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 candidate needs to be invited by a promotor to start their application.
Read below to learn more the application procedure.
The application procedure
Get ready for your application by preparing all required documents and writing your research plan together with your promotor.
After writing a research plan together, your promotor will send you an invitation to apply for a PhD programme. Click on the link in the mail to add the necessary information and documents to your application.
Your application will then be evaluated by your faculty and student administration.
Keep in mind that this process will take time.
By uploading the correct documents and starting your diploma verification as soon as possible, you can help make this evaluation procedure run smoother.
PhD promotors can find information about this application procedure here.
Application deadline
You can start your PhD research anytime in the academic year but keep the deadlines below in mind when starting your application.
Deadlines to apply and register in the current academic year
If you're planning to register as a PhD candidate during the academic year for the ongoing academic year:
- Deadline to apply: You must respond to the invitation of your promotor and complete your application by 31 May.
- Evaluation period: The faculty and student administration will then review your application within one month.
- Deadline to register: If your application is approved, you must sign your student registration contract to complete your registration by 30 June.
Starting your PhD in the summer of the current academic year?
If you want to start as a PhD candidate in June, July, August, or September, you can only apply for the upcoming academic year.
For example, if your PhD contract starts 15 July 2026; you will need to apply for the academic year 2026-2027.
Even though your application will be for the forthcoming academic year, your registration will be considered valid for the current academic year during the summer months.
This means that you can start your PhD research already in June, July August or September without waiting for the official start of the academic year.
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 promotor in each institution and at the end of the successful project you will be awarded a PhD degree by both universities.
