Timeline
Day 0
Arrival of candidate on campus.
+ 1 month max. after matriculation
The candidate submits to the doctoral program office the form containing a list of courses for the first year (16 credits min.), and the acceptance of the PhD program rules. Students must fill in a registration form for each doctoral course they want to attend and they must bring it to the doctoral program administrator.
+ 6 months max. after matriculation
The candidate organizes a meeting with her/his selected PhD program representative (mentor) to briefly discuss how she/he has settled into the new environment and into her/his project.
+ 10 months max. after matriculation
Submission of the proposition of candidacy exam committee to the doctoral program office.
– 14 calendar days before candidacy exam
Submission per email of the Research Plan (link to the PhD rules) to all committee members and to the doctoral program office
A minimum of 16 credits must have been acquired before the 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 matriculation
Candidacy exam. The candidacy exam takes place at the latest 12 months after matriculation. If the exam is not taken in due time, it is considered as a failure and the student’s contract is terminated. A maximum of 2 weeks extension may be requested. The Research Plan must be approved and the validation form must be signed by each member of the thesis committee, the doctoral program director and the PhD student.
+ 15 months max. after matriculation
In case of failure of the candidacy exam, an extension period of max. 3 months can be granted for a second attempt. In case of repeated failure, the candidate is definitely not admitted.
+ 24 months max. after matriculation
Submission of the 2nd year annual progress report to the doctoral program office.
+ 36 months max. after matriculation
Submission of the 3rd year annual progress report to the doctoral program office.
– 6 months before end of 4 years
If you anticipate that the thesis will go beyond 4 years, submit a request for an extension of the thesis deadline (max. 6 months).
– 8 weeks min. before end of 4 years
Submission to the doctoral program office of the proposition of thesis jury. 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 private thesis defence
The program administrator sends the thesis jury proposal, duly signed, to the ‘Service Académique‘ . The doctoral student must have acquired a total of 12 credits before her/his oral thesis exam.
– 5 weeks min. before private thesis defence
Copies of the doctoral thesis are delivered by the doctoral student to the ‘Service Académique‘ along with other documents (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 matriculation
Private thesis defence in English. 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 the thesis jury members.
+ 4 weeks min. (max. 6 months) after private thesis defence
Public thesis defence in English or French (if the private thesis exam was passed with success).
+ 1 month max. after private thesis defence
Final version of thesis manuscript is handed in at the ‘Service Académique‘ (if the public thesis defence was passed and the thesis accepted “sans réserve”).
Note: Several of the forms contain additional information/directives.