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Roadmap to a PhD

 

IMPORTANT!

This roadmap is an outline of all the steps you need to take during your PhD. Steps 3-4-7-10 have been divided into two seperate trails, one according to art.8 in the old regulations (dd 6 April 2011) and one according to art.8 in the new regulations of (14 September 2011).

The transition modalities are:

  • All PhD researchers who have started their PhD after 30 September 2011 follow the new regulations (14 Sept. 2011).
  • If you have started your PhD between 1 January 2011 and 1 October 2011, you are recommended to follow the new regulations (14 Sept. 2011), but not required.
  • If you have started your PhD before 1 January 2011 or if you have already submitted the doctoral plan (Cf. the old regulations), you keep on following art.8 of the old regulations (6 April 2011).

 

  • This webpage is an outline of all the steps you need to take during your PhD. If you would like to start a PhD and you have already found a supervisor, please ask your supervisor to start the admission procedure for you.
  • This time schedule applies to PhD researchers with a full-time research contract.
  • When submitting forms for the Arenberg Doctoral School administration, make sure to also PRINT the forms, have them SIGNED and HAND them in at the Faculty Administration: Engineering Science - Bioscience Engineering - Science You can email the ADS forms to the members of your Supervisory Committee and ask them to approve by sending you a confirmation email. Print this email and hand it in at the Faculty Administration together with the ADS form. It is no longer required to collect signatures of all members of the Supervisory Committee! However, your supervisor still needs to SIGN.
  • Look at your personal status and forms for ADSIf you think your status is incorrect, contact the Faculty Administration: Engineering Science - Bioscience Engineering - Science
  • Extension of scholarship or contract: Each time your supervisor requests an extension of your scholarship or contract, the faculty administration will check if you have completed the necessary steps for your PhD (in the roadmap below). If you have not completed all necessary steps, you will need to submit a progress report form and complete the steps as outlined below as soon as possible. Your latest progress report (doctoral plan or presentation of project or time plan or progress report form) may not be older than 12 months.
  • We recommend you to fill in your doctoral training diary throughout your PhD (no need to register courses in your ISP for the doctoral school!!). But the diary should only be handed in at the Faculty Administration when all requirements of the doctoral training programme have been fulfilled (at the end of your doctoral training programme). If you have doubts about the acceptance of a required topic, send a motivated request to the Faculty Doctoral Committee.
  • Doctoral Training Programme: take one of these forms along to the course to be signed by the instructor :
  • When filling out the electronic forms for ADS: scientific notation, mathematical formulas, chemical structures,... are difficult to incorporate in the forms. You can always add printed attachments to the signed paper copy you hand in but please mention these attachments in the electronic form. It is important for the administration to have an electronic trail of each form.
Step When To do
0. Administration in order to start a PhD Before you start the PhD Follow the steps on this page  and also take a look at the PhD toolkit.
1. Enrol at KU Leuven Year 1 After you have received the academic approval from the Faculty Administration and (only for foreigners:) Admission Letter from the International Office
2. Check 'My PhD' in KU Loket and submit short summary Year 1 Two months after your enrollment
  • login with m/s/r-number to KU Loket and check if you see the application 'My PhD' (notify the Faculty Administration if there are problems)
  • check if your name is spelled correctly in KU Loket. Notify he Student Administration Services in case of errors
  • Submit a short summary in the application 'My PhD' (more info ENG  or NL about the application 'My PhD')
3. NEW SYSTEM: Complete/Change Supervisory Committee and submit blueprint of your doctoral training Year 1 As soon as possible within three months of the start of your PhD
  • read the regulations about the Supervisory Committee and the new regulations for doctoral training (during the course of your PhD, you need a total equivalent to 6 ECTS, including minimum 2 ECTS of skills)
  • complete the form: supervisory committee & doctoral training online (press 'submit')
  • print the form
  • have it signed by your supervisor
  • have it signed or approved by email by your assessors
  • hand it in at the Faculty Administration (include approval emails by your assessors and cv of external (co-)supervisors and external assessors)
  • You can change your Supervisory Committee by using this form.
  • You can modify the blueprint of your doctoral training throughout your PhD using this form.
3. OLD SYSTEM: Complete/Change Supervisory Committee Year 1 As soon as possible within three months of the start of your PhD
  • read the regulations about the Supervisory Committee (there are no transition modalities with regard to composition of the SC, everyone is required to follow the new regulations)
  • complete the form: complete/change supervisory committee online (press 'submit')
  • print the form
  • have it signed by your supervisor
  • have it signed or approved by email by your assessors
  • hand it in at the Faculty Administration (include approval emails by your assessors and cv of external (co-)supervisors and external assessors)
4. NEW SYSTEM: First oral presentation to Supervisory Committee Year 1 Within 9 months of the start of your PhD
  • organize a meeting in consultation with your supervisor and the members of your Supervisory Committee
  • give a presentation including:
    • a report of activities already performed (courses, literature, experiments, observations, projects)
    • a detailed research plan
    • current status of contribution to bachelor and master education
    • current status of the doctoral training courses to be followed
  • have your Supervisory Committee write a short report about the presentation.
  • hand it in at the Faculty Administration
  • The Faculty Doctoral Committee will make a go/nogo-evaluation within 12 months of the start of your PhD
4. OLD SYSTEM: Submit doctoral plan Year 1 Within 9 months of the start of your PhD
  • complete the doctoral plan online (press 'submit')
  • print the form
  • have it signed by your supervisor
  • have it signed or approved by email by your supervisory committee
  • hand the form and the approval emails in at the Faculty Administration
5. Follow doctoral training Year 1 Throughout your PhD
  • Follow doctoral training (in the new system your formal doctoral training throughout your PhD needs to add up to an equivalent of 6 ECTS, including minimum 2 ECTS of skills. You can modify the blueprint of your doctoral training using this form.)
  • We strongly recommend to complete the elements of the doctoral training as early in your PhD as possible. Be sure to fill out your doctoral training diary (old system or new system) throughout your PhD (but only print and hand in the diary after you have completed all elements).
6. Re-enrol at KU Leuven Year 2 Each year after invitation by e-mail on your student account
7. NEW SYSTEM: Submit written report Year 2 Within 21 months of the start of your PhD
  • Submit a written report including:
    • current status of the research: results already obtained and planned activities
    • presentation of the research results in articles or on meetins/congresses
    • current status of the doctoral training: courses already followed and still to be followed
    • general time schedule
  • forward the form to the members of your assessors for approval
  • print the form, sign it, have it signed by your supervisor and hand in the report and approval emails by your assessors to the Faculty Administration
7. OLD SYSTEM: present doctoral project to Supervisory Committee Year 2 Within 21 months of the start of your PhD
  • organize a meeting in consultation with your supervisor and the members of the Supervisory Committee
  • submit the doctoral project online (html-version or rtf/word)(press 'submit')
  • print the form and take it with you to the presentation
  • your supervisor and Supervisory Committee will write a short report on the form and sign it. Check if the outcome (positive/negative) is indicated.
  • sign the report yourself also
  • hand in the report to the Faculty Administration
8. Follow doctoral training Year 2 Throughout your PhD
  • Follow doctoral training (In the new system your doctoral training throughout your PhD needs to add up to an equivalent of 6 ECTS, including minimum 2 ECTS of skills. You can modify the blueprint of your doctoral training using this form.)
  • We strongly recommend to complete the elements of the doctoral training as early in your PhD as possible. Be sure to fill out your doctoral training diary (old system or new system) throughout your Phd (but only print and hand in the diary after you have completed all elements).
9. Re-enrol at KU Leuven Year 3 Each year after invitation by e-mail on your student account
10. NEW SYSTEM: Second oral presentation to Supervisory Committee Year 3 Within 36 months of the start of your PhD
  • organize a meeting in consultation with your supervisor and the members of your Supervisory Committee
  • give a presentation including:
    • performed research and doctoral training
    • time schedule for further completion of the PhD
    • writing of articles and PhD manuscript
  • have your Supervisory Committee write a short report about the presentation.
  • hand the report in at the Faculty Administration
10. OLD SYSTEM: Sumit time table for final Phase Year 3 Within 3,5 years of the start of your PhD
  • discuss the final phase with your supervisor
  • submit the final phase online (press 'submit')
  • print the form
  • have it signed by your supervisor
  • have it signed or approved by email by your Supervisory Committee
  • hand in the form at the Faculty Administration
11. Follow doctoral training Year 3 Throughout your PhD
  • Follow doctoral training (In the new system your formal doctoral training throughout your PhD needs to add up to an equivalent of 6 ECTS, including minimum 2 ECTS of skills. You can modify the blueprint of your doctoral training using this form.)
  • We strongly recommend to complete the elements of the doctoral training as early in your PhD as possible. Be sure to fill out your doctoral training diary (old system or new system) throughout your PhD (but only print and hand in the diary after you have completed all elements).
12. Re-enrol at KU Leuven Year 4 Each year after invitation by e-mail on your student account
13. Submit doctoral training diary for completion of doctoral training Year 4 Before you start the final phase of your PhD
14. Compose Examination Committee Year 4 At the latest one month prior to submitting the manuscript
  • read the regulations about the composition of the Examination Committee
  • draw up a proposal in consultation with your supervisor and all the member of your Supervisory Committee
  • submit the proposal for Examination Committee online (press 'submit)
  • print the form
  • have it signed by your supervisor
  • collect emails by members of the Supervisory Committee who wish NOT to be a member of the Examination Committee
  • add CV's of external members
  • hand in proposal and CV's at the Faculty Administration
15. Submit manuscript Year 4 At the earliest 2 weeks after the Examination Committee has been approved and 4-8 weeks before the preliminary defence
16. Preliminary defence Year 4 4-8 weeks after submitting the manuscript
  • set a date for the preliminary defence in consultation with your supervisor and Examination Committee (Between 11 July and 15 August and during Christmas break no preliminary doctoral defences can take place. Also, this period is not taken into account with regard to the administrative preparation. Contact the Faculty Administration: Engineering Science - Bioscience Engineering - Sciences if you have questions about defending during the summer vacation.)
  • Engineering Science and Science: contact your department to book a room or follow the instructions to book a room (contact Krista Dupont) and inform the Faculty Administration about the date, time and location
  • Bioscience Eng: inform the Faculty Student Administration about the date and time. They will book a room and send the invitation letter to the Examination Committee
  • fill out title, language and date online (press 'submit')
  • print the form and take it along to the defence
  • have the Examination Committee sign the form
  • hand it in at the Faculty Administration
17. Request legal deposit number (mandatory for everyone) and ISBN number (not mandatory in Bioscience Engineering) Year 4 At least 4 weeks before the public defence
  • send an email to Goedele Jonckheere and include your first name, your last name, the title of your PhD thesis, estimated number of pages in latin numerals (i, ii etc.), estimated number of pages in arabic numerals (1-2-3 etc.), illustrations (yes/no), name of your Faculty and of your Department and date of public defence.
  • The legal deposit number and the ISBNnumber will need to be included in the printed version of the thesis (UDC number is not longer required).
18. Fill out Copyright Form  Year 4 before the public defence
19. Receive approval of your manuscript Year 4 
  • After the Examination Committee has approved your manuscript, you will receive an email from the Faculty Administration confirming your permission to defend your PhD inpublic.
20. Mail the title of your PhD Year 4 At least 2 weeks before the public defence
  • Send an e-mail to the Faculty Administration, mentioning:
    • the exact title of the thesis (in Dutch and in English)
    •  in which language your public defence will be 
21. Submit final manuscript Year 4 At least 2 weeks before the public defence
  • read the regulations about the format of the PhD thesis  and the formal guidelines for a PhD thesis
  • submit final manuscript to the members of the Examination Committee
  • hand in sufficient copies of the final manuscript (Bioscience Eng: 5 copies - Engineering Science: 4 copies - Science: 3 copies) at the Faculty Administration. If your thesis may not be made public (if it is under embargo), please add this in a note to each copy.

22. Digital archiving and summary

 Year 4 After approval of your manuscript by the Examination Committee; before the public defence
  • login to 'My PhD in KU Loket and follow the instructions (the instructions in Dutch) to upload the summary of your PhD research.
  • login to 'My PhD in KU Loket and follow the instructions  (instructions in Dutch) to archive your PhD thesis (in case of problems contact Lirias Helpdesk) The button to archive your PhD thesis will be visible AFTER you have permission to defend (not earlier).
  • Also check your name and the title and language of your PhD in KU Loket and inform the Faculty Administration if it is incorrect.
23. Enrol for public defence at KU Leuven Year 4 After you have received an invitation by e-mail from the Faculty Administration on your student account (and at least 3 weeks before your defence)
24. Make a room reservation for your public defence  Year 4 at least two weeks before your public defence
  • set a date for the public defence in consultation with your supervisor and Examination Committee (Between 11 July and 15 August and during Christmas break no public doctoral defence can take place. Also, this period is not taken into account with regard to the administrative preparation. Contact the Faculty Administration: Engineering Science - Bioscience Engineering - Sciences if you have questions about defending during the summer vacation.)
  • Engineering Science and Science: follow the instructions to book a room (contact Krista Dupont) and inform the Faculty Administration about the date, time and location
  • Bioscience Eng.: inform the Faculty Student Administration about the date and time. They will book a room and send the invitation letter to the Examination Committee
25. Check the announcement of your defence on KU Leuven website Year 4 approx. two weeks before your defence
  • Your PhD defence will be announced on KU Leuven website, but only after
    • you have emailed the final title of your PhD to the faculty
    • you have emailed the date, time and location of your defence to the faculty
    • you have uploaded the summaries of your defence in KU Loket
    • you have digitally archived your PhD in Lirias
  • If there are mistakes or if there is information missing in the announcement, contact the faculty administration.
26. Other preparations for public defence Year 4 at least two weeks before your public defence
  • take care of the practical arrangements (catering for reception, invitations, signposts (mail to Bart Schollen AND to evenementen@tech.kuleuven.be at least 2 weeks before your defence and mention how many signpost you want, where & when they need to be placed and which text you want on the signs. Important: this service is not free!), etc).
  • make a reservation for gowns for Examination Committee by sending an email to protocol@kuleuven.be mentioning location, date and time of your defence, names of the members of your Exam. Comm. and the faculty they belong to and number of gowns requested. Faculty of Engineering Science: send an email to Veronique Cortens to make a reservation of max. 10 gowns (defences in the Arenberg Castle have priority for these gowns) and pick them up in the castle room 00.63.
  • For reimbursement of costs, check out question 2 in the FAQ.
 27. Diploma Year 4 After you have received an invitation by email from the Faculty Administration
  • pick up your diploma at the Faculty Administration

 

Do you have any questions about this roadmap, contact Leen Cuypers.