The PhD is the highest scientific degree in European higher education. It signifies:
- systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of the skills and methods of research associated with that field;
- the ability to conceive, design, implement and adapt a substantial process of research with scholarly integrity;
- a contribution through original research that extends the frontier of knowledge by developing a substantial body of work, some of which merits national or international refereed publication;
- critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas;
- the competency to communicate with peers, the larger scholarly community and with society in general about their areas of expertise;
- the ability to promote, within academic and professional contexts, technological, social or cultural advancement in a knowledge-based society.
(Source: Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area)
CHEPS expects its PhD candidates to gain the competencies needed to complete a doctorate in the area of higher education policy studies, whether they intend to pursue a university research career or a career in the wider knowledge-based society.
PhD candidates at CHEPS enrol in the Twente Graduate School (TGS), which offers training and a framework enabling progress along the trajectory with quality assurance built in. The TGS also is the portal for the PhD course offerings of the University of Twente. The TGS requires 30 EC (half a year, fulltime) of coursework.
CHEPS is open to PhD candidates from any country. By far most of our current PhD students come from abroad. CHEPS is open to candidates who have just finished their master-level education and to candidates with work experience.
Doing a PhD at CHEPS takes as a rule four years (full time). Full-time and part-time arrangements are possible. Depending on prior academic work, the duration of the PhD may vary.
Increasingly, PhD dissertations at CHEPS are made up of previously-published articles. Especially for external PhD candidates, a dissertation based on articles is preferred as it results in valuable publications even if the dissertation is not finished.