PhD programme application

Review admission requirements and other information on the IHE Delft PhD programme on our website. Only apply if you meet the requirements.

The following documents are required as part of your PhD application to IHE Delft. All documents must be in English. Please send documents as PDFs and make sure they do not exceed 2 MB.

• a motivation letter;
• a detailed Curriculum Vitae;
• originally certified transcripts / marksheets of academic BSc and MSc programmes. If any of these original documents is not in English, we need certified copies in the original language and an official English translation by a sworn translator;
• originally certified diploma / degree / certificate of academic BSc and MSc programmes. If any of these original documents is not in English, we need certified copies in the original language and an official English translation by a sworn translator;
• PhD research proposal (*): a brief outline of the research topic (max 10 pages) outlining the subject you wish to investigate. The topic should be aligned with our research themes;
• an abstract of your MSc thesis (1-2 pages);
• 2 reference letters on official logo paper and signed;
• copy of your passport or other ID;
• If needed, evidence of good oral and writing English skills. Visit our English language requirements to check if you have to submit an English language test score and what the accepted tests and minimum test scores are;

• if you already have a sponsor, please upload the confirmation letter written by this sponsor in English under ‘Proof of funding’.

Upon receipt of your complete online application, we will send your foreign diplomas and transcripts to the Diploma Validation Office of Nuffic (Dutch organisation for the internationalisation of education). If your diplomas are found adequate, we will send your documents to a promotor – an IHE Delft professor - who will consider whether to propose you for academic admission. An online interview session is part of this process. If the professor proposes you for admission, you will be sent an admission letter. If you haven’t yet submitted the results of an English language test your admission letter will be conditional and you will receive an unconditional admission letter once you have submitted the results of an English language test.

* The research outline or proposal must include: 

• Title: a short description of the research you have in mind; 
• Background: ·why do you want to do the research? What is known in literature (provided references) about your topic, and is your intended research unique? This section should also include three quantifiable objectives; 
• Materials and methods: for each objective, indicate the research steps, parameters, measurements and analyses. Be quantitative and concrete.
• Preliminary results: what results do you expect? If possible, show your expected results in a graphical form?
• Preliminary conclusions: what conclusions do you expect to be able to draw from your intended research? 
• References: please indicate on the basis of consulted literature why you believe you are at the point of entering a research niche. 

By submitting this application you agree with the privacy statement below.

The personal details you share with us during the application process, either through the application form or other means, will  be used, if needed, by IHE Delft for the purpose of application, admission, administration, communication, education and keeping our alumni network up-to-date. IHE Delft will process your personal details in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation.  For more information we refer you to the privacy statement of IHE Delft https://www.un-ihe.org/privacy-statement.

The personal details will be shared when needed during these processes with third parties such as partner universities, Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND), Education Executive Agency (DUO), DUWO housing facilities, Municipality etc.  Without your prior consent, no information will be shared with persons, companies or organisations outside the context of the education and the support activities. For further questions please contact our Data Protection Officer at dpo@un-ihe.org.