Application and admission

At VU Amsterdam we have two types of PhD candidates: internal and external

Internal PhD candidates

Internal PhD candidates are paid employees of VU Amsterdam and enter into labour agreements with the university. They can apply through our PhD vacancies.

External PhD candidates

External PhD candidates undertake a PhD at VU Amsterdam with foreign funding or a scholarship scheme or are selffunded professionals or students.

The requirements for enrolment as an external PhD are the same as for internal PhDs, but as an external PhD you are not in a labour contract with the university, and you can therefore choose any research topic within VU Amsterdam's entire research field.

money-bill-wave Tuition fees for external PhDs

At VU Amsterdam, PhD candidates pay tuition fees on a yearly basis. The fees are paid directly to the faculty or graduate school. Each faculty/ graduate school defines their own tuition fees based on the training provision, supervision time and access to facilities, space and internet. However, faculties might offer exemptions and tuition fee waivers under certain conditions.

You can inquire in more detail about this once you have received an offer letter confirming that your application has been successful.

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