General Format

The Doctoral School in Life Sciences and Medicine organises activities for its PhD students which are structured in a training programme according to a credit system. The general format of the Doctoral Training Programme is as follows:

The Doctoral Training Programme is in principle not compulsory, although individual faculties may decide to make the programme or parts of it compulsory, basing themselves on a suitability check of the prospective PhD student’s personal file (a procedure which is, in fact, already being applied). This means that admission to PhD programmes remains the competence of individual faculties. Any compulsory package of course units that the faculty stipulates will then be made a prerequisite for admission to the final PhD thesis defence procedure. The faculty may stipulate a maximum term for the package of course units to be completed. English will in principle be the language of instruction for the Doctoral Schools and the Doctoral Training Programme.

Programme Structure

The Doctoral Training Programme consists of 60 credits. Each package of course units will be put together on an individual basis which means it will vary from student to student. A package of course units comprises 4 different components:

1. Regular course units from Bachelor’s, Master’s and Advanced Master’s programmes, and specialised course units organised by a Doctoral School, an institution for lifelong learning, etc.
2. Doctoral Seminars organised by a Doctoral School or the Central PhD Office (specialised knowledge or generic skills)
3. Research Activities such as publications and participation in conferences
4. The successful defence of one’s doctoral thesis

All course units offered by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel may in principle be attended free of charge (possible exceptions apply for courses incurring increased tuition fees). Under the strategic alliance which the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University have formed, PhD students from the two institutions may compose their programme selecting course units from both universities. Students may also attend course units and seminars at other institutions provided their promoter and the Director of their Doctoral School have given their permission. For each component a minimum and a maximum number of credits have been determined so as to guarantee a variety of activities within the Doctoral Training Programme.

Credits Doctoral Training Programme

Training Programme

Minimum credits

Maximum credit

1. Regular course units from:

1.1. Bachelor’s, Master’s and Advanced Master’s programmes of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel or of the Ghent University (free of charge, but exceptions apply for courses incurring increased tuition fees) or other institutions

1.2. Specialised course units organised by a Doctoral School of the VUB or Ghent University

1.3. Specialised course units organised by other universities (Belgian or foreign) or by institution for lifelong learning
9

40

2. Doctoral Seminars
(specialised knowledge or generic skills)

9

25
3. Research Activities *

9

40

4. The defence of the doctoral dissertation

3

3

* Component 3 (Research Activities) will be divided in several subcategories per Doctoral School.

 

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Doctoral School of Life Sciences and Medicine • ©2009 • http://www.vub.ac.be/phd/doctoralschools/lsm
VUB • Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy • Laarbeeklaan 103 • B-1090 Brussel, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 477 45 58 • Fax: +32 (0)2 477 45 45 • lsm@vub.ac.be
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