Doctoral Studies

An overview of the doctoral studies offered by the various faculties can be found in the information sheet: Doctoral studies issued by the specific faculties.

You can also find information by visiting doctoral subjects or the websites of the specific faculties.

Admission to doctoral studies generally requires a master's degree from a higher education institution recognized by the University of Basel.

The faculty-specific doctoral degree regulations specify additional admission requirements as well as the discipline-specific requirements with respect to equivalence and supervision. Degrees granted as part of continuing education programs do not meet the eligibility criteria for admission to doctoral studies.

Applicants are admitted by the Rectorate at the request of the respective faculty. The doctoral degree regulations can be found on the websites of the individual faculties or under doctoral subjects.

Doctoral students must matriculate on the next possible date and remain enrolled for the entire duration of their doctoral studies.

Before you can submit an application, you need to set up a user account.

Once you have logged in, you will receive an email from the Student Administration Office with an activation link. This allows you to access the portal. If you haven’t received an email, check your spam folder.

Make sure that you provide an email address where you can be reached throughout the admission process. All information and documents from the university regarding your application will be sent to you via the application portal. Whenever this happens, a notification will be sent to your email address.

After you have set up a user account, you can use an online form on the application portal to apply to a doctoral program.

There are six steps in the application process. We recommend that you complete the individual sections in order, as they follow on from one another. You can log out at any time and resume work on the application later.

The online form asks you to provide details of your educational qualifications (high school, higher education etc.) and personal information, and to upload the required documents.

For details of the required documents, please consult the information sheet, which can be found on this page under Related Links and Downloads or at www.unibas.ch/documentsapplication.

Submit your application even if you have not yet received your final degree certificate or other required documents by the application deadline. Transcripts and certificates that you do not yet have can be submitted later. There are deadlines for submission of these documents, which you can also find on the information sheet.

If the original document is written in a language other than German, French, Italian or English, a certified translation into German or English must be uploaded with it.

Please ensure that this meets the requirements set out in the University of Basel Rectorate's conditions for certified translations.

An application is regarded as having been submitted only when it has been sent via the application portal and the associated application fee (CHF 100) has been paid. 

Please note that applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on the final day of the application period.

No further changes to the information supplied in the application can be made once it has been submitted. You will be sent an acknowledgement of submission.

An application fee of CHF 100 is due when you submit an application for doctoral studies.

This fee can be paid online by card. The application cannot be submitted until the application fee has been paid. The application fee will not be refunded or credited to you.

The following payment methods are available: Visa, Mastercard, DinersClub/Discover, UnionPay, JCB and, in Switzerland, Postfinance and TWINT.

You can also use a prepaid card as well as a traditional credit card. For further details, please consult the relevant information sheet.

You will receive confirmation of payment as soon as the payment has been made. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check the status of your application and, if necessary, resubmit it.

If your application is incomplete or the documents or information that you have submitted do not meet requirements, you will receive a written request on the application portal to submit further material, with deadlines.