Discovering new antibiotics, revolutionizing with AI, or finetuning quantum algorithms. The Graduate School of Science offers PhD programmes spanning the entire spectrum of science ranging from Mathematics to Environmental Science.

Academic environment

The Graduate School of Science provides an academic environment with many opportunities to expand your skills. We provide seminars, workshops, performances, exhibitions as well as opportunities for dialogue, quiet study, and focused experimentation. The Graduate School of Science offers PhD candidates a position for in principle four years to do independent research, to follow advanced courses and develop personal skills, and finally defend their PhD thesis.

We collaborate closely with other faculties, such as the Leiden Medical Centre (LUMC), and companies situated in the Leiden Bioscience Park and TU Delft.

Institutes

The Graduate School consists of eight institutes. The institutes are directly responsible for the research projects carried out by members of their staff and for the teaching of courses in the various (bachelor and) graduate programmes in the Faculty of Science. You can find more information on research themes on the webpages of each institute, on the content box on the right. 

International environment

An appreciable number of PhD candidates comes from abroad, as well as the scientific staff and the post-doctorate fellows. English is the language of courses, colloquia, scientific meetings and the daily conversations in research groups.