Courses

Cardiovascular Curriculum

Each doctoral student must obtain a minimum of 10 ECTS. The program is divided in two sections: a basic module (4 ECTS) with mandatory courses and an elective module (4 ECTS) that allows each student to choose courses and focussing on specific cardiovascular topics according to individual needs. The remaining 2 ECTS (optimally non-cardiovascular) should be earned through courses acceptable to the GCB and allow the students to choose courses with content targeting specific topics considered advantageous for specific PhD projects.

Mandatory Courses (4 ECTS)

Out of the mandatory 6 ECTS needed for obtaining a PhD from the GCB, the PhD students of the Cardiovascular specialization can acquire 4 ECTS from the basic cardiovascular courses described below. The CVRC Annual Meeting is mandatory for PhD students with the Cardiovascular specialization.
• Techniques in Cardiovascular Research (3 ECTS), KSL 487286, CourseDescription_TechniquesinCardiovascularResearch2025.pdf
• Heart Module (3.75 ECTS), KSL 431732
• Cardiovascular Technology (3 ECTS), KSL 407234
• CVRC Annual Meeting (0.5 ECTS, attending & presenting), KSL 481115 

Elective Modules (4 ECTS)

For the cardiovascular specialization, each student will choose courses from the elective modules to obtain another 4 ECTS.
• Courses from mandatory list (if not yet counted as mandatory course)
• Wahlpraktikum: Heart rate variability, Kucera (3 ECTS), KSL 453322 (please contact jan.kucera@unibe.ch directly)
• Wahlpraktikum: Cellular and Translational Cardiac Electrophysiology, Odening & Maguy (3 ECTS), KSL 453322
• Vascular Cell Biology (2 ECTS), KSL 103079, VascularCellBiology_GCB_2024.pdf
• CVD Program Monthly Meeting (0.5 ECTS, attending & presenting), KSL 481915
• Journal Club – Cardiac Surgery Lab (0.5 ECTS for attendance with active participation, must participate as Presenter and Discussant at least one time each), KSL 482647 / 487110
• Cardiovascular Student Retreat (0.5 ECTS, attending & presenting), KSL 487182
• CVRC Mini Symposium: Sex and Gender Differences in Cardiovascular Medicine (0.25 ECTS, attending & presenting), KSL 487284
• Courses from partner programs (USI, Lausanne, Munich)
• International Cardiovascular Conferences: attending and presenting (individually approved by the PhD Speciality Representatives, 0.5 ECTS per Conference, max. 1 ECTS / 2 conferences can be credited to the Elective Modules)
• Other cardiovascular-related courses and/or lab exchanges (individually approved by the PhD Speciality Representatives, amount of ECTS individual)