During your first year, you will have to defend your research plan in the Hydro-Group (other groups have other rules).
Here is a possible template: docx
If you pursue a PhD at Hydrology@GIUB you either get the title of a PhD in Geography or, if you are a member of the OCCR climate sciences PhD school, the title of PhD in Climate Sciences. All PhD students of the group can participate to the OCCR doctoral school but they do not have to. The PhD students of the group can also follow selected classes of the doctoral school Earth Water System at University of Neuchatel, even if Uni Bern is not a paying member.
The different necessary steps for a PhD at UniBern, including the so-called "Doktoratsvereinbarung", are summarized here:
https://www.unibe.ch/studies/programs/doctorate/doctoral_degree/doctoral_agreement/index_eng.html
The overall rules, including the exam etc are here: https://www.philnat.unibe.ch/studium/reglemente/index_ger.html
If you do not have a Master degree from a Swiss University, you have to apply here for admission: https://www.unibe.ch/unibe/portal/content/e1006/e251033/e329959/doktoratsbestaetigung2_ger.pdf
PhD students are part of the Intermediate Staff, for information see here: https://www.geography.unibe.ch/about_us/intermediate_staff/index_eng.html; they have an info sheet for PhDs and postdocs, link.
How to fund your conferences, workshops, summerschools? The GIUB has a funding instrument for helping out PhD students who do not have enough project funding or whose travel plans go beyond the group's internal funding; it is called Feldspesen or Field work expenses (which can also be used for conferences) and PhD students can apply for 2800 CHF / year: https://www.geography.unibe.ch/studies/study_programs_forms_leaflets/forms/index_eng.html
To organize the final exam, there are several organizational steps, all documents are here: https://www.philnat.unibe.ch/studium/formulare/index_ger.html. The PhD thesis (the written document) gets evaluated by ONE external evaluator, who has to give a grade within 6 weeks after handing in the thesis. The exam can only take part thereafter in presence of two examinators. These two examinators are from University of Bern, both often from the same institute, one of them is the president of the jury (who actively asks questions). In case of two co-supervisors, both are examinators in addition to the president.
The external evaluator is often invited to participate but is not formally not required to be part of the jury (but can be). Important: the university needs three months to approve the external examinator (via the Studienausschuss of the Faculty). They prefer evaluators from universities and with a professor title. Other researchers are possible but it requires additional justification.
All forms to fill in are available here: https://www.philnat.unibe.ch/studium/formulare/index_ger.html
Grading: according to our Studienreglement, art. 63, the written work has weight 3, the exam weight 1,
at least 3 months before the exam: get your external examinator approved, form
at least 6 weeks before the exam, subscribe to the exam; sheets to fill in to register for the exam (called disputation or defence)
most recent subscription form
at least 3 weeks before the exam: the PhD supervisor has to send the examinator report (external, called Gutachten) to the secretariat of the faculty; the report can be shown to the candidate but not shared; the report should come on the official form, link.
to give time to the examinator, handing in the thesis at least 6 weeks before the exam is recommended but this should be agreed-on with the external examinator well in advance
unclear: who reserves the room for the exam?
a google slide with essentials about presenting figures in slides