Programme

Programme structure

A Graduate School programme foundation year commences each January. The participants develop an extensive research proposal that they submit for approval to the UvH Doctorate Board. Research proposal approval gives admission to the subsequent years of the Graduate School.

Foundation year

In the foundation year participants write a well-founded, academically sound research proposal, which must be practically feasible and socially relevant. Spread over the year, there are four weeks of course work in the foundation phase of the programme, with lectures by UvH staff and guests from other Dutch and international academic institutions. There is also personal, one-to-one tutoring, and peer group learning sessions in which PhD students discuss their ongoing development.

Foundation year programme

Week 1 (end of January):  introduction and orientation
Week 2 (mid April):  epistemological and methodological orientation and grounding
Week 3 (end of June):  perspectives on meanings of lifepreliminary selection of a research supervision team
Week 4 (mid September / October):  perspectives on the concept of humanization, both in the context of Dutch society and in the light of global issues of justice and sustainability
November:  submission and assessment of research proposal

The second, third and fourth years

Research is conducted under supervision in the second and third years of the PhD programme. The participants are given personal feedback on intermediate results, and participate in three weeks of course work that focus on substantive matters and research methodology. PhD students may also participate in one of the four multidisciplinary UvH umbrella research projects, and in addition they will join one of the professorial groups, in which they discuss their draft chapters. The thesis is completed in the fourth (and possibly fifth) year of the programme. There is no course work programme at this stage. Supervision occurs in one of the professorial groups and on an individual basis.