This page contains documentation about Doctorate, the PhD/EngD monitoring system at the University of Twente.
It includes explanations of each system section by user role, rules and regulations, supporting documents, FAQ, and contact details.
User Roles
Explanations are separated by user role:
All Roles (login)
Both internal and external users can log in via: doctorate.utwente.nl.
University of Twente (SSO) users will be able to click the default login button.

External users will have to use the 'other account' function.
Here you will need to use your private e-mail as it is known to the Doctorate system and your password. Upon clicking the login button a one-time loging code will be delivered to that e-mail adress as a form of multi factor authentication.

Please see the video below on how to log in as external user.

PhD candidate
Introduction
Doctorate is the platform used to monitor and manage all steps of your PhD trajectory.
Whenever an action is required from you, you will automatically receive an email notification.
Actions
This section displays all actions: open, upcoming, and completed. Once completed, the action moves to the Completed tab.
What you need to do
- Regularly log in to Doctorate to complete required actions and meet deadlines.
- Complete each open action before the deadline.
- Upload files or provide digital signatures when requested.
- You can view upcoming actions in the Upcoming tab.
Intake
This section contains four intake actions to be completed in the first weeks.
What you need to do
- Register for the TGS Intake briefing. When registered, you will receive an email reminder approximately one week before the intake briefing session.
- Add your promotor under Supervisory Team.
- Confirm your agreement with the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity under Academic Integrity.
- Add your project title and project summary under Project details.
- Complete the actions and meet the deadlines communicated to you by email.
T&SP (Training & Supervision Plan)
In this section you document your training plan and supervision agreements, and upload evidence of completed training activities.
What you need to do
- Upload your T&SP within three months of starting; it is recommended to do this after the intake briefing.
- Meet with your supervisory team to discuss mutual expectations; record the resulting agreements in the T&SP.
- Update your T&SP when needed.
- Upload evidence of completed training activities.
- Complete the actions and meet the deadlines communicated to you by email.
Progress meetings
This section covers the formal assessment meetings during your PhD.
Qualifier (month 6–9)
What you need to do
Schedule the qualifier meeting together with the supervisory team and an independent UT member with ius promovendi.
- Upload your progress report at least one week before the qualifier meeting. The progress report must include results achieved, the research plan for the remaining time, and an (updated) time planning.
- Prepare your presentation of the initial research results, the research proposal, and the planning for the remaining time.
- Complete the actions and meet the deadlines communicated to you by email.
Annual or Progress Interviews
What you need to do
- Schedule the meeting together with the supervisory team (from the third annual progress interview onwards also with an independent UT member with ius promovendi).
- Upload your progress report (results and updated time planning) at least one week before the meeting.
- Complete the actions and meet the deadlines communicated to you by email.
Graduation
This section contains all graduation actions, both before and after assessment by the manuscript committee.
What you need to do
Before assessment by the manuscript committee
- Upload your draft doctoral thesis for approval by the promotor.
- Upload your author’s declaration and research data management for the manuscript committee.
- Request a date and time for your defence.
After approval by the manuscript committee
- Check your personal details; these will be used on your diploma.
- Submit your propositions (if any) for approval by the promotor.
- Request an ISBN and DOI.
- Submit the title page for approval; printing of the final doctoral thesis is only allowed after this approval.
- Submit your final doctoral thesis to the university library.
- Submit the information required for the public announcement of the defence.
- Complete the actions and meet the deadlines communicated to you by email.
All required actions must be executed in accordance with the Doctoral Regulations.
Support
6. Support
This section contains relevant resources and contacts.
What you will find
- Contact details for the Support Office Twente Graduate School.
- Links to the Doctoral Regulations.
- Links to the Charter for Doctoral Candidates.
- Practical information and guidance relevant to your PhD trajectory.
If you have questions, please contact the Twente Graduate School.
Please see the video below to see a brief explination on the PhD/EngD role within the system.
EngD candidate
EngD Candidates will go live on a later date, the sections below will be populated prior to this.
Action
Intake
T&SP
Progress meetings
Graduation
Support
(Co)Promotor (PhD) or supervisor (EngD) at UT
Welcome to Doctorate
Doctorate is the platform used to monitor and manage all steps of the trajectories of your PhDs and EngD candidates. Whenever an action is required from you, you will automatically receive an email notification. You will also receive weekly emails with outstanding actions.
Here you can:
- Access the dossier of your EngD and PhD candidates.
- Perform all required actions.
Important:
Navigation menu:
- The navigation menu is always shown on the left side of the screen.
- It provides access to your tasks, candidate overviews, and general information such as the doctoral regulations and the charter for doctoral candidates.
Pearl chain progress
- A green circle with a check mark shows that the action has been completed.
- An empty circle shows that the action is still open; clicking it reveals which actor must perform the task.
- A green circle with a check mark on the far right shows that all actions in the section have been completed.
The use of icons
- Eye – Clicking the eye icon allows you to view information already entered.
- Pencil – Clicking the pencil icon allows you to enter or edit information in a section. Clicking opens a form where data can be filled in or uploaded. If others have already entered data, you can view it here.
- Plus – Clicking the plus icon allows you to add people.
Tasks & assessments
The dashboard is the landing page. It displays all tiles with actions that require your assessment or approval. Dark‑blue tiles show the actions you must complete in your role as promotor. Light‑blue tiles show actions you perform in other roles, for example as an independent member of the qualifier committee or as a member of the manuscript committee.
On the dashboard, each tile shows a type of required action, such as accepting a promotor role, setting up a manuscript committee, or organizing a progress meeting. One tile is active at a time. You can open it with the button below the tile. Under this button, you see the PhD and EngD candidates for whom the action is required. The label PhD is shown in dark blue, while the label EngD is shown in light blue.
Here you can:
- Complete all required actions.
Important:
You will automatically receive an email whenever a new action requires your attention. In addition, you will receive weekly reminder emails about outstanding actions.
My PhD candicates
My PhD candidates provides an overview of all PhD candidates. The overview has three tabs: All projects, which shows all projects where you are involved as promotor or copromotor; My projects as promotor, which lists the candidates for whom you are promotor; and My projects as copromotor, which lists the candidates for whom you are copromotor.
The overview shows tiles for each PhD candidate. Each tile displays the candidate’s name and photo, the duration of the project in months up to today, and the number of EC in training activities already completed. Clicking a tile opens the candidate’s dossier.
Here you can:
- See an overview of all active PhD projects.
- Click on a candidate tile in the PhD overview to open the candidate’s dossier.
My EngD candidates
My EngD candidates provides an overview of all EngD candidates. The overview has three tabs: All projects, which shows all projects where you are involved as scientific supervisor or supervisory team member; My projects as scientific supervisor, which lists the candidates for whom you are scientific supervisor; and My projects as supervisory team member, which lists the candidates for whom you are supervisory team member.
The overview shows tiles for each EngD candidate. Each tile displays the candidate's name and photo, the duration of the project in months up to today, and the number of EC in training activities already completed. Clicking a tile opens the candidate's dossier.
Here you can see:
- An overview of all active EngD projects.
- Clicking a candidate tile in the EngD overview opens the candidate’s dossier.
- The dossier has five tabs: Details and intake, Training and supervision plan, Progress meetings, Graduation, and Comments.
Important:
- Tabs that are not yet available because earlier phases of the doctoral trajectory have not yet been completed appear in light grey, with a note indicating which actions must be completed before the tab becomes available.
Please see the video below to see a brief explination on the supervisory role within the system.

Management assistant
This section has not been built yet. Information will be available as soon as possible.
External supervision
Intended for:
- PhD: Co promotors outside UT
- EngD: daily supervisor or company supervisor
As an external member, the My candidates section is the most relevant part. You do not have a mandatory role in the workflow/tracking process. Access is for optional monitoring purposes and you will only receive emails from the system for major milestones.
Dashboard: tasks & assessments
Other tasks & assessments
My PhD candicates
My EngD candidates
Manuscript committee members
The assesment of the doctoral thesis is not yet live within Doctorate.
Information will become availaible as soon as possible.
Downloads
Rules and Regulations PhD
- Doctoral Regulations of the University of Twente (Dutch)
- Doctoral Regulations of the University of Twente (English)
- Charter for Doctoral Candidates (Dutch)
- Charter for Doctoral Candidates (English)
Rules and Regulations EngD
Charter for EngD
- EngD Charter for candidates who started on or after 01-09-2024 (English / Dutch)
- EngD Charter for candidates who started before 01-09-2024 (English / Dutch)
Study Guide for EngD
- EngD Study Guide 2025 - 2026 for candidates who started on or after 01-09-2025
- EngD Study Guide 2024 - 2025 for candidates who started on or after 01-09-2024
- EngD Study Guides for candidates who started before 01-09-2024:
Supporting Documents
- UT Guide to Supervision of Doctoral Candidates
- Expectations regarding the supervision of doctoral candidates
FAQ
About the transition from Hora Finita to doctorate:
Which candidates will use Hora Finita and which candidates will use doctorate.utwente.nl?
Any PhD candidate with a contract date as of 01-01-2026 will start within the new system
Candidates who started in Hora Finita will be brought over to the new system per phase, The candidates and their promotors will be contact on a case by case basis.
Can candidates from Hora Finita be transferred to doctorate.utwente.nl?
All current and past candidates will be migrated to the Doctorate system.
Candidates who are currently in an assessment round for their doctoral thesis will complete this within Hora Finita.
Until what data can Hora Finita be used?
There will be several months where both Hora Finita and Doctorate will run simultaniously. An exact end date is not known at this point.
About doctorate.utwente.nl:
Do I have to use Doctorate, the PhD & EngD Monotiring system
Doctorate is the system for all PhD & EngD Candidates who intend to obtain a diploma from the University of Twente.
If you are a candidate or member of the supervisory team for a candidate you will have to use this system.
What if me or my candidate cannot login anymore?
If you are experiencing loging issues please contact tgs@utwente.nl
Why is my overview of candidates not compleet?
Doctorate will be filled with information during the course of 2026.
It is likely that projects visible in Hora Finita are not migrated yet.
If a project is not visible in either system please contact tgs@utwente.nl
Contact
- For support using doctorate.utwente.nl: tgs@utwente.nl/phone 053 489 4900
- Related to the defences: Defences information page with specific contact details and a list of upcoming defences