Change course of study

PhD, Master of Advanced Studies and Certificate of Specialization

PHD

Applications to change faculty or enroll in a 2nd faculty for a PhD are possible all year round, except for the Geneva School of Economics and Management (GSEM), where the deadline for most PhDs is February 28th. To start a PhD in the same faculty/institute, click here.

Admission requirements

See the study regulations of the program or faculty/institute/center in question.

French language requirements

No French language exam is required by the Admissions Office for enrollment in a doctoral program. Please check the required level with the faculty/institute/centre in question.

Procedure

Follow the procedure for the faculty/institute/centre in question.

  1. Find a professor willing to direct your thesis and ask them for a certificate that attests it;
    • For the PhD in Life Sciences, contact the program coordinator. At the same time, find a thesis advisor; their faculty will be the one you enroll in. You will then receive a PhD advisement certificate mentioning the exact starting date (semester) of your thesis and any given equivalence;
  2. Request your change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty on the Admissions Office online platform;
  3. Fill in the form which you will receive by email, scan the required documents, including the advisor’s certificate, and send it all via the online platform.
  1. Send to Marie-France Châtelain (from the Student Services) a copy of your physician/dentist diploma. Ask her to sign and stamp the advisor’s certificate, which must mention the exact starting date or starting semester of your thesis;
  2. Request your change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty on the Admissions Office online platform;
  3. Fill in the form which you will receive by email, scan the required documents, including the advisor’s certificate, and send it all via the online platform.
  1. Contact Olivier Frutiger in order to get an admission letter for your PhD from the dean;
  2. Request your change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty on the Admissions Office online platform;
  3. Fill in the form which you will receive by email, scan the required documents, including the deanship’s certificate, and send it all via the online platform.
  1. Contact phd-gsem(at)unige.ch in order to get an admission letter for your PhD from the scientific committee;
  2. Request your change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty on the Admissions Office online platform;
  3. Fill in the form which you will receive by email, scan the required documents, including the deanship’s certificate, and send it all via the online platform.
  1. Find a professor willing to direct your thesis and ask them for a certificate that attests it;
  2. Request your change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty on the Admissions Office online platform;
  3. Fill in the form which you will receive by email, scan the required documents, and send it all via the online platform.

If you don’t have an assistant contract (if you do, please see below), you can either:

  • If you have already found a professor willing to direct your thesis based on a project you have submitted to them, please mention it in your cover letter;

OR

  • Prepare a thesis project of around ten pages, with a bibliography. These will be submitted, along with your academic file, to a professor from the Faculty who could direct your thesis.

Then:

  1. Request your change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty on the Admissions Office online platform;
  2. Fill in the form which you will receive by email, scan the required documents, and send it all via the online platform.

 

If you have an assistant contract with the Faculty:

  1. Request your change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty on the Admissions Office online platform;
  2. Fill in the form which you will receive by email, scan the required documents, mention who is the professor planned to direct your thesis, and send it all via the online platform.
  1. Find a professor from the Faculty of Theology (FR) who might be interested in your research subject and being your thesis advisor;
  2. Contact them and provide them with a preliminary thesis project (one to three pages), your resume and a cover letter;
  3. If your research project retains their interest, ask them for a written certificate attesting that they will direct your thesis;
  4. Request your change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty on the Admissions Office online platform;
  5. Fill in the form which you will receive by email, scan the required documents and send it all via the online platform.

If you have any questions, please contact Christophe Pisteur, academic advisor for PhDs in theology.

  1. Find a professor willing to direct your thesis and ask for the PhD form, which they must sign;
  2. Request your change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty on the Admissions Office online platform;
  3. Fill in the form which you will receive by e-mail, scan the required documents and send it all via the online platform.
  1. Request your change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty on the Admissions Office online platform;
  2. Fill in the form which you will receive by e-mail, scan the required documents and send it all via the online platform.
  1. Request your change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty on the Admissions Office online platform;
  2. Fill in the form which you will receive by e-mail, scan the required documents and send it all via the online platform.

Master of advanced studies and certificate of specialization

Admission requirements

See the regulations of the program or faculty/institute/center in question.

Deadline for re-enrollment applications

  • For the Fall semester, applications must be made between July 1st and August 15th;
  • For the Spring semester, applications must be made between December 1st and January 15th.

No request for change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty for the semester in question may be submitted after this deadline.

Please note: if the program in question is subject to a specific deadline or additional registration (see below) and this is not submitted within the deadline, or if it is refused, the application will not be processed.

French language requirements

  • For Master of Advanced Studies programs: there is no French language requirement. However, the program’s regulations may set specific language requirements;
  • For Certificate of Specialization programs: the French exam may be required by the faculty/institute/centre, depending on the program.

Procedure

  1. Request your change of faculty or enrollment in a 2nd faculty on the Admissions Office online platform;
  2. Fill in the form you will receive by email, scan the required documents and send them via the online platform.

Special deadlines and possible further steps (within faculty or other indicated body)

Information subject to change by faculty/institute/center/school. The deadlines and procedures indicated by the faculty/institute/centre/school are binding.

Chosen program Special deadline or additional steps
Specialisation Certificate in the Teaching of a Supplementary Discipline (CSDS) See the deadlines and details on the Institute’s page (FR)
Chosen program Special deadline or additional steps
Specialisation Certificate for the Assessment and Management of Geological and Climate Related Risk September 15th to the Faculty
Chosen program Special deadline or additional steps
Certificate of advanced studies in legal professions October 31st to the École d’avocature (FR)