Q: Who do these regulations apply to?
A: hey apply to all doctoral candidates at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Basel enrolled before 01.08.2025 who are pursuing a PhD degree under that faculty’s supervision. This includes both internal and external candidates whose doctorate will be awarded by the Faculty of Medicine.

Q: What is the purpose of the regulations?
A: The regulations set out the legal framework, requirements, and procedures for earning a PhD at the Faculty of Medicine. Their purpose is to ensure that doctoral studies meet the faculty’s standards for scientific quality, supervision, and examination, and to guarantee fair and transparent processes for candidates and supervisors.

Q: What are the academic requirements for admission?
A: According to Art. 4 of the Promotionsordnung and the Wegleitung:

• A Master’s degree from a Swiss university, or an equivalent degree from a recognized foreign institution, in a discipline relevant to the research topic.
• In exceptional cases, a degree from a Swiss University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule) may be accepted if the candidate shows outstanding academic performance and completes additional requirements.
• Good English proficiency (since much of the research and writing is in English).
• The candidate must be accepted by a supervisor (Doktoratsbetreuer/in) from the Faculty of Medicine and have a defined research project

Q: How is the application submitted?
A: The candidate prepares the application for admission with their supervisor wich include:

• Personal and academic details
• Proof of degree(s)
• Project description
• Supervisor’s confirmation
• Funding and research environment details

The complete application is submitted electronically via the University of Basel application system and also forwarded to the PhD Office of the Faculty of Medicine. Final approval is granted by the PhD Committee after checking eligibility and completene.

Q: Who decides on admission?
A: According to Art. 5 of the Promotionsordnung, the decision is made by the PhD Committee of the Faculty of Medicine (Doktoratskommission der Medizinischen Fakultät). The committee reviews the application, verifies academic eligibility, and ensures the project and supervision meet faculty standards. Admission is only granted once the committee has approved both the candidate and the research project.

Q: Is continuous enrollment required?
A: Yes. Art. 7 of the Promotionsordnung states that doctoral candidates must be matriculated at the University of Basel for the entire duration of their doctoral studies. This means there must be no breaks in enrollment from the time of admission until the successful completion and defense of the dissertation.

Q: What is the doctoral agreement and when must it be completed?
The doctoral agreement is a written contract between the PhD candidate, the main supervisor, and the Faculty of Medicine. According to Art. 8 of the Promotionsordnung, it must be completed within the first six months after matriculation. Its purpose is to clearly set expectations, define the research project, and outline the rights and duties of both candidate and supervisor.

Q: What does the agreement contain?
A: As described in the Wegleitung, the doctoral agreement typically includes:

• Title and description of the research project.
• Names and roles of the supervisory team (main supervisor and any co-supervisors).
• Milestones and timelines for the project.
• Coursework and training plan (including credits to be earned).
• Meetings schedule for regular progress reviews.
• Expectations and responsibilities of candidate and supervisors.
• Signatures of the candidate, supervisor(s), and acknowledgment by the PhD Office.

Q: How is it updated?
A: The agreement is considered a living document. It must be reviewed annually (Art. 8, Promotionsordnung) during a formal progress review. If there are significant changes—such as project scope, supervisory team, or timeline—an updated version must be submitted to the PhD Office for approval by the PhD Committee.

Q: Who is on the doctoral committee?
A: The first supervisor (Group I, main responsibility), the second supervisor, and optionally further advisors. Interdisciplinary projects should have members from all relevant fields. The composition must be approved by the PhD Committee of the Faculty of Medicine.

Q: What are the eligibility rules for supervisors?
A: The first supervisor must be a professor, associate professor, or Privatdozent of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Basel (Art. 10, Promotionsordnung) and must have the right to confer doctorates within the faculty. The second supervisor can be from the University of Basel or another institution and must have equivalent academic qualifications (usually a PhD and research experience). At least one supervisor must be formally affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine.

Q: What does the doctoral committee do?
A: The doctoral committee oversees the scientific progress of the candidate. It conducts annual progress reviews and updates the doctoral agreement (Art. 8). It advises the candidate on research direction, training, and publication. It ensures that the project remains on track for timely completion.

Q: What is an external expert and who can take on this role?
A: An external expert (externe/r Gutachter/in) is an independent scientist not affiliated with the University of Basel or the candidate’s immediate research project (Art. 14). They must have a PhD or equivalent, recognized research experience, and no conflicts of interest with the candidate or supervisors. Their role is to provide an objective, independent evaluation of the dissertation.

Q: When is the external expert proposed?
A: The external expert is usually proposed when the dissertation is ready for submission (no later than two weeks before the doctoral committee meeting preceding the defense). The main supervisor suggests one or more names, and the PhD Committee formally approves the choice to ensure eligibility and impartiality.

Q: What course work is required in the PhD Program Biomedical Engineering?
A: Every PhD candidate enrolled in the PhD Program Biomedical Engineering must earn at least 18 ECTS during their doctoral studies. These credits come from courses, workshops, and other structured training relevant to the research project and scientific development. Minimum 12 ECTS must be earn from science and methods courses and min 2 ECTS must be earned from transferable skills. PhD students in the PhD Program Biomedical Engineering are required to attend the Seminar Series: Latest Breakthroughs in Biomedical Engineering Research at least once during their studies.

Q: What standards apply for the dissertaion?
A: Per Art. 12 of the Promotionsordnung, the dissertation must be an independent, original scientific achievement that contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the candidate’s field. It must demonstrate:

• Scientific relevance of the research question.
• Methodological rigor.
• Clear and coherent presentation of results.
• Compliance with ethical and legal standards (e.g., animal experiments, clinical trials, data protection)

Q: What forms can the dissertation take and what should it contain?
A: The dissertation is written as a cumulative dissertation which in a set of thematically connected scientific articles, accompanied by an integrative summary that explains the research context, methods, and findings.  It must contain:

• Title page and author details.
• Abstract in English (and sometimes German).
• Published/publishable articles (cumulative).
• Integrative summary (mandatory for cumulative theses).
• Complete bibliography.
• Declaration of originality.

Q: Can a shared first authorship article be used as part of a dissertaion? 
A: Yes — shared first-authorship articles may be included in a cumulative dissertation, provided the candidate’s own contribution is clearly documented and approved by the Doctoral Committee. This contribution must be substantial enough to demonstrate independent research work.

Q: Is there a minimum number of articles that must be published before graduation?
A: The cumulative dissertation comprises three publications in critically edited journals as first author. At least one of these must be accepted at the time of submission of the dissertation. In justified cases, doctoral candidates with fewer than three publications may be admitted to the doctoral examination by the doctoral committee after consultation with the primary supervisor.

Q: How is the graduation procedure started?
A: The procedure begins when the doctoral candidate submits the dissertation along with the required documents to the PhD Office (Promotionssekretariat). This must be donen o later than two weeks before the Doctoral Committee meeting preceding the defense Submission includes:

• The dissertation.
• Any required declarations (originality, ethics compliance, supervisor confirmation).
• External expert proposal (if applicable, Art. 14).

The Doctoral Committee verifies eligibility and formally accepts the dissertation for evaluation.

Q: What is the exam format and who participates?
A: The doctoral examination is a public oral colloquium, usually in English. Examiners are the doctoral committee plus the external expert. The chair must be an independent Group I member or titular professor from one of the two faculties. During the doctoral examination, the candidate presents the research and answers questions from the committee, demonstrating understanding and independence.

Q: How is the dissertation assessed?
A:  Each member of the evaluation committee assesses the dissertation on:

• Originality and scientific contribution.
• Quality and clarity of writing.
• Methodological rigor and ethical compliance.

Written assessments are submitted to the PhD Office. The committee then discusses and reaches a consensus recommendation regarding acceptance and final grade.

Q: How is the final distinction calculated?
A: The overall grade is the weighted average of the dissertation grade (double weight) and the doctoral examination grade (single weight). Distinction levels range from summa cum laude (5.80–6) to rite (4.00–4.49).

Q: What is the passing requirement?
A: Minimum grade 4.0. Failure in either the dissertation quality or oral defense may require revision or repetition, as per the PhD Committee’s decision.

Q: What degree is awarded after completion?
A: Successful candidates receive the joint degree Dr. sc. med. (scientiarum medicarum), awarded by  the Faculty of Medicine.

Q: When is the promotion official?
A:  After passing the examination, submitting the final dissertation within two years (extensions possible), and issuance of the doctoral certificate. Until then, the candidate may use the title “Dr. sc. med. des.”.