For students entering the program in September 2010, their research will focus on Biology, Computer Science, and interdisciplinary areas. Students with a background in related disciplines, such as physics and mathematics, are also encouraged to apply.

IST Austria offers Ph.D. student positions with the following faculty:

Group	Faculty
Nick Barton	Evolutionary Genetics, Mathematical Biology
Jonathan Bollback	Evolutionary Genetics, Experimental Evolution
Krishnendu Chatterjee	Computer-aided Verification, Game Theory
Herbert Edelsbrunner	Algorithms, Computational Geometry and Topology
Calin C. Guet	Systems and Synthetic Biology
Carl-Philipp Heisenberg	Cell and Developmental Biology, Biophysics
Thomas A. Henzinger	Computer-aided Verification, Concurrent and Embedded System

The duration of the program is on average four to five years (depending on previous education and individual progress) and is divided into two phases:
before and after the Qualifying Exam.
Students with a B.S. degree have at most two years from their Start Date, and students with an M.S. degree have one year from their Start Date, to pass the Qualifying Exam.

First part of Ph.D. Studies

When joining the Ph.D. program of IST Austria, a student may be part of a scientific group (with a Thesis Supervisor) from the beginning or start as unaffiliated student. The overall requirements are the same in both cases.

During the first phase a student must:

• Do training in the field through research apprenticeships with one or more scientific groups and the completion of advanced courses.
• Find a Thesis Supervisor (Professor or Assistant Professor of IST Austria)
• Prepare a Thesis Proposal (normally five to ten pages). The Proposal must motivate a research problem and put it into the context of existing work in the field.
• Form a Thesis Committee consisting of the Supervisor, one internal and one external committee member.
• Study in detail the articles on a Reading List, which are selected by the Thesis Committee (the list will be balanced between survey and research articles, and between classical and recent writings).

The Qualifying Exam consists of:

• an oral presentation of the Thesis Proposal (normally 20 – 30 minutes), followed by
• an oral exam about the Thesis Proposal and the Reading List (normally 30 – 40 minutes).

Second Part of Ph.D. Studies

After passing the Qualifying Exam, a Ph.D. Student works primarily on research towards a Thesis. 
Every student and Supervisor hold regular progress reviews, and a committee of professors must approve each year that the student makes satisfactory progress towards completing the Ph.D. degree.

A Thesis Defense must be scheduled within four years of passing the Qualifying Exam.
The Thesis Defense consists of a public oral presentation of the Draft Thesis (normally 40 – 50 minutes) in the presence of the Thesis Committee, followed by questions and answers on the Thesis. 

Once a Final Thesis is submitted, within two months of the Defense, and accepted by the Thesis Committee, the Ph.D. Degree is awarded by the Institute.

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