Registration conditions for doctoral studies for holders of a foreign university degree or a foreign university of applied sciences degree
Students wishing to obtain a doctorate must be judged formally eligible for the doctoral programme by the Admissions Service. They must in particular have a Master issued by a Swiss university or HES or a Master deemed equivalent by the Rectorate to a Swiss university or HES Master.
In addition, they must be formally eligible for the doctoral programme within their previous university (or, where relevant, another university located in the same country and recognised by UNIL).
The total number of credits gained and courses taken within the bachelor or master programme or the university degree deemed equivalent by the Rectorate, must have been achieved at a university recognized by the Rectorate of the University of Lausanne.
Candidates must also satisfy the following requirements:
Agreement of a professor to act as thesis supervisor;
Agreement of the Faculty.
| Online enrolment and preparation of your application Access to the online enrolment and the list of the documents you have to send by postal mail. Do not forget to take note of all the information mentioned below. |
How to enrol at UNIL
Keep to the specific deadlines regarding your application
You have to submit your complete application to the Admissions Service :
Autumn semester 2013/2014:
before 31 July 2013
Spring semester 2014:
before 30 November 2013
The prospective PhD student must also send the copies no. 1 and 2 of the PdD form to to their thesis director. When the director has signed them, both copies must then be handed in to the Doctoral School or the Dean’s Office (precise instructions can be found on the back of these forms).
Please note: prospective PhD student must print out the copies no. 1 and 2 of the PhD form. The link to the form is given in the online application and in the email acknowledging receipt of the online application (sent immediately after the confirmation by the prospective student of his or her online application).
The faculty or school must return one of the two “attestation de thèse” forms, signed by the thesis director and the Dean’s Office, to the Admissions Service before 15 October 2013 (autumn semester 2013/2014) or 28 February 2014 (spring semester 2014). If the "attestation de thèse" form has been submitted to the Admissions Service after these deadlines, the registration will be postponed to the next semester (or, in case the late application is accepted, the prospective student will have to pay a surcharge of CHF 200.-).
It is therefore important that the candidate sends the “attestation de thèse” forms to his/her thesis director as soon as possible.
Important: doctoral students must be registered at UNIL from the beginning to the end of their doctorate (i.e. until their thesis is registered at the Bibliothèque Cantonale et Universitaire) (registration of the thesis after 15 October: enrolment required for the Autumn semester / after 28 February: enrolment required for the Spring semester).
Online enrolment and preparation of your application
Access to the online enrolment and the list of the documents you have to send by postal mail.
Administrative fees
The administrative fees have to be paid before sending the documents.
Apply for a visa
How to obtain a visa for your studies in Switzerland.
Processing of your application in Doctorate
What happens once you have confirmed your online enrolment and sent the required documents.
Register for the Service courses (“cours d’appoint”) or the vacation courses for non-French speakers
If you wish to take French courses beside your regular studies.
