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 doctoral programme worth 180 ECTS credits. It runs over six semesters and centres on your own research project and dissertation. You finish with either the Dr. scient. med. title or a PhD, depending on the kind of research you do.

What you study

The programme is built around scientific work and the dissertation. Alongside that you learn transferable skills such as presentation skills and writing scientific studies and papers. The stated learning outcomes are concrete: plan and conduct internationally recognised research studies independently, publish findings in internationally recognised journals, present at international conferences and symposia, and explain your research to the general public in a way people can follow.

The two degree options differ by the nature of the research. The Dr. scient. med. is conferred for clinical or epidemiologic research. The PhD is awarded for research that gives mechanistic insights or generates new methods or technologies, including transferring laboratory results into clinical practice. Both routes require all courses in the curriculum, the dissertation, a successful defensio, and at least one first-author publication in a high-ranking international peer-reviewed journal.

How the programme is organised

The 180 ECTS break down as follows: dissertation including the defensio (150 ECTS), mandatory subjects (20 ECTS), core subjects (10 ECTS), dissertation topic work (10 ECTS) covering the dissertation colloquium, Interim Report I and II, journal clubs and Kepler Science Day, and elective academic credits (10 ECTS).

A three-person Thesis Advisory Committee supervises you from the start. It includes a first supervisor who is a Doctoral School member holding a Habilitation, a second supervisor with a Habilitation or tenure-track position, and a third member with a subject-related doctoral degree from another working group, institute or department. You present your progress to the committee once a year, recorded in a TAC protocol. At the dissertation colloquium you present your concept, covering objectives, research questions, methods, schedule, resources and ethics review. A dissertation agreement follows by the end of the third semester at the latest. Cumulative dissertations are possible on request, with at least three original papers in first or co-authorship. The defensio is a public oral defence with a 30 to 45 minute presentation, capped at 120 minutes, graded by a four-member examination senate.

Who it suits

This is for people who want to do research, not just talk about it. You need a Master's degree in human medicine, dentistry, engineering, natural sciences or a related field considered equivalent in content and scope. The programme suits candidates with a clear research idea and a supervisor in mind. If you work part-time, the programme can be organised to a certain degree around your schedule, though you should expect your studies to take longer. Interdisciplinary work 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. There is no central application portal. First contact a Doctoral School member at the Faculty of Medicine who could serve as first supervisor. Send the signed tentative supervision agreement, a research proposal description, a current CV and a letter of intent to doctoralschool_medicalsciences(at)jku.at. A committee evaluates the proposal, and the Board of Spokespersons confirms supervision. You then apply for admission through MyAdmission with the approved supervision agreement, your Master's diploma and a passport copy. The institution's own page gives the application period.

The full-time doctoral/PhD program in Medical Sciences amounts to180 ECTS credits and is offered in English. The program focuses on scientific work and completing a dissertation. The students will also 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.