WIAS PhD Programme

WIAS PhD Information

This page contains important information for both potential and current PhD candidates. Please click on a heading to access the information.

PhD application and admission requirements
Financial matters
PhD project timetable
PhD research proposal
Training and Supervision Plan (TSP)
Education costs and budget
Information on courses and seminars
Confidential advisors
PhD graduation
Important links

PhD application and admission requirements

There are several ways of becoming a PhD candidate:

Applying for a job vacancy:
www.werkenbij.wur.nl/uk/

Applying for a PhD position with subject and funding of your own:
http://www.phd.wu.nl/application

If you are applying for a PhD position with a subject and funding of your own, there are several steps that must be taken. First, you must choose a Graduate School that can facilitate your PhD research. Be aware that your topic of research must fit in the research programme of the Graduate school. Second, the Graduate School evaluates your application, and if the evaluation is positive your application will be forwarded to a prospective supervisor. You cannot proceed further until the application has been approved by the supervisor. WIAS receives many applications so this process may take several weeks. More information about PhD applications can be found on the following website.

Financial matters

Fees
Every PhD programme is a tailor made programme, developed to meet the requirements and needs of a specific PhD research. This means that the actual costs for a PhD programme vary per research project. Before a PhD candidate is accepted at Wageningen University all parties must agree upon the budget of the entire PhD programme. Funding is needed for the University fee, the Departmental fee and the costs of living while residing in Wageningen. More information about fees at Wageningen University can be found on the following website.

Funding
Foreign PhD candidates staying in Wageningen may be funded on the basis of a grant or a fellowship. Wageningen University and the Graduate Schools will usually not assist in finding funding sources. By arranging your own funding, you get much better chances of being accepted. More information about fellowships and grants can be found on the following website.

PhD project timetable

When you and your supervisor have confirmed the wish to begin a PhD project, the Graduate School is informed of this decision, and registration takes place in PROMIS (Wageningen UR PhD registration system). From this point onwards there are a series of requirements that must be met within a certain timeframe by all PhD candidates. A detailed timetable for PhD candidates is available on the following website.

There are some specific requirements which you must meet for the Graduate School WIAS. In the table below an overview of these requirements is given, including the timeframe and link to the specific form to be used. These deadlines should be strictly observed by PhD candidates and are monitored by the WIAS management.

When	Action	Additional Information
Before start of PhD project	Registration of PhD candidate with WIAS	WIAS Registration Form
Within 3 months	Introduction interviews with the WIAS director and education coordinator
Within 6 months	First draft ofTraining and Supervision Plan by PhD and supervisor(s) Discussion of TSP with education coordinator Official submission of TSP	TSP Form FAQ
Within 6 months	First draft of project proposal by PhD candidate Discussion of project proposal with supervisors(s) Official submission of project proposal	Project Proposal Format
Within 9 months	Hand in English language testtest and a certified scan of diploma (if applicable) to PhD services
Within 12 months	" Go/No-go evaluation by supervisor. Required: TOEFL test, approval of master degree or qualifying exam, approved TSP, approved project proposal
Within 24 months	Submitmidterm progress report Submit midterm TSP	Midterm Progress Report Midterm TSP
At least 15 weeks before graduation	Application for education certificate by handing in final TSP with proofs of participation	Final TSP
Just before graduation	Fill in PhD Exit Form	PhD Exit Questionnaire

The PhD research Proposal

A PhD project proposal is written by the PhD candidate himself/herself, unless the project has been externally refereed previously (e.g. NWO). The project proposal should be submitted to WIAS within 6 months after the official start date of the PhD candidate. The proposal is then sent to three independent referees (usually from outside the Netherlands) by the WIAS management team, who assess the scientific quality and the feasibility of the proposed research. The PhD candidate and his/her supervisor are informed of any suggestions made by the external referees. In many cases, these suggestions lead to further improvement of the project proposal. The project proposal is submitted again to WIAS and a letter of approval is sent to the supervisor. If the proposal is not approved within a year of the official start date of the PhD candidate, the final TSP of the PhD candidate will not be approved by WIAS. Consequently, a chair group will receive less PhD compensation ('promotievergoeding')

Training and Supervision Plan (TSP)

In close collaboration with his/her daily supervisor and supervisor, the PhD candidate formulates a detailed, tailor-made Training and Supervision Plan (TSP). Most elements of the program are optional, but some are mandatory. In addition, a minimum number of credits is required for the major elements of the program. The total number of credits should amount to 30-60 ECTS, where 1 ECTS is equal to a study load of 28 hours. The TSP must be submitted within 6 months after the official start date of the PhD candidate. At this stage the exact courses and conferences for the next few years are not yet known. The initial education plan primarily articulates the candidate's educational needs in view of the planned project, while taking into account the requirements of the WIAS education and training program. The WIAS Education Committee approves the submitted TSP based on the advice of the WIAS education coordinator.

After 24 months, each PhD candidate's TSP must be updated. A midterm evaluation to monitor his/her progress also takes place. At least 15 weeks before graduation, the completed TSP must be submitted. Based on the advice of the WIAS education coordinator, the WIAS Education Committee decides whether it meets the requirements for the WIAS Education Certificate.

The education and training program does not conclude with a formal exam, nor are there formal exams for the WIAS courses. However, active participation is required and total absences may not exceed 20% of the scheduled course time. Proof of completion of education activities outside WIAS may be requested, e.g. by submitting a certificate. For more information about the TSP, please see FAQs about your TSP and the following website .

Education costs and budgets

Courses and seminars that are organized by WIAS are free of charge for WIAS PhD candidates. However, courses and symposia elsewhere are usually not free. For these activities Wageningen University provides an individual education budget which is allocated to the chair group. This budget becomes available only after the education plan has been approved by WIAS. More information about the education budget can be found on the following website.

Information on courses and seminars

Through a WIAS e-mail list and on the internet , the PhD candidates are provided with information on courses and seminars within WIAS and relevant educational activities elsewhere. An overview of courses organized by other Graduate Schools of Wageningen University, and PhD competences and skills courses organized by Wageningen Graduate Schools (WGS) can be found on the following website.

Confidential advisors

Confidential advisors support WU staff (including all PhD candidates) with work related complaints and problems. This includes conflicts with colleagues, the daily advisor or supervisors, problems surrounding the appointment or the work evaluation. PhD candidates can also contact the confidential advisor when they are subjected to undesired sexual attention, other undesirable behaviour, or believe that they are being treated in a discriminatory fashion. The confidential advisor can take immediate, confidential action concerning a complaint. The confidential advisors have a supportive, advisory and guiding role. Of course, all information given to the confidential advisor is treated confidentially. More information about confidential advisors can be found at the following website.

PhD Graduation

At the end of the project, the draft thesis has to be approved by the supervisor and is then submitted to a Thesis Committee. This independent committee is appointed by Wageningen University, and decides whether the submitted thesis is of sufficient quality to be formally defended. More information and a copy of the doctorate conferral regulations can be found at the following website .

Shortly before the graduation date, WIAS asks PhD candidates to fill in an Exit Questionnaire that includes questions about PhD education, supervision, teaching, etc. This information will be used to improve the quality of the PhD programme. The graduation ceremony consists of a short public presentation of the work (10 minutes) by the candidate, an oral defense where the candidate answers questions from the Graduation Committee (45 minutes) and, if accepted by the latter, a ceremony during which the PhD title is officially awarded.

Important links

For an overview of the PhD programme at Wageningen University please see the Wageningen University PhD programme. Also take a look at the following links, as they contain important information for prospective and current PhD candidates:

Brochure Wageningen University PhD programme

PhD guide 2009

Your guide to the Netherlands and Wageningen UR - Parts 1, 2, and 3 (link only available within Wageningen University network)

Services provided by Wageningen University - Wageningen PhD council, health insurance, housing, etc.

Language services


29 August 2011 , WIAS.nl © Wageningen UR 2011.