Taakbalk
Regulations Doctoral Exam
Approved: Faculty Council March 10, 2008
Adaptations: Faculty Council April 26, 2010 (art. 1, 6); Faculty Board November 29, 2010 (art. 6)
Translation of the Dutch regulations as approved by the Faculty Council; in the case of discrepancy or dispute, the Dutch original shall prevail.
PDF version: EN_LETT_doctexam.pdf (102 Kb)
I. General provisions
Article 1. Doctoral degrees at the Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts offers the following doctoral degrees:
- PhD in Linguistics
- PhD in Literature
- PhD in Literature and Linguistics: Translation Studies
- PhD in Classics
- PhD in History
- PhD in Archaeology
- PhD in Art History
- PhD in Arts
- PhD in Musicology
- PhD in Eastern Studies: Ancient Near Eastern Studies
- PhD in Eastern Studies: Biblical Studies
- PhD in Japanese Studies
- PhD in Sinology
- PhD in Islamic Studies
- PhD in Slavonic and East European Studies
Article 2. PhD by unpublished thesis
In principle, the doctoral examination consists of the public defence of an unpublished PhD thesis based on personal research. If parts of this thesis have already been published, the doctoral student must indicate this.
Article 3. PhD by published work
3.1. The doctoral examination may also consist of the public defence of a doctoral thesis consisting of a coherent collection of previously published research papers which can be shown to be based on the doctoral student’s personal research.
3.2. A PhD by published work can be awarded on the basis of at least five research articles, previously published or accepted for publication in at least two different international peer-reviewed journals or books (ranked A or B according to the ESF list or ranked IT, Ihb or IC according to the classification developed by K.U.Leuven’s Research Coordination Office). The doctoral student should be the sole or principal author of at least three of these articles.* Unless the student is exempt from doctoral training, at least three of these papers should have been written during the PhD period (starting from the date of admission to the PhD programme). The articles must be accompanied by an extensive introduction and conclusion demonstrating the the methodological and thematic coherence of the individual papers and the scholarly value of the collection.
* Co-authored articles can only be included with the approval of the relevant doctoral committee.
Article 4. PhD application
4.1. PhD applications must be submitted to the relevant doctoral committee; the application should include a brief summary of the research project (research question, methodology, feasibility) as well as the name(s) of the supervisor and co-supervisor. Applicants wishing to write a PhD thesis in a language other than Dutch need to seek approval from the doctoral committee. After the recommendation of the departmental doctoral committee, the application should be submitted to the Faculty’s doctoral committee for approval.
4.2. On the basis of the applicant’s CV, the departmental doctoral committee may require him/her to take a pre-doctoral exam before submitting a PhD application.
Article 5. Admission to the doctoral exam
5.1.In order to be admitted to the doctoral exam, the doctoral student must:
a. have obtained a Master’s degree or an equivalent higher education certificate in a field relevant to the research being undertaken at least two years prior to the doctoral exam; alternatively, he/she should have passed the pre-doctoral exam at least two years before the doctoral exam.
b. have successfully completed a doctoral training programme (cf. the Faculty’s Doctoral
Programme Regulations).
5.2. Exceptionally, candidates may be (partially) exempted from doctoral training by the Faculty’s doctoral committee, following consultation with the departmental doctoral committee.
Article 6. Doctoral thesis
The PhD topic should be relevant to the research conducted by one of the Faculty’s research units; PhD research is undertaken under the guidance of a supervisor (and possibly a co-supervisor). Both the supervisor and the co-supervisor should be full-time senior academic staff of the Faculty of Arts or work at the Faculty as a part-time lecturer or researcher. Temporary postdoctoral researchers can act as a supervisor if a member of the senior academic staff (“ZAP”) acts as a second supervisor and agrees to take over all supervisory duties should the postdoctoral researcher leave the Faculty. Senior academic staff (“ZAP”) not attached to Katholieke Universiteit Leuven can only act as a co-supervisor. Emeritus Professors are not eligible to act as a supervisor or co-supervisor but can continue to supervise PhD projects initiated under their supervision; extraordinary emeritus professors, however, can act as supervisor of both existing and new PhD projects.*
* Senior academic staff who take early retirement but continue to perform certain functions and tasks on a formal basis, are given the title of extraordinary emeritus professor until the end of the year in which they turn 65; see the University policy note Emeritibeleid, art. 3 (https://admin.kuleuven.be/personeel/intranet/einde_contract/emeritibelei... Dutch only, accessible to staff only).
Article 7. Language of the doctoral thesis
The doctoral thesis must be written in Dutch. Subject to approval by the departmental doctoral committee, it can also be (partly) written in another language. In that case, a Dutch summary must be included.
Article 8.
In order to ensure the public nature of the defence, the research results must be presented in Dutch or in an accepted language of scholarship. The question-and-answer session can be conducted in the candidate’s language of choice.
Article 9.
On the recommendation of the departmental doctoral committee and the Faculty of Arts doctoral committee, the Rector will appoint an examination committee, which will assess the doctoral thesis and the public defence. In addition to the chair, the examination committee will consist of at least five members including the supervisor and possibly the co-supervisor. Examination committee members may include members of (associate) senior academic staff, including Emeritus Professors, research directors, senior research associates, postdoctoral researchers; research fellows, and affiliated researchers holding a PhD. A majority of the examination committee should consist of members from within Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; adequate representation of the relevant department should also be ensured. At least one member must be external to Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
II. Thesis defence
Artikel 10.
No later than twelve weeks prior to the thesis defence, the departmental doctoral committee and the Faculty’s doctoral committee will request the Rector to appoint an examination committee.
Artikel 11.
No later than seven weeks before the thesis defence, the doctoral student must submit seven or eight copies of his/her doctoral thesis to the chair of the examination committee (one copy for each committee member and one copy for the Faculty Library; after the defence, the chair will donate his/her copy to the Central Library). The chair will immediately distribute copies of the thesis to committee members.
Article 12.
If one of the examiners considers that the thesis is not acceptable, he/she should inform the chair in writing no later than four weeks before the thesis defence. Within a week, the examination committee should then decide on the acceptability of the thesis by majority decision and immediately inform the doctoral student of this decision. Before deciding that the thesis is not acceptable, however, the committee should first hear the doctoral student. If the thesis is deemed acceptable, the thesis defence can be scheduled; if the thesis is not acceptable, the procedure is terminated and the doctoral student will not be allowed to defend the work submitted.
If no objections are raised within the prescribed period, the thesis is deemed acceptable.
Article 13.
In preparation of the thesis defence, each member of the examination committee submits a report on the doctoral thesis and awards a mark (out of 20); no mark is awarded by external examiners. Reports must be submitted to the chair no later than four working days before the thesis defence.
Article 14.
On the day of the thesis defence or the day before, the examination committee holds a preliminary meeting to discuss the doctoral thesis. On this occasion, each member receives copies of the examiner reports. The thesis defence consists of a presentation of the thesis (research question, methodology, key findings and conclusions) followed by questioning by the examiners. Finally, the audience is given the opportunity to raise questions or comments.
Article 15.
The thesis defence is followed by a closed meeting of the examination committee. Each examiner gives a final mark (out of 20) and an overall grade is determined. The chair has no vote, unless he/she also acts as an examiner (cf. decision of the Faculty Board of June 12, 1986). All committee members will maintain confidentiality.
Article 16.
Following the meeting of the examination committee, the outcome is publicly announced; marks or percentages are not announced.
III. Archiving and access to the doctoral file
Article 17.
Within five weeks following the thesis defence, the secretary of the examination committee prepares a summary report, including the relevant comments in the individual reports, an account of the defence and the examination committee meeting, and the final grade awarded. If the secretary is insufficiently familiar with the PhD topic, he/she can be assisted by a member of the examination committee. A draft version is circulated amongst the examiners, who will have two weeks to suggest amendments before the report is finalized. If necessary, the Dutch report is translated for committee members who do not speak Dutch. The final report, the individual examiner reports, and the original doctoral programme file constitute the student’s official doctoral file.
Article 18.
Doctoral files are kept at the Faculty’s administrative office.
Article 19.
Access to the doctoral file is available as follows:
- The individual examiner reports are confidential;
- The PhD graduate may request a copy of the final report.
Bodies such as the Flanders Research Foundation (FWO), K.U Leuven’s Research Council or advisory committees as well as advisory committees of other universities can obtain a copy of the final report subject to approval by both the chair (or the secretary) of the examination committee and the PhD graduate.