On commencement of your doctoral programme you must submit a request for admission to the doctoral programme. A check will be made to determine whether you meet the legal educational requirement. In other words, you must have a Dutch Master's degree (or an old-style initial university degree). Do you have a different Dutch qualification or a foreign qualification? If so, before applying for admission to the doctoral programme, you must apply for an exemption from the educational requirement. Since this request for exemption may result in a rejection, you must submit this request as soon as you start your doctoral programme.

Once you have submitted your request for admission to the doctoral programme, your supervisors (principal supervisor and co-supervisor) will be chosen. You must have a minimum of two supervisors: two principal supervisors or one principal supervisor and one co-supervisor. It will also be decided which faculty your doctorate will come under.

N.B. Please note, you will need the latest version of Adobe Reader (Adobe XI) to fill in the forms. 

Specific admission requirements

Besides the UvA-wide requirements (Doctorate Regulations) and the legal requirements (qualifications), there may also be additional specific requirements for admission to a doctoral programme. The contact person for the relevant Graduate School or research institute will be able to advise you further on this.

Joint doctorate

What does a joint doctorate entail?

It is possible to obtain a joint doctorate from the UvA. Under a joint doctorate, you obtain your degree from two or more universities simultaneously. 

Your doctoral research is carried out under the joint responsibility of the partner universities and your doctoral thesis is prepared and assessed jointly by the partner universities, leading to a joint doctorate. These arrangements are set out in an agreement between the universities concerned (partnership agreement or equivalent document) which must be approved by the Doctorate Board.

How do I arrange a joint doctorate?

Joint doctorates can only be initiated with the explicit consent andsupport of of the faculty in question. Please contact your faculty or research institute as soon as possible. You cannot request a joint doctorate by yourself.

Like the exemption from the legal educational requirement (where necessary) and the admission to the doctoral programme, the joint doctorate must be agreed at the start of the doctoral programme. A period of grace of a maximum of one year will apply. The dean must submit a formal request for a joint doctorate to the Doctorate Board within a year of commencement of the doctoral research. If this is not or no longer possible, the option of pursuing a joint doctorate with the University of Amsterdam as a partner will no longer be available. The partnership agreement must be signed by all parties involved within a year of the Dean's request.

More information

More information can be found in the 2020 Doctorate Regulations and the  Joint Doctorates Operational Regulations. If you have any questions, please contact your faculty or research institute or the secretariat of the Doctorate Board.