Lectures & Courses

There are four types of lectures in the Immunology PhD program:

1. Medical Propedeutics (6 Semester hours)

2. Basic Lecture Immunology (2 x 2 Semester hours)
To download the program for the SS2019, please <click here>.

3. Journal Clubs and Progress reports (6 x 2 Semester hours)

4. Elective Courses (4 x 2 Semester hours)

A list of the various lectures, journal clubs and courses offered in the winter and summer semesters for the Immunology PhD program can be found in the MedCampus System. If you are interested in a particular course, please register online in the MedCampus System and contact the organizer. Brief description about the various courses and journal clubs

1. Medical Prodedeutics (6 Semester hours)
The propedeutics are an obligatory part of PhD studies at the Medical University of Vienna (irrespective of the chosen program). They comprise a choice of medical and basic courses, of which 6 semester hours are obligatory. The selection has to be done under the supervision of the thesis committee and the program coordinator and is dependent on the undergraduate education and the selected thematic program. Further information about the propedeutics can be found on the homepage of the N094 PhD program <click here>.

2. Basic Lecture Immunology (2 x 2 Semester hours)
The aim of the Basic Lecture/Seminar is to give students a broad overview about various immunological topics, which is a prerequisite for a successful PhD study and a career in the field of immunology. The Basic Lecture will be held in two parts, each 2 semester hours during the winter and summer semester. The lectures usually will take place as two blocks in January (winter semester; part I) and in June (summer semester; part II). The basic lecture is built up on the immunology textbook “Cellular and Molecular Immunology” (7^th Edition, 2012, Abbas, Lichtman, Pillai, Saunders – Elsevier), however certain topics will be covered in more detail and more comprehensively compared to the text book. The topics covered include immune cell development, mechanisms of innate and adaptive immune responses, tolerance induction, primary immunodeficiencies, as well as the immunopathology of important immunologically-mediated diseases, immunological aspects of cancer and a description of therapeutic approaches for immune-mediated diseases.

There will be an exam (multiple choice test) at the end of each lecture part. In addition, successful completion requires also attendance of the basic lecture.

To download the program of the Basic Lecture Immunology, please <click here>.

3. Journal Clubs & Progress Reports (6 x 2 semester hours)
During the 6 semesters of the PhD studies, students have to participate in Immunology Journal Clubs that will be held regularly at the institutions of the participating faculty members. The topics of the Journal Club should be in accordance (or related) with the thesis subjects of the student, however each Journal Club should be open for all students of the Immunology program. The primary aim of the Journal Clubs is to learn critical reading and discussion of scientific papers. Therefore, students will have to read scientific publications, to present them to the other participants and to discuss the presented results, methods and interpretations under the guidance of the university teacher. The objective of the Journal Clubs is to get familiar with the design of experimental studies and the interpretation of results. In addition, Journal Clubs should train students in writing scientific papers. The selection of the papers to be discussed can be made by the faculty member as well as by the students.

Another important educational aspect of the PhD program immunology are Progress Reports that should be given at least once a year by the PhD students. The Progress Reports should serve as a basis for the evaluation of the PhD thesis. In addition to the members of the PhD thesis committee, other faculty members and students from the host institutions should attend the seminar given by the PhD student. As a critical audience they should stimulate the successful development of the PhD thesis, help to discuss the data and provide suggestions for new experiments. Ideally, there should be a regular Progress Report Series at each host institution of the participating faculty members. This would allow a regular discussion of ongoing projects and studies of the host institution in front of a rather broad audience and this will prepare the PhD students for future presentations of their own scientific results to a larger and critical audience.

4. Program for Elective Courses / Thesis Seminars (4 x 2 semester hours)
The purpose of the thesis seminars is to improve and deepen the knowledge in a particular field of immunology. Topics covered in the seminars go beyond textbook knowledge and will cover recent developments in a particular field. Ideally, the majority of seminars chosen by the PhD student should be in the subject of the individual thesis, however it is recommended to choose at least one seminar in a subject that is not related to the topic of the student's PhD thesis.