PhD in Medical Sciences

PhD in Medical Sciences is one of 7 English-taught Biomedical Science programmes at PhD level in the register, offered by 6 institutions. 5 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland; this programme lists EUR 1,453 a year. 5 are at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters. The same programme title is offered at 2 institutions, so compare the content, campus and requirements before you choose.

The Doctorate in Medical Sciences at Johannes Kepler University Linz is a full-time, English-language programme worth 180 ECTS credits. It runs over six semesters and focuses on scientific work and your dissertation. You can graduate with either Dr. scient. med. or PhD, depending on the kind of research you do.

What you study

The programme is built around your dissertation, which carries 150 ECTS credits including the defensio (oral defence). You also take 20 ECTS of mandatory subjects: 10 ECTS of core subjects and 10 ECTS tied to your dissertation topic (dissertation colloquium, Interim Report I and II, journal clubs, and Kepler Science Day). Another 10 ECTS come from elective academic credits.

You learn to plan and conduct internationally recognised research studies, publish findings in international journals, present at conferences and symposia, and explain research to the general public. Transferable skills such as presentation skills and writing scientific studies and papers are part of the programme.

The degree title depends on your research. The Dr. scient. med. is conferred for clinical or epidemiologic research. The PhD is awarded for research that enables mechanistic insights or generates new methods or technologies, including transferring laboratory results into clinical practice.

How the programme is organised

You are supervised by a three-person Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) from the start. The first supervisor is a Doctoral School member with a Habilitation. The second supervisor holds a Habilitation or a tenure-track position. The third member, chosen with your first supervisor, holds a subject-related doctoral degree and works in another working group, institute or department. Once a year you present your progress to the TAC, documented in a TAC protocol.

At the start you present a dissertation concept in the dissertation colloquium, covering objectives, the state of the art, research questions, methods, schedule, resources, ethics review and your TAC members. By the end of the third semester at the latest, you finalise a dissertation agreement with the Office of Examinations and Recognition Services.

Courses with examinations or mandatory attendance require advance registration through Cardea, the Faculty of Medicine's electronic attendance system. You sign up for courses via KUSSS and check deadlines there. Information is posted on Moodle.

You can write a monograph or, on request, a cumulative dissertation with at least three original papers in first or co-authorship. A minimum of one first-author publication in a high-ranking international peer-reviewed journal is required. The defensio is a public oral defence with a 30 to 45 minute presentation, followed by discussion, and may not exceed 120 minutes. A four-member examination senate grades it.

Who it suits

This programme suits people who want to pursue scientific work and publish medical innovations, not only conduct research. It is for those aiming at an academic career, a PostDoc or Habilitation, or senior research and development roles in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry. If you work part-time, the programme can be organised to a certain degree around your schedule, but expect the duration to extend. Interdisciplinary research is possible because the JKU also has faculties in law, social sciences, business, engineering, computer sciences, natural sciences and education.

Admission, language and next steps

Teaching is in English at level C1. First, contact a member of the Doctoral School at the Faculty of Medicine who could serve as your first supervisor. The potential advisor signs a tentative supervision agreement, and you submit a description of your research proposal together with a current CV and a letter of intent to doctoralschool_medicalsciences(at)jku.at. A committee evaluates the proposal, and the Doctoral School's Board of Spokespersons confirms supervision if approved.

Then apply for admission via MyAdmission. You need the signed tentative supervision agreement, a diploma from a Master's programme in human medicine, dentistry, engineering, natural sciences or a related equivalent programme, and a copy of your passport. The institution's own page gives the application period. EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition at a public university within the standard duration plus two semesters; other students pay a fee per semester.

The full-time doctoral/PhD program in Medical Sciences amounts to 180 ECTS credits and is offered in English. The program focuses on scientific work and completing a dissertation. The students will also acquire transferable skills, such as presentation skills and writing scientific studies and papers.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here Johannes Kepler University Linz. A public university sets the admission requirements and dates for this level, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: No. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.