To be eligible for a PhD programme, you must:
Doctoral candidates with a non-Dutch MSc degree or qualification are admitted if they have sufficient command of the English language. Official documents with test results are required for candidates who did not complete their secondary and tertiary education in English. The language requirements for PhD and EngD candidates are equal to the requirements for master students and described on the UT admissions webpage.
Dutch universities distinguish two categories of PhD candidates, based on how their PhD project is funded; PhD candidates employed by the University and PhD candidates who are NOT employed by the University (see also this foldable PDF).
PhD candidates employed by the University
1a Employee PhD candidates An employee who has an employment contract and for whom arrangements have been made for a PhD programme at his or her own university or UMC.
1b Employees who are conducting doctoral research An employee who has an employment contract and for whom arrangements have been made for a PhD programme at his or her own university or UMC.
PhD candidates who are NOT employed by the university
2 PhD candidates on a grant (scholarship PhD) These are PhD candidates who are not on an employment contract with the university where they are completing their doctoral research, but whose main objective is to obtain a doctorate and who have been awarded funding by a third party to do so.
3 PhD candidates who receive external funding PhD candidates who receive external funding differ from external PhD candidates in that they either receive another form of funding to conduct doctoral research or have been allotted time by their employer to conduct doctoral research (regardless of the amount of time they have been allotted)
4 External PhD candidates (self-funded) (UNL category 4) These are PhD candidates who are not allotted any hours or funding to conduct doctoral research by an external party but do wish to obtain a doctorate. They fund their own research, or use funding placed at their disposal by their relatives.
In the Netherlands, most PhD candidates are paid university employees (types 1a and 1b). Others are not employed by the institution but conduct research under a ‘hospitality agreement’ (types 2, 3 and 4).
All PhD candidates, regardless of their funding or employment status, contribute to university research. However, differences in contracts, benefits, rights, obligations and allowances may arise depending on funding sources and nationality. These variations can include aspects such as salary, healthcare benefits, sick-leave provisions, childcare support, pension plans, health insurance, tax obligations, teaching responsibilities, contract extensions, training options and tuition fee requirements.
Depending on your type of funding, there are two ways to apply for a PhD programme at UT:
Most PhD candidates in the Netherlands are paid employees, often working directly for the university. Research projects are usually defined by research groups in the faculties and funded by Dutch governmental organisations, like the Dutch Research Council (NWO) or KNAW, or the European Union. For these projects, PhD candidates are recruited for paid PhD positions to carry out research on defined research projects.
You can apply for a regular PhD position at our vacancies website. All relevant additional requirements are described in the respective vacancy descriptions.
For non-Dutch applicants, additional language requirements apply. For details, see the admission requirements above.
Non-EEA citizens need to comply with the requirements of the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) to obtain a residence permit.
A knowledge safety screening may be part of the application procedure.
If you have secured your own funding, you can pursue a PhD at the University of Twente without being employed by the university. Your funding may come from an external scholarship provider, sponsorship from your employer, or your own financial resources. In these cases, you will conduct your PhD under a hospitality agreement (doctoral agreement) with the University of Twente.
If you are a non-EEA citizen, you must meet the minimum income requirements set by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) to obtain a residence permit.
To be considered for a PhD project under your funding or with a scholarship, you should first contact the head of the research group you would like to join. In your message, briefly introduce yourself, explain your qualifications, describe your intended research topic, and outline your motivation for pursuing a PhD
You will also need to submit a research proposal as part of your application. Your proposal will only be considered if you can demonstrate that you have already applied, or intend to apply, for external funding, such as a scholarship or another funding source. Please note that the University of Twente does not offer PhD fellowships or other funding for self-initiated PhD projects.
If a professor is interested in supervising your project, they must first confirm their willingness to act as your prospective promotor. You can then begin preparing the required application documents. If needed, you may request a conditional admission letter from your prospective promotor's department to support an application for external funding or a scholarship.
Once both the prospective promotor and the Faculty Dean approve your application, the faculty will register you as a guest researcher and support your arrival at the University of Twente, including arranging your visa where applicable.
As a contribution to the costs of a PhD programme, fees do apply for PhD candidates who are not employed by the university. These fees can be paid by the PhD candidate or an external sponsor, like a scholarship provider or an employer
The UT fee policy for non-employed doctoral candidates distinguishes two kinds of fees:
Before the start of the PhD programme, agreements will be made with the PhD candidate and, if applicable, with the external sponsor about the payable fees and to whom they will be charged. The agreed fees are also recorded in a doctorate agreement with the PhD candidate.