Faculté de médecine Faculté de médecine

Doctoral program in Global Health (PhD)

Course requirements

Throughout your doctoral studies you will follow several courses to meet the requirements of the PhD program. These courses are taken in close consideration with your PhD supervisor, so they fit your research journey as best as possible and so that they equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform your research duties.

You have the flexibility to take courses from various universities, including those outside of Switzerland, as long as the universities can provide you with the ECTS equivalence for the courses, and your supervisor approves of the chosen courses.

A valuable resource for courses offered by Swiss universities is the Swiss School of Public Health+. (SSPH+) 

 

 

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Course and teaching requirements

The PhD program requires the acquisition of a total of 18 ECTS credits, distributed as follows:

  1. Obligatory: 4 ECTS credits obtained from participating in two Spring School of Global Health sessions, hosted by the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva. These sessions are typically conducted in person, but adjustments can be made to a hybrid or online-only format based on specific contexts, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. Elective: Doctoral candidates, in consultation with their supervisors, have the flexibility to select courses that align with their specific needs and personal learning objectives. The formats and modalities of these courses can vary, as long as they adhere to quality criteria set by the program director and include a satisfactory formal evaluation. The 14 ECTS credits can be earned by enrolling in courses offered by "SSPH+ Inter-University Graduate Campus." 

If the course is not included in the offerings of SSPH+, the student will be required to obtain program approval and seek support from their primary supervisor. Among other courses offers , the program encourages the students to take the following courses: 

  • A maximum of 4 ECTS credits may be also acquired by completing two MOOCs. The certificates awarded by the MOOC platforms validate the ECTS acquisition.
  • Additionally, students have the option to participate in the One Week Medical School, worth 2 ECTS credits, organized in Geneva by the Institute of Global Health. This program is tailored for non-clinicians.