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
Prices PhD courses
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.
Cancellation fee
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.
Academic activities & Transferable skills
All PhD candidates with employee statues as well as all contract PhD candidates follow a programme for the full period of appointment that comprises at least:
- 140 hours of academic activities
- 140 hours of activities focusing on transferable skills, including at least one training course on academic integrity
This guideline only applies to the above mentioned PhD candidates admitted to the Graduate School after 21 April 2015.
Recommended division of the transferable skills training over four years:
These courses are obligatory for all PhD’s (internal/contract/external):
- Leiden University PhD Introductory Meeting
- Scientific Conduct for PhDs
- Data Management Plan
One to two more courses, e.g.:
- Data- and Project-Management for PhDs
- Time management and self management for PhDs
- Planning and Managing your PhD project
Four to five courses, e.g.:
- Effective Communication for PhDs
- Academic Writing for PhDs
- Negotiating for PhDs
- Presenting skills for PhDs
- Writing an excellent research grant proposal for PhDs
- Open interview and qualitative data analysis for PhDs
At least one course about future career orientation, e.g.:
- Competences and motives for PhDs
- Job interview skills for PhDs
The PhD candidate has to report in Converis on the exact hours of academic activities and transferable skills courses he/she has followed. 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.