Training at PSC

Courses offered in the PhD Program in Plant Sciences are announced twice per year—typically in November for the spring semester and in June/July for the autumn semester—via a dedicated email communication to all enrolled PhD Program participants. All courses are listed on the Courses and Continuing Education platform, where course content, requirements, and registration procedures are described in individual course descriptions. Under COURSE CATEGORY “Plant Sciences” shall be selected to see the courses tailored for the PhD Program.

Participation in courses offered by the PhD Program in Plant Sciences is primarily intended for doctoral candidates enrolled in the PSC PhD Programs (Plant Sciences and Science & Policy), who are granted enrollment priority. Subject to availability of places, courses may be open to PhD students enrolled in other Life Science Zurich Graduate School (LSZGS) programs, as well as to postdoctoral researchers. For precise information consult individual course descriptions on the platform  Courses and Continuing Education.

Courses offered by the PhD Program in Plant Sciences are free of charge for PhD students enrolled in the PSC PhD Programs and for other PhD students within LSZGS programs. External PhDs and postdoctoral researchers may participate (subject to availability) and are generally charged a participation fee of CHF 300 per course*. For precise information consult individual course descriptions on the “Courses and Continuing Education” platform.

^* Exceptions may apply for selected courses, such as multi-day trainings or field trips, which may require a cost-covering fee for all participants; such cases are explicitly indicated in the respective course descriptions.

With your registration for a course, you commit yourself to attending the whole course. Only complete attendance can be considered to be awarded with a credit.
To ensure fair participation and the efficient use of resources, the PhD Program in Plant Sciences applies the following registration and cancellation policy to its courses and training activities. Although courses are free of charge for PhD students enrolled in LSZGS programs, participants are expected to commit to their registration. Cancellations or changes to registration made less than two weeks before the start of a course will incur a cancellation fee of CHF 200.
This policy is in place to: (i) ensure equal opportunities, as late cancellations limit the possibility to offer places to other interested doctoral candidates in time; (ii) optimise resource allocation, as course materials, speaker invitations, room bookings, and logistical planning are based on confirmed registrations; and (iii) maintain the quality of the training, as many courses and workshops rely on a balanced number of participants to ensure effective interaction and learning outcomes.
Participants are therefore kindly requested to inform the PSC office as early as possible if they are unable to attend a course. In cases of medical emergency, the cancellation fee may be waived upon submission of a valid medical certificate. For administrative purposes, participants are asked during registration for courses via the “Courses and Continuing Education” platform to provide an invoice address using their personal postal address in Switzerland. Under “Additional registration information,” participants should select “Invoice” as a Payment option. This information is collected solely to allow invoicing in the event of late cancellation.
The PhD Program in Plant Sciences appreciates the cooperation of all participants in respecting this fair-play policy, which helps ensure a high-quality and accessible training programme for the entire doctoral community.

Depending on the institution offering a course, registration procedures may differ. Participation in courses offered within the official course catalogue of a university other than the doctoral candidate’s host institution may require additional administrative steps, such as registration as a special student (at ETHZ), enrolment through inter-university mobility (at UZH) or registration to attend individual courses (UNIBAS) mechanisms. In many cases, the PhD Program in Plant Sciences has already established specific arrangements with course providers, allowing participation through direct course registration without further administrative enrolment. As procedures vary depending on the course and the offering entity, doctoral candidates are required to consult the individual course description carefully and follow the instructions provided therein.
To ensure smooth access to inter-university courses and facilitate ECTS recognition for doctoral milestones such as thesis defence registration, doctoral candidates are strongly advised to familiarise themselves early with the relevant registration procedures and deadlines. As procedures vary depending on the offering institution and course type, the course description remains the authoritative source of information.
Detailed information on university-specific registration procedures, recognition of coursework, and alignment with institutional doctoral requirements is provided in the subsequent sections concerning individual host universities guides. 

Links for students enrolled at ETHZ
Links for students enrolled at UZH
Links for students enrolled at UNIBAS