• Research
• Curriculum ("Natural Sciences" 12 ECTS and "DoSChem activities" 12 ECTS)
• Annual progress report
• Annual oral presentation
• Publication

Curriculum/ ECTS allocation overview (12 ECTS)

• 6 ETCS from curriculum based lectures and seminars (freely selectable and graded), summer schools
• 4-6  ECTS from PhD seminars and “Journal Clubs” (1 ECTS each Semester)
• 2-4  ECTS from faculty colloquia (0.5 ECTS per Semester)
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DoSChem (12 ECTS in total, flexible – below you find the suggested ECTS points distributed to the different areas)

• 2 ECTS from soft skills courses (freely selectable)
• 4 ECTS from retreats (2 per retreat (full active attendance – attend at least 2 retreats)
• 2 ECTS from International DoSChem Symposium (1 per symposium – attend 2)
• 4 ECTS from international conference (1-2 per active participation – poster or oral; 2 conference visits, at least 1 international conference)

24 ECTS needed to graduate within DoSChem.

Detailed description you can find here

Your obligations with DoSChem and the doctoral curriculum of University of Vienna

• Public presentation of your project to the faculty within 12 months (FÖP).
• Sign dissertation agreement with supervisor and director of doctoral studies.
• Acceptance of code of conduct and good scientific practice.
• Annual submission of written progress reports “Fortschrittsbericht”. Please use the current form available here. Please indicate all courses and achievements according to the curriculum and the doctoral thesis agreement you accomplished within the last year (not for pending or planed courses).
• Annual oral presentation of your progress with feedback from three PIs.
• attandance of monthly colloquia
• attandance of focus area retreats
• participation in student organized international symposium
• at least one significant international conference

Recognition of conferences

• General rules: ECTS are only awarded for an active participation in conferences (poster or oral presentations). Generally, the following conversion of time spend at a conference to ECTS applies: Conference attendance of up to 2 days will be rewarded with 1 ECTS and longer conferences with 2 ECTS (not more than that). If special circumstances apply, individual solutions need to be discussed with the director of doctoral studies.
• Both poster and oral presentations count similarly as “active” participation.

Please submit information about the conference (weblink and your registration or confirmation of attendance) with your yearly progress report.

Description of curriculum elements:

• 2-4 ECTS for faculty colloquia (0,5 ECTS per semester)

Attendance of the faculty colloquia with interdisciplinary invited speakers, which is held on a monthly basis (typically every 2^nd Monday within the teaching periods at 16:00), is an important multidisciplinary part of your curriculum. It is expected to attend 3 of 4 colloquia in order to collect 0.5 ECTS per semester. Please note that only on-site attendance proof (without previous required Moodle registration) does not count, Useful links and resourcesyou have to sign up for it via Moodle as for any other regular course.

• 4-6 ECTS for PhD seminars and “Journal Clubs” within each focus areas (1 ECTS per semester)

You have to regularly attend and present your progress of your research to student fellows and to principal investigators of the panel. The new guideline recommends the presence of 3 PIs of your choice (with your direct supervisor among them) during your yearly progress talk, yielding comprehensive input covering different angles on your project.

Journal Clubs - the discussion and presentation of scientific papers found in relevant journals could also be attended on a regular basis. Please note, you can participate in the same JC multiple times (up to 4).

• 6 ECTS for DoSChem curriculum-based lectures, seminars

So far, the DoSChem curriculum relies in part on courses already offered in the Master program, which you can select freely. In addition, you can participate in all classes offered by the Vienna Universities (MedUni, TU Wien etc). Required courses will be agreed on between student, supervisor and DoSChem by signing the “dissertation agreement” after successful presentation of the research project to the faculty (FÖP). Amendments are possible via the yearly written progress reports. The attendance of summer or winter schools (registration/attendance proof) will be recognized as a seminar type and awarded with ECTS.

DoSChem (12 ECTS in total, flexible –suggested ECTS points)

• 2 ECTS for Focus Area Retreats (up to 2 ECTS per retreat)

Each focus area of research organizes annual scientific retreats (2,5 days), which is an off-site meeting held in a relaxing atmosphere outside the university accompanied by a social program. The retreat provides opportunities for identifying and exploring new and innovative research directions, and encourages intensive peer discussions and exchange in a relaxed setting. During the course of your PhD thesis you are expected to attend all retreats organized by your focus areas and all student symposia. Full participation for 2.5 days with poster or talk will result in 2 ECTS; the participation for 1-2 days with poster or talk resultsin 1 ECTS. For shorter participation no ECTS will be given.

• 2 ECTS for International Symposium organized by DoSChem students (1 ETCS/Symposium)

Once a year – typically in September– a group of students organizes a two-day symposium with high-profile speakers representing the scientific span of the DoSChem faculty.

During this event there will be a session dedicated to DoSChem student presentations, whereas it is up to you (voluntary basis/research group choice) to give a talk to communicate your research. With hands-on experience, you are also responsible of approaching and inviting external speakers of your choice, for organization of social program and catering. In this way, you are challenged with collective responsibility, organization skills and with the experience of how to deal with the fixed program budget. You have to register for this event. During the course of your PhD thesis you are expected to attend all retreats organized by your focus areas and all student symposia. Your participation (presence/talk/poster) will be equally rewarded with 1 ECTS.

Besides being fun social events, co-organizing retreats and organizing symposia proofs your personal responsibility, enhances your practical and social networking skills and makes you aware of facing strategic challenges of a common scientific event such as symposia or workshop. In this way your organizing activity awards you additional ECTS – 1-2 per event depending on the workload.

• 4 ECTS for Conference participation (1-2 ECTS per active participation)

The DoSChem strongly promotes your participation in at least one significant (international) conference during your PhD training. By presentation of your work (talk or poster), your effort will be awarded. The solely attendance of the conference without the active participation is not awarded by ECTS. A conference of up to 2 days will be rewarded with 1 ECTS and longer conferences with 2 ECTS (not more than that). 2 conference visits, at least 1 international conference.

• 2 ECTS from soft skills courses (freely selectable, flexible)

DoSChem training is committed to supply you with best possible tools to enhance your performance in getting successfully published, professionally present and discuss your data, writing a strong proposal, and skillfully manage your PhD thesis project. Depending on the concept/duration of the course, your effort will be awarded with 1 ECTS (up to 2 days course) and 2 ECTS (more than 2 days). This applies to the participation of University of Vienna (internal) and external courses.

• 1 flexible ECTS

1 ECTS can be flexibly used within the DoSChem part of the curriculum. Please make sure that the event used here meets the requirements of 1 ECTS (amount of work: ~25 h). Please provide confirmation of participation.

Please note that the workshop and courses from the Center for Doctoral Studies are not credited with ECTS! 

However, if you have questions regarding “free” German courses or other suggestions and questions for this section please contact us.