EPIC Guide

Timeline

In summary, you need to:

• Write your thesis
• Find a jury
• Schedule your private defense
• Pass your private defense
• Finalize your thesis
• Schedule your public defense
• Hold your public defense

Scheduling your private defense

Once you have a jury you and your advisor are happy with, find a date they’re all available. Your external examiners can be remote: you will need to discuss with them whether they want to come in person or not.

Keep in mind that:

• You must upload the final version of your thesis and the names of your jury 5 weeks before your private defense.
• If the suggested date of your private defense in ISA is 01.MM.YYYY, you have to have your private defense by the end of the month MM in the year YYYY. Otherwise, you need to ask for an extension. It’s okay to ask for less than a half-year extension.
• As of 2024, it’s better not graduate in September if you feel you are on track for dissertation awards. The EDIC committee says that it makes you ineligible for certain external awards. Graduating in August or October is fine!

Scheduling your public defense

You need to do all of the following:

• Ensure your jury president has gotten all jury members to sign the necessary forms.
• Upload the final version of your thesis on IS-Academia, with any corrections the jury requested, at least 2 weeks before your public defense.
• Get your advisor to approve the final version of your thesis you uploaded.
• Review the request you will receive from the Registrar’s Office confirming the exact details of your thesis.
• Get your advisor to approve the details you just reviewed.
• Book a room for your defense.
• Announce your defense using a form you will receive after your advisor has approved the final version of your thesis.
• Wait for the Registrar’s Office to approve your public defense announcement.
• Announce your defense to your family, friends, and colleagues.
• Find a caterer for the apéro after the defense.
• Review the test print (“proof”) that Repro, the EPFL printing center, will make of your thesis.
• Fetch your diploma once you receive an email informing you it’s ready.

For tasks that require your advisor’s approval, it’s best to ask in person. The Registrar’s Office should send you forms and approve requests within 3-5 working days, if you do not get any news or if you need to expedite the process, call them.

Other concerns

If you have special requests, such as if you want your public defense earlier than 4 weeks after the private defense, email the Registrar’s Office at sac-doctorants at epfl dot ch to confirm they’re okay with your choice of date.

For non-EU people, it may make sense to look for a job before your public defense, to avoid worries about your permit expiring.

How long your contract will last after you graduate is up to your supervisor. In most cases, your contract can be extended a month or more beyond your graduation. You can use that time to help younger PhD students and search for a job comfortably. However, EPFL only requires that you are paid until your private defense, so you should confirm extensions beyond that with your supervisor.

After your public defense, you will have access to your EPFL email for another six months, but not to employee services such as the SESAME portal.

Make sure you get back the CAMIPRO balance on your card (there’s an online form to request a bank transfer).