PhD

PhD position at Casimir - how to apply

Each year, over 50 students start their career as a PhD candidate at the Casimir Research School. Over 60% of this group has a non-Dutch nationality.

Casimir Graduate Program

Procedure
The entry level for a PhD program in the Netherlands is a Master of Science degree. Each year, over 150 applications are received for the Casimir Graduate Program. Once every month, a committee of leading scientists of the Casimir Research School select candidates for the vacant PhD positions, based on the applicants' scientific qualifications. The selected candidates are assessed in several rounds, each one more in-depth than the previous one. The best candidates are invited for an interview.

Individual open positions:
The current vacancies are presented under Positions. Open applications are welcomed as well. Students from China with CSC grant are strongly encouraged to apply for the Casimir program by filling in the form in the below. For information on the general procedure for students with a CSC scholarship click here.

Indication of your salary (gross per month, as per 1 July 2022):
PhD year 1: € 2,541.-
PhD year 2: € 2,960.-
PhD year 3: € 3,098.-
PhD year 4: € 3,247.-

PhD in the Netherlands 

The PhD positions we offer are full-time salaried research positions. The normal duration of a PhD position in the Netherlands is four years. Most PhD students will obtain their PhD degree within this time frame. The success rates for the Casimir Research School are high, above 90%. During your PhD research you are expected to take specialized courses and contribute to teaching.

All seminars and colloquiums are given in English, and undergraduate and graduate theses are usually written in English. Getting around in the Netherlands is quite easy if you do not speak Dutch. Nine out of ten Dutch people speak sufficient English for a smooth conversation. Interested in starting your academic career in the Netherlands? Find out more about the Netherlands here.

Required Admissions Materials

• A motivation letter of 1,000 words, in which you express why you are interested in the Casimir program and how carrying out research one of our research fields matches your scientific/research ambitions.
• A copy of the original certificate providing the official TOEFL or IELTS score (academic version) if you are not exempt from proof of English proficiency.
• A copy of your original Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
• If your academic degrees are not in English, French, German or Dutch, please provide a translation into one of these languages.
• A copy of your original transcripts with marks for each year of Bachelor’s and Master’s study.
• A translation of the transcripts into English, French, German or Dutch.
• A copy of your official GRE results (if available).

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