Courses and training programmes
As a PhD candidate, you invest in your professional and personal development by following an University education and training programme. The courses and trainings will help you to conduct your scientific research, write your dissertation, developing your career and gain self-insight.
Training and supervision plan
With the exception of external PhD candidates, all PhD candidates must follow a training plan that is established at the start of the doctoral process. The plan encompasses the entire doctoral process and consists of at least:
- 140 hours of academic training activities (training in the candidate’s specialism, conference attendance, etc.)
- 140 hours of training activities focusing on transferable skills (such as giving presentations, academic English, time management, career orientation, entrepreneurship), including at least one academic integrity training course.
External PhD candidates must at least take the ‘scientific integrity’ course.
The requirements for your training programme may vary by faculty and your personal situation. The costs are not for your own account. They will be reimbursed for you, as long as you coordinate your participation with your supervisor in advance. External PhD candidates must submit the course proposal to the Scientific Director or the dean before the start of the doctoral process.
For more information, see your faculty tab or view all courses for PhD candidates in our course calendar. For questions about the course offer, you can mail to hrmopleidingen@bb.leidenuniv.nl
Academic activities & Transferable skills
All PhD’s will be enabled to develop their skills during their trajectory. PhD candidate and supervisor must discuss the training that will be followed by the PhD at what point in the trajectory.
For employee PhD candidates and scholarship PhD candidates the training (plan) should comprise of: 140 hours of academic training activities and 140 hours of training activities in the area of transferable skills. For PhD candidates who were admitted to the Graduate School on or after 1 January 2024, successful completion of the agreed training plan is a condition for admission to the PhD defence.
See the overview below for development options in both categories and recommended division over four years:
|
Activity |
Recommended division |
|
Internal activities
|
Not specified |
|
External courses
|
Not specified |
|
Conference visit
|
Not specified |
|
Activity |
Recommended division |
|
GS FGGA: Research data management (mandatory)
|
First year |
|
GS FGGA: Scientific conduct (mandatory)
|
First year |
| GS FGGA: informed consent (recommended) | First year |
| Other workshops and seminars by GS FGGA | Not specified |
| Introductory programme / Career events etc. | First year/Third or fourth year |
| Leiden University PhD introductory meeting | First year |
| Other HR PhD courses |
One or two courses in the first year e.g.:
Four to five courses in the second or third year.
One or two courses in the fourth year
|
| Academic Language Centre | |
| Max 20 hrs. teaching | Third or fourth year |
|
Obtaining BKO
|
Third or fourth year |
For externally funded and external PhD candidates, it should be decided in consultation with the supervisor(s)/co-supervisor(s), whether and, if so, what additional training is needed to enable them to properly carry out their PhD research. If necessary and in consultation with the first supervisor, PhD’s will be given the opportunity to follow two other training courses funded by the faculty/institute, in addition to any compulsory training courses.
External candidates are encouraged to participate to academic activities at their institute such as seminars, workshops, peer-groups, etc.
Mandatory courses
All PhD’s follow three mandatory courses, free of charge:
- Leiden University PhD introductory meeting and 1 out of the 4 thematic meetings PhD introductory programme
- Graduate School FGGA: Research data management course
- Graduate School FGGA: Scientific conduct seminar
Prices
Internal courses are a.o. offered by the Graduate School FGGA (free of charge for all PhDs), see the items on the right hand side, and HRM (free of charge for employee PhD candidates and scholarship PhD candidates).
As of 1 January 2020, the transferable skill courses and career coaching for PhD candidates will be free of charge for employed (those who have access to SAP Self Service) and contract (those who are on a scholarship) PhD candidates at Leiden University and LUMC. In addition, you will no longer need financial permission from your supervisor to sign up. Please note that if you are an external PhD candidate (buitenpromovendus) you will still be charged for courses and will therefore have to provide a SAP number when you register.
Even though the courses will be free of charge for you, some terms and conditions will still apply: if you register for a course, we expect you to attend. If you have signed up for a course but do not show up, or if you cancel within two weeks of the starting date of the course, the HRM department will charge a €100 cancellation fee. If you need to cancel your course participation, you should do so by sending an e-mail to the HRM-department.
Please visit the staff web page for all research courses.
All PhD candidates has to report in Converis on the exact hours of academic activities and transferable skills courses he/she has followed. Courses can only be uploaded after the TSP was uploaded. Transferable skills courses offered by HRM are automatically registered in Converis. Therefore, these courses don’t have to be added by the researcher him-/herself. For other course see instructions below:
PhD training activities overview and administration
Academic training activities
| What | Certificate / norms hours spent | Registration |
|---|---|---|
|
Internal activities
|
On certificate by institute | PhD uploads certificate to LUCRIS GSM |
|
External courses
|
On certificate by host organisation | PhD uploads certificate to LUCRIS GSM |
| Conference visit | Visit, paper, presentation = 10 hrs. | PhD uploads proof (programme) to LUCRIS GSM |
| What | Certificate / norms hours spent | Registration |
|---|---|---|
|
GS FGGA: Research data management (mandatory) |
20 hrs. Certificates will be sent by the GS FGGA based on full attendance. | PhD uploads certificate to LUCRIS GSM |
|
GS FGGA: Scientific conduct (mandatory) |
15 hrs. Certificates will be sent by the GS FGGA based on full attendance. | PhD uploads certificate to LUCRIS GSM |
| GS FGGA: informed consent (recommended) | 1,5hrs. Certificates will be sent by the GS FGGA based on full attendance. | PhD uploads certificate to LUCRIS GSM |
|
Other workshops and seminars by GS FGGA |
Certificates will be sent by the GS FGGA based on full attendance. | PhD uploads certificate to LUCRIS GSM |
|
Introductory programme/Career events etc. |
Certificates will be sent by the GS FGGA based on full attendance. | PhD uploads certificate to LUCRIS GSM |
|
Leiden University PhD introductory E- learning (mandatory) |
5 hrs. At least 1 out of the 4 thematic meetings PhD introductory programme is mandatory | Will be directly registered in LUCRIS GSM |
| Other HR courses | Other courses | Will be directly registered in LUCRIS GSM |
|
Academic Language Centre |
ATC will provide certificate | PhD uploads certificate to LUCRIS GSM |
| 20 hrs. teaching | By proof via mail from Programme Director | PhD uploads proof to LUCRIS GSM |
| Obtaining BKO | Time per module (assignments and session) based on certificates LLInC + portfolio writing 12 hrs. based on BKO request. | PHD uploads certificate/proof to LUCRIS GSM |