Becoming a PhD candidate
You have several options for pursuing a PhD at the Eindhoven University of Technology. Namely, you can become a PhD candidate with or without employment. Most PhD candidates are employed by TU/e. However, you can also become a PhD candidate by seeking funding yourself. Some PhD candidates work part-time on their PhD. Read on for more information about the admission requirements, the different options to get a PhD, and the support for international candidates.
What requirements do I have to meet?
The most important admission criteria are your scientific qualities: you must be familiar with the theory and methodology of your field of study. In addition, an education requirement applies. You must have a Dutch master's degree (old-style doctoral degree) or a foreign equivalent. Not every foreign preparatory and/or master's program automatically gives you access to a Dutch PhD track. This will be assessed per candidate. Since English is the working language in science, we expect a C1 level from our PhD candidates. Please read the job description(s) carefully for any additional requirements.
Employed by TU/e
Most PhD candidates join the university to complete a PhD program. In that case, you start by applying for an announced and specific PhD position. If you are accepted, you will have the status of an employee during your training. As a PhD candidate, you are a valued member of TU/e’s staff. You will receive a salary and excellent employee benefits. PhD candidates employed by the university spend a minimum of 10% of their time on teaching tasks.
A full-time PhD typically lasts four years. Sometimes you can apply for a PhD-TA (Teaching Assistant) position. In other cases, you may be able to change your contract to a PhD-TA track later. Naturally, in consultation with your supervisor and only if the department can facilitate this. A PhD-TA track takes five years. You can spread this extra year, which is entirely devoted to teaching, over the entire contract period.
Open PhD positions
Are you interested and do you meet the requirements? If so, we look forward to your application!
Follow the link below to discover all available PhD positions, and filter by department for example. You can also find more information about the application process on our working-at website.
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Phd Waardegedreven zorg Oncologische Zorg
PhD-studentElectrical EngineeringBinnen ons topklinisch opleidingsziekenhuis ga jij jouw medische kennis inzetten om zorgprocessen te evalueren en verbeteren, met behulp van data uit de praktijk. Jij werkt in een variëteit van multidisciplinaire teams rondom diverse aandoeningen aan de verbetering van behandelresultaten én de…
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3 PhD’s in metamaterial design and development in the METRAMAT project
PhD-studentMechanical EngineeringAre you interested in working in a research consortium with esteemed partners from both academia and industry? Are you inspired to push the boundaries of design principles in high-end technology applications? Are you fascinated by the potential of metamaterials to outperform conventional materials? …
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PhD on Evolution of, and shifts within, the cybercriminal ecosystem
PhD-studentMathematics and Computer ScienceCybercriminal activities are supported by a vast ecosystem of online communities provisioning the technical and non-technical capabilities needed to generate and deliver cyber-attacks at scale. These communities are historically forum-based, and are known to differ substantially in the type and…
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PhD on Cybercriminal Frontiers of Social Engineering
PhD-studentMathematics and Computer ScienceCyber-attacks targeting human users are on the rise both in sophistication and scale. Social engineering comprises an evolving set of techniques and capabilities that allow attackers to target with increasing precision Internet users at scale. Novel AI-based content generation tools, such as LLMs…
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PhD on Motivation & Performance of Employees Transitioning into Renewable Energy
PhD-studentIndustrial Engineering and Innovation SciencesAre you eager to find out how we can motivate and enable employees to perform well in the renewable energy sector? Do you have a keen interest in understanding the psychological dynamics of employees when they transition from working from on-site mechanics to remote technology? Are you (motivated to…
Without an employment contract
You can also become a PhD candidate without an employment contract at TU/e. In that case, you might have another agreement with TU/e or a third party to follow a PhD program. For example, you could have an employer who supports you financially. Or you receive a scholarship from another organization. You also have the option of not entering into a collaboration with a third party. However, you can sometimes receive material and/or financial support in that case.
If you do a PhD alongside other work, this usually extends your PhD track. Without an employment contract, you have no teaching obligations at TU/e.
Supervisor
Without an employment contract, you are responsible for finding a supervisor yourself. The first step is then to find a professor who is willing to advise you on your project. Depending on the type of research, TU/e may also appoint a supervisor.
Tuition fee
PhD candidates that are not hired by TU/e are required to pay an annual tuition fee. This fee covers educational and operational costs.
Type of PhD not on TU/e payroll (NOP) | Annual tuition fee | Annual tuition fee using expensive technology |
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CSC scholarships | Not applicable | Not applicable; use of expensive technology only after approval |
Scholarships | € 15.000 | € 35.000 |
Externally financed | € 15.000 | € 35.000 |
Externals | € 5.000 | € 25.000 |
Note that the managing director of the department may grant a (partial) waiver of the tuition fee. Possible reasons to grant a waiver can be:
- not working fulltime on the PhD track
- having a small scholarship
- not using the campus facilities or labs