Ph.D. Program at ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Switzerland (2023-2024)

※ The PhD program in Switzerland is comparable in ranking to UK universities, but with a shorter duration and almost no tuition fees. Plus, you can earn a salary comparable to that of a large corporation, making it worth considering.

※ The following article is based on my experience of reaching the final stage of LSZGS admission.

※ The next deadline for LSZGS application is Nov 1st, 2023 and May 1st, 2024 (CEST).

1. Overview

⑴ Based on the 2022 global rankings, ETH Zurich ranks 8th, and the University of Zurich (UZH) ranks 70th.

① As a reference, Seoul National University ranks 36th: (Note) Personally, I believe SNU’s ranking should be considered around 80 to 90.

② As a reference, Einstein left ETH Zurich with an undergraduate degree and obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Zurich.

⑵ The number of Korean students admitted to the Ph.D. programs at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich is very low, ranging from 0 to 4 students per year.

2. Case 1: ETH Zurich

⑴ Application 1: ETH Zurich eApply

① Category 1: Master’s Programs (November 1, 2023, 00:00 ~ December 15, 2023, 00:00 CET)

Figure. 1. ETH Zurich Master’s Programs

○ Based on international bachelor criteria, there is an application period from November 1 to December 15 (once a year) (ref)

② Ph.D. Programs

○ List of Departments is as follows, and students are directly recruited by professors, so there are no specific deadlines.

○ Required Documents: Unreadable documents locked with a password will not be accepted.

○ Attached Documents: CV, Bachelor’s degree, Bachelor’s transcript, Master’s degree, Master’s transcript

○ Registration for the Doctorate

○ Contact: doktorat@ethz.ch

○ (Note) Suitable for cases where one wants to receive a Ph.D. degree from the research group where they completed their Master’s degree

⑵ Application 2: LSZGS (Life Science Zurich Graduate School) : Joint recruitment by ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich

⑶ Application 3: Zurich Graduate School Mathematics

⑷ Application 4: Zurich Graduate School in Computational Science and Engineering CSE

① Track 1: Application → Invitation to Interview → Interview at the end of February (Decision mid-March) → Interview in mid-April (Decision at the end of April)

② Track 2: Ongoing application

⑸ Application 5: Materials and Processes MaP Doctoral School

⑹ Application 6: ETH Zurich - EPFL Joint Doctoral Program in the Learning Sciences

① Application Deadline: April 15, 2024

⑺ Application 7: Stellenportal

① Positions open regularly.

② Many positions adopt a rolling basis: Applications close when a sufficient number of suitable candidates are received.

③ Example 1. Next-gen Bioengineers (ETH Zurich × Roche): Established on July 5, 2023 (ref)

⑻ Application 8: ETH get hired

① Job postings not only for ETH Zurich but also for the University of Basel.

⑼ Master’s Program

① Duration: 2 years (1-year coursework + 1-year research period)

② Locations: Various locations including Zurich and Basel

③ Unlike Ph.D. programs, stipends are not provided: Unlike Ph.D. programs, students do not get employed; they maintain student status.

⑽ Ph.D. Program

① Duration: 4 years (LSZGS), 4-5 years (other ETH Zurich programs)

② Locations: Various locations including Zurich and Basel

③ Fees (ETH Zurich)

○ Admission Fee: 150 CHF for foreign students (approximately 220,000 KRW)

○ ETH Zurich / EPF Lausanne alumni: No registration fee

○ Other Swiss university alumni: 50 CHF

○ Foreign university alumni: 150 CHF

○ Additional Admission Fee: 120 CHF (approximately 170,000 KRW)

○ Tuition per Semester: 37 CHF (approximately 50,000 KRW)

○ One-time Graduation Fee: 1500 CHF (approximately 2.18 million KRW)

④ Stipends (LSZGS)

○ Separate from admission, stipends are provided through a contract with the Swiss National Science Foundation.

○ 1st year: 47,040 CHF (approximately 6.8 million KRW)

○ 2nd year: 48,540 CHF (approximately 7 million KRW)

○ 3rd year: 50,040 CHF (approximately 7.3 million KRW)

○ 4th year: 50,040 CHF (approximately 7.3 million KRW)

⑤ Stipends (Other ETH Zurich programs): Based on exchange rate as of 23.07.30 (ref)

Rates	1st year	2nd year	3rd year
Standard	48,216 CHF	49,754 CHF	51,291 CHF
Rate 2	54,176 CHF	56,611 CHF	59,050 CHF
Rate 3	60,137 CHF	63,468 CHF	66,810 CHF
Rate 4	66,097 CHF	70,325 CHF	74,569 CHF
Rate 5	72,058 CHF	77,183 CHF	82,328 CHF

Table 1. ETH Zurich Stipends

⑥ Deductions from stipends

○ Taxes: 15% of the stipend is deducted as tax.

○ Insurance: Monthly 250-300 CHF

○ Cost of Living: Monthly 2000 CHF

○ Switzerland has a high cost of living; most people working in Switzerland live in other countries like Italy.

○ However, strategies like living in nearby countries such as Germany (e.g., Munich) or France are common due to tax and visa issues.

⑦ Courses

○ Courses are not scheduled; students find and attend ongoing education.

○ This policy is because Ph.D. students are seen as non-employees.

3. Case 2: University of Zurich (UZH)

⑴ Application 1: UZH Application Portal

① Method: Submit documents through UZH Application Portal

② Deadlines: Check opening status and periods before applying

Figure 2. UZH Application Deadline

③ Departments: Check UZH Degree Programs

④ Detailed Procedure

⑤ Track 1: Application to the program

⑥ Track 2: Application to a faculty member: Suitable for cases where one wants to receive a Ph.D. degree from the research group where they completed their Master’s degree

⑦ Supplementary for Master’s Program

○ Spring and fall admissions: Twice a year

○ Recommendations are needed only for art and social science-related departments

○ Many Master’s programs involve project work

⑵ Application 2: LSZGS (Life Science Zurich Graduate School): Joint recruitment by ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich

⑶ Master’s Program

① Duration: 2 years (1-year coursework + 1-year research period)

② Locations: Mostly in Zurich

③ Unlike Ph.D. programs, stipends are not provided: Unlike Ph.D. programs, students do not get employed; they maintain student status.

⑷ Ph.D. Program

① Duration: 4 years (Based on LSZGS)

② Locations: Mostly in Zurich

③ Fees (UZH)

○ Admission Fee: 100 CHF (approximately 150,000 KRW)

○ However, Swiss university alumni may not need to pay the admission fee.

○ Tuition per Semester: 204 CHF (approximately 300,000 KRW)

○ However, Swiss university alumni may not need to pay tuition per semester.

④ Stipends (Based on LSZGS)

○ Separate from admission, stipends are provided through a contract with the Swiss National Science Foundation.

○ 1st year: 47,040 CHF (approximately 6.8 million KRW)

○ 2nd year: 48,540 CHF (approximately 7 million KRW)

○ 3rd year: 50,040 CHF (approximately 7.3 million KRW)

○ 4th year: 50,040 CHF (approximately 7.3 million KRW)

⑤ Deduction from stipends

○ Taxes: 15% of the stipend is deducted as tax.

○ Insurance: Monthly 250-300 CHF

○ Cost of Living: Monthly 2000 CHF

○ Switzerland has a high cost of living; most people working in Switzerland live in other countries like Italy.

○ However, strategies like living in nearby countries such as Germany (e.g., Munich) or France are common due to tax and visa issues.

⑥ Courses

○ It is not limited to a specific time for classes, but rather finding and taking ongoing education.

○ The reason for such a policy is because Ph.D. programs are seen from the perspective of employees rather than students.

4. Case 3. Other Programs

⑴ Option 1. University of Basel

① Option 1-1. Direct application to the University of Basel

② Option 1-2. LSZGS (Plant Sciences and Systems Biology)

③ Option 1-3. ETH get hired

⑵ Option 2. University of Bern

① Option 2-1. Direct application to the University of Basel

② Option 2-2. LSZGS (RNA biology)

⑶ Option 3. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne

⑷ Option 4. PSI(PaulScherrer-Institute) : Swiss Light Source (SLS) synchrotron is located.

5. Appendix: LSZGS (Life Science Zurich Graduate School)

⑴ Overview

① LSZGS is a unified admission process between the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and the University of Zurich, but affiliation is not guaranteed at both institutions.

② The process is quite complex and involves many steps; however, some steps can be skipped, and professors might select students quickly.

③ There are two admissions per year: spring admission and fall admission.

④ < 100 funded PhD positions, 500 research groups, < 1600 Ph.D. students.

⑤ Available programs for application (as of 2023): 16 PhD programs, 1 MD-PhD program

Figure. 3. LSZGS Program Available Departments

⑵ Documents

① Document 1. CV (curriculum vitae)

○ Item 1. Educational history

○ Item 2. Employment history

○ Item 3. Academic achievements: Papers, patents, books, etc.

○ Item 4. English proficiency score: Zurich University applies the same standards

○ Swiss university students and graduate students generally conduct classes and research in English

○ Submitting scores from IELTS, CPE, TOEFL is recommended (not mandatory)

○ No GRE requirement

○ Item 5. German proficiency score: Zurich University applies the same standards

○ Some departments (e.g., Clinical Science) may require German proficiency

○ Item 6. Certifications, awards

○ ETH Zurich College of Engineering may request translations

○ Hardcopies should be provided upon registration

② Document 2. Bachelor’s degree certificate, Master’s degree certificate

○ Master’s candidates within 6-9 months of graduation are also eligible

○ Bachelor’s Degree, B.Tech, B.Sc (Hons) are not equivalent to Master’s degrees

○ ETH Zurich College of Engineering graduates are exempt from Document 2

○ For UK Master’s degrees, additional evidence of the research period indicated by ETH Zurich or the University of Zurich is required

③ Document 3. Bachelor’s transcript, Master’s transcript

○ If not in German, French, Italian, or English, authenticated translation is necessary

○ ETH Zurich College of Engineering graduates are exempt from Document 3, requiring only the Master’s transcript

④ Document 4. Reference letters

○ Minimum 2, maximum 4

○ Additional recommendation letters cannot be submitted after submission

○ Recommenders enter information online: Contact information of recommenders must be included

○ Swiss university Master’s graduates are exempt from reference letters

⑶ Step 1. Submit application (e.g., ~01.07.2023)

① The application platform is the same, but admission to either ETH Zurich or the University of Zurich is determined by the supervising professor

○ Occasionally, co-supervision is used

② University of Basel, SIB (Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics), University of Helsinki and even UCL (UK) also hold TO

③ Track 1. Comprehensive recruitment

○ ‘22. 12. 1. (Thu) (23:59 CET)

○ ‘23. 7. 1. (Sat) (23:59 CEST)

○ ‘23. 11. 1. (Wed) (23:59 CEST)

○ ‘24. 5. 1. (Wed) (23:59 CEST)

④ Track 2. Individual recruitment

○ Direct application to the interested professor

○ January 15th or August 15th

○ If opting for Track 2, Track 1 should not be applied for

○ For Track 2, an interview with the admission committee is required

○ The LSZGS process described below is based on Track 1

⑤ Admission rate (based on Track 1): More than 10:1

⑷ Step 2. Wait for review (e.g., ~31.07.2023)

⑸ Step 3. Select positions (e.g., ~08.08.2023): The following description is specific to Case 3; note that Case 1 and Case 2 might differ

① 3-1. After passing the document review, TO is revealed, and preferences for 1st to 8th choices are set online

○ 1st to 2nd choices must match primary program interest

○ LSZGS open position list: Open positions may be added as the deadline approaches

○ Based on the author’s experience, approximately half of the pre-selected 1st to 8th choices had open positions

○ Among the choices 1 to 8, there were 3, 2, 0, 2, and 1 projects created in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively

② 3-2. Professors also create a wish list, and the next steps proceed only if there is mutual matching with the student’s list

○ Case 1: Professors from choices 2 to 8 reject the offer; a case from acquaintances

○ Case 2: Most of the choices 1 to 8 are matched, according to the reference

③ PI may recruit multiple students for one project.

⑹ Step 4. Wait for schedule (e.g., ~01.09.2023)

⑺ Step 5. Pass the virtual admission interview & go to (virtual) lab visits (e.g., 01.09.2023 ~ 09.09.2023)

① There can be up to 3 interviews

② 5-1. Announcement of (virtual) lab visits schedule (e.g., 01.09.2023)

③ 5-2. Admission interview (e.g., 06.09.2023, 08:30) : Interview with the department

○ Most have an easy procedure to apply (ref) or a procedure with a 90% acceptance rate (ref)

○ For the Systems Biology department, the admission committee is mostly composed of ETH Zurich professors.

○ Questions consist of research and future goal rather than CV and experience.

○ Step 1. There is no need for the applicant to introduce themselves, but the admission committee plans to give a brief introduction.

○ Step 2. thesis presentation: Strictly limited to 10 minutes. The applicant will share the ppt via Zoom.

○ Step 3. discussion: Flexibly around 15 to 20 minutes. Inquiries about research, big picture, etc.

○ Step 4. The results of the admission interview will be delivered to all PIs who gave offers.

④ 5-3. (virtual) lab visits (e.g., ~ 09.09.2023) : Interview with the PI, interview with lab students

○ Except for 30 ~ 50% (ref1, ref2) no match, all are accepted

⑻ 6th step. select labs you want to visit in person (e.g., 05.09.2023 ~ 12.09.2023)

① PI may invite students above TO.

⑼ 7th step. go to (in person) lab visits (e.g., ~27.10.2023)

① Offline is the principle, but online interviews can also be conducted at the discretion of the supervisor

② Especially for foreign students traveling by plane due to recent environmental issues, online interviews are often conducted

⑽ 8th step. create your final position-wishlist (e.g., ~31.10.2023)

① PI doesn’t know the final preference of a student.

⑾ 9th step. accept or decline potential job offer

① The final decision on acceptance is made at this point

② If accepted, one must decide whether to accept the offer via email or directly on the page

③ PhD students at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich undergo both student admission and employment contract

⑿ 10th step. matriculation

① Registration fee

○ Graduates from ETH Zurich / EPF Lausanne: No registration fee

○ Graduates from other Swiss universities: 50 CHF

○ Graduates from foreign universities: 150 CHF

② If PI has a dual professorship, there are cases where one can obtain a joint degree or dual degree from both ETH Zurich and UZH.

⒀ 11th step. visa : Issuance of Swiss visa by the Swiss university

⒁ When can you apply (as of July 1) to LSZGS and withdraw (withdrawal)?

① Before document review results : Reapplication is possible in December

② Before interview after document review results : Reapplication is possible in December

③ After interview : Reapplication is not possible in December

④ After acceptance : Reapplication is not possible in December

⑤ After registration : Withdrawal is possible until March 15 of the following year of application

⒂ Acceptance rate : Based on LSZGS

① July 2022 application (Systems Biology) : 49 applied, 14 passed document review, 12 interviewed, 4 accepted

② December 2021 application (Systems Biology) : 61 applied, 10 passed document review, 8 interviewed, 3 accepted

③ July 2021 application (Systems Biology) : 46 applied, 10 passed document review, 8 interviewed, 2 accepted

④ December 2020 application (Systems Biology) : 112 applied, 20 passed document review, 13 interviewed, 6 accepted

⑤ July 1, 2020 application (Systems Biology) : 58 applied, 14 passed document review, 11 interviewed, 5 accepted

⑥ December 1, 2019 application (Systems Biology) : 98 applied, 18 passed document review, 16 interviewed, 2 accepted

⑦ July 1, 2019 application (Systems Biology) : 47 applied, 13 passed document review, 12 interviewed, 3 accepted

⑧ December 1, 2018 application (Systems Biology) : 62 applied, 14 passed document review, 11 interviewed, 2 accepted

⑨ July 1, 2018 application (Systems Biology) : 46 applied, 13 passed document review, 11 interviewed, 4 accepted

⑩ December 1, 2017 application (Systems Biology) : 60 applied, 11 passed document review, 10 interviewed, 8 accepted

⒃ PhD program only

① Duration : 4 years (LSZGS) (~ 6 yr for ETH Zurich, ~ 5 yr for UZH)

② Locations : Various locations including Zurich, Basel

③ Tuition fees

○ Admission fee : For foreign students, 150 CHF (approximately 220,000 KRW)

○ ETH Zurich / EPF Lausanne alumni : No registration fee

○ Other Swiss university alumni : 50 CHF

○ Foreign university alumni : 150 CHF

○ Additional admission fee : 120 CHF (approximately 170,000 KRW)

○ Tuition fee per semester : 37 CHF (approximately 50,000 KRW)

○ One-time global fee for Ph.D. graduation : 1500 CHF (approximately 2,180,000 KRW)

④ Salary : The following is based on UZH standards, and ETH Zurich offers a higher salary.

○ Apart from admission, receive a salary through an employment contract with the Swiss National Science Foundation

○ 1st year : 47040 CHF (approximately 6,800,000 KRW)

○ 2nd year : 48540 CHF (approximately 7,000,000 KRW)

○ 3rd year : 50040 CHF (approximately 7,300,000 KRW)

○ 4th year : 50040 CHF (approximately 7,300,000 KRW)

⑤ Classes

○ Classes are not offered at fixed times but are taken by finding ongoing education

○ This policy is because the Ph.D. program is seen as employment rather than being a student

Input: 2022.09.24 11:11

Modification: 2023.07.15 11:49

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