PhD-Degree Application

At the end of your PhD studies you will have to register for the thesis defense upon the dean’s office. Please follow the below process based on instructions given by the dean’s office:

1. You have finished writing your PhD thesis (please follow the guidelines regarding the layout of your thesis Richtlinien zur Gestaltung der Dissertation (only available in German for now).
2. Give your PhD thesis to your supervisor for correction.
3. In accordance with your supervisor set a date for your thesis defense and also reserve a lecture hall (at the student administration office room S358). This should be done at the latest on the day you have to hand-in your PhD-application form at the dean's office but it is recommended to do it earlier as you also have to make sure that the examiners will be available at that date and a room is available.
4. On the following website you can find the deadlines you have to observe when registering for your thesis defense (column "Anmeldung" in the table): http://www.philnat.unibe.ch/content/studium/phd___doktorate/abschluss/index_ger.html Bring the following documents to the exam secretariat at the dean’s office of the Science Faculty when registering for your thesis defense:
   o Ameldeformular PhD-Abschluss (Application form only available in German)
   o Erklärung PhD-Arbeit gemäss Reglement RSL 05 Art. 28 Abs. 2 (Statement of origin, this also needs to be integrated into your thesis at the end of the document). The dean’s office needs one copy of that statement as separate print-out for their files.
   o Declaration of consent (German, English)
   o Print out of the studies history (Studiengeschichte)
   o Master’s degree diploma
   o Payment receipt for exam fee of CHF 300.00 to the account of the Science Faculty (see bank details on the website of the dean’s office )
   o If existing: Original of the equivalency confirmation/admissions disposition of the dean’s office of the Science Faculty. If you were admitted to the DCB PhD Program with the condition that you attend some mater’s lectures, please also bring prove that you passed the exams of these lectures. You can print out such a document in EPUB.
5. Send the thesis early enough to your second examiner for evaluation. Inform the second examiner by what date at the latest the evaluation has to be sent to the dean’s office. This is very important so that your thesis defense can take place as planned. The deadline to hand in the evaluation can be found on the website of the dean’s office http://www.philnat.unibe.ch/content/studium/phd___doktorate/abschluss/index_ger.html . The latest date at which at least a copy of the document has to arrive at the dean’s office can be found in the last column (Abgabe dienstags) of the date table. If only a copy can be sent (by e-mail) by the requested date, the examiner has to send the originally, signed document as soon as possible.
   Towards the end of that same website you can also find the evaluation form that the second examiner has to fill out.
6. Bring 5 bound copies of your thesis work (1 original and 4 copies) to the dean’s office at the latest on the date mentioned in the second column of the table on the website of the dean’s office (Abgabe dienstags) http://www.philnat.unibe.ch/content/studium/phd___doktorate/abschluss/index_ger.html .
7. Bring one copy of your final thesis work to the student administration office for chemistry for the department’s library.
8. After the successful PhD exam the graduation record as well as the diploma will be issued. You will be invited by the exam secretariat of the dean’s office of the Science Faculty to pick-up your diploma (unless you requested the diploma to be sent to you or to be given to you at the graduation ceremony).

Please note the opening hours of the exam secretariat Öffnungszeiten des Prüfungssekretariates.