Program Overview

Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (GCB)

The Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (GCB) offers a PhD program that provides students with a comprehensive education in cellular and biomedical sciences.

PhD Program

The PhD program includes the following components:

• Consulting
• Course Work
• GCB Doctoral Agreement
• MD-PhD Program & MD-PhD Scholarships
• Mid-term Evaluation
• External Thesis Assessment
• PhD Thesis Defense & Degree
• PhD Specializations
• Progress Report
• Regulations
• Scientific Integrity
• Vision and Mission

Application and Admission

The application and admission process for the PhD program is available through the Graduate School.

Training

The Graduate School provides training for PhD students, including coursework and research experience.

Research

The Graduate School is involved in various research areas, including cellular and biomedical sciences.

About Us

The Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (GCB) is a part of the University of Bern.

External Thesis Assessment

At the end of the second year, an external co-referee must be selected and approved by the members of the thesis committee. External co-referees are internationally recognized researchers in the research field of the candidate's thesis project; they must not be affiliated with the University of Bern, not be involved in active collaboration with the candidate's research group, and not have had co-authorship with the supervisor or the candidate in the previous five years.

Role of the External Co-referee

The external co-referee is formally contacted by the supervisor to confirm acceptance of the role and the name is then forwarded to the GCB. The role of the external co-referee is to write an independent assessment of the candidate's doctoral thesis and award a grade. The assessment should be completed within a maximum of five weeks after receipt of the written thesis and should be compiled on the GCB External Co-referee Thesis Assessment Form. This form also provides the necessary instructions. The completed form should be submitted to the GCB no later than four weeks before the date of thesis defense.

External Co-referee Thesis Assessment Form

The External Co-referee Thesis Assessment Form is used to evaluate the candidate's doctoral thesis. The form provides the necessary instructions for the assessment and should be submitted to the GCB no later than four weeks before the date of thesis defense.