Information for prospective PhD students

The Graduate School of the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences often receives requests from foreign students who are interested in following a PhD programme. On this page, we have summarized the answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Does the Graduate School have a PhD student programme in which I can enroll?

No, in contrast to Graduate Schools in, for example, the USA, we do not have such a system. At the University of Groningen, PhD students are considered employees. Therefore, PhD students earn a monthly salary and do not pay any tuition fee. In order to become a PhD student, people apply to PhD positions that are advertised. Alternatively, they may have a research grant or stipend/scholarship to pay for their studies. In the case of an own research grant, students contact the staff member with whom they would like to collaborate directly to discuss the possibilities for a PhD position.

Where do I find the job advertisements for PhD positions at the University of Groningen?

Throughout the year, the vacancies are published on the university website and on Academic Transfer.

Can the Graduate School get me in touch with a possible PhD project supervisor?

No. If you want to get in touch with one of our staff members, please contact them directly by email. You can find more information about their research interests on their personal homepages. A complete list of staff members and the corresponding links can be found here.

Where can I find more information about PhD studies in the Netherlands?

Please visit the Nuffic website.

Where can I find more information about scholarships?

Please visit our website on scholarships.

What language requirements are there for foreign PhD students?

Only students who are proficient in the English language will be accepted for PhD positions. This usually means a minimum score of 7.0 on IELTS, or 600 on paper-based TOEFL (or 250 computer-based TOEFL, or 100 internet-based TOEFL).

What alternatives to the PhD programme are there?

If you have a BSc. degree in a relevant field and want to prepare for a career in research, you can apply for our Research Master programme in Behavioural and Social Sciences. The contact person for the Research Master is Mrs. Evers (J.A.M.Evers@rug.nl). For more information please see the Research Master programme's website.

 

If you have a question that has not been answered here, please contact us at gradschool.gmw@rug.nl.