Admission to doctoral or post-doctoral studies with a Swiss Master's degree or Doctorate
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Conditions of admission
Diplomas enabling an admission to doctoral studies:
Generally, Bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS) + Master’s degree (90 ECTS) delivered by a recognized or accredited University
Diplomas enabling an admission to post-doctoral studies:
Doctorate delivered by a recognized or accredited University
A list of the recognized or accredited Swiss Universities can be found on the swissuniversities website.
Additional specific information:
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Application periods
An application for admission to doctoral or post-doctoral studies can be submitted at any time. You can be registered for the current or for the following semester. When choosing a semester, please take into consideration that an admission procedure lasts several weeks; we therefore recommend that you take all the necessary steps as soon as possible.
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Application fees
Swiss Master’s Degree/Doctorate
Candidates holding a diploma from Switzerland or Liechtenstein which enables studies at the Unifr (eg. Swiss Master’s degree for an admission to doctoral studies or a Swiss Doctorate for an admission to post-doctoral studies)
Application fees: CHF 50.-
Foreign Master’s Degree/Doctorate
Candidates holding a foreign diploma which enables studies at the Unifr (eg. foreign Master’s degree for an admission to doctoral studies or a foreign Doctorate for an admission to post-doctoral studies)
Application fees: CHF 100.-
The application fee cannot be reimbursed nor carried over to another semester, even in the case of an inaccurate, withdrawn or refused application for admission.
All banking and exchange fee costs must be borne by the customer.
Information on the semester fees
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Semesters and lecture periods
Academic year 2022 – 2024:
Autumn semester 2022
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Official dates:
01.08.2023 – 31.01.2024 -
Lecture period:
18.09.2023 – 22.12.2023
Spring semester 2023
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Official dates:
01.02.2024 – 31.07.2024 -
Lecture periods:
19.02.2024 – 31.05.2024
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Application procedure
Online applications through Inscruni are aimed exclusively at people who are not currently registered at the Unifr. If you are currently registered at the Unifr and have an active MyUnifr account, you must on no account apply through Inscruni. Any request from a student registered at the Unifr (e.g. change of degree programme, early start to master studies ("master anticipé"), master studies following a bachelor’s degree, etc.) must be submitted on the MyUnifr portal.
1. Choice of the thesis supervisor
If you wish to undertake doctoral or post-doctoral studies, you must choose a professor who agrees to supervise your thesis.
2. Online application
Online application on Inscruni
You can apply online even if you have not yet finished your studies and/or obtained your diploma.
We recommend applying as early as possible as the processing of an application for admission takes several weeks.
3. Payment of the application fee
The application fee can be payed directly by credit card or with an invoice that can be downloaded after validating the online application.
Only applications for which the application fee has been paid will be processed.
The application fee cannot be reimbursed nor carried over to another semester, even in the case of an inaccurate, withdrawn or refused application for admission.
All banking and exchange fee costs must be borne by the customer.
4. Doctoral research authorisation form
The doctoral research authorisation form is an essential document for your application. Please ask your future Faculty for this document, fill it in and add it to your application for admission.
5. Upload of documents
Once the online application validated, a personalised list of the documents to be submitted will be available on your Inscruni account. All the documents listed are essential to the processing of your application for admission and must be uploaded on Inscruni within the given deadline. Please do not send us any documents by post at this stage.
Indicative list of documents to be sent together with your application for admission
6. Processing of the application for admission and decision
Once we have received the required documents, your application will be processed in two stages:
- Formal analysis of the application by the Office for Admissions and Registration, who decide whether you are eligible for doctoral/post-doctoral studies.
- Academic study analysis by the Faculty, who decides if the application meets the Faculty’s requirements.
The faculty’s analysis can last several weeks; please note that applications for the Faculty of Science and Medicine are managed by the Commission for Requests, who meet on fixed dates.
- Once the formal and study linked analyses completed, a written decision will be sent to you by the Office for Admissions and Registration.
No information regarding the status of your application for admission will be given by e-mail or by phone.
7. Providing the diploma and the deregistration certificate
If you have not received the Master’s degree/Doctorate at the time of the online application, you have to submit a copy of your diploma as well as the deregistration certificate from the last university attended by email.
If you are still not in possession of your diploma, please submit your official certificate of achievement.
The Master’s degree/Doctorate must be approved without any reservation or condition.
8. Final decision of admission
Once you have met all the admission requirements and provided your Master’s degree/Doctorate (if not possible, your certificate of achievement) as well as a deregistration certificate, you will receive the final decision in writing.
9. After the admission
- An invoice for the payment of the semester fee will be sent.
- Payment of the invoice within the given deadlines
- Activation of your e-account
- Your Campus Card will be sent.
If you are currently registered as a student at the Unifr, have an active MyUnifr account and wish to change your study programme for the next semester, you mustn’t submit your application on Inscruni. You have to submit your request on the MyUnifr portal.