Doctoral Examination

Remark:  If you were matriculated under the old Doctoral Ordinance, then the Download Detailed Provisions (PDF, 45 KB) are applicable to you, unless you changed to the new system before your research plan got approved, i.e. latest by mid 2022. The relevant chapter can be found under the main entry page for matriculations before 01.01.2022, i.e. where you found all relevant info before entering the exam prep phase.

How to proceed for the confirmation of your credit points?

1. Present all original documents pertaining to courses etc. to and
2. Have your credit points confirmed on the registration form for your doctoral examination.
3. Use this online form to provide all elements surrounding your doctoral examination to the Doctoral Administration D-BAUG.

Please make sure you also register for your doctoral examination. See separate tab, further down.

NEW requirements for Co-Examiners,
effective 01.04.2025, for all doctoral examinations newly planned for

First of all, please get your co-examiners approved all at once, around 8 - 9 months prior to your doctoral examination. -- Requests for single nominations will no longer be processed.

• Why?: Only that late in your doctorate will you know for sure who remained totally independent and who happended to publish with you after all and thus ceases to be independent.
  
• When?: On the occasion of one of the 4 annual meetings of the "Doctoral Committee D-BAUG".
  Please observe cut-off days for meetings of the "Dr-Committee".
• And, please note: Your 2nd Advisor will not automatically become co-examiner. You need to fill in a separate request forthem to assume this extra role.
  

Overview (of the new requirements)
The examination committee comprises the following minimum number of experts:

• chairperson
• doctoral thesis supervisor as examiner
• one independent and external co-examiners, i.e. from outside ETH
  
  Dependency, see Art. 11.1 "D-BAUG Detailed Stipulations":
  No economic or scientific dependency on the thesis supervisor.
  In addition, co-authorship with the doctoral student in relation to the content of the doctoral thesis is not permitted, nor is participation in the corresponding dissertation project allowed.
  
  External, see Art. 11.3 "Implementation Provisions":
  The following persons are eligible:
  1. Active professors from other universities
  2. Persons who are proven experts in the area of the doctoral thesis and are equivalent to professors in this (e.g., a research director from a research institution in the ETH domain, a Max-Planck institute or a Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique).
  Point (2.) does not include persons from universities of applied sciences or private industry with the corresponding expertise. They may, however, be appointed as additional members of the examination committee.

NOTE: A person can fulfil the requirements of Para. 1 and 2 at the same time.
(Art. 11.3 "D-BAUG Detailed Stipulations")

Naturally, you may have additional co-examiners if wished for and discussed with your thesis supervisor. They need to be aware, though, that all co-examiners outside the ETH Domaine (EPFL, PSI, Eawag, Empa) are remunerated for their written report.

Remember to think about your Second Advisor: Most assume the additional role of co-examiner but not all. -- Obviously, they no longer fulfill the requirement "independent" as they came on board early in your doctorate. 

To Do
To get your co-examiners nominated, use this online form.

In case any questions remain, please contact .

Note: The chairperson is there to guide through your doctoral examination and ensure that the exam is carried out professionally and in a fair manner. – Thus, her/his research area might be totally different from yours.

How to proceed:

1. In the last 4 - 5 months of your doctorate, please get the name of the chairperson from the .
   It is essential that you include your chairperson in the planning process right from the beginning.
   NOTE: Enquiries with fixed time slots are unacceptable and will not be processed.
2. In your first email to your chairperson, please
   -- introduce yourself briefly (name, professorship, thesis title)
   -- offer them a few time slots through a Nuudle/Doodle, which you also make available to all other members of your Examination Committee (thesis supervisor, co-examiners).
3. Once the date is confirmed, send an Outlook invitation to all members of your Examination Committee.
4. Fill in the online form, with all details of your Doctoral Examination.

1. Well ahead of time, discuss examination mode with your thesis supervisor and the other members of your examination committee.
2. Organize a suitable room (big enough to accommodate audience of on-site or hybrid examination mode).
3. Plan video conference well ahead and in cooperation with the service desk of ID-Multimedia Service (ID MMS) through using their online form.
4. 3 months prior, communicate final exam details to Doctoral Administration D-BAUG via this online form.
   In case you receive your Zoom details later, please make sure to provide them to the Doctoral Administration D-BAUG.
5. If something changes in the examination planning, there is no need to fill in the online form again!
   Simply dig out the confirmation you received after you had submitted the online form. Add Zoom link, new starting hour, new room etc. and forward it as an email.

No hardcopy is needed for the registration of your doctoral examination with Academic Services (Rectorate).

It needs to be done no later than 15 working days before your examination date. Theoretically, you can do it right after the submission of your exam version.

NOTE: For the title page of your thesis, strictly stick to the template provided by my colleagues (link above).

Since 1 July 2016, the doctoral examination at D-BAUG is semi-public. All elements surrounding this event are outlined in the Detailed Stipulations D-BAUG, art. 13.

Please note that the German version is legally binding.

There are 3 ways to pass your doctoral examination:

• without reservation
• with formal corrections
• with corrections to content

(In very rare cases, it happened that someone did not pass his/her doctoral examination.)

In the event that your examination committee has suggestions for corrections or changes, you’ll be informed accordingly after your doctoral examination.

The extent of this work, if any, is decisive for the date of the Department Conference (DK, 4x/year) at which your promotion request will be approved.

Your supervisor needs to approve the electronic version of your thesis prior to the DK, i.e. he/she needs to confirm to the Doctoral Administration D-BAUG that all corrections, suggestions etc. – if any – stipulated on the examination day have been weaved in.

About 2 weeks before the DK, the Doctoral Administration D-BAUG contacts all the professors in order to find out whether the theses of their doctoral students are ready.

If your thesis is ready, your promotion request can be dealt with at the DK. This, however, means that your thesis supervisor needs to be present in person.

About 2 days after the DK, you'll get dematriculated as a doctoral student by Academic Services and you'll receive a letter by them, stipulating all further steps and the deadline for submitting your deposit copies.

If your thesis is not ready yet, however, it will have to wait until a later DK. However, please note that all corrections have to be weaved in within 6 months after the date of your doctoral examination. (See Rector’s Implementation Provisions on the Ordinance on Doctoral Studies, art. 10 a).

If the date for your DK approval exceeds the 6 months, please make sure your supervisor confirms the fact that your thesis is ready to the .

You must submit your deposit copies at the central Doctoral Administration of Academic Services no later than 3 months after the Department Conference D-BAUG.

You find extensive information on the Deposit Copies and the various submission options on their website.

Please note:
You only receive a transcript of your academic performance during your doctorate provided the following was the case:  

If your research plan or doctoral plan was approved

• after 1 January 2022 and
  
• you communicated to Academic Services that you would prefer
• to collect your 12 credit points according to Art. 36 of the new ETH Ordinance on Doctoral Studies (effective 1 January 2022).

See Art. 65, Transitional provisions regarding regular doctoral studies and the academic record, or, in short, section 10.5 Academic record.

After submitting your deposit copies, you will receive a link to an online form in order to register (or not) for a doctoral award ceremony. Further details such as dates and deadlines are listed on the website Award Ceremony of the Student portal.

Award ceremonies for doctoral students take place on the Hönggerberg campus. The submission date of your deposit copies is decisive for the date of the award ceremony you may attend.

The central Doctoral Administration of the Academic Services will send you an invitation by postal mail.