The PhD Program in Neuroscience is designed as a course of study introducing students into basic, translational and clinical neuroscience. Research areas cover the entire range from molecular and cellular neuroscience over physiology, behavior and translational to clinical neuroscience. Students are exposed to recent theories about brain function and malfunction and up-to-date research strategies. They acquire the technical skills of planning, conducting and evaluating complex experiments and clinical studies. Participation in the program forms a cornerstone in the training of young researchers interested in pursuing a career in academic, clinical or biotechnological environments.
The program offers three partially overlapping teaching modules, all based on fundamental neuroscience training.
The minimum study duration for a PhD program at the Medical University of Innsbruck is 6 semesters, equivalent to 180 ECTS points. The program is a full-time degree course. The PhD candidate must provide verifiable evidence of his/her ability to work on a scientific problem independently and with scientific rigor. The PhD thesis is a detailed, written presentation of the PhD candidate’s work on their research project. The completed, positively assessed PhD thesis will be weighted with 160 ECTS points. During his/her training, the PhD student must attend curricular courses corresponding to a total of 20 ECTS points (workload of 500 hours). Of those,
8-10 ECTS are allocated to core subjects, 6 ECTS points are allocated to journal clubs/thematic seminars, 4-6 ECTS points are allocated to general subjects.
The final examination takes the form of a public defense of the PhD thesis in front of an examination board. The requirements for admission to the thesis defense are:
– successful passing of all required courses, – successful completion of the thesis.