Is earning a doctorate the right thing for you?
Do you have a passion for science, are you curious and inventive, and would you like to work in an internationally competitive environment? Then earning a doctorate is the right thing for you! At VUB, you have the opportunity to do full-time research in an academic context for at least 4 years. Doing a PhD is a long-term endeavour, but the experience you gain and the skills you learn are decisive for the rest of your career.
A PhD application needs to be invited by a promotor to start their application.
Read below whether you are eligible, how to find a promotor and how to complete the application procedure.
Eligibility
Are you the holder of a Flemish master's degree or an equivalent diploma, and is this diploma relevant for your doctoral research? If so, you can start your search for a promotor and a possible research subject.
If you do not have such a degree but have already found a subject and a promotor; the faculty of your promotor can evaluate your qualifications through an exam. Based on the results of this exam, you may be granted an exceptional permission to start your doctoral programme.
Do you want to learn more about our elibility criteria? Read our Central PhD Regulations.
Do you have a non-Flemish master's degree? Then start the diploma verification process as soon as possible!
Find a research subject and promotor
Choosing a topic is the first and sometimes the most difficult step of this journey, but it can also be the beginning of long-lasting cooperation with your supervisor. Because during your PhD project, you are not on your own: a supervisor with expertise that matches your research will guide you.
Take a look in our VUB research portal to get to know the research and the researchers at our university. Do you see a topic you like, then contact the researcher to discuss a possible collaboration.
Promotors are often open to suggestions. Do you have an idea for a topic? Don't hesitate to suggest your favourite topic to a professional in your field.
Together with your promotor you will then have to draft a research plan for the coming year. Use the template Research plan found here to get started.
Find funding
As a PhD candidate, you can obtain funding in different ways.
Firstly, you can become an employee of our university (assisting academic staff or AAP) . As an AAP member, you will assist the professors in your research group with their teaching responsibilities. This will take up 40% of your time, while the remaining 60% will be spent on your research.
Secondly, some research projects at our university are seeking for PhD candidates.
Find open positions at our university, whether for AAP roles or research projects, here.
Lastly, if you cannot find available positions, discuss with your supervisor what other options might be available. For example, you can:
- Apply for a VLAIO Baekeland mandate for fundamental research in cooperation with a Flemish company.
- Apply for funding with the IWT, FWO or Innoviris
Alternatively, you can pursue a 'self-funded' PhD. This means that you will receive no financial compensation for your research. which is often done combination with a job outside the university.
The application procedure
Get ready for your application by preparing all required documents and writing your research plan together with your promotor.
Your application will be started by your promotor. After they completed their part of your application, you will receive an email with a request to complete this procedure. Click on the link in the mail to add the necessary information and documents to your application.
Our colleagues of studentenadministratie@vub.be will then check whether your application file is complete. The sooner that they have all your documents, the quicker they can process your application, so prepare your required documents before starting the application.
Lastly, the faculty of your promotor will approve your application, you will then receive an email that confirms your rregistrations.
PhD promotors can find information about this application procedure here.
Application deadline
Applying for the current academic year
PhD candidates have up to and including 31 May to answer the invitation to apply and to submit their application for the current academic year.
The faculty and student administration then have a month to evaluate this application.
After a positive evaluation, the PhD candidate has up to and including 30 June to sign the student registration contract and to complete their registration as a PhD candidate for the current academic year.
If these deadlines are not met, the PhD candidate cannot be registered for the current academic year. This means that the promotor needs to send a new invitation to apply, this time for a registration for the upcoming academic year.
Keep in mind that a registration for the current academic year means that the PhD candidate will need to submit a yearly progress report to be able to re-enroll for the next academic year. You can avoid this administration by immediately choosing to enroll the PhD candidate for the next academic year.
Applying for the upcoming academic year
Do you want to start your PhD in June, July, August or September 2025? Then apply for the upcoming academic year 2025-2026 instead of the current academic year 2024-2025.
Do you want to start your PhD in the academic year 2025-2026?
Then apply for this academic year until 31st of May 2026.
Registered, what now?
After your registration as a PhD candidate, you can activate your VUB account and you will receive a VUB email address. This email address will grant you access to the various VUB applications, e-tools and portals.
You will also be required to pay tuition fees. As a PhD candidate, you will have to re-register each academic year, but you will only need to pay tuition fees during the first and last academic year of your PhD.
You are now ready to start your research and doctoral training programme.
Joint PhD
The VUB can award so-called joint PhDs. A joint PhD, or ‘cotutelle de thèse' in French, is a doctorate that’s prepared in collaboration with two universities. The research is done under supervision of a supervisor in each institution and at the end of the successful project you will be awarded a PhD degree by both universities.
Interdisciplinary doctorate
Before you can start your interdisciplinary PhD; you must specify your fields of expertise or the disciplines of your research.
Please discuss with your supervisor the the disciplines of your research from the list found here.. Share these disciplines with the Researcher Training & Development Office (rtdo@vub.be) by email with your supervisor in CC.
After deciding on the disciplines RTDO can create your interdisciplinary programme, and your application will follow the same steps as that of a regular PhD candidate.
