Step-by-step approach for PhD candidates who wish to obtain a doctorate in the Faculty of Medicine, and general information on the UvA Doctorate Regulations.
Doctorate regulations
The Office of Doctorate Affairs (called in Dutch Bureau Promotiezaken) processes all formalities concerning the doctorate (PhD) as stipulated in the Doctorate Regulations 2014 of the University of Amsterdam (Promotiereglement 2014 van de Universiteit van Amsterdam). The UvA doctorate regulations and the various forms can be found either in Dutch or in English on the following University websites:
www.uva.nl/doctorateregulations
Also, at the AMC the Further Regulations of the Faculty of Medicine (Aanvullende bepalingen van de Faculteit der Geneeskunde’) apply.
More information about the obligatory portfolio can be found here.
Step-by-step approach to the PhD thesis defense
The step-by-step approach described below is provided for PhD candidates who wish to obtain a doctorate in the Faculty of Medicine. It combines the doctorate regulations set by the University of Amsterdam and the additional ones set by the Faculty of Medicine.
More detailed hand-outs are available in English and Dutch.
An AMC PhD planner is available to help identifying all relevant deadlines.
REQUEST FOR EXEMPTION FROM THE LEGAL EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
This step is only necessary for candidates who do not meet the Dutch educational requirements for admission to the doctoral programme, that is for those PhD candidates who do not have a Dutch Master’s degree certificate or initial university degree. The requested form in English or Dutch should be submitted to Bureau Promotiezaken together with:
- certified copies of all academic degree certificates
- certified copies of associated lists of marks or course overviews
- certified copies of translations if documents under 1. and 2. are in a language other than Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish or Italian; translations must be accompanied by original certificates
- a legally permitted and valid identity document
- curriculum vitae
REQUEST FOR ADMISSION TO THE DOCTORAL PROGRAMME
The form ‘Request for admission to the doctoral program’ (in English or Dutch) should be filled in completely and signed by promotor(es) and (co)promotores with original signatures. If the copromotores do not hold a full or associate professorship, a motivation to nominate an expert with doctorate as co-promotor should be given on the reverse side of the form. Under strictly specified conditions, an associate professor (UHD) may obtain the right to act as promotor, to the decision of the Dean.
Do not forget to fill in the issue date of the Master’s degree, (or the date and number of the exemption decision), and the appointment end date or retirement date of the promotor(es), if applicable. The requested form in English or Dutch should be submitted (in person) to Bureau Promotiezaken together with:
- a legally permitted and valid identity document (passport or ID card; driver's license is not allowed)
- original Dutch Master’s degree certificate or initial university degree (doctoraal diploma)
PROPOSAL FOR COMPOSITION OF THE DOCTORATE COMMITTEE
Requirements for the voting members of the doctorate committee (promotores and copromotores have no voting right) are:
- at least 5 but no more than 7 members
- >50% should be professors
- ≥50% should be from the University of Amsterdam
- ≥1 professor should be from the University of Amsterdam
- ≥1 professor should be from outside the University of Amsterdam.
Experts with a doctorate who do not hold the title of professor or university lecturer, can be nominated as voting member. Please note: The decision of the Doctorate Board on the composition of the doctorate committee is valid for one year. After that period, a new proposal has to be submitted.
A provisional date of the public defense ceremony of the PhD thesis can be requested at the Beadle Office once the formal decision of the Doctorate Board of the University of Amsterdam has been received on the composition of the doctorate committee.
DOCTORAL THESIS ASSESSMENT AND SCREENING FOR PLAGIARISM
After the decision of the Doctorate Board on the composition of the doctorate committee has been received, and after approval of promotor(es) and copromotor(es) of the manuscript, the PhD thesis manuscript should be sent to members of the doctorate committee no later than 16 weeks before the provisional date of the public defense of the PhD thesis.
At the same time, and in the same e-mail, the PhD thesis must be sent to the library of the Academic Medical Center, via cc. to phdscan@amc.nl (no-reply e-mail address), and to Bureau Promotiezaken (promotiezaken@amc.nl). The librarian performs an electronic scan on plagiarism, and sends the outcome to the promotor and to Bureau Promotiezaken within two weeks after receipt of the PhD thesis.
The manuscript must be final and complete, including both a Dutch and English summary. The cover, propositions and acknowledgement are not part of the manuscript to be assessed. After having forwarded the manuscript to the members of the doctorate committee and for screening on plagiarism, changes in the manuscript are not allowed except minor ones (limited to typing errors) (see Step 6 point 3).
Full details are given in the document ‘Procedure for screening on plagiarism of AMC doctoral theses’.
DOCTORAL THESIS APPROVAL AND ADMISSION TO THE DOCTORAL DEFENCE CEREMONY
No later than 6 weeks after receipt of the PhD thesis, the voting members of the doctorate committee send their judgment to the promotor(es) using the form in Appendix A of the Doctorate Regulations of the University of Amsterdam. If one of the voting members expresses a negative judgment, a meeting is convened. If the voting is in favour of admission to the doctoral defense ceremony, the promotor(es) send all of the following documents to Bureau Promotiezaken, in print, no later than 9 weeks before the provisional date of the public defense of the PhD thesis:.
- Titelpages, front and reverse side both signed by promotor(es)
- The copies of the Doctoral Thesis Assessment forms in Dutch or English,
The form below– ad question 8 (related to specific assessment criteria of the Faculty of Medicine) in Dutch or English
- e-mail with the result of the plagiarism scan received by the promotor received from phdscan@amc.nl
No later than 9 weeks before the provisional date of the public defense, the dean (Prof. J.A. Romijn) or the delegate of the dean for PhD affairs (Prof. W.M. Wiersinga) signs the front and reverse of the title page. The presence of the signatures of the promotor(es) and the dean or his delegate on both sides of the title page serves as ‘Imprimatur’: only with these signatures the PhD candidate is allowed to publish his PhD thesis. Bureau Promotiezaken informs the PhD candidate, the Office of the Beadle and phdscan@amc.nl. The Office of the Beadle converts the provisional date of the public defense into the definitive one.
IMPRIMATUR AND OPPOSITION
- No later than 6 weeks before the date of the public defense the PhD candidate sends the license agreement to the University Library. UvA-DARE offers the possibility to apply an embargo (with a maximum of 2 years) on not yet published chapters and other material of the PhD thesis.
- No later than 4 weeks before the date of the public defense the PhD candidate – if there have been made any changes in the text approved by the doctorate committee or in the layout – resubmits the manuscript. The changes should be restricted to typographical errors. The PhD candidate resubmits the corrected definitive manuscript (printer's proof) with a list of those minor changes to phdscan@amc.nl, with Bureau Promotiezaken and the promotor(es) in cc., mentioning minor changes that have been made. This final version should also contain – if not submitted already at the first time – the cover, ISBN number, lay out, title page corrections, colophon, propositions and acknowledgements. This version of the PhD thesis will then be uploaded by the AMC library to the University Library.
- No later than 4 weeks before the date of the public defense the PhD candidate sends 12 copies of the printed thesis to the Office of the Beadle.
No later than 2 weeks before the public defense the promotor(es) may propose a guest-opponent to Bureau Promotiezaken in case one or more of the opponents (voting members of the doctorate committee) are unable to attend the public defense ceremony.
No later than 2 weeks before the public defense the promotor(es) inform Bureau Promotiezaken about the order of the opposition by the opponents with their titles and teaching commitment and/or expertise.
Frequently Asked Questions regarding PhD graduation
This large number of doctorates calls for a well-organized planning and meticulous preparation of each step towards graduation. The AMC Office of Doctorate Affairs facilitates all procedures.
The AMC Office of Doctorate Affairs (E2-176) processes all formalities concerning the doctorate at the UvA. The AMC procedures may deviate from the information on the UvA website, since other UvA faculties have organized the formalities in other ways, although the UvA Doctoral Regulations apply to all faculties.
For AMC PhD's, the information on the AMC website is leading. All steps in the AMC/UvA PhD graduation procedure must go through the AMC Office of Doctorate Affairs.Please note that the UvA deadlines must be extended by a week, due to the extra time the AMC Office of Doctorate Affairs needs to proceed all formalities.
Upon sending the final manuscript to the Doctorate Committee (no later than 16 weeks before the date of the ceremony), you have to send the manuscript, in the same e-mail, in c.c. to phdscan@amc.nl for screening on plagiarism, and to the dean's delegate (promotiezaken@amc.nl).
You have to submit the electronic version of your definitive PhD thesis no later than 4 weeks before the date of the ceremony.After your manuscript has been approved by the Doctorate Committee - if minor changes or changes in layout have been made - you have to send the revised definitive version of your PhD thesis (printer's proof) to phdscan@amc.nl, in order to make sure that digital and paper final versions of your PhD thesis are exactly identical.
No difference between electronic and paper version is acceptable, e.g. in page numbers, title page, propositions. So, if the printer's proof is not identical to the manuscript submitted for plagiarism screening, you have to resubmit. Please mention which minor changes (if any) have been made in this definitive electronic version.
Please note: do not submit the digital version for UvA-DARE yourself; the AMC Medical Library will do that for you.
No later than 6 weeks before the date of the public defense the PhD candidate sends the license agreement to the University Library. UvA-DARE offers the possibility to apply an embargo (with a maximum of 2 years) on not yet published chapters and other material of the PhD thesis.
Yes. The doctoral thesis title page model provided on the UvA pages on Doctoral Regulations (English) or Promotiereglement (Dutch) is a form for completion. Using this form helps avoiding mistakes.
The UvA deadlines must be extended by at least a week, due to the extra time the AMC Office of Doctorate Affairs needs to proceed all formalities. Thus, the deadline for submission of the signed title pages is 9 weeks for AMC PhD candidates, and the deadline for sending the manuscript to the doctoral committee is 17 weeks.AMC and UvA have agreed on the procedure of submission through the AMC Office of Doctorate Affairs (Bureau Promotiezaken) of all relevant forms. This procedure is beneficial for all parties. The proximity of the AMC Office facilitates contact and prevents time consuming communication with the UvA Office of the Doctorate Board. The dean's delegate is available weekly to sign all formal requests, upon a check by the AMC Office on correctness of the forms.