Application

Applicants must hold a university Master’s degree in Medicine, Biology, or Psychology. Further eligible qualifications are defined in the Doctoral Program Regulations.

Important Note: Simultaneous enrollment in the general doctorate (Dr. med.) and the PhD Program Clinical Science is not permitted. If you are nearing completion of your Dr. med. studies at the time of application, please state this explicitly in your application.

Recognition of Medical Degrees (MEBEKO): Foreign medical degrees must be recognized by the responsible authority if required for the specific PhD position. The recognition process is handled by the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG).

Please ensure your application includes the following required documents:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Academic Certificates (Master’s degree or equivalent)
• Letter of Motivation
• Contact details of two Referees

Submission: All applications must be submitted exclusively via the Life Science Zurich Graduate School Join portal.

Application Tracks

The program offers two distinct entry pathways:

• Applicants who are currently seeking a PhD position must apply through Track 1. Open PhD positions are published on jobs.uzh.ch. All applications are reviewed on a project‑by‑project basis and evaluated through a competitive selection process.
• Applicants with a confirmed supervisor and a secured position are required to apply via Track 2.

We strongly advise candidates to coordinate with us prior to their application via clinical-science@dekmed.uzh.ch.

Application Deadline

Fall Semester Intake: 1 May
Spring Semester Intake: 1 November

Selection Procedure

Applications are reviewed based on the admission requirements and the candidate's profile. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview, conducted in English, by a member of the Program Committee. You can monitor your application status at any time via the Join portal.

Interview: The Admissions Committee evaluates each candidate’s academic qualifications, research motivation, and professional goals.

For Track 1: The Principal Investigator (PI) offering the PhD position will participate in the interview and holds the final decision authority.
For Track 2: The focus lies on the synergy between the candidate, the project, and the program requirements.

Final Admission & Enrollment

The admission granted by the admission committee of the PhD Program Clinical Science is the first essential step, but it does not constitute official university enrollment. To be officially matriculated, all admitted candidates must submit a formal application via the  UZH application portal.

Required Documents from the Program

• Confirmation of Supervision (signed by an authorized examiner)
• Confirmation of Acceptance (issued by our Program Director)

Please review the  official checklist on the official website of the UZH Student Affairs Office to see which additional personal and academic documents are required for your submission.

Application Fee: Please note that UZH charges a non-refundable fee for processing formal applications.

Once the UZH Admissions Office has verified your documents and issued your official letter of admission, you can finalize your matriculation.

Important: You must maintain your status as an enrolled doctoral student at UZH for the entire duration of your PhD until you have successfully completed the program.