Doctoral programme regulations

Translation of the Dutch regulations as approved by the Faculty Council on December 15, 2008; in the case of discrepancy or dispute, the Dutch original shall prevail.

PDF version: EN_LETT_doctopl.pdf (86 Kb)

• Aim of the doctoral programme
• Structure of the doctoral programme
• Compulsory components of the doctoral programme
• Progress reports
• Doctoral programme form
• Organisation

Article 1. Aim of the doctoral programme

The aim of the doctoral programme is to help doctoral students develop skills that are essential for the successful completion of a PhD degree and that will be useful in their future professional careers. These skills are acquired in various ways, including the student’s doctoral research, contacts with the supervisory team, participation in and presentation of seminars and participation in international conferences.

Article 2. Structure of the doctoral programme: core research training and individual programme

1. Core research training consists of a number of compulsory components (see below); Doctoral training is completed when all core requirements have been met.

2. The individual programme consists of additional activities which doctoral students select according to their research interests. In consultation with his/her supervisor, and based on the competence profile and available courses, the student identifies the most relevant competences and selects additional activities accordingly. Within the context of the Leuven International Doctoral School for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Arts offers a wide range of courses and training activities.(1)

Article 3. Compulsory components of the doctoral programme (2)

• Publishing at least one scholarly article, either a journal article or a book chapter;
• Presenting at least two seminars to peers on topics relevant to one’s doctoral research or on a more general topic;
• Making at least one presentation or poster presentation on one’s doctoral research at an international conference;
• Attending at least one PhD-level seminar series, lecture series or course;
• Submitting annual progress report on one’s research.

Article 4. Progress reports

1. By the end of the first year of the PhD research, the student should submit a brief written report. The student's supervisor shall write an assessment of the student's progress, to be recorded on the evaluation form (Word / PDF) and signed by the supervisor(s) and the chair of the departmental doctoral committee. The student should attach his report to the evaluation form.

2. By the end of the second year of the PhD research, the student should submit a brief written report and make an oral presentation on his/her progress, followed by discussion with the members of the supervisory committee (3). The student's supervisor shall write an assessment of the student's progress, to be recorded on the evaluation form (Word / PDF), which is signed by by the supervisor(s), members of the doctoral committee and the chair of the departmental doctoral committee. The student should attach his report to the evaluation form.

 3. At the end of the third year and any subsequent years until the completion of the PhD, the same procedure is to be followed as at the end of the first year.

Article 5. Doctoral Programme Form

Doctoral students should keep a detailed record of all PhD training activities using the ‘Doctoral Programme Form’ (Word / PDF), which is to be submitted to the supervisor for approval annually, with a copy to the departmental doctoral committee. When the PhD is completed, the full activity report must be submitted to the departmental doctoral committee, which will determine whether the doctoral student has fulfilled all training requirements. Without the committee’s approval, a candidate will not be allowed to defend his/herPhD thesis.

Article 6. Organisation

Within the Faculty of Arts, the doctoral programme is organised by the different departments; these are responsible for providing relevant content and for handling administrative matters. The Faculty’s doctoral programme is part of the Leuven International Doctoral School for the Humanities and the Social Sciences, which liaises between the Faculty and the University Administration and Central Offices (in particular, the Research Coordination Office).

Notes

(1) For specific information and practical guidelines relevant to these regulations, please check the 'PhD' section on the Faculty of Arts website. For the competence profile, see: https://admin.kuleuven.be/personeel/competentieprofiel/en/index_eng.html.

(2) The requirements listed in Article 3 are specified by the departmental doctoral committee, which comprises the Head of Department, the coordinators of the various research groups and one representative of the department’s junior academic staff.

(3) The supervisory committee is appointed within two years of the start of the PhD and consists of at least three members: the supervisor, the co-supervisor (if applicable) and one other member; postdoctoral fellows can be a member of this committee. At least one of the three members should be from another university (either in Belgium or abroad).