PhD programme
Doing a PhD at the ZHAW School of Engineering
The ZHAW School of Engineering offers Master's graduates the opportunity to do a doctorate in collaboration with selected universities. While studying for your PhD, you work on applied research projects at the university of applied sciences and are supervised jointly by professors from the ZHAW and its partner university.
This allows you to benefit from the strengths of both types of universities and contribute to enhancing the research profile of the School of Engineering with your dissertation project. The School of Engineering, in turn, creates favourable conditions and prerequisites for supporting high-quality research.
Most PhD networks are open to students with a Master’s degree from a university of applied sciences. They are, however, required to complete the processes (specific to each faculty) that are necessary for admission to the partner university. In addition to formalised PhD programmes, it is also possible for individual agreements to be concluded between partner universities, doctoral students and ZHAW.
PhD programmes with partner universities
Data Science with the University of Zurich
The ZHAW is part of the PhD Network Data Science and participates in the PhD programme in Data Science at the University of Zurich. The topics of the PhD programme in Data Science are broadly defined and explicitly include data-intensive areas in the field of Industry 4.0, such as predictive maintenance, data analytics and risk management as well as cloud computing.
Further information: Data Science with the University of Zurich
Biomedical Science and Health Innovations with ETH Zurich
The ZHAW and ETH Zurich have been running a joint doctoral programme in Biomedical Science and Health Innovations since 2025. The aim of the programme is to strengthen cooperation between the two universities, promote applied research in the field of biomedical sciences and health innovations and give excellent ZHAW Master's students the opportunity to do a doctorate at ETH.
Biomedical science and health innovation encompasses interdisciplinary research related to human health, disease and treatment methods. This involves research into the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and epidemiology of diseases and impairments of the human body and mental systems.
Further information: Biomedical Science and Health Innovations with ETH Zurich
Data Science with the Università Ca' Foscari in Venice
ZHAW graduates of the Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) are also eligible for the ZHAW's joint doctoral programme with the Università Ca' Foscari in Venice. They have the opportunity to complete a four-year doctorate in the field of data science. They will spend one year at the Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics at the University of Venice and three years at the ZHAW School of Engineering. ZHAW MSE graduates can participate directly in the programme without having to make up additional ECTS from their Master's degree.
Important to know
- As a doctoral student, you are enrolled in a regular PhD programme at a partner university and are required to go through its admission process.
- The doctorate is always awarded by the partner university. It is therefore the regulations of the partner university that are decisive.
- In most cases, doctoral students at ZHAW School of Engineering are employed as scientific assistants; the dissertation is normally embedded in a fairly large research project (Innosuisse, SNSF, Horizon Europe).
- ZHAW School of Engineering supports dissertation projects that are related to one of its main research areas.
- The dissertation topic is agreed on directly by the doctoral student and their supervising professors from the university of applied sciences and the partner university.
- Doctoral students are expected to display a high degree of independence and discipline and to actively exchange ideas with the contact persons in the institutes and centres.
How will the ZHAW School of Engineering support me with my dissertation project?
- Financial support through PhD programmes and internal calls
- Time support, including for caregivers
- Networking within the PhD community
- Access to foreign universities and networks (e.g. Horizon Europe Doctoral Network, PhD networks)
ZHAW employees and students will find further information in the Intranet.
Interested? Then venture to take the next step
A dissertation project requires careful planning and preparation in both the professional and private environment. We will be happy to offer you a consultation.