PHD Programme

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Admissions

The Graduate School of Spatial Sciences (GSSS) welcomes applications from highly motivated candidates interested in pursuing a PhD at our faculty. All prospective PhD candidates should meet a high academic standard. We expect candidates to have earned above-average grades in their Master's or MPhil degrees, with a GPA typically above 7.0 on a 10-point scale. We offer two main pathways for admission.

A selection of applicants will be invited for one or more interviews with an assessment committee, which will then select the most suitable candidate for the position.

2. Self-funded or externally funded PhD application

If you have secured your own funding or an external scholarship, you can apply directly for admission to the Graduate School. This is also the pathway for candidates who have secured funding from their home country or an international scholarship program.

An admissions committee, composed of the GSSS director and representatives from the Urban and Regional Studies Institute (URSI), will review your application. To be considered, you must follow the application checklist below.

Application Checklist

To apply, please send the following documents to: . Only complete applications will be considered. Please note that the assessment process of your application might take up to four weeks and that, if a visa is needed, a visa procedure might take about three months.

Component

Explanation

Check?

Copy of ID

Copy of a valid ID card or passport.

Yes/No

Copies of certificates and transcripts

Legalized copies of your university degree certificates and transcripts of records for both Bachelor's and Master's degrees.

Yes/No

Curriculum Vitae

CV: information about your background, education, work experience, etc.

Yes/No

Research proposal

A detailed research proposal outlining the study's background, research questions, preliminary methods, and a timeline. Please follow this format

Yes/No

Motivational letter

A letter detailing your motivation for applying to the University of Groningen/Faculty of Spatial Sciences, your chosen research topic, and any relevant experience living and working abroad.

Yes/No

Referees

Please provide contact details for three referees.

Yes/No

Proof of funding

PhD candidates with a scholarship: a copy of your scholarship award letter as soon as you receive it. This is the ONLY document that may be sent at a later stage.

PhD candidates with other external funding: evidence/statement that sufficient funding is available to complete the research project within a realistic timeframe.

Yes/No

IELTS or

TOEFL iBT

test report

IELTS or TOEFL test results.

IELTS requires a minimum overall score of 7.0 and at least 6.5 in each component.

TOEFL requires a minimum overall score of 94-95 (Internet-based) or 587 (paper-based), with minimum section scores of 21 or 550 respectively.

Native English speakers and Dutch candidates with a VWO certificate are exempt.

Brief report of online or

in-person meeting

Report on meeting with the intended supervisor. All applicants must have at least one meeting, either online or in-person, with their intended supervisor(s). This meeting will cover the research proposal, the candidate's qualifications and the PhD programme.