Five-year anniversary for the doctorate in health professions
Earning a PhD as a midwife or physiotherapist? Students of the ZHAW have been able to do this for five years now, thanks to a cooperation with the University of Zurich.
The fruitful collaboration between the ZHAW School of Health Professions and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zurich celebrates its first jubilee. It has been five years since the doctoral programme Care and Rehabilitation Sciences was launched, with 27 ZHAW students who work in health professions having been accepted into the programme during this time. The programme, which is unique in Switzerland, enables students who have acquired a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy, Midwifery, Nutritional Counselling, Optometry, Osteopathy or Nursing to complete a doctoral degree in Switzerland.
Path to high-quality research
Participants benefit from a structured postgraduate education that deepens their knowledge of theoretical foundations and research methods. It provides them with the necessary framework to implement these skills in practice at a high level. The emphasis is on prevention, clinical care and rehabilitation. What’s more, the programme promotes applied studies based on foundational research to foster the development and improvement of interventions and therapies. Doctoral student Vanessa Leutenegger, a certified midwife and lecturer at the Institute of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, explores current issues in her research. “Being able to continue my practical work as a midwife alongside my research allows me to implement insights gained from research directly into my midwifery practice, which I greatly value.” By the end of 2023, four doctoral students successfully completed the new programme and attained their doctoral degree.