online phd programs in netherlands

Overview PhD courses

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PhD at TU/e

• Open PhD positions
• I'm a PhD candidate at TU/e
• Defenses and ceremonies
• Chat with our students
• Becoming a PhD candidate
• Life as PhD
• After your PhD

Do you have a master's degree, and do you aspire to a career in scientific research? Then consider a PhD position at TU/e. For four years, you will conduct (paid) in-depth research within a specific field of research. At a top international university known for its strong ties with industry, right in the middle of Brainport (the smartest region in the world).

What does a PhD at TU/e entail?

In four years, you will become an excellent, independent researcher. A professor will assist you in conducting in-depth, groundbreaking research in the field of your choice. You will work together with other research groups, industrial partners, and research institutions, depending on the subject of your research. After successfully defending your dissertation, you will be awarded the PhD title.

A PhD program offers you a great deal of freedom to conduct research into socially relevant topics. You can develop your ideas in an environment with state-of-the-art research facilities. 

• Explore our research groups

Why become a PhD candidate at TU/e?

If you choose to pursue a PhD at TU/e, you will be given the space and support to excel in your field. In addition, our small-scale and personal approach makes it easy to communicate and collaborate with other departments and research groups. Also, PhD candidates are valued employees at our university. Most have an employment contract and therefore receive a salary during their training.

Meet some of our PhD candidates

Open culture.

The Netherlands has an open, friendly culture and a population that speaks English well. At TU/e you will find students from more than 80 different countries, who come together in one of the many communities. We embrace diversity and inclusion, as it adds to our success and pleasure in education and research. TU/e is a university where students and lecturers know each other on a first-name basis and work together on innovative projects with real-life significance.   

State-of-the-art research facilities

To conduct groundbreaking research, to attract outstanding scientific talent, and to train new generations of engineers, we have ultramodern research labs and facilities at our disposal. Some of our labs are unique in the Netherlands, or even in the world.

PROOF program

As a PhD candidate, you will plunge into an intensive learning experience over a period of four (or five) years. Learning takes place all the time, both consciously and subconsciously: on the job, when interacting with others, while (informally) researching, and during courses and workshops. To support and facilitate the development of your competences, TU/e offers a dedicated training program for PhD candidates.

Is a PhD track right for me?

To successfully pursue a PhD, you must be able to work and write independently. In addition, you have an above-average interest in technology, are a go-getter, and can think analytically. Of course, you enjoy doing research and finding out the underlying cause of things. Finally, you need to have a suitable prior education. 

• More information about requirements

Or an EngD (Engineering Doctorate)?

Do you want to continue your education, but not spend four years doing in-depth research? In that case an EngD program might be something for you: a two-year, paid, full-time program to become a technological designer. You will expand your technological knowledge, gain practical experience with the latest methods, and work on your professional skills. The main difference between an EngD program and a PhD track is its focus. A PhD is aimed at establishing yourself as an independent researcher. On the other hand, an EngD prepares you for a high-level position in industry. 

• More information about EngD

CHAT WITH OUR STUDENTS

They are happy to answer your questions and share their experiences!

Events and information for PhD's

Watch the program video where a PhD candidate and an EngD trainee will tell you more about their experiences at TU/e. Ask your question(s) directly to one of our PhD students. Or visit our Graduate School Event on campus!

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Program videos

Want to know more about our bachelors, masters, EngD or PhD programs? Watch one of our program videos presented by our staff and students.

Master's Open Day

Visit the TU/e during the open day of our Graduate School

Fact & Figures PhD candidates

1650 phd candidates.

About 1650 people are working as a PhD candidate at TU/e.

PhD Defenses

Every year about 225 PhD’s defenses take place.

Male Female Ratio

About 33% of the PhD candidates are women, 67% are men.

International environment

About 60% of our PhD candidates have an international background. The other 40% have Dutch nationality. English is our working language.

Average duration

On average, the duration of the PhD trajectory at TU/e is one of the shortest in the Netherlands.

Satisfaction

PhD candidates assess their PhD trajectory on average with a 7.5 (on a scale of 1-10).

Search term

At Maastricht University, a PhD degree is not just a study but a serious research project that adds new knowledge to a given field. There are three ways to become a PhD candidate at UM, which are outlined below. As a PhD candidate, you’ll spend most of your time conducting original research and writing a dissertation. You might also follow courses relevant to your research or have teaching responsibilities as well. Most candidates take four years to complete their dissertation and earn their degree. Requirements for our PhD programmes vary, but you will at least need a master’s degree, a high level of English proficiency and a strong academic record.

There are three ways to obtain a PhD at Maastricht University:

Apply for a paid phd position.

As a paid PhD candidate, you’ll be an employee of the university and will conduct research in conjunction with a faculty, research school or institute. You can search for a PhD vacancy on Academic Transfer or contact a faculty directly.   Paid PhD positions

Note: FHML/MUMC+ discerns 4 types of PhDs.

Enrol in a PhD training programme

Several of our graduate schools and research institutes offer PhD training programmes. In these programmes, you will follow a number of courses as well as write a dissertation. We have both full-time and part-time programmes.

  PhD training programmes

Obtain external funding & pitch your idea

Do you have a specific research proposal that does not match one of our vacancies? Then you can also obtain external funding and pitch your idea to one of our faculties, graduate schools or research institutes.

  Externally funded PhDs

Why Maastricht University?

The Netherlands ranks second worldwide in the number of publications per researcher and third worldwide in the impact of research publications, according to the Netherlands organisation for international cooperation in higher education (NUFFIC). At Maastricht University, PhD candidates are respected as full-fledged members of our research community. You'll be treated as a peer and will be given all the support you need for your research. There is a high level of interdisciplinary and inter-institutional cooperation at UM, and PhDs often complete their dissertation alongside their career. Such a commitment requires hard work and fortitude. And it especially requires the capacity to innovate, to come up with new ideas and new ways of seeing and applying knowledge.

International environment

Maastricht University was the first university in the Netherlands to strive for internationalisation. Almost half of our students and 40% of our academic staff come from abroad. Each faculty, school and institute has extensive international partnership networks and the university encourages international research collaborations. Students and researchers have many opportunities to study and work abroad, and our graduates are eagerly sought in the international labour market and research community.

Active PhD community

At Maastricht University, we have a vibrant PhD community. There are many ways to connect with your peers on a social and professional level:

• PhD Academy Maastricht
• Young Researchers Academy
• Central PhD Candidates Platform
• PhD candidates Network (PNN)
• Meet & Greet Maastricht
• Representative participation for UM
• ProVUM Maastricht
• European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers (Eurodoc)

Current PhD candidates

In the overview for current PhDs, you can find more information on:

• additional courses
• professional development opportunities
• practical matters
• Scholarships

  Overview for current PhDs

Research master's

Have you finished your bachelor’s and would like to pursue a PhD? Then you should consider one of our research master’s programmes, which specifically prepare you to be successful as a doctoral candidate. In some of these programmes, more than 90% of the students go on to become PhD candidates. You can find the research master's programmes in our master's overview.

Master's programmes

Defending your thesis

A PhD Defence ceremony is a formal occasion with strict protocols governing each person’s role, responsibility, and even the language used. It all works a bit like a trial, hence the term ‘PhD defence’. If you are a PhD candidate at the end of your trajectory you need to formally request permission for a public defense ceremony soon. In this website you find information on practical matters you need to arrange before and during your doctoral research and explains how to go about your your PhD defense.

  More information

One step closer to an anti-stress pill

Why are some people more sensitive to stress than others? Dennis Hernaus was hired as a PhD candidate to study the relationship between stress and dopamine levels of patients using PET scanners. He found that low dopamine levels are associated with increased sensitivity to stress and vice versa.  

Wrestling with medical-ethical dilemmas during WWII

Is it okay for a doctor to make someone ill or appear ill if it saves them from being boarded on a train and sent to a death camp? Hannah van den Ende studied the experiences of 534 Dutch-Jewish doctors who wrestled with this type of ethical dilemma during WWII.  

Studying HIV-related stigma in virtual reality

Stigmatising behaviour is often unconscious. People don't usually realise that they treat HIV patients differently. But the consequences are real. Henna Toppenberg and her PhD supervisor Rob Ruiter are using virtual reality to gain more insight into this behaviour so they can help bring about change.  

A Beginner's Guide to Dutch Academia

Detailed information on Dutch research and higher education can be found in  A Beginner's Guide to Dutch Academia. 

Hortense Jongen winner of The 2018 Dissertation Prize

The 2018 Dissertation Prize, this year awarded for the best doctoral dissertation from the inner city faculties, went to Hortense Jongen from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Her thesis is entitled: ‘Combating corruption the soft way: The authority of peer reviews in the global fight against graft.’

PhD at TU Delft

TU Delft is the oldest and largest technical university in the Netherlands: an institution where we perform world-class research by combining science, engineering and design in a socially responsible manner. As a PhD candidate at TU Delft, you will have the opportunity to conduct in-depth (paid) research in your chosen field. With this degree you will definitely have impact for a better society. Welcome to TU Delft Graduate School!

Directly to:

• Course enrollment current PhDs
• Portal for current PhDs

PhD programme

Career perspectives

Campus life

PhD research

PhD research is at the heart of what we do as a University. Around 2000 PhD candidates are involved in research and education at the UvA and around 400 doctorates are conferred each year. Two-thirds of these are in the Sciences or Medicine.

PhD vacancies

Getting your PhD at the UvA

UvA Staff Housing

This PDF brings together all kinds of information about the PhD process, from the regulations and different steps in the process to terms of employment and facilities you can make use of as a PhD candidate.

Doctoral programme: from admission to completion

Documents and forms, phd contact information, central phd council, cookie consent.

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PhD students at a distance

In the Netherlands, PhD students ( promovendi ) are formally considered academic researchers rather than students.

If you are independently funded (research time made available by your employer, your own funds, student loan, grant from your home country etc.), you can apply directly to the "Graduate Programme in Mathematics and Statistics" to become a PhD student. For this, you use the KdVI-PhD Application Form at the bottom of this page.

Target group

Typically, young mathematicians (recent MSc), working at an institute of higher education, who wish to pursue a PhD at the KdV Institute. However, the programme is in principle open to mathematicians with an MSc degree.

Concept of the programme

Candidates do their PhD studies and preparatory work mostly at their home institution. They will visit the KdVI for a period of two to three months per year to consult with their advisor. KdVI will in general not be able to provide funding for these visits. It is possible, and it is encouraged by KdVI, that part of the daily guidance is done by qualified members of the home institution.

Requirements

You need a Dutch Masters degree in mathematics or stochastics, or a degree in an adjacent field with sufficient mathematics. Foreign degrees which are equivalent to such a Dutch master degree also give access to the PhD Programme. The Doctorate Board of the University decides whether a foreign degree is equivalent to a Dutch one.

Tuition fee

The tuition fee is € 1000 euro per year. Students will get a guest status at the KdVI, which includes electronic library facilities. During their visits to KdVI they will have a desk, library and computer facilities. Note that PhD students do not have student status in the Netherlands! In special cases the department may waive the fee.

The first year and the academic mentor

Each accepted student will be assigned an academic mentor. The mentor will give the student instructions about the work and studies he/she should do in the first year. The mentor will also play a crucial role in the evaluation. In consultation with the student, the mentor will look for a PhD-supervisor. The mentor is not to be confused with a PhD thesis supervisor (even though the mentor can become the PhD thesis supervisor).

After the first year, the PhD student will be evaluated by the mentor and the director of KdVI. The evaluation is based on the general performance of the student. A student can only be positively evaluated if he or she has found a PhD thesis supervisor or topic. Positively evaluated PhD students are accepted for three more years.

Years Two to Four

After the evaluation, the main emphasis is on the independent research in the PhD thesis project. To get an impression of possible PhD thesis topics, you can look in UvA Dare. See the link below.

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Online education

Apart from the regular programmes, Leiden University offers the possibility to follow online programmes and courses. Read about the best known forms of online education at Leiden University.

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PhD programmes at EUR

From award winning scientists to PhD students, everyone at Erasmus University Rotterdam is engaged in creating new knowledge. Pursue your career in research by starting a PhD track in our multidisciplinary, international setting with social relevance in mind. Where disciplines meet, knowledge is advanced.

From master to PhD researcher

Each year more than 300 academics complete their PhD at Erasmus University Rotterdam. All faculties have their own doctorate programme, which normally amounts to a four-year track during which you perform research on a particular subject under the supervision of a professor.

Completing a PhD programme is a requirement to become a university professor, researcher, or scientist in many fields. In the course of your PhD you will follow courses and workshops, and attend conferences, all geared towards enhancing your research and networking skills.

• How our research is organised

Excellent academic reputation

Erasmus University Rotterdam has an excellent academic reputation and maintains a high position in international rankings. According to the QS ranking, the EUR scores the best in the field of Accounting and Finance and Business and Management. The University also ranks high in many different areas. 

• View position of EUR in rankings

Facilities for PhD students

There is a wide range of training possibilities for employees within Erasmus University Rotterdam. The training courses and programmes are given in the  Training and Development Platform , TOP. In addition to coordinating the range of training courses with other universities, This platform is where all practical, substantive and innovative activities relating to training and development take place. Three courses are specifically offered for PhD employees;  Stress management ,  Lab of life: Work-Life Balance  and The art of change .

Furthermore, EUR also offers PhD candidates guidance and counseling, for example by offering the services of a PhD psychologist.

More about EUR

Incoming international staff.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access

Erasmus Sustainability Hub

Meet our PhD students

Weys qaran – public administration.

• "Contributing to knowledge that might improve the labour market positions of these vulnerable groups is really motivating"

Georgia Antonopoulou – Law

• Research on business courts

Andrea Reina Tamayo – Psychology

• "There aren’t many studies of work engagement at the moment level. It’s something quite ‘out of the box.’"

Riccardo Valboni - Business & Management

• Strategic management and entrepreneurship

What Makes Them Tick? Pieter van den Heede about his research on WWII and games

PhD in the Spotlight: Emma van Gelder

Siri Driessen about her research on war memorial sites

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PhD Programme

Psychology Research Institute / PsyRes

• Application and Admission

Project & activities

During your PhD appointment, which typically lasts three to four years, your primary focus will be conducting research for your doctoral dissertation. However, we also encourage you to engage in other activities such as taking courses offered by the PhD Training Programme, teaching undergraduate courses in the Departments of Social Sciences, and actively participating in the research community, both within PsyRes and at national and international levels.

Close-knit community

As a PhD student at PsyRes, you will be part of a vibrant community that values your growth and development. We offer coaching, training, and a strong PhD Community to support you throughout your doctoral journey. We encourage our students to publish their research early in their careers, enhancing their academic profiles and fostering their future career prospects.

Programme Groups

You will be assigned to a programme group where you will conduct your research and be immersed in a supportive and collaborative environment. We are excited about newly interest in pursuing a PhD at the University of Amsterdam and look forward to welcoming postgraduate students to our dynamic academic community at PsyRes.

The Brain and Cognition programme aims to gain understanding of cognitive phenomena based on neurobiological principles, and has a focus on using cognitive research to understand clinical phenomena and to develop assessment tools or interventions for specific patient groups. The focus is thus on both typical and atypical brain functioning and cognition. The group has a relatively large number of PhD students and therefore there is ample possibility for interaction with other PhD students, both for research purposes (e.g. asking questions about methods or complicated analysis) as well as for social purposes. Interaction with other members of the program group, i.e. post docs and staff members, is actively encouraged through weekly program group meetings in which plenary talks are given by members of the group from all levels.

There is a strong research-oriented atmosphere and new experimental projects are generally discussed in smaller group settings to foster discussion and collaboration. PhD students are supervised by at least two staff members (promotor and co-promotor) and often part of the Amsterdam Graduate Network, a network organization with PhD students from both the UvA and the VU (in case the PhD project is mostly on the nature of human cognition and its neural basis) by a graduate school of choice (in case the PhD project is in the domain of clinical neuropsychology).

Should you have any questions about pursuing a PhD in the Brain and Cognition group, please click on the link below.

PhD students in Clinical Psychology are always supervised by at least two staff members (promotor and co-promotor) and participate in the teaching programme of the School of Experimental Psychopathology (EPP).

Individual studies of PhD students are generally discussed in small group settings. In these meetings, not only their own studies are discussed, but also major articles in the field. Further, PhD students are encouraged to present their work on international conferences.

Should you have any questions about pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology, please click on the link below.

The research group consists tenured staff and about 50% PhD students and postdocs. PhD students are supervised by at least two staff members and become a member of a lab group in which research is discussed in a constructive atmosphere. The interaction between PhD students and other staff is encouraged actively which results in considerable cross-fertilization between several themes of the program.

PhD students and their supervisors prepare a training program at the start of the PhD project, which includes taking courses, for example those offered by research schools like EPP or IOPS. Although PhD students are recruited on the basis of a research proposal, students are encouraged actively to make an independent contribution, especially during the final stages of the project. The progress made by PhD students and postdocs is continuously monitored by their supervisors, and on a yearly basis by the research institute.

Should you have any questions about pursuing a PhD in Developmental Psychology, please click on the link below.

Many topics are initiated by PhD students, who fulfill an important role in our research culture. Fortunately, in the last years the number of PhD students increased due to NWO funding. Generally, PhD students are supervised by at least two staff members.

Each month plenary talks are held. The objective of the internal collaboration is to increase the quality and productivity of the group and to improve the unity of the research. Finally, PhD students participate in activities organised by the  Interuniversity Graduate School of Psychometrics and Sociometrics (IOPS) , the institute for the advanced dissertation training in psychometrics and sociometrics.

Should you have any questions about pursuing a PhD in Psychological Methods, please click on the link below.

The Social Psychology research group has a relatively large group of PhD students, which generates a research-oriented atmosphere. Individual experiments are generally discussed in small group settings; these discussions focus on design and measurement issues.

PhD’s are always supervised by at least two staff members and are encouraged to participate in the summer school of the European Association of Experimental Social Psychology (EAESP), and to present their work not only at international conferences but also in smaller scale, more informal, meetings such as those of ESCON (European Social Cognition Network) or CERE (Consortium of European Researchers on Emotions); and in incidental small group meetings sponsored by the EAESP (European Association of Experimental Social Psychology.

Should you have any questions about pursuing a PhD in Social Psychology, please click on the link below.

PhD students in Work and Organizational Psychology work in a cooperative, research-oriented environment and are specializing on various topics in W&O psychology. PhD-students in our group are always supervised by at least two staff members (promotor and co-promotor), with whom PhD-students together actively discuss research ideas and papers. PhD-students also participate in the Work and Organizational Psychology teaching programme in the Bachelor and Master.

Individual studies and papers of PhD students are often discussed in our monthly research meetings with a large section of the programma group. Further, PhD students are encouraged to present their work on international conferences. Finally, they become a member of the Dutch research school Kurt Lewin Institute (KLI), where they follow courses and meet PhD-students (and faculty) from all over the Netherlands.

Should you have any questions about pursuing a PhD in Work and Organizational Psychology, please click on the link below.

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Faculty of Humanities

Phd programmes.

Utrecht University is one of the best research universities in Europe, and we give talented researchers every opportunity to develop. Around 150 PhD candidates are active within the Graduate School of Humanities. The faculty has different types of PhD positions . Several dozen candidates obtain their PhD every year.

As a PhD candidate, you carry out your own research, resulting in a doctoral thesis. You will also follow an educational progamme aimed at academic professionalisation and improving your personal effectiveness. The courses in this programme focus on research-related subjects, such as developing and formulating the problem definition of your own research, and on skills related to personal development, such as managing your work relationships and effective communication.

Supervision

In order to enable PhD candidates to evolve into leading researchers, the Graduate School of Humanities places a considerable emphasis on effective supervision during the PhD phase. We have, for example, a special PhD candidate mentor to whom PhD candidates may turn for coaching and advice on matters such as their relationship with their supervisor, fear of failure, staying on top of your schedule, etcetera.

Supervision tips

The Graduate School also supports PhD candidates and their supervisors by providing advice and checklists on important subjects such as: What is expected of a PhD candidate? What components should a dissertation contain? How can supervisors prevent problems during the course of the PhD programme?

PhD Candidate Consultation

To ensure that the supervision and teaching at the Graduate School meet the needs of the PhD candidates, there is a PhD council. In addition, Utrecht University has Prout (Promovendi Overleg Utrecht), a network representing PhD candidates from throughout the university.

Research Institutes

Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)30 253 35 50