Timeline
- – 14 calendar days before candidacy exam
- + 12 months max. after enrolment
- + 15 months max. after enrolment
- + 24 months max. after enrolment
- + 36 months max. after enrolment
- – 8 weeks min. before end of 4 years
- – 7 weeks before oral exam
- – 5 weeks min. before oral exam
- + 48 months max. after enrolment
- + 4 weeks min. (max. 6 months) after oral exam
- + 1 month max. after oral exam
– 14 calendar days before candidacy exam
Submission per email of the Research Plan to all committee members and to the doctoral program office.
A minimum of 16 credits must have been acquired before CE. Typically 4 ECTS science and humanities courses from the range of Master and PhD courses, and two semester projects for 6 ECTS each for a total of 16 ECTS.
+ 12 months max. after enrolment
The candidacy exam takes place at the latest 12 months after enrolment. The Research Plan must be approved and its first page must be signed the thesis director (the co-director if applicable), the doctoral program director and the PhD student. The Research Plan has to be sent to the doctoral program administrator after the candidacy exam.
+ 15 months max. after enrolment
In case of failure of the candidacy exam, a second attempt is possible (max. 15 months after enrolment). In case of repeated failure, the candidate is definitely not admitted and is ex-matriculated.
+ 24 months max. after enrolment
Submission of the 2nd year annual progress report.
+ 36 months max. after enrolment
Submission of the 3rd year annual progress report.
– 8 weeks min. before end of 4 years
Submission to the doctoral program office of the jury proposal. The form is available in your IS-Academia portal. The President of the thesis jury must be member of the EDDH Commission program.
– 7 weeks before oral exam
The program administrator sends the thesis jury proposal, duly signed, to the ‘Service Académique‘ . The doctoral student must have acquired a total of 24 credits before her/his oral thesis exam.
– 5 weeks min. before oral exam
Provisional thesis is downloaded by the doctoral student in IS-Academia (please consult EPFL rules and Internal regulations for the Doctoral School). General guidelines to the doctoral thesis are also available on this link.
+ 48 months max. after enrolment
The official record of the oral exam is given by the program administrator to the jury President (it is available online, as well as the jury reports) who will fill it in online, print it and have it signed by all jury members.
+ 4 weeks min. (max. 6 months) after oral exam
Public defence in English or French (if the oral exam was passed with success).
+ 1 month max. after oral exam
Final version of thesis manuscript is handed in at the ‘Service Académique‘ (if the oral exam was passed and the thesis accepted “without reserve”).
Note: Several of the forms contain additional information/directives.