Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Current PhD candidates

You have chosen to do a PhD track at Leiden University. What do you need to know when you start conducting your PhD research?

Getting started

Training and Supervision Plan

Within three months of the start of your PhD project, your supervisors and you will draw up a Training and Supervision Plan (Opleidings- en Begeleidingsplan, OBP).

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Joint doctorate and co-tutelle

Leiden University offers the possibility of a joint doctoral degree or a co-tutelle agreement if you want to conduct your PhD research at two or more universities.

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PhD introductory meeting (mandatory)

Your career as a PhD candidate at Leiden University starts with the introductory meeting. 

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Research phase

PhD support

Who can you contact for support and advice?

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Mandatory coursework

As a PhD candidate you will need a set of different skills in order to successfully complete your PhD and to get ready for your next step in your career. Therefore, Leiden University has set up a PhD Training Programme that supports you in this process.

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Academic integrity

The integrity and reliability of academic research are of fundamental importance to the University. All parties, both within the University and outside, must be able to have confidence that our research is conducted in a scrupulous, fair, verifiable, impartial and independent manner.

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Partial UTQ certificate

When you have gained knowledge and experience as a teacher, you can obtain the partial University Teaching Qualification (Basis Kwalificatie Onderwijs, BKO) certificate.

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Future career orientation

You should think about job perspectives well before the defence of your thesis.

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PhD regulations and guidelines

The PhD Regulations of Leiden University set out who is eligible to be a PhD candidate, what the tasks of the supervisor and co-supervisor are and which criteria the dissertation has to meet.

Graduation formalities

Final steps to the PhD defence

When you are ready to proceed to the defence procedure, you have to initiate the graduation formalities in LUCRIS (Converis) and submit the manuscript of the dissertation to the (co-)supervisors for approval.