Dissertation and Documents

Title page

Please create the title page exactly according to the template, which you can download here.
All first names must be included on the title page as they appear in your passport or ID card.
Please refer to the current website of the respective institution for the official names of the university institutes and clinics.

Sample Dissertation (DOC, 62 KB) (Template for Monograph)

Sample Dissertation_Publication (DOC, 57 KB) (Template for Publication)

Language

German or English (according to the doctoral regulations, other languages are possible upon request to the Dean). However, the title page must always be written in German, except for the title itself.

In German, you may use either the traditional or the new spelling rules, but you must then remain consistent with your choice throughout the entire dissertation.

Text formatting

There are no regulations regarding the presentation of the text (line spacing, margin settings, etc.) or the placement of figures. However, please refer to the sample dissertation.

Table of Contents

The sections of the dissertation (abstract, introduction, research question, methods, results, discussion, bibliography, acknowledgments, and curriculum vitae) must be listed in a table of contents with page numbers. It should be placed at the beginning of the document. All numbered titles and subtitles must exactly match the content of the dissertation (letter for letter) and be fully included.

Abstract

The dissertation must include a summary titled "Abstract" with a maximum length of two pages, covering the research question, methodology, results, and conclusions. The abstract should be placed at the beginning of the dissertation, after the table of contents.

Bibliography

There are no specific requirements regarding its formatting, but it should follow a common style (such as the author-year system).

Acknowledgments and Dedication

Acknowledgments and/or a dedication can be included in the dissertation (either at the beginning before the table of contents or at the end before the curriculum vitae).

Curriculum Vitae

As the last page (i.e., after the bibliography, appendix, or acknowledgments), your dissertation must include a tabular curriculum vitae. The following information must be listed in chronological order:

• Last name, first name(s) as shown on passport/ID

• Complete date of birth (day, month, year)

• Schools attended (primary school, secondary school, high school), including location

• Type of final secondary school diploma or supplementary exam for the Federal Matura*

• Start and end dates of studies; name of the university/universities where you studied medicine

• The degree completion* must be mentioned: year of the Federal Examination, name of the university and location where the Federal Exam was taken

• Professional experience (up to the current date, if applicable)

*If you completed your secondary school leaving exam or final medical licensing exam abroad, please specify this accordingly and provide the official name.

According to §8 of the doctoral regulations, submission is possible no earlier than one year after completing the degree.

Important Information:

Since October 1, 2022, dissertations have been managed through the new MedTool database. All submissions are no longer made by email, but directly in the database by the doctoral candidates themselves.

You can find the link here:

Submission Database Link

A prerequisite for registration in MedTool is enrollment.

Documents to be submitted – please log in to MedTool to do so.

Submission Database Link

Retention obligation (DOCX, 52 KB)

Checklist for Required Documents (PDF, 125 KB)

We kindly ask that all documents be submitted exclusively through the MedTool database.

To ensure focused processing of applications, telephone availability is limited. Instead, we offer a consultation on Wednesdays and Fridays. Buchen Sie einen Termin mit Tanja Otto  

Please note that it takes 1 to 2 semesters for your dissertation to be approved.

I. Dissertation as a Publication in a Scientific Journal

Conditions for submitting a publication as a dissertation:

The prerequisite is that the work has been published (or at least accepted in its current form) in a peer-reviewed journal as an original article or as a review article that essentially meets the criteria of a systematic review according to the PRISMA checklist (www.bmj.com/content/bmj/pdf).

As a rough guideline, journals with an impact factor above 2 are considered to have sufficient quality, while those with an impact factor below 1 most likely do not. The final decision on whether a publication can be recommended for acceptance as dissertation work is made by the committee. Journals without an impact factor and not listed in the Web of Science are not recognized by the dissertation committee as fulfilling dissertation requirements.

Conditions for submitting a publication as a dissertation:

1. You must be the first author. If this condition is met, the final published version accepted by the journal must be submitted.

The dissertation therefore consists of the following components: title page, publication note, original publication as a PDF in the journal’s layout, optionally acknowledgments, and curriculum vitae.

2. In the case of shared first authorship (equal contribution) with a maximum of two first authors—regardless of whether the doctoral candidate is listed first or second—the doctoral candidates must write a structured accompanying text of approximately 1,000 words (an extended summary or mini-dissertation) referring to the project or paper and supplement it with a description of their own contributions. The scope of the study must justify shared first authorship. Generally, publications with more than two first authors are not recommended for acceptance as dissertation work.

If this condition is met, the final published version accepted by the journal must be submitted.

The dissertation therefore consists of the following components: title page, publication note, original publication as a PDF in the journal’s layout, accompanying text, optionally acknowledgments, and curriculum vitae.

Justification for the special regulation when submitting a publication that does not comply with the Medical Faculty's regulations.

If the publication to be submitted deviates from the regulations of the Medical Faculty (original article or review article according to the PRISMA checklist, published in a journal of sufficient quality, i.e., with an adequate impact factor and listed in the Web of Science), a confirmation from the supervising/leading person must be provided, clearly stating why in this specific case a “special exception” applies that justifies acceptance as dissertation work. To do this, please use the appropriate section (supervisor) in the report in MedTool.

Publication Note: Reference to the Publication after the Dissertation Title Page

The components of the dissertation are as follows:

• Title page

• Publication note

• Publication (copies of your works actually published in the journal)

• Acknowledgments / Dedication (optional)

• Accompanying text for the publication (1,000 words: only in case of shared first authorship)

• Curriculum vitae

II. Dissertation without publication in a scientific journal (Monograph)

Conditions for submitting a dissertation without publication:

Please proceed as specified in the sample dissertation.

The components of the dissertation are thus:

• Title page

• Table of contents

• Dissertation written independently

• Curriculum vitae

For the doctoral regulations, please click here:

Doctoral Regulations for Dr. med. / Dr. med. dent. / Dr. med. chiro. (PDF, 96 KB)

The new doctoral regulations/amendment regulations will come into effect on September 1, 2020:

Partial amendment of the new doctoral regulations/amendment regulations (PDF, 29 KB)

Examination and Evaluation

Your dissertation will be submitted for examination along with the expert report from the dissertation committee. The dissertation committee will appoint a second reviewer and evaluate your dissertation. If your dissertation is assessed as satisfactory, the committee will recommend its acceptance to the faculty assembly.

Approval

If accepted by the dissertation committee, your dissertation will be submitted for approval by the faculty at the next possible meeting. After the meeting, your dissertation will be available for 14 days at the Dean’s Office for faculty members to review, in order to provide the required opportunity for objections. After this period, you will be promptly informed in writing about the acceptance or rejection of your dissertation. No information about the status of a dissertation application will be given by phone.

Upon return of the submitted documents following the approval of the dissertation, you will receive the "printing authorization". Only then may you proceed with printing the required copies.

The dissertation must be reproduced in the scope and format approved by the faculty. Any changes to the thesis may only be made with the approval of the responsible faculty member or titular professor, and the dean.

The format of the mandatory copies must be A4. Spiral binding is not permitted. The printing of the mandatory copies is the responsibility of the doctoral candidate.

You are free to choose the printing service; however, the specified requirements must be followed. For details, please refer to the "Printing Guidelines." The order form for the printing service can be found here:

Printing Guidelines (DOCX, 56 KB)

Number and recipients

After your dissertation has been approved by the faculty, you must await the "printing authorization" from the Dean's Office before submitting mandatory copies of your dissertation to the following recipients:

• 1 copy: Medical Dean's Office by mail (must be signed by the head on the title page)

• 1 copy: Supervisor

• 1 copy: Co-supervisor

• 1 copy: University of Zurich, Main Library - Medicine Careum

• 3 copies: Central Library Zurich

• Recommendation: It is advisable to prepare 2 additional copies for your own documentation.

Certificate of submission of mandatory copies

With the "printing authorization", you will receive from the Dean's Office a 'Certificate of Submission of Mandatory Copies,' on which the recipient must confirm receipt of the copies. The fully signed certificate must be submitted to the Dean's Office along with the mandatory copy by mail.

Submission deadline

You must submit the mandatory copies within 24 months after the faculty's acceptance of your dissertation (date of the approval letter). If you are unable to meet the 24-month deadline, you may request an extension in writing from the Dean, providing reasons for the delay. The entitlement to the conferral of the doctoral degree expires if the mandatory copies are not submitted within the prescribed or duly extended deadline.

Information on dealing with plagiarism can be found here:

www.uzh.ch/plagiate

Plagiarism detection software

The recommendations are intended exclusively for individuals working in the field of medicine at one of the six institutions of University Medicine Zurich (UMZH), namely the University of Zurich (UZH), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), or one of the four university hospitals of the University of Zurich.

Richtlinien (DE) (PDF, 234 KB) / Guidelines (ENG) (PDF, 193 KB)

Next Dissertation Committee Meeting: October 21, 2025
Deadline for Submission for the Meeting: October 10, 2025