Fast Track Doctoral Studies

The Fast Track Doctoral Studies program offers exceptionally qualified students the possibility of enrolling in a Doctoral Studies program (tentative admission) before having fully completed the Master's degree.

All students who wish to enroll in the Fast Track program need first of all to apply and to register normally to the Computer Science Master and enroll in the CS Master program. Only at the end of the first semester, they can apply for the Fast Track Assessment and they will then need to pass the Fast Track Assessment (including presentation of their doctoral project proposal). Only after passing this Assessment they can officially apply for the Fast Track Admission. 

Requirements for Admission

Students fulfilling the following requirements may be admitted to the Fast Track Doctoral Studies:

• Excellent performance in the Computer Science Master program
• Exceptional aptitude to obtain conferral for a doctorate
• Successfully complete the Fast Track Assessment.
  

The basic requirements for admission to the Fast Track program:

NOTE THAT:

• The candidate must be registered as an ETH Computer Science Master student and must enroll in the Computer Science Master program
  
• Proof of at least 30 credit points in the Master track
  
• Proof of excellent grades (≥ 5.5) in selected topics
• Letter of recommendation by his/ her future supervisor
• A doctoral studies project proposal, outlining the area and topic of the proposed research
• with these requirements fulfilled, the candidates must go through the application process in steps (1)-(4) as described below.
  

Application /Admission Process »

Financing

For details regarding financial aspects of the doctoral study please see the following web page: http://www.rektorat.ethz.ch/students/finance/index_EN.

Candidates applying for financial support should clearly state in the “personal statement” of the Master application that they are interested in the "Fast Track" program. They should outline the reasons why they are interested in the "Fast Track" and give a description of their research interests.