Documents for PhD programmes

On this page documents regarding PhD programmes and a link to the Request for Exemption and Admission to the Doctoral Programme form can be found. More information can be found at the site for prospective PhD candidates.

Request for Exemption and Admission to the Doctoral Programme form

PhD candidates must submit this form immediately upon starting their research track. As soon as the request has been approved they must submit their training and supervision plan. The documents offer all necessary information concerning the requirements for following a PhD programme at Utrecht University.

Doctoral Degree Regulations

The Doctoral Degree Regulations Utrecht University incorporate a number of statutory provisions conform the Higher Education and Research Act (in Dutch: WHW), and a number of conditions laid down by the Board for the Conferral of Doctoral Degrees of Utrecht University. Among other things, the Doctoral Degree Regulations stipulate who will be allowed admission to the doctoral programme and how the supervisors and co-supervisors are appointed, how the thesis shall come into being, and how the Assessment Committte shall be composed.
Letter from the Rector Magnificus with procedures pertaining to the doctoral degree studies

Joint doctorate

There are special regulations for obtaining a joint doctorate. Utrecht University provides the opportunity to obtain a joint doctorate in collaboration with one or more international universities. The Board for the Conferral of Doctoral Degrees must be asked to grant permission to pursue a joint doctorate a considerable time in advance. The regulations stipulate the procedure for obtaining permission to pursue a joint doctorate at Utrecht University and the conditions the joint doctorate will have to meet. Read more about international collaboration.
In collaboration with LERU a number of templates have been designed for this specific purpose:

Time schedules

To be admitted to the PhD programme, several forms (1 through 4) will have to be completed and sent at set dates, including all relevant signatures. The time schedules describe who shall do what, and at what point in time.

Read the time schedule for PhD candidates and/or for supervisors.

Hora Est! programme

All forms will have to be completed by using the digital Hora Est! programme and submitted according to the time schedules above. Missing information (such as electronic copies of the thesis) may have consequences for the exemption, admission, and/or date of the doctoral thesis defence ceremony.

Form 1

All PhD candidates have to complete Form 1. PhD candidates and international PhD's will have to do this immediately upon starting their research track. PhD's from outside the university with prospects of a doctoral thesis defence will have to complete this form approximately 2 years before the expected date of their doctoral thesis defence ceremony.

The following should be added to Form 1:

A copy of the most relevant diploma. (go to uu.nl/qdesk for any further questions about the validity of (international) diplomas)
A copy of a valid proof of identity. This copy will be used for the sole purpose of a correct registration of the candidate's name and not to check the candidates identity.

Read a brief explanation of Form 1 and access to the Hora Est!.

Forms 2, 3 and 4

These forms can only be completed by the first supervisor using his/her login code and password in Hora Est!.

Defence ceremony

Before and during the doctoral thesis defence ceremony a number of conditions will have to be met. These conditions form part of the Doctoral Degree Regulations and are laid down in the Instructions to the PhD Candidate and in Appendices A - G.