Submission and defence of your dissertation
You have chosen to do a PhD at Leiden University. The 2021 PhD Regulations, which were established by the Doctoral Board, specify what you must do to earn a PhD. Here you will find out more about the procedures relating to submitting and defending your dissertation and which forms you will require.
Dissertation submission
Once you have received confirmation from the dean that you may defend your dissertation, and have notified the beadle of your intention to do so, you can start reproducing the non-scientific component of your dissertation and the propositions. The beadle must approve the titlepage of the dissertation in good time.
No later than three weeks before the PhD ceremony you are responsible for:
- Handing in two copies of the dissertation with the propositions enclosed on a separate sheet of paper to the beadle’s office. Delivery during office hours or send: Rapenburg 73, 2313 GJ Leiden.
- Providing a number of copies of the dissertation for the Dean.
- Providing copies for all members of the examining committee.
- Providing four copies for the University Library.
- You must also submit an electronic copy of your dissertation for the University repository.
- A licence granting the University non-exclusive permission to publish the dissertation in electronic format for University use. This can be under a temporary embargo. Sign the standard licence agreement for this in form B.
Reimbursement of some of the costs
You may be eligible for the reimbursement of some of the costs. For more information, please contact proefschrift@library.leidenuniv.nl, or call 071 - 527 1525.
Examining committee
In the meantime, your supervisor submits a written proposal to the dean regarding the members of the examining committee. The dean informs you, your supervisor and the beadle of who will sit on the examining committee. You may now defend your dissertation to the examining committee.
Dissertation defence
You defend your dissertation in public to the examining committee. Although your supervisor does not sit on the examining committee, he or she may participate in the opposition.
After the oral defence, the examining committee retires to deliberate. The supervisor attends the deliberations and recommends whether to award the PhD but does not have a say in the deliberations. If the examining committee decides to award the PhD, the supervisor is authorised by the Rector to do so.
It is possible to award the predicate ‘cum laude’ to the PhD. The rules governing this are specified in Article 29 of the PhD Regulations. The procedure is described in the Cum Laude Regulations, which you will find in form D.
Update PhD Regulations
The PhD Regulations have been updated on the 8th of February, 2021. If your dissertation has been approved by your supervisor before this date, the previous Regulations will apply.
Time table dissertation manuscript
| When | Who | What | Status Converis GSM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhD candidate | 15 | The PhD candidate submits the manuscript of the dissertation to the (co-)supervisor for approval. | Start of graduation formalities approved by GSO | |
| As soon as possible after step 15 | Supervisor | 16 | The supervisor reads the manuscript or chapters submitted and may make suggestions for additions and/or alterations after conferring with the PhD candidate and any other persons involved in the PhD track (see Regulations, art. 7.3f). | |
| Idem | PhD candidate | 17 | The PhD candidate incorporates the agreed alterations in the manuscript and submits the manuscript as a whole to the supervisor for approval. | |
| Within six weeks after the PhD candidate submitted the manuscript to the supervisor | Second or co-supervisor | 18 | The second or co-supervisor submits a written summary assessment of the manuscript to the first supervisor. | |
| Idem | Supervisor | 19 | After assessing the scientific content of the submitted manuscript (Regulations, art. 10.2), the supervisor sends the manuscript to the Graduate School Office. | |
| Idem | Graduate School Office (GSO) | 20 | The Graduate School Office offers support to the supervisor by scanning the manuscript via the plagiarism detection tool iThenticate. The outcome is sent via FileSender to the supervisor. The Graduate School Office registers in Converis GSM that the dissertation has been successfully submitted to a plagiarism detector and uploads the report there. | |
| Idem | Supervisor | 21 | The supervisor has to evaluate the outcome of the plagiarism check. | |
| Idem | Dean | 22 | The Dean registers in Converis GSM that the plagiarism check has taken place. | Plagiarism check by dean |
| Idem | Supervisor | 23 | If the supervisor has verified that the manuscript contains no form of plagiarism and that it also in all other respects meets the applicable code of conduct for academic practice, he/she confirms having approved the manuscript in Converis GSM. | Approval of manuscript by supervisor and composition of doctorate committee |
| Idem | GSO | 24 | The Graduate School Office deletes the manuscript which has been sent to the office for scanning after the report on the plagiarism check has been uploaded in LUCRIS GSM. | |
| As soon as possible after step 23 | PhD candidate | 25 | The PhD candidate submits the propositions (conform with the Regulations, art. 12) to the supervisor. |
Time table Doctorate Committee
| When | Who | What | Status LUCRIS GSM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As soon as possible after approval of the manuscript | Supervisor |
26 |
The supervisor submits a proposal for the composition of the Doctorate Committee and the secretary of the committee in Converis GSM. The committee must meet the requirements as stated in Article 20 of the Regulations. | Approval of manuscript by supervisor and composition of doctorate committee |
| Idem | GSO | 27 | The GSO checks the composition of the Doctorate Committee. | |
| Within 3 weeks after approval of the manuscript | Dean | 28 | The Dean approves/rejects the composition of the Doctorate Committee in Converis GSM. The supervisor, the Doctorate Committee’s secretary and the beadle are notified via Converis GSM. | For approval of doctorate committee by dean |
| As soon as the Doctorate Committee is appointed | PhD candidate | 29 | The PhD candidate provides the GSO with a digital version of the manuscript and the e-mail addresses of the members of the Doctorate Committee. | Assessment by doctorate committee |
| As soon as possible after step 29 | GSO | 30 | The GSO sends a digital version of the dissertation for review to the members of the Doctorate Committee, indicating that paper versions are available on request. | |
| Within 6 weeks of receipt of the manuscript | Members Doctorate Committee | 31 | Each member of the Doctorate Committee informs the secretary in writing whether the manuscript meets the requirements set in art. 10.2 of the Regulations and if, in their opinion, the PhD candidate is allowed to defend his/her dissertation (art. 21.1-7 of the Regulations). | |
| Idem |
Doctorate |
32 | The secretary sends all assessments to the members of the Doctorate Committee (incl. the chairman) and to the supervisor. With the permission of all members, he registers the assessment by the Doctorate Committee in Converis GSM and uploads the appraisals of the committee’s members. | Assessment by doctorate committee |
| Idem |
Supervisor/ |
33 |
If applicable, one of the members of the Doctorate Committee or the supervisor starts the procedure (appendix 9) to award the doctorate the predicate ‘cum laude’ (with distinction). The rules relating to the award of a doctorate ‘cum laude’ are set out in Article 29 of the Regulations. The proposal must not be uploaded in Converis GSM before the award of the doctorate. |
Official admission to the public defence
| When | Who | What | Status LUCRIS GSM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As soon as possible after step 32 | Dean | 34 | The Dean determines whether the candidate is allowed to defend his/her dissertation. | For admittance to public defence by Dean |
| Idem | GSO | 35 | The Graduate School Office creates and uploads the appendix 6 letter. The letter needs to be sent to the PhD candidate and the office of the Beadle. | Confirmation letter by GSO |
| Idem | PhD candidate | 36 | The PhD candidate contacts the Beadle to set a date and hour for the public defence (see LUCRIS GSM: The Researchers’ manual 4.1 Register to the Beadle). | Idem |
The dissertation
| When | Who | What | Status LUCRIS GSM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As soon as possible after step 34 | PhD candidate | 37 | The PhD candidate uploads the non-scientific parts of the dissertation and the propositions. | For upload of non-scientific parts and propositions by PhD student |
| Idem | Beadle | 38 | The Beadle may register the chosen defence date. | Idem |
| Idem | GSO | 39 | The GSO checks the non-scientific parts of the dissertation and the propositions. | Non-scientific parts and propositions to be checked by GSO |
| Idem | Supervisor | 40 | The supervisor approves/rejects the propositions. | For approval of propositions by supervisor |
| Idem | Dean | 41 | The Dean approves/rejects the non-scientific parts and the propositions. | For approval of non-scientific parts and propositions by Dean |
| Idem | Beadle | 42 | The Beadle approves/rejects the title page of the dissertation. | Title page to be approved by Beadle. |
| As soon as possible after step 42 | PhD candidate | 43 | The PhD candidate uploads the final version of the dissertation in Converis GSM, downloads the licence agreement there and later uploads the signed version. The digital version of the dissertation will be included in the Institutional Repository of Leiden University. For further information see university website. |
Opposition Committee
| When | Who | What | Status LUCRIS GSM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As soon as possible after step 41 | Supervisor | 44 | The supervisor composes the Opposition Committee. | For composition of Committee by supervisor |
| Idem | GSO | 45 | The GSO checks the composition of the Opposition Committee. | Opposition Committee to be checked by GSO |
| Idem | Dean | 46 | The Dean approves/rejects the composition of the Opposition Committee. | For approval of Opposition Committee by Dean |
| No later than 3 weeks before the public defence | PhD candidate | 47 | The PhD candidate hands in copies of the dissertation for all members of the Opposition Committee to the GSO (none for the chairman but instead one for internal exhibition). Additionally, the PhD candidate hands in 10 copies of the dissertation with the propositions enclosed on a separate sheet of paper to the Beadle’s office and provides 4 copies for the University Library. |
Public defence
| When | Who | What | Status LUCRIS GSM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public defence | PhD candidate/ supervisor/ Opposition Committee | 48 | The PhD candidate defends the dissertation in public in the presence of the Opposition Committee. The Opposition Committee decides on the award of the doctorate (Regulations, art. 26). | Hora est. |
| Idem | Beadle | 49 | The Beadle registers the outcome of the defence. | |
| Idem | - | 50 | The PhD research is formalized. | Formalized |