EDMS For PhD Students

EDMS PhD timeline

+ 1 week max. after arrival

The candidate goes to the doctoral program office (SV 2515) with copies of the last official university diploma and grade transcripts, with her/his new address (if applicable) to receive information about the doctoral studies and to initiate the immatriculation. The Registrar’s office (SAC) will then send an email with the next step of the procedure.

+ 1 month max. after matriculation

The candidate submits to the doctoral program office the form containing a list of courses for the first year (4 credits min.), the name of the chosen mentor (an EDMS affiliated professor), and the acceptance of the PhD program rules. Students must fill out a registration form for each doctoral course they want to attend, and they must bring it to the doctoral program administrator. As soon as registered, the candidates must fill out an online survey about their training profile. Teaching assistant positions are published on the SSV-TA website (on campus/ VPN required), please carefully read the rules and procedures.

+ 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

Submit the proposition of candidacy exam committee (link to the PhD rules and link to the MD-PhD rules) to the doctoral program office. Throughout the doctoral thesis work and starting at the submission of the documents for the candidacy exam, PhD students are obliged to submit an online annual report that is signed by themselves, their thesis director, their co-director if applicable, as well as by their mentor.

– 14 calendar days before candidacy exam

Submission of the Research Plan (link to the PhD rules) to all committee members and to the doctoral program office.
A minimum of 4 credits must have been acquired before the CE. The 3 mandatory Research Rotation Modules must be attended during the first 2 years.

+ 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 1 month 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 online 2nd year annual progress report to the doctoral program office. Prior to this, meeting with his/her PhD program representative to briefly discuss the work progress and to have the report signed.

at the latest 30 months after matriculation

No later than within six months after the second annual report, the thesis committee reconvenes for a mid-­thesis advisory meeting (i.e. not another examination) consisting of a written progress report (incl. at least two pages on future directions) and a 20‐30 minute presentation followed by a discussion. The PhD student must fill in the 1st page and return it to the doctoral program office at the latest 10 days before the meeting. This committee is chaired by the jury president and should include at least the thesis director / co-director and the internal expert. External expert(s) can also be invited but their presence is not mandatory. If the student and/or the thesis director want to invite additional or other external experts, this is possible.

+ 36 months max. after matriculation

Submission of the 3rd year online annual progress report to the doctoral program office. Prior to this, meeting with his/her PhD program representative to briefly discuss the work progress and to have the report signed.

– 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).

– 9 weeks min. before end of 4 years

Submission to the doctoral program office of the proposition of thesis jury and of the statement of credits duly signed by the thesis director and by the director of the program. These forms are available in your IS-Academia portal, one at the end of the thesis procedure and the other under “Students results”. You can find the list of EDMS Presidents of the thesis jury on this link.

– 7 weeks before private thesis defence

The program administrator sends the thesis jury proposal, duly signed, to the ‘Service Académique‘ (SAC, Ecublens). The doctoral student must have acquired a total of 12 credits before the 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 who will fill it in online (not by hand!), 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”). Fill in the PhD program survey and submit it to the doctoral program office.

Other forms to download

    • Request for an extension – available on your IS-Academia portal
    • Request for a thesis co-direction – available on your IS-Academia portal
    • Teaching Assistants @ SV