About the Program
The doctoral program in Landscape & Urban Studies at the Department of Architecture addresses contemporary issues of urban and environmental transformation. Research spans the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, territorial planning and social sciences. It investigates the production of landscape and the urbanization of the territory through a range of different scales, from the local to the global. This may include studies in landscape and designed ecologies, urban design strategies, energy and food production, material stocks and flows, health and socio-economic development, which address pressing environmental challenges qualitatively and quantitatively. The doctoral program seeks to promote a critical discourse and encourages researchers to take an independent, inventive, and proactive stance on how to engage with present and future processes of urbanization within a context of ongoing environmental change.
Participating Chairs
- Chair of History and Theory of Urban Design, Prof. Dr. Tom Avermaete
- Chair of Landscape Architecture, Prof. Christophe Girot
- Chair of Architecture and Urban Design, Prof. Hubert Klumpner
- Chair of Architecture and Urban Transformation, Prof. Freek Persyn
- Chair of Sociology, Prof. Dr. Christian Schmid
- Chair of Architecture and Territorial Planning, Prof. Milica Topalovic
- Chair of Landscape Architecture, Prof. Günther Vogt
While an overall alignment with the respective chairs’ research agendas and expertise is desirable, the program is open to candidates who apply with their own research topic.
Qualifications, Employment, and other Criteria
Candidates must hold a Master’s degree acquired at university level (equivalent to the FHEQ-Level 7) in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, urban planning, social sciences or related fields at the date of the submission deadline.
The program provides funding for three years, successful applicants will be employed 100%, and will receive a doctoral student contract at ETH Zurich with monthly salaries according to the ‘standard rate’. For a detailed calculation of salaries please refer here.
Residency in Zurich during the scholarship is required and adequate proficiency in English is mandatory (spoken and written).
Application Process
Please note that we exclusively accept application documents submitted through the online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.
- February 28, 2019: Submission deadline.
- Beginning of April, 2019: Interviews with shortlisted candidates.
- Latest by May 1, 2019: Notification to successful applicants.
- October 1, 2019: Start of program.
Application Documents
- Letter of motivation (1 page).
- Outline of the future research project (max. 4 pages, + bibliography, + max. 3 illustrations).
- Curriculum vitae (including publications, portfolio, work samples, max. 10 pages).
- Writing sample in English (1 text, max. 15 pages).
- 2-3 letters of recommendation independently submitted to landscape.urbanstudies@arch.ethz.ch by either the referees or the candidates latest until February 28, 2019.
Further Information
For further questions please contact Sascha Delz, coordinator Doctoral Program in Landscape & Urban Studies. Be aware that requests sent to any other email will not be considered.
Image: Urban and Rural Transformations, Addis Ababa, 2016. © Sascha Delz, ETH Zürich.