Ph.D. in a Nutshell English_2024

Ph.D. in a Nutshell

Ph.D. Programmes

Management (PMA) pma.unisg.ch / pma@unisg.ch

Economics and Econometrics (PEcon) gpef.unisg.ch / gpef@unisg.ch

Finance (PiF) gpef.unisg.ch / gpef@unisg.ch

International Affairs and Political Economy (DIA)

dia.unisg.ch / dia@unisg.ch

Organization Studies and Cultural Theory (DOK)

dok.unisg.ch / dok@unisg.ch

Law (DLS) dls.unisg.ch / dls@unisg.ch

Computer Science (DCS) dcs.unisg.ch / dcs@unisg.ch

Application and Admission

We are delighted that you are considering applying for a Ph.D. programme at our university. HSG students who are studying for a Master’s degree and later want to obtain a Ph.D. have to submit an application request through Compass during the semester enrolment period. Former HSG students who completed their Master’s degree a maximum of 12 months ago fill in the rematriculation form online. All other applicants and extramural applicants apply through the online application process.

To initiate the admission process for Ph.D. studies at the University of St.Gallen, you will have to submit a complete application through the online application portal on the internet under the heading of «Studying/Admission». For us to be able to check whether you satisfy the formal requirements for studying a Ph.D., we will be pleased to conduct a non-binding preliminary assessment. For this purpose, please e-mail all the grade transcripts and degree certificates, along with a CV, to phd@unisg.ch. Graduates of the University of St.Gallen are deemed to have produced this evidence if they achieved the required grade average in their Licentiate’s or Master’s degree.

Admission with a Non-HSG Master's Degree

If you do not hold a HSG degree and have not received a diploma supplement, you will have to prove in an official letter that you would be admitted to Ph.D. studies at your home university. If you are unable to provide such proof – as a consequence of different admission procedures for Ph.D. studies – you will have to submit at least two letters of recommendation from professors of your previous university.

In addition, these letters of recommendation will have to provide information about what you have done so far and why you are particularly qualified for Ph.D. studies.

The HSG will also compare your educational background with the HSG curriculum and have a particular look at the criteria of the regular degree course period, the quality of the courses and the university degrees. Ultimately, the crucial factor is whether you hold a recognised university Master’s degree in the same or a similar field to that of the Ph.D. programme. The decision will be based on the «Award Regulations (PromO17) for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) of the University of St.Gallen 1 February 2024», as well as on the programme regulations of the relevant programme.

After you have completed your application, we will check it according to formal criteria. If the result is positive, you can start looking for a supervisor, depending on the programme. Please note that certain degrees do not meet the requirements for PhD studies at the HSG. They include degrees from a university of

applied sciences (Fachhochschule; university without the right to confer Ph.D. degrees), as well as MBAs.

Admission to Ph.D. studies will be granted «sur dossier» by the relevant programme committee.

Admission with a Degree in a Similar Major

In such cases, admission to Ph.D. studies can be made contingent on additional entry requirements. These include fundamental courses and courses in the core discipline. The additional entry requirements depend on the educational background and are jointly determined by the supervisors and the programme committee.

These additional entry requirements cause an additional workload, with which you will have to cope above and beyond your regular courses and any other commitments and which must have been completed before the submission of the research proposal. A one-time extension of maximum one semester may be requested from the Ph.D. Office for the completion of these additional entry requirements.

Enrolment Process

If you are studying at the HSG and want to start your Ph.D. studies directly after obtaining your Master’s degree, submit an application request via Compass during the semester enrolment period.

If you obtained your Master’s degree from the HSG and are exmatriculated for a maximum of two semesters, you can fill in the rematriculation form on the internet.

If you obtained your Master’s degree from us more than 12 months ago or obtained a Master‘s degree from a university other than the HSG, create a user account in the online application portal on the website. Subsequently, you will be guided through the online application in four steps. Please fill in the pages from the top to the bottom since there may be dependencies between the input fields.

The online application also instructs you to pay a fee of CHF 250. Please note that you can only make this payment online. After payment, you will be able to submit your application.

What documents you will have to submit depends on the Ph.D. programme in which you want to enrol. Please make sure, however, that all the documents required are available in digital form. If you are uncertain about the completeness of your application, you can obtain the necessary information online at https://www.unisg.ch/en/ studying/admission/admission-phd/ or by contacting the Ph.D. Office (phd@unisg. ch).

In addition to numerous other documents, you must in any case electronically upload all the academic degrees you have obtained in one file. After your definitive admission, we will ask you to present the original of your Master’s degree certificate or a certified copy of your degree to the Ph.D.

Office. If your certificates and other documents are not written in German, English, French or Italian, you must also submit an officially certified translation of the document in German or English.

For foreign degrees, include an official description of the grading scale used in each case. You can help to simplify and speed up the application process by ensuring that your documents are clear and unmistakable. If, for instance, the title of a certain course that is relevant to your application is not unequivocally comprehensible or is even misleading, then please enclose an official course description. Examination regulations or official decrees that provide information about grading scales can be used to assess much more quickly whether you are sufficiently qualified for the chosen Ph.D. programme. If you fail to submit important documents in time, they cannot be used later for the decision.

Please note that only applications can be considered that have been submitted in due time. Whenever you log into your application portal, you will find information about the completeness of your documents and the progress of the procedure. We will review your documents and let you know whether you meet the formal criteria.

In case of a positive evaluation, you will now have to contact a supervisor. The final admission depends on the decision of the

programme committee and the PhD Agreement. For this purpose, the supervisor will have to submit the PhD Agreement, which can be found on the ResearchWeb, to the PhD Office in due time. «In due time» means by 30 April for studies beginning in the autumn semester and by 30 November for studies beginning in the spring semester.

Other deadlines are applicable to assistants and rematriculated students: 15 August for an autumn semester start and 15 January for a spring semester start.

«Only applications can be considered that have been submitted in due time.»

«The research areas of our professors can be found on the websites of the individual

institutes, departments (schools) and research institutes.»

Supervising Your Ph.D. Thesis

It is your personal responsibility to find a supervisor. Unfortunately, the university and the Ph.D. Office are unable to help you there. Please consider that the search might take a fair amount of time. A prospective supervisor will ask for a rough project outline with explanations about your research question and may conduct interviews with you.

Please keep in mind that you will work with this supervisor for several years. As a Ph.D. student, you should meet with your supervisor at least twice a year, to discuss your work. You will experience the supervisor in the role of a mentor and teacher throughout your Ph.D. studies. Many alumni remain in professional and personal contact with their former supervisors for many years.

Besides the obvious search for an expert in your field, you should also consider other criteria in your choice. These depend on your own background or are determined by your decision to pursue an academic or a practice-oriented career. In this respect, you should be clear about where you want to see yourself once your Ph.D. thesis has been accepted. Disclose your long-term goals and expectations in your meeting with a potential supervisor and explain what your Ph.D. studies mean to you.

You can find out which professor is interested in which research areas and thesis topics on the websites of the individual institutes, departments (schools), research centers and Ph.D. programmes.

On the Alexandria research platform you can find the projects and publications of the different schools, institutes and researchers at our university.

Take advantage of your choices, compare thesis projects existing at the chairs with topics that you have in mind and ask your fellow students about the shape of the relationship between Ph.D. students and their supervisors.

The candidates for the Ph.D. programme in «Finance (PiF)» apply directly to the programme. Each year, the programme offers positions for Ph.D. students with professors who will then also be supervisors. Applicants are assigned to appropriate positions based on their research interest.

Admission

When you have been notified of your final admission to Ph.D. studies, you will automatically be enrolled as Ph.D. student at the University of St.Gallen. If necessary, you can also use this notification to apply for a visa.

Planning Your Ph.D. Studies

All the Ph.D. programmes are structured into a coursework phase and a research phase. However, some decisions should be made at the very beginning, among them the question of the specialisation in the programme in «Management (PMA)» and in the programme in «Economics and Econometrics (PEcon)», as well as the question of whether you want to write a monograph or a cumulative thesis. Not least, you need to be able to cover your living costs.

Ph.D. studies at the HSG are divided into a coursework phase and a research phase. In the coursework phase, you will attend courses, draw up your research proposal and present it to your thesis committee. The subsequent research phase serves to prepare your thesis. During the research phase, you will attend thesis-related seminars.

Finally, you will have to defend your thesis in public and have it published. Most Ph.D. students need a total of three to four years for their Ph.D. studies. If you make use of the maximum periods available, however, the process excluding the application process can extend up to a maximum of five years. How long it will actually take you depends on what your priorities are, what your personal commitments are and what individual decisions you will make.

However, before you start your first courses, you should have dealt with three questions:

(1)What specialisation are you going to choose in the Ph.D. programme in Management (PMA) or in the Ph.D. programme in Economics and Econometrics (PEcon)?

(2)Would you like to write your thesis as a monograph or as several papers?

(3)How do you finance your living expenses?

PMA/PEcon Specialisation

If you have enrolled in the Ph.D. programme in «Management (PMA)», you will have to decide together with your supervisor which specialisation you would like to choose. The programme offers five specialisations: Accounting, Business Innovation, General Management, Marketing and Behavioral Science.

In the Ph.D. programme in «Economics and Econometrics (PEcon)», you can choose between Economics and Econometrics.

Thesis Form

In addition to the content of your thesis, you should also decide at the onset whether you want to write it in the form of several essays or as a monograph.

The form is determined within the scope of the programme regulations together with the supervisor. When you clarify this question, you should ideally first be guided by your specific research topic. Secondly, and less importantly, you should then also base your decision on the research plan derived from the topic, the methods as well as the nature of the results you are aiming for.

Some Ph.D. students opt for the classic monograph for their thesis, others choose the cumulative thesis. For the PEcon and the PiF, this form is even prescribed. A cumulative thesis consists of at least three papers which are intended for publication in renowned national and international specialist journals, in anthologies, commentaries or similar academic publications. At

least one paper must be written by the Ph.D. student alone and must account for a substantial part of the thesis. The other papers may be co-authored. However, the general rule is applicable whereby any papers that were already published before the start of your Ph.D. programme cannot be used for your thesis. Depending on the Ph.D. programme, different precepts for the cumulative thesis must be taken into account.

A cumulative thesis provides you both with a possibility of working on research questions which for reasons of budget, capacity or complexity are not accessible to an individual researcher and with the opportunity to present your results extramurally together with your research partners. In addition, you are part of a group that is dedicated to a topic and the question related to it. However, the downside is the fact that this requires substantially more coordination effort.

Whatever you decide: writing your thesis will require a similar amount of effort regardless of whether you opt for a monograph or a cumulative thesis.

Financing of the Ph.D. Study

In connection with your application, you should simultaneously take care of the financing of your Ph.D. studies. The financial leeway often has a crucial impact on the organisational part of your doctorate. Many of the Ph.D. students work as an assistant at a chair or institute, others receive a scholarship from an academic community or foundation (particularly for the funding of a stay abroad), and some find a part-time job or project work outside the university, usually in companies or organisations. Updated rules for Ph.D. students and supervisors regarding employment, research time and third-party funding can be found on the Research Web.

On the HSG website the living costs of students are published. These calculations are from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, 2020. According to these calcu-

lations, international students on Master level spend approximately CHF 2'500 per month. It makes sense to take this amount as a minimum limit for your monthly living costs for several reasons. It is likely that your personal expenses on food, clothing, mobility, travel and leisure activities will be higher, while at the same time you will no longer benefit from premium reductions and other perks.

«For the cover of your expenses you have to expect at least CHF 2'500 per month.»

Coursework Phase

In the first four semesters of your Ph.D. studies, the coursework phase, you will satisfy the requirements of your subject programme, draw up your research proposal, and defend it. If the research proposal is accepted and you have passed all required Ph.D. courses, the coursework phase is completed and you will enter into the research phase.

The coursework phase serves to deepen the methodological skills and acquire new ones. A maximum of four semesters, two years, are planned for this phase. Each Ph.D. programme has its own regulations regarding the selection of courses to be attended and the credits to be earned for them. When you choose your courses, you should also consider the aspect of language, because there are different conventions depending on the Ph.D. programme.

Selection of Courses

Regardless of the Ph.D. programme, you must have successfully completed the courses by the end of the four-semester coursework phase. Even if you pursue your programme as an extramural Ph.D. student, no exception will be granted. In case of important reasons such as illness, pregnancy, accident or death, an extension of the deadline can be requested.

To fulfil entry requirements, a maximum of one additional semester can be granted upon request. According to the current regulations, however, professional activity is not an important reason for a deadline extension. If an extension is granted in the coursework phase, the research phase will be shortened accordingly, since the total study time of 10 semesters cannot be exceeded.

Compass

You should in any case familiarise yourself with the various functions of Compass since you will need most of them on a regular basis to handle administrative matters such as semester enrolment, the process of bidding for courses, access to the confirmation of your matriculation, changes of correspondence addresses, as well as your personal mailbox to which all documents will be sent as PDF files. The password for accessing Compass will be sent directly to your private e-mail address after final admission.

Change of Programmes

Circumstances may arise during an ongoing Ph.D. study which will make it necessary for you to switch to another Ph.D. programme or another specialisation.

impossibility to continue with the original topic, or similar serious scenarios.

If you are considering a change of programmes, coordinate the timing and procedure with your supervisor and the Ph.D. Office. A change is possible until the end of the coursework phase – but prior to the submission of the research proposal. If you effect that change at the earliest possible time, you will save yourself a great deal of work and costs. In any case, your admission will be checked again according to the guidelines applicable to the new programme. This means that you may have to attend and complete additional courses.

Registration for all Ph.D. courses is binding; students who fail to attend their courses will be deemed to have failed them. If a course is failed at the second attempt, the Ph.D. studies at the University of St.Gallen can no longer be continued.

Reasons for such a change may include a reorientation of your thesis, the objective

If you switch to a completely different programme, it may happen that entry requirements will be imposed on you and only a small amount of your previous work will be credited to you. If you switch to a different specialisation within a Ph.D. program-

me, however, conditions will concentrate on the compulsory courses.

Thesis Committee

For Ph.D. students starting in the autumn semester 2024, a thesis committee consists of three to four persons: the chair, the supervisor, the co-supervisor (external or from HSG) and a co-examiner (external). These persons should be independent of each other The programme committee may designate the members when needed. As a rule, you determine with your supervisor who will act as a co-supervisor. The choice of co-supervisor is subject to different provisions from those that apply to the choice of supervisor; for instance, professors from other universities can also be appointed. The fourth committee member is normally an external professor, who will act as co-examiner. If the co-supervisor is from another university than HSG, it is not necessary with an external co-examiner. The thesis committee must be complete at the latest when you submit your research proposal.

Ph.D. students starting before autumn semester 2024 should note the transitional rules (art. 68 of the Award Regulation).

Preparation of the Research Phase

Many theses require empirical data to be gathered. Please discuss this point with your supervisor in great detail and as early as possible. Start with the search for possible data sources and possible funding options for data gathering early enough, preferably as part of your research proposal.

Please bear in mind that it is not only the actual data gathering and evaluation process that takes several months. It often takes months to get access to data sources in the field (companies, institutions, databases), which will enable you to conduct your empirical studies in the first place. As soon as you depend on more sensitive data, it makes sense to conclude a research agreement with the institution in question. In this way, you will reduce the risk of failing to gain access to the field after having carried out your preliminary theoretical work.

Furthermore – and this is what your research proposal feedback will amount to in many cases – you should draw up a thorough, realistic and pragmatic research strategy. In other words, the research question should be researchable, the methodology should be controllable and expectations should be realistic.

Ethical aspects must also be considered and standards of good scientific practice should be followed at all times.

Most important contacts:

Ph.D. Office ¦ phd@unisg.ch

Admission ¦ admission@unisg.ch

Study Funding ¦ studyfunding@unisg.ch

Research Committee ¦ research@unisg.ch

Early Career Programme ¦ fd@unisg.c h

Grants Office ¦ research@unisg.ch

Behavioral Lab ¦ behaviorlab@unisg.ch

Scientific Integrity & Research Ethics ¦ ek@unisg.ch

General Information ¦ unisg.ch

Behavioral Lab

The Behavioral Lab offers research services for experiments available to all scholars at the University of St. Gallen, including Ph.D. candidates. Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, the lab facilitates experiments conducted in-house, in the field, and recently, online. Located at Tellstrasse 2, the lab features a PC lab with 20 desks, a dedicated room for neurophysiological measurements, and facilities for AR/VR setups. A comprehensive toolkit for neurophysiological measurements is available, including eye-tracking, facial expression analysis, galvanic skin response (GSR), electrocardiogram (ECG), and electroencephalogram (EEG) technologies.

«The HSG supports researchers with various research tools.»

The lab maintains an active pool of approximately 2'000 student participants, ensuring easy accessibility for conducting experiments. Our team provides full support throughout your research project— from planning stages to publication. Additionally, the lab offers training through Ph.D. courses and seminars. Access to lab services is complimentary for projects involving at least one researcher affiliated with the University of St.Gallen.

Research Promotion

The HSG supports researchers – and young researchers in particular – through personal advice and events about the various options of research funding, but also through own funding instruments. The team of the Grants Office provides support throughout the entire project cycle: We assist in the search for suitable funding instruments, in the preparation and submission of applications, and in the administration of awarded research funds. The funding landscape includes funding instruments by the HSG Research Committee, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Innosuisse, European research, foundations, and many more. The Grants Office will provide you with various support options for your research and your academic career.

Research Grants

If you are interested in applying for a research grant, we recommend that you seek advice from the Grants Office at an early stage.

Mobility Grants

Young researchers who would like to strengthen their academic profile with a research stay abroad and who are not employed within an SNSF project, can apply for a "Mobility grant for doctoral students of the University of St.Gallen" (Mobi.Doc). The funding period covers 9-12 months. The fellowships include a grant for subsistence costs, a lump sum for travel expenses and a possible contribution to research and conference costs.

For further information please refer to our webpage or contact us via research@unisg.ch.

Research Proposal

The research proposal for the thesis describes the general thesis project and the methodological procedure. In addition, you will already have to provide evidence of initial research results. As a consequence of these precepts, research proposals vary from individual to individual. Some develop a detailed model of the theory they want to review and describe the research approach they want to pursue for this purpose; others write the first chapter or the first paper of their thesis.

Make use of the opportunity to clarify in the context of your research proposal precisely what you are going to research (research question) and how you want to proceed (research plan). Compare expectations and determine the scope and content of your research proposal together with your supervisor. You will have to submit the research proposal before the end of the fourth semester. A fee of CHF 300 will be charged for this submission. Please bear in mind that a research proposal that has not been submitted in due time can be submitted during an extended time window of 6 months. In this case, however, it can only be either accepted or rejected, i.e. no rework can be done any longer.

Colloquium on the Research Proposal

Once submitted, the research proposal will be assessed by the thesis committee. Subsequently, the colloquium will be conducted. It will take place within eight weeks after the submission of the research proposal.

In the colloquium, you will present your research proposal to the thesis committee. The colloquium is not open to the public. After the colloquium, the thesis committee will make a decision concerning the whole of your research proposal. The aim of the colloquium is to give you a reliable sense of what your thesis committee specifically expects from you and your thesis. It is meant to show you how you can structure your further research work and what changes may be required.

Acceptance of the Research Proposal

After the colloquium, the thesis committee will decide whether the research proposal will be • accepted, • sent back for revision • or rejected.

If your research proposal is accepted at the first attempt and if you have successfully completed all the courses of the coursework phase and fulfilled any possible additional conditions, your coursework phase is over and the research phase begins. If the committee still regards part of the research proposal as unclear (for instance because of imprecise research questions or indeterminate research design), the research proposal will be sent back for reworking, for which a time window of 12 months will be available.

As soon as you have submitted the reworked version, you will have to present it again orally in a second colloquium. At the second attempt, your research proposal can only be either accepted or rejected.

If it is rejected, you will be unable to continue your Ph.D. studies. Admission to another Ph.D. programme at the University of St.Gallen will also be ruled out.

Grading

In all the Ph.D. programmes, the courses during the coursework phase and the seminars during the research phase are evaluated as «passed» or «failed». The courses and seminars assessed in this way must be passed individually.

Each unsatisfactory course or seminar can be repeated once. Students will be notified of the results in the inter-term break of the semester in question. Students who fail their coures or seminars at the second attempt will no longer be able to continue their Ph.D. studies at the HSG.

«The research proprosal describes the general thesis project and the methodological procedure.»

GSERM

The GSERM Global School in Empirical Research Methods is a programme integrated in the HSG which offers methodological courses for Ph.D. students and post-docs from all over the world. As a student enrolled at the HSG, you will be able to attend one or several courses in the GSERM, depending on the programme, which will be credited to your curriculum. A small course fee is required. For further information please refer to our webpage or contact us via gserm@unisg.ch

«The

GSERM offers methodological courses for Ph.D. students and postdocs from all over the world.»

Early Career Programme

Our extra-curricular training and services are designed to support Ph.D. students on their way towards their doctoral degree.

The Early Career Programme offers training, workshops, grants, and other resources. Topics addressed are, amongst others, how to make your writing a success, how to negotiate effectively, how to overcome procrastination, how to create professional-looking science videos or how to present your research at conferences. We also invite PhD students to join our supervised PhD writing group that runs every week during the semester. As a group of Ph.D. students, you may apply for funding for a writing retreat that will give you time and space to focus on writing your thesis together with your peers. We also offer individual counseling and support through mentoring relationships.

For further information please refer to our webpage or contact us via fd@unisg.ch.

Research Phase

The research phase is that stage of Ph.D. studies in which you write your thesis. If your thesis is accepted and all the formal requirements are satisfied, the certificate will be presented to you at the award ceremony, after which you will be entitled to use the Ph.D. title. Attendance at the award ceremony is compulsory.

In the research phase of your Ph.D. studies, the focus is on translating your academic and methodological knowledge and skills into practice. You will immerse yourself in your topic and implement the research plan which you drew up in your research proposal. During this stage, many Ph.D. students go abroad for research purposes or quit gainful employment in order to be able to fully concentrate on their thesis.

Seminars

The literature and essay seminars, thesis colloquia and similar courses which are compulsory in most Ph.D. programmes will increase your workload. In these seminars, you will be provided with particular support, which includes presenting and discussing the current state of your research in a plenary seminar session. Depending on the chair and the programme, you will also participate in academic conferences or organise workshops with project partners. A judicious calculation of the theoretical and empirical parts of your work will help you adhere to your schedule.

Submission Process

Even though you will have done most of the work on your thesis by the time you submit it, some important tasks will still remain which you should not underestimate. Both the submission and the defence are contingent on the satisfaction of some administrative requirements. Information about this can be found on the ResearchWeb.

«The research phase serves to write your thesis.»

Submission of Your Thesis

You will have to submit your thesis ten semesters after you started your Ph.D. studies at the latest. You will be notified of the exact date on conclusion of the coursework phase.

A thesis that is not submitted on time is deemed to be rejected. Extensions are only granted if important reasons can be asserted. In any case, apply for a possible extension of the deadline as early as possible. Make sure that the Ph.D. Office will have sufficient time before the original submission deadline to review your request. An examination fee of CHF 600 will be charged for the submission of the thesis.

Formal Requirements

For the purposes of grading and the plagiarism assessment, the thesis must be uploaded electronically in Compass. In this respect, the University of St.Gallen imposes formal requirements, which are described on the ResearchWeb.

Assessment and Defence

Your thesis will be assessed by the thesis committee. A total of four months is available for this, with three months being earmarked for the assessment stage and a further month for the defence if your thesis has been accepted. During the assessment stage, your thesis committee will come to an agreement and work out a shared position as to whether to invite you to a defence.

The committee may propose that the thesis be • accepted, • sent back for revision • or rejected.

Acceptance may be made contingent on some minor changes being made. If the thesis is recommended for acceptance, the defence must be conducted within a month. In this defence, you will have to prove that you satisfy the standards required for the thesis. The defence will be conducted by the thesis committee; it takes place on the premises of the University of St.Gallen, lasts at least one hour and is open to the public.

After the defence, the thesis committee will forward its assessments together with the recommended grade and the grade of the defence to the Ph.D. Office. The programme committee will finally approve the result. If the programme committee follows the thesis committee’s recommendation, your thesis will be deemed to be definitively accepted and the final grade will be determined.

No defence will be conducted if the thesis is either sent back for revision or completely rejected. If a thesis is sent back for revision, a deadline of 12 months will apply. You will be duly notified in either case.

As is the case with the research proposal, a second return for revision is ruled out. If a thesis is rejected, the Ph.D. programme cannot be continued, and admission to another Ph.D. programme at the University of St.Gallen is no longer possible, either.

Overall Grade

In all our programmes, the thesis will account for 80% and the defence for 20% of the overall grade. On the basis of the overall grade, the following distinctions are awarded:

•with a grade average of 5.75 to 6.0 0: with the highest distinction (su mma cum laude);

•with a grade average of 5.50 to 5.74: very good (magna cum laude);

•with a grade average of 5.00 to 5.49: good (cum laude);

•with a grade average below 5.00, no level of distinction shall be awarded.

«The final step on your way to the Ph.D. degree is participation in the Ph.D. graduation ceremony.»

When you have submitted your thesis, this is not the end of the procedure. As soon as you have been notified of your overall grade, you have no more than a period of 1 year to have 7 compulsory copies of your thesis printed and to have it published electronically in Compass. The electronic publication of your thesis in Compass is subject to a fee of CHF 450 plus value added tax. The Ph.D. certificate in A3 format costs CHF 210 and can be ordered on request via our payment portal.

The 7 compulsory copies (in accordance with printing regulations) have to be submitted to the Library. Consequently, you should allow for a sufficient period of time (proofreading, formatting, administration) and financial resources (production costs). Experience shows that most Ph.D. students have to spend more time on this than originally planned.

The final step on your way to the Ph.D. degree is participation in the Ph.D. graduation ceremony. The HSG ceremony draws on an old academic tradition, according to which the Ph.D. degree is conferred by the President of the University of St.Gallen in person. Attendance at the award ceremony is compulsory. Please note that your Ph.D. studies will only have been concluded once you are handed the degree certificate. Prior to that, you will not be allowed to use the Ph.D. title.

Beyond this formal aspect, the award ceremony is a time to celebrate your great achievement with your family and friends, as well as with your colleagues and university faculty. You should now be well prepared for a future as a researcher within as well as outside academia.

University of St.Gallen (HSG)

Ph.D. Office

Tellstrasse 2

CH-9000 St.Gallen

+41 71 224 22 20 phd@unisg.ch unisg.ch

From insight to impact.