External Doctoral Studies

 

As a rule, the thesis has to be carried out at ETH Zurich or at a research institute of the ETH Domain. Besides the ETH institutes, the following research establishments constitute part of the ETH domain - doctoral theses completed there are not considered external:

• PSI (Paul Scherrer Institute)
• WSL (Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research)
• EMPA (Federal Institute for Material Science and Technology)
• EAWAG (Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology)

 

Carrying out the thesis outside the ETH Domain is possible if the topic of the work requires this and the necessary prerequisites are fulfilled. Theses outside the ETH Domain are approved only under the prerequisite that the external institution does not impose any conditions which hinder the supervision of the doctoral candidates by the ETH-internal supervisor or a timely publication of the research results.

 

The thesis outside the ETH Domain should be submitted to the Rectorate by the corresponding form together with the registration form. Together with registration to the doctoral studies a concept of the planned thesis has to be presented to justify why the thesis is carried out outside the ETH Domain. A confirmation of the external institution with its agreement with the regulations of ETH Zurich has to be submitted together with the registration to the doctoral studies. The Rectorate then obtains the approval of the department. At the D-MAVT the professors’ conference grants the approval for external doctoral studies.
The supervisor can allow short research stays outside the ETH Domain. In any case he/she must have access to the used facilities and to the examination documents.