OpenFieldFounded in 1834 in Switzerland's federal capital, the University of Bern (Universität Bern) is a comprehensive research university of international distinction and a founding member of the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities. Associated with Albert Einstein (who served as privatdozent in Bern while publishing his Annus Mirabilis papers on special relativity) and renowned worldwide for space research—having supplied instruments for over 30 space missions, including the solar wind experiment deployed by Neil Armstrong on Apollo 11—Bern leads the world in ice-core climate science at the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research. Bern doctoral candidates are salaried academic employees with low tuition fees. Explore verified academic opportunities and admissions guidance.
Review checked academic pathways and funding options below:
Fully salaried four-year doctoral research fellowship at the world-renowned Oeschger Centre, analyzing Antarctic and Greenland ice cores to reconstruct greenhouse gas histories over 1.5 million years.
Three to four-year research doctorate at the Space Research & Planetary Sciences division participating directly in ESA and NASA missions (JUICE, CHEOPS, Comet Interceptor).
Two-year English-taught Master of Science jointly offered by the Universities of Bern, Neuchâtel, and Fribourg, specializing in Machine Learning, Distributed Systems, and Information Security.
Interdisciplinary doctoral program run jointly by the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Science, and Vetsuisse Faculty, investigating tumor microenvironments, infectious diseases, and stem cell therapy.
Two-year postdoctoral position in the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH) analyzing photometric transit data from the space telescope CHEOPS and James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
World's leading one-year postgraduate program at the World Trade Institute (WTI) combining international trade law, WTO dispute settlement, digital commerce, and climate border adjustments.
Four-week research fellowship located at the Sphinx Observatory on the Jungfraujoch (3,454 m above sea level), monitoring European free-tropospheric greenhouse gas background concentrations.
Tuition fees at the University of Bern are exceptionally modest by global standards. Tuition for foreign students is only CHF 750 per semester (approx. USD $1,650/year). Furthermore, doctoral students are salaried academic employees of the canton of Bern, receiving guaranteed annual salaries of CHF 48,000 to CHF 55,000 per year according to Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) salary scales.
Distinguished researchers and laboratory heads at University of Bern:
Professor of Climate and Environmental Physics & Former IPCC Working Group I Co-Chair; specializing in Ice-Core Science, Climate Modeling, Thermohaline Circulation.
Professor of Astrophysics & Principal Investigator of the CHEOPS Mission; specializing in Exoplanets, CHEOPS Space Telescope, Planet Formation.
Professor of Immunobiology & Director of the Theodor Kocher Institute; specializing in Blood-Brain Barrier, T Cell Migration, Neuroinflammation.
Facts reflect official University of Bern documentation reviewed 2026-10-14. Degree admissions, scholarship awards, and employment positions are subject to formal university review. OpenField does not charge students application fees.
Reviewed 2026-10-14 · Editorial standards · Report an issue