Application and admissions procedure

1. Applying

Vacancies for employee PhD candidate positions are few and published throughout the year. Current vacancies are listed below. The selection requirements are listed alongside the vacancy, and may differ from position to position.

2. Selection and provisional admission

A selections committee reviews all applications. A positive recommendation by the selections committee results in provisional admission to the PhD Programme in Law.

3. Definitive admission

Provisional admission only becomes definitive once you have been admitted by the UvA Doctorate Board (College voor Promoties, or CVP). This is essentially an administrative procedure. To be admitted, you must submit a request for admission. If you are not in possession of a Netherlands Master’s degree (or an old-style initial university degree), you will need to request an exemption from that programme requirement before submitting a request for admission.

Exemption from programme requirement

This procedure only needs to be followed if you are not in possession of a Netherlands Master’s degree (or an old-style initial university degree). Incidentally, it makes no difference whether this is a law or a non-law degree.

The first step involves performing a “quick scan” for which the PhD Secretariat needs the following documents.

• Completed online form Request for exemption from the legal educational requirement
• Copies of all academic diplomas received
• Copies of a list of marks or a list of programme components for those diplomas. A certified translation prepared by the educational institution itself or a sworn translator must be also be submitted for documents in languages other than Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.
• Copy of passport or ID-card (front and back)
• CV

A favourable recommendation following the “quick scan” results in an immediate decision to grant exemption, provided that certified copies of the aforementioned diplomas and lists of marks have been submitted. This assessment can take 2 to 4 weeks. If non-certified copies have been submitted, the secretariat of the Doctorate Board will once again invite you to provide certified copies, or make an appointment so that you can present the originals. You may submit your request for admission once you have been notified of a decision to grant exemption.

Request for admission to the PhD programme

For provisional admission to become definitive, you will need to submit a request for admission to the CVP. The following documents must be provided to the PhD Secretariat:

• Completed online form Request for admission to the doctoral programme with original signatures of candidate and (co-) supervisors (signature copies not accepted)
• Certified copy of Netherlands Master’s diploma, DUO uittreksel or initial university degree diploma OR exemption decision. If you are not in possession of certified copies of your Netherlands diploma, you can make an appointment with the PhD secretariat to present the original in person.
• Copy of passport (front and back) UNLESS an exemption decision is also attached.

The PhD Secretariat procures the signature of the Dean and then forwards your application to the Doctorate Board. An admissions decision is taken within 2 to 4 weeks, which, if favourable, results in your provisional admission becoming definitive.