phd religious studies netherlands

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Religious Studies

Doing a Phd

If you have completed your Master's programme, and you are enthusiastic about doing research in your field, then maybe doing a Doctorate (PhD) might be something for you. A Doctor’s degree is the highest academic degree awarded by a Dutch university. You start as 'assistant in training' (aio) or 'researcher in training' (oio).

At Utrecht University

At Utrecht University you take part in education in one of the Graduate Schools and often also teach students. During the four-year PhD programme you work under the guidance of a professor on creating a research project that results in a dissertation or a series of articles in scientific journals. You can search for positions on research projects on offer or a position whereby you are free to submit your own research proposal. Read more on doing a PhD at Utrecht University. 

Other options

The best way to find a PhD position is through networking with the professor in the field you wish to specialize. Another option is to search via www.academictransfer.nl . Here you can also find more information on doing PhD research in the Netherlands. 

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Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

Interdisciplinary and socially engaged teaching and research

The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies plays an active role in several university-wide, national, and international research and educational consortiums — in addition to housing the university's Ethics Institute . Our researchers study a broad range of subjects: from philosophy to Christianity, Islam and other religious and secular traditions.

The strong research focus, together with extensive engagement with other disciplines and with the wider society, is further reflected in the high quality of the educational programmes offered by the department.

Call for Papers: Migration and Societal Change Conference June 2025

Open Cities Monthly Research-in-Progress seminars

Nahum: A Trauma for a Trauma

Reading circle: multispecies cities – an unearthed x open cities collaboration.

Filosofisch Café with Marcel Verweij: Mandatory vaccination?

Conference: Reason and religion in Iran 1925-2025

Affiliated with.

• Institutions for Open Societies
• Futures of Democracy
• Migration and Societal Change
• History and Philosophy of Science
• School of Liberal Arts
• Centre for Digital Humanities
• Descartes Centre
• Faculty of Humanities

What can we do for you?

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Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)30 253 35 50

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Leiden Institute for Area Studies (LIAS)

PhD research

LIAS staff has a strong track record in supervising internationally competitive PhD research in Asian studies, Middle Eastern studies, and the study of religion. Our graduates go on to work in a range of professional fields, academic and other. This page provides information for prospective and current PhD candidates whose supervisors are affiliated with LIAS.

LIAS accepts new PhD applications for enrollment yearly on 1st September. The deadline for submitting your application is 1st February of that same year. 

General information Admission Supervision The project Coursework Support Beyond the PhD Events Calendar

General information

The PhD degree signifies the ability to contribute to the advancement of knowledge by conducting independent, original research. PhD research is the lifeblood of the academy. Writing a dissertation is a formative experience that enables sustained, source- and fieldwork-intensive research, and the development of an academic habitus. It affords the space to explore the academic landscape in terms of disciplines, themes, places in the world, and theoretical and methodological perspectives; and to build expertise, skills, and networks for academic and other research-related careers.

In the Graduate School of Humanities, the PhD trajectory nominally requires four years of fulltime commitment. The degree is awarded in Humanities, on the authority of the Doctorate Board, in accordance with the University’s PhD regulations .

Candidate categories, funding, and fees

In terms of legal status, PhD candidates in the Netherlands include self-funded candidates, scholarship candidates, and employees.

Employee positions are salaried,  and usually funded by NWO and EU project grants and filled through international recruitment.

Scholarship  candidates bring full scholarships from funding sources outside the University (examples in LIAS include the governments of China, Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan, and the EU; and dedicated foundations).

Self-funded  candidates primarily rely on private resources.

From 1 September 2020 LIAS charges a yearly EUR 450 administrative fee for PhD candidates.  For PhD candidates who register on or as of 1 September 2024 this fee will change to EUR 400 for self-funded PhD candidates and EUR 2800 for scholarship PhD candidates. As of 1 September 2026 all LIAS  self-funded and scholarship PhD candidates will be charged this annual fee, depending on their situation this will be the low or high tariff.

Some general information on scholarships for PhD research at Leiden University is found here . This page mostly lists grant schemes for which Leiden University is structurally involved in the assessment process, and prospective candidates are encouraged to explore other funding sources. International, community-maintained websites listing PhD scholarships come and go, and vary a great deal in orientation and coverage. Some are focused on humanities and/or social sciences and filterable for destination countries.

For an indication of the cost of living in the Netherlands, see the website here .

Non-resident candidates

Participation in local academic life – attending scholarly events, doing coursework, presenting one’s work, peer learning and so on – offers signifcant added value for professional development, and this presumes the student’s regular physical presence on campus. However, LIAS will consider applications from students planning to do their research while based outside the Netherlands.

Visiting candidates

Students seeking the PhD degree at other institutions who want to spend substantial time at LIAS are welcome to apply for the status of visiting scholar.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is essential to scholarship. Breaches of academic integrity may result in disciplinary action, including expulsion from the University and withholding or nullification of the PhD degree. Fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism (FFP) are well-known examples, but academic integrity is about much more than avoiding FFP. It is about the development of one’s professional habitus as an academic.

PhD candidates must ensure that their work complies with academic integrity standards. All candidates are expected to familiarize themselves with the relevant information , and to attend a Graduate School of Humanities seminar on academic integrity in the first year of their PhD research.

PhD candidates’ participation in local research events will benefit their work, both academically and in social terms. This includes events organized especially for LIAS PhD candidates by the PhD Council and the Graduate Studies Advisor as well as public events held in the University and its partner institutions. See, for example,

• the LIAS home page and its links to other institutions and projects
• Asian Modernities and Traditions
• Global Asia Scholar Series
• Global Interactions
• Leiden University Centre for the Study of Islam and Society .

PhD regulations and protocol

Prospective candidates and supervisors are advised to familiarize themselves with the University’s PhD regulations , the explanation of the relevant procedures , and the forms that need to be filled out at various moments.

Any queries may be addressed to the LIAS secretariat .

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Netherlands School for Advanced Studies in Theology and Religion

About noster, latest news, noster writing retreat 2024, noster conference travel grants, noster meeting on research funding, 4 october 2024, read more about noster.

Faculty of Religion and Theology

That is why our scientists from different academic disciplines and religious backgrounds research the sources, history, beliefs and contemporary practices of religious traditions. FRT is a workplace where academics and students of different religious beliefs come together. From Buddhists to Christians and from Muslims to atheists: we enter into a conversation with each other. Differences and controversies are not avoided but taken seriously in dialogue and debate. This is how we train future leaders: for religious communities, education, care and NGOs.

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Study at the Faculty of Religion and Theology

Study at FRT and be part of a melting pot of nationalities and religious backgrounds. 

Choose religious and social themes at FRT and you will be better able to understand the basic principles of religions and theology. You will then be able to play a role in debates on the subject.

Watch the video to learn more about the Faculty of Religion and Theology.

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More about the Faculty of Religion and Theology

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Studying at VU Amsterdam

More than just thinking.

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[email protected] Main building of Vrije Universiteit, room 2E-05.

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Do you want to know more about our courses or professional advise for your organisation? Contact VU Expertisecentrum voor Religie en Samenleving:

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