Overview

The field of ecology and evolutionary biology is well established in western Switzerland, with more than sixty research groups distributed between the Universities of Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne and Neuchâtel. The Doctoral Program in Ecology and Evolution (DPEE) is offered by the University of Bern

About the program

The doctoral program will also allow doctoral students to improve their aptitude for communication about their research, and offers a possibility to improve scientific English. Furthermore, the school encourages the doctoral students to acquire experience in the organization of their own scientific events (congress, course) and to establish networks of collaboration.

Programme Structure

Activities in the DPEE are divided in three basic categories:

Scientific knowledge (K): scientific seminar series, workshops for improvement of scientific knowledge, topic groups, national and international congresses.

Methodological improvement (M): workshops and courses on specific methods and softwares (e.g. statistical or phylogenetic course), scientific exchanges to learn new methods.

Acquisition and reinforcement of skills (S): courses/workshops for reinforcement of expertise (e.g. scientific writing, scientific presentation, developing a grant proposal).

Key information

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-02-16 00:00:00
- Apply before 2025-03-31 00:00:00
Starting 2026-09-15 00:00:00
- Apply before 2025-10-15 00:00:00

Language

English

Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

Environmental Economics & Policy Ecology View 5 other PhDs in Ecology in Switzerland

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

We are not aware of any English requirements for this programme.

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

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Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University of Bern and/or in Switzerland, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Other requirements

General requirements

hold a master's degree or a licentiate from a Swiss university or Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, or an equivalent university degree and

you must also fulfill any other requirements set out by the relevant faculty or graduate school (e.g. specific average grades or a specific result in your master's degree, licentiate, diploma or state exams).

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

400 CHF/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 200 CHF per semester
National

400 CHF/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 200 CHF per semester

Living costs for Bern

1655 - 2130 CHF /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.