Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Prospective PhD candidates
Thank you for your interest in doing PhD research at the Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences of Leiden University. How to start your PhD at our Graduate School is explained on this webpage.
Listen to our previous Graduate School Officer Cordula Burtscher explaining what skills you need and how to get a PhD
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Watch the video on the original website orThree types of PhD candidates
PhD candidates with employee status (werknemerpromovendi) are appointed at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences specifically to do PhD research. They are supervised by (a) member(s) of the Faculty staff and have an obligation to graduate. Application to a paid position occurs in response to a vacancy advertised by the University. The initial contract is for one year. Within that period, a progress review is carried out to decide whether the contract will be extended for a maximum of three more years (full-time PhD programme). A part-time contract may also be longer.
Contract PhD candidates do not have an employment contract with Leiden University, but are funded by a scholarship, or are granted a salary and/or time by their external employer. They are supervised by (a) member(s) of the Faculty staff and have an obligation towards the grant supplier to graduate.
The PhD graduation is planned at Leiden University. PhD candidates who are applying for a personal research grant elsewhere and wish to carry out research at FSW must first find a professor at FSW who is willing to supervise them.
External PhD candidates are not appointed at the Faculty but work on a PhD thesis with their own funding. They are supervised by (a) member(s) of the Faculty but have no obligation to graduate. The PhD graduation is planned at Leiden University. PhD candidates who wish to carry out research at FSW first have to find a professor at FSW who is willing to supervise them.
External PhD candidates can unfortunately not be guaranteed an individual work space in the Faculty.
Combining a job at FSW with a PhD
Promoverende medewerkers are regular members of staff combining their position at FSW with doing a PhD. They are supervised by (a) member(s) of the Faculty staff. For members of staff working on a PhD the same rules apply as for PhD candidates with employee status, but they are registered as external PhD candidates in the university’s registration system called ‘SAP’.