Second advisor / Further advisor
Doctoral students at ETH are supervised by at least two persons. The supervisor of the doctoral thesis and a second advisor.
In agreement with the doctoral candidates, the supervisors of the doctoral theses designate academically qualified persons with proven expertise who, as second advisors, provide the doctoral candidates with additional specialist support and task-related advice.
The second advisors are significantly involved in the development of the doctoral plans and finally also part of the committees from which the aptitude colloquiums take place and at which doctoral students defend their personal research project. But also afterwards, this persons play an important role at the time of the annual progress reports. This again is important for the part of the annual status conversations that focus on the scientific progress of the research projects.
Second advisors should preferably be appointed as early as possible.
Please check whether your department has specific requirements. If this is the case, follow the instructions of your department. The Central Doctoral Administration Office () must be notified of the second advisors before the aptitude colloquiums with the filled in Downloadform (PDF, 440 KB)vertical_align_bottom.
The registered second advisors are visible in your myStudies profile.
In addition to the second advisor, doctoral students have the right throughout their doctorate to request a further person to be available to them for additional academic or non-academic advice and support. This further advisor must be reported to the Central Doctoral Administration Office using this Downloadform (PDF, 543 KB)vertical_align_bottom. You must also inform the supervisor of your doctoral thesis and the second advisor of this person.
Please note:
- Further advisors assist the doctoral students academically and non-academically throughout the entire doctoral period until graduation.
- In principle further advisors are not members of aptitude committees. If this is desired, the authorisation of the doctoral thesis supervisors and departments' doctoral committees is needed. Please contact the doctoral administration of your department for this.
- Further advisors are not automatically involved in the annual progress reports and the annual status conversations. If this is desired, coordinate that with your doctoral thesis supervisor.
- Further advisors are not co-examiners at the final doctoral defenses. However, they can certainly take on this role if they meet the requirements for it. If you have any questions in this regard, please contact the doctoral administration of your department.