Administrative Procedures for Doctoral Students

Admission to the doctorate falls under the authority of the Doctoral Commission of the Institute. To be eligible to apply, the student must meet a number of conditions.
The student requesting admission has to submit a form (Word, 61 Kb) on which he/she outlines the research project. The outline is to be prepared under the supervision of a member of the academic staff, who is qualified and willing to act as a promoter. The prospective promoter evaluates the outlined project by means of this form (Word, 43,5 Kb) and sends an evaluation of this proposal directly to the Commission.
The Doctoral Commission will approve the application or reject it. The Commission may also postpone its decision and require the student to rework his/her proposal according to the Commission's suggestions. When the student has submitted his/her project for the second time, the Commission's decision is final.
The student submits his form together with a curriculum vitae to the Chair of the Doctoral Commission. The Commission examines these documents and decides about the admission. Students should note that the Commission only meets four times a year: in March, early July, September and December. Normally on finishing their MPhil students apply immediately after their exams to the PhD programme to enable the Commission to decide about their admission. All applications and requests should be submitted to the Chair of the Doctoral Commission at least 14 days before the meeting of the Commission. (Send one copy by post and one copy by e-email: doctcom@hiw.kuleuven.be)
Admission to the Doctorate is valid for six years. This means that the Commission expects the student to conclude research within this period. If this is not the case, the Commission will evaluate the situation and propose a solution that is acceptable to both the student and the promoter.

The dates of the Doctoral Commission meetings can be found in the administrative calendar.

Registration as a Doctoral Student

Every student preparing to submit a research project is required to register as a predoctoral student. Applications are to be sent to the Chair of the Doctoral Commission. The maximum period allowed for the preparation of the research project is one year. Once the research project is approved by the Doctoral Commission, the student should immediately register for the Doctoral Education Programme. This registration has to be renewed every year. Predoctoral students are not allowed to participate in PhD seminars of the MPhil programme.

Doctoral Education Programme

Students who were admitted before the 1 st of October, 2001 can continue to work according to the rules that were then valid.

For students who were admitted to the doctoral education programme after the 1 st of October, 2001 , the doctoral education programme comprises a required and an optional supplementary component. The five required components are:

1. a scientific publication: a book, a contribution to a book or a journal article that is already published or has been accepted for publication
2. give at least two seminars, which have been organized within the research centre of which the student is a member, concerning one's own doctoral research, or concerning a more general theme
3. active participation in all of at least one doctoral seminar from the MPhil programme. Students with an MPhil diploma are exempted from this requirement
4. give at least one lecture or oral presentation at an international conference
5. submission of progress reports as described below

The supplementary section comprises additional activities in function of doctoral research and/or as
preparation for functioning professionally within or outside of the university. Although these supplementary activities are not obligatory, they are registered on your transcript after completion of the doctoral programme and can become part of your c.v. The supplementary activities fall under four domains:

1. Following doctoral seminars at the Institute of Philosophy or other faculties of the K.U.Leuven or at
   another university.
2. additional education, such as language courses and the “academic writing” course
3. research activities, such as taking part in study days and conferences
4. obtaining experience in education, such as training in pedagogy, organising an “undergraduate
   seminar” or part of a course

The doctorandus/a registers his/her activities on a registration form which has to be submitted twice: the first time after the second year of his/her research, the second time at the latest one month before submitting the thesis.

All doctorandi/ae must submit following forms in order to meet with the requirements of the doctoral education programme:

after the first year of doctoral research	progress report first year (Word, 42 Kb)
after the second year of doctoral research	a. oral presentation of doctoral research (Word, 41 Kb) b. registration of activities (Word, 81 Kb)
after the third, fourth, and subsequent years of doctoral research	progress report third, fourth, and subsequent years (Word, 44 Kb)
at the latest one month before submitting your thesis	registration of activities (Word, 81 Kb)

The student makes sure the forms are signed by his or her promoter and are submitted before the 15th of October in the mailbox of the administrative assistant of research (in the entrance hall of the student secretariat). The student should keep a copy for himself/herself and also submit an electronic version as an attachment to an e-mail to doctcom@hiw.kuleuven.be.
The chairperson of the doctoral commission examines the various forms and signs them. The doctorandus/a is informed if a form is not in order .

Progress reports

One year after the doctoral project has been approved, the doctorandus/a is expected to submit a short written report, consisting of a description of the progress by the doctorandus/a and an evaluation by the promoter.
Two years after beginning doctoral research, or earlier if it is necessary for an application or extension of a scholarship or mandate, the doctorandus/a must give, besides a written report, an oral presentation of research that has been accomplished and that is still planned, at the end of which will be a meeting with the members of the guidance committee. This presentation of research can also coincide with giving a seminar about research within a research centre (a required component of the doctoral programme). At the beginning of the academic year, the promoter will be informed on the fact that his/her student must give an oral presentation. The chairmen of the centres are supposed to organise seminars in which the students can present their research. In the course of the second year the promoter and the doctorandus/a should also have a performance interview.
The following years follow the same procedure as for the first year. The doctoral commission advises that, for those students who will work for six years on their doctoral thesis, an additional meeting should be held with the guidance committee. This meeting should take place after four years. If a student is six months away from submitting his/her thesis and has already handed in four progress reports, then he/she need not hand in any more progress reports.

Financial Support

The faculty reimburses doctoral students for costs related to their research, up to a maximum of 750 Euros. Examples of costs that may be considered for reimbursement include university matriculation fees, conference fees, costs for travel and accommodation associated with conferences, purchases of books, printing of the dissertation.
If conference costs exceed the limit of the faculty allowance,  permission for reimbursment must be requested in advance from the chair of the Doctoral Committee. The request must  be endorsed by the student's dissertation supervisor. Only active participation in conferences (e.g. presentation of a paper) will be  taken into consideration.

Procedure for the refund of expenses:

1. For all doctoral students: fill out this form (Word, 31 Kb). (You can ask Stein De Cuyper for help if you encounter any problem with this.)
   In addition, for staff members: click on the 'beroepskosten' button in K.U.Loket and fill out the form. Choose Stein De Cuyper as 'kredietbeheerder'.
2. Take the original invoices and receipts to Stein De Cuyper (president's house, room 01.02). He will ensure that all the documents are complete and all procedures are followed correctly.

Bear in mind:

• Early booking can reduce travel costs
• Always keep the original invoices and receipts
• Reimbursement of costs will only be given to students who have submitted the forms required at a certain stage of their research (cf. supra).
• After three months costs can no longer be reimbursed (cf. date on the original invoices and receipts)
• Be sure that your bank information is up to date in K.U.Loket

Doctoral Defense

Prior to the doctoral defense a student must have completed all the requirements of the Doctoral Education Programme. Students who have almost finished their thesis must hand in the "form for registering activities in the doctoral education programme" at the latest one month before handing in their thesis so that the chairman of the doctoral commission has sufficient time to validate the activities.
The examination for the degree of PhD in Philosophy consists of the public defense of a dissertation, which is the result of the student's own research. In addition, the student has to propose three theses on philosophical topics for possible defense. These additional theses are also of importance. (Trivial or inconsistent theses do not make a good impression.)
Once the promoter has received the final version of the dissertation and has confirmed that the dissertation meets the academic standards for the defense, he informs the Doctoral Commission and the Bureau of the Institute.
The doctoral student must supply six copies of the dissertation to the Administrative Director, together with the three additional theses.
The dissertation and the public defense are evaluated by a Commission appointed by the Rector at the request of the Bureau of the Faculty. When a jury has been appointed, the Administrative Director will arrange a date for the defense. The doctoral student updates his/her record in the K.U.Loket application 'Mijn doctoraat', and is expected to hand in the following documents: a summary of his dissertation (1 A4 page), an abstract and a photo. The Commission Secretary then publicises the defense. The doctoral student is also obliged to file his dissertation electronically (Libridoc in 'Mijn doctoraat'). He/she is free to organise a reception (contact person is Administrative Director).