  1. Consult the specific requirements for your desired doctorate.
  2. Search for a supervisor at the University of Bern for your desired doctorate. If necessary, seek support from the administrators in the institute/department.
  3. Apply for the doctorate online through the Admissions Office. Please note the application deadlines.
  4. Fill in the confirmation of supervision that applies to your doctorate.
  5. Please make sure to hand in all the necessary documents on time. Applicants who do not hold an MA from a Swiss university or university of applied science must have been formally admitted by the ZIB and the admission requirements must have been checked by the faculty/graduate school by October 15 for entry in the autumn term or March 31 for entry in the spring term. Please note that the admission process may take 3 to 5 weeks.

You can find information on the next application steps, including a list of documents to be submitted, on the relevant confirmation of supervision.

Confirmation of supervision

with information on the further procedure and a list of documents that have to be submitted in hard copies