The orientation phase gives us the opportunity to get to know each other, and  you, the candidate the chance to see if the Dual PhD programme is what you are looking for. The phase begins with an intake meeting at which we discuss the outline of the theme and the thesis plan. We consider whether there is sufficient time to work on the thesis, and whether the training and professional experience tie in with one of the academic disciplines of the graduate schools and specialisations of a professor of the University.

Alongside an outline of the theme, the candidate needs to bring a detailed curriculum vitae and samples of the written work to the intake meeting.

Use the Model for developing a Dual PhD proposal to develop the outline of your theme.

The orientation phase is free of charge.

In this phase the candidate follows special courses and workshops. Some courses are compulsory and some are electives. We also look for the academic discipline and graduate school that best suits the right academic supervisor and graduate school are an important success factor in the programme. The supervisor will help further develop the thesis plan and  will conduct the research and write your research report. The pre-PhD phase is completed once  all the courses and workshops are followed, and the potential supervisor and the Centre’s staff have approved the research proposal. You receive a certificate of participation for this phase.

During the pre-PhD phase, there is a specially designed training programme and time to work on a detailed research proposal. For more information, see the 2017 Pre-PhD Programme Prospectus

The candidate now enrolls at the graduate school of the supervisor’s faculty, following the steps laid out in the Leiden University PhD regulations. The academic supervisor and a member of staff from the Dual PhD Centre are responsible for the supervision. As it is important to stay focused and concentrated, the time needed  for the PhD research has to be divided into consecutive blocks. On average, the candidate should devote between 25 and 50% of the working hours (at least two days per week) to the PhD. The duration of the PhD phase depends on the candidate and the research design. The aim is to develop an efficient and effective plan that does not compromise on academic quality.