Master research project

AUTUMN SEMESTER 2026

  

SPRING SEMESTER 2027
Project duration 14 weeks   Project duration 14 weeks
Report submission to the lab 08.01.2027   Report submission to the lab TBC
Grades submitted in IS-Academia 08.02.2027   Grades submitted in IS-Academia TBC
Additional information
Project duration: 14 weeks, with an average workload of 18 hours per week for the Research Project (12 ECTS) and 12 hours per week for the Optional Research Project (8 ECTS)
Preparation: approximately 30 hours before start of semester.
Report writing and presentation: approximately 30 hours after the end of the semester.
Total workload: approximately 312 hours for the Research Project (12 ECTS) and 228 hours for the Optional Research Project (8 ECTS).
As per EPFL regulations, ECTS-credited research projects are not remunerated.
Both the Research Project (12 ECTS) and the Optional Research Project (8 ECTS) must be carried out in an EPFL labo during the semester in which they are registered.
Research projects cannot be conducted during the summer period, to ensure proper supervision and access to infrastructure.
The Research Project and the Optional Research Project cannot be carried out concurrently during the same semester.
A project may be done in pairs (two students per project), subject to the approval of the hosting lab.

Registration instructions

  1. Consult the websites of the accredited labs listed below to identify a project.
  2. Meet with the professor or project supervisor to discuss and define the project’s objectives and expected deliverables.
  3. Agree on the project schedule with your supervisor, ensuring that it complies with the section deadlines listed above.
  4. Once everything is settled, register your project in IS-Academia following the procedure described below.

Students are strongly encouraged to begin searching for a project during the preceding semester and to finalize the agreement with the lab by the beginning of the semester in which the project will be carried out.

The section will notify students in April (for the Autumn semester) and October (for the Spring semester) when the project lists on the lab websites have been updated and registration can begin.

If you wish to carry out a project in an EPFL lab that is not listed, please email:

Include the following information:

  • Name of the lab
  • Name of the professor responsible for the project
  • Project abstract (and a project link, if available)

Your request will be reviewed, and you will receive a decision by email. If your request is approved, you may proceed with the registration process described below.

  • Register your project in IS-Academia as soon as registration opens.
  • Important: Registration in IS-Academia is the only official registration that will be considered for the research projects.
  • Registration deadline: the official EPFL registration deadlines for courses and projects.

Report submission and oral presentation

  • Submit your written report directly to the hosting EPFL lab by the deadline indicated above.
  • The required report format, content, and length are determined by your project supervisor.
  • The oral presentation is organized by the lab and must take place within two to three weeks after the report submission deadline.

Passing conditions

  • The Research Project (12 ECTS) must be successfully completed before the start of the Master’s Project.
  • In case of failure, a second attempt may be undertaken in a different lab, provided that the maximum duration of the Master’s cycle has not been exceeded.
  • A student who withdraws from or abandons a project may not repeat the same project in a subsequent semester.
  • If a student abandons the project after the EPFL withdrawal deadline or fails to submit the required work by the deadline, the project will be recorded as a failure (NA on the transcript).

Projects proposed by EPFL labs accredited by the section

Useful links and documents