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General Doctorate

The general doctorate includes submitting a doctoral thesis and attending two colloquia worth at least 12 ECTS credits.

The colloquia provide a space for academic discussion of the doctoral thesis. Each expert group ensures that the PhD candidates who are advised by one of their members or someone from their area of expertise is able to take part in a colloquium at least once a year. Colloquia may be conducted by multiple members of the expert committee or by one member alone.

Registration for a colloquium should be lodged with the relevant professorship. An overview of the colloquia available can be found.

Admission Requirements

The Admissions Office is responsible for admission to doctoral studies at the University of Zurich.

Please observe the general admission requirements of the University of Zurich and the special admission requirements for Doctoral Studies.

Admission with a Master of Law or licentiate degree from the Faculty of Law, University of Zurich

• Candidates who have obtained a Master of Law degree or a licentiate degree in law from the University of Zurich with the distinction summa cum laude or magna cum laude are entitled to admission.
• Candidates who have not achieved the distinction will be admitted to the doctorate if a member of the professorial staff has indicated willingness to assume supervision.

Admission with a Master of Law or licentiate from the faculty of law at another Swiss university

• Candidates who have obtained a Master of Law degree or a licentiate degree in law from another Swiss university are admitted if a member of the professorial staff has indicated willingness to assume supervision.

Admission with a Master of Law or degree of equal value from a foreign faculty of law

• Persons who have obtained a Master of Law degree or a degree that is recognized as being of equal value in accordance with § 41 lit. b of the Ordinance on admission to studies at the University of Zurich from a foreign faculty of law are admitted if a member of the professorial staff has indicated willingness to assume supervision.
• Admission may be linked to conditions or restrictions. The admissions committee decides on admission.

Admission with a Master’s degree or degree of equal value in another field of study

• Admission is possible with a Master's degree in another field of study recognized by the University of Zurich, or a university educational background that is recognized as being of equal value, in individual cases.
• There is no legal entitlement to be admitted to a program. Admission may be linked to conditions or restrictions. The admissions committee decides on admission.

Continuing education degrees

• Continuing education qualifications from the Master of Advanced Studies level and courses of equal value do not entitle candidates to admission to the doctorate.
• However, they may be taken into account in the decision on admission.

Supervision

The principle of individual supervision applies to the general doctorate. Professors, emeritus professors, emeriti professors and private lecturers at the Faculty of Law are authorised to supervise doctoral students.

If the doctoral thesis is supervised by a private lecturer, a faculty member is always involved as an additional supervisor.

• Main supervisor: This is the doctoral supervisor who individually supervises the doctoral project in the general doctoral programme and concludes a doctoral agreement with the doctoral student. The doctoral agreement can be adapted to changing circumstances.
• Additional supervisor: In exceptional cases and at the request of the doctoral student and with the consent of the main supervisor, an additional supervisor may be involved. This may be appropriate if the doctoral thesis covers several areas of law.

Reviewers

A doctoral thesis is always evaluated by two reviewers.

• The main supervisor acts as the first reviewer. Together with the doctoral student, the first reviewer is responsible for proposing a second reviewer to the Faculty Council.
• The second reviewer is usually assigned the role of second reviewer. In this case, no application for the appointment of a second reviewer must be submitted.

Doctoral Agreement

The supervisor(s) and the doctoral student agree in a written agreement on the objectives, procedure, timeframe, type and scope of supervision as well as the further framework conditions of the doctorate as an aid and orientation tool. The doctoral agreement can be adapted to changing circumstances.

Application

Anyone complying with the admissions requirements according to the Doctoral Regulations is eligible to apply for the General Doctorate.

1. Appointment of a head advisor who will assume the role of the doctoral thesis supervisor
2. Application at the Admissions Office of the University of Zurich

Recognition of Externally Conducted Doctoral Colloquia

All information on the recognition and crediting of externally completed doctoral colloquia can be found.

Additional Information

Supervision

• The principle of individual supervision applies to the general doctorate.
• Professors, emeritus professors, emeriti professors and private lecturers at the Faculty of Law are authorised to supervise doctoral students.