Information for external PhD candidates

Leiden Law School offers the possibility of becoming an external (non-funded) doctoral candidate. External PhD candidates should have a research proposal that fits within the research carried out in one of the eight research programmes of Leiden Law School.

Application procedure

Applications are submitted through the online application form only and are accepted throughout the year. Decisions on applications are made only in case the form and all required documents are received by the Graduate School.

The full application includes:

online form;
outline (abstract) of the research (max. 400 words);
detailed research plan;
name of possible supervisor (professor) whose research interests and area of specialization fit your research proposal (see here);
CV;
scan of your Master diploma (the equivalent of an LL.M./Master degree obtained in The Netherlands), including list of grades;
at least one published article/chapter relevant to the field of the proposed research;
proven English language proficiency (unless you are a native speaker).

Fees

In most cases, becoming an external PhD candidate at Leiden University does not involve paying a fee. Some departements charge a fee, including the International Institute of Air and Space Law, the Van Vollenhoven Institute and the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies.

Funding

External PhD candidates have to make their own arrangements for the funding of their research and living costs. External funding possibilities can be explored with your supervisor(s). Vacancies at Leiden Law School are advertised here.

Courses and training programmes

External PhD candidates are required, as part of the scientific integrity programme, to follow the online module 'Scientific Integrity'. More information.

Datamanagement

All researchers at Leiden Law School work according to the Leiden University Data Management Regulation. PhD researchers write a data management plan (DMP) during the required Data management Training. More information.