Overview

About the program

The Drug Discovery program promotes the scientific education of PhD students from life science disciplines with special emphasis on subjects related to the identification and characterization of pharmacologically active compounds and their development into drugs.

It covers the whole range of the drug development pipeline, from target identification to clinical trials, and prepares the successful participants for a scientific career in academic or industrial drug research and related disciplines. The program is run jointly by the University of Zurich (UZH) and the ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

Programme Structure

Topics include:

selecting drug targets
technologies used in drug discovery
small, medium and large drugs
objectives of the medicinal chemist
assessing drug safety
principles of personalized medicine
designing clinical trials
how intellectual property is protected

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-15 00:00:00

Apply anytime.

Language

English

Credits

12 ECTS

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Zürich, Switzerland

Disciplines

Pharmacology

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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.

Other requirements

General requirements

The condition for admission to the doctorate at ETH Zurich is basically a university Master's degree recognised by ETH. The Master's degree must be completed before the registration for the doctorate.

Online registration form
Confirmation of doctoral thesis supervision
Request supervision by Privatdozent or Adjunct Professor, if necessary
Request & concept for doctoral thesis outside ETH domain, if necessary
Academic transcripts, diploma certificates & diploma supplements
Passport copy
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Letters of recommendation
Declaration of consent

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items like Additional medical costs, Repatriation, Liability etc. Make sure your student insurance covers your needs.

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

Get your student insurance now

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 ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and/or in Switzerland, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

500 CHF / year

≈ 500 CHF / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

500 CHF / year

≈ 500 CHF / year

Living costs

Zürich

Switzerland

1920 - 2572 CHF / month

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

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Drug Discovery.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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