PhD programme
Information about the PhD degree and the general structure of the PhD programmes.
PhD degree
The highest degree awarded in the Netherlands is the doctorate (PhD degree). A full-time PhD programme takes four years; a part-time programme (four days a week) takes five years. PhD candidates in the Netherlands are usually not considered to be students who study within a framework of a well defined and structured PhD programme. Instead, their programme is tailor made.
Earning a PhD at Leiden can be done through either an academic treatise on a certain subject in book form or a collection of different academic treatises that have already been made public, or a combination of the two if there is enough of a connection regarding the content. The doctoral dissertation may be written in Dutch, English, French, German, or, subject to approval, in another language. It is also possible for two or three PhD candidates to do research together under certain conditions. A joint degree is, however, not possible.
There are three types of PhD positions:
- Funded positions
- Position based on self-obtained research grants
- External doctoral candidates
Structure of PhD programme
The PhD programme generally consists of three components:
- Research, supervision and writing a dissertation (75%)
- Coursework (max. 25% or 60 ects)
- Teaching (optional, max. 15%)
The coursework for PhD candidates may contain the following components:
- General courses
- Professional courses: PhD candidates take relevant research master’s courses and attend colloquia and seminars offered by the research schools or Graduate School.
- (Research) skills training: Academic Presentation, Writing, Academic English, Teaching Skills, Research Management, Writing Grant Proposals, Carreer's Advice.
Obtaining a PhD degree
The University has PhD regulations. It is important to be aware of the contents of this regulation from the outset of the PhD programme.
More detailed information about PhD regulations is available if you need it. The steps in the formal procedure leading to the public defence of the dissertation written under the supervision of a supervisor of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences are accompanied by the following documents (note: almost all Word documents):
- Aanmelding promotietraject, bijlage 2 (in Dutch)
- Goedkeuring manuscript promotor, bijlage 3 (in Dutch)
-
Goedkeuring manuscript commissie, bijlage 5 (in Dutch)
- Admission Form
- Appendix 2 (Notification start PhD project)
- Appendix 3 (Approval manuscript by supervisor)
-
Appendix 5 (Approval manuscript by committee)
- Formulier promotiecommissie (in Dutch)
- Formulier oppositiecommissie (in Dutch)