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ILLC

PhD Programme / ILLC

The Final Year

 

 

 

 

As shown in the timeline above, in the last year of your PhD track there are a lot of administrative (and practical) matters you need to deal with in order to be able to defend your thesis and graduate. All of these procedures are required by the University of Amsterdam and have strict deadlines. You can click on each of the steps on the timeline for more information or just scroll down. Each deadline is clearly stated beneath each header.

personal timeline and tracking page For a personalised to-do list and planning tool.

UvA pages on the Doctoral ProgrammeAmong others for the Doctorate Regulations 2020.

UvA pages on Completing a doctorate

If you have questions or are in doubt about any of these procedures or their deadlines, please do not hesitate to contact the team of ILLC's PhD Programme.

  • Preparing your dissertation

    Deadline: 14 weeks before graduation

    (during the fourth year, deadline: 14 weeks before graduation)

    • Dissertation Style:

      When you start writing your dissertation, you should download the ILLC Dissertation Style, and either use it to format your own dissertation in Latex, or consult it to learn the preferred format for ILLC dissertations. This will allow you to publish your dissertation in the ILLC Dissertation Series (which carries a financial compensation). Furthermore, the Dissertation Style package contains a template for your dissertation formatted according to the requirements of the Doctorate Regulations.

    ILLC Dissertation Style

    • Title page:

      The official title page of your manuscript is provided to you by the Office of the Beadle at a later stage.

    • Propositions:

      There is a tradition in the Netherlands to include a set of propositions with your dissertation. This is a set of statements, some of which may have to do with the subject of your doctorate research, some of which may be about other subjects, and some of which may even be non-academic observations about life in general.

      At some universities, this set of propositions is obligatory. At the University of Amsterdam, it is optional, and is in fact rarely done with PhD graduations in the exact sciences.

      If you want to include a set of propositions with your dissertation, the propositions need to be approved by your promotor. You can include them as part of your dissertation, or on a separate sheet.

      At least 6 of the propositions need to relate to the academic field of your faculty. You can include any number of other propositions, but bear in mind that you may have to defend them during the graduation ceremony, as they are considered to be part of your dissertation.

    • Changes to the manuscript after the approval by the committee:

      While you are working on your dissertation, please realize that you are only allowed to make very few changes after your supervisors approved it and send it to the doctoral committee and the dean of your faculty.
      Which changes are allowed can be found in the document From manuscript to doctoral thesis. This document can be found on the UvA pages on 'Completing a doctorate'.
      It is advised to take a good look at this while finishing up your manuscript.
      Please note that this document hasn't been adjusted to the new Doctorate Regulations 2020 yet. What you can and cannot change in your manuscript after approval by the committee, however, has not changed.

    UvA pages on Completing a doctorate Back to timeline

  • Proposal doctorate committee

    Preferably 9 months, but at the latest six months before planned graduation date

    (preferably 9 months, but at the latest six months before planned graduation date)

    In the first half of your fourth year, but no later than 6 months before your planned graduation date, your promotor should set up your doctorate committee. The requirements regarding the composition of this committee can be found in the Doctorate Regulations 2020.

    Doctorate Regulations 2020

    The form Proposal for composition of the Doctorate Committee  can be found on the UvA page Documents and forms.

    For every member (including your (co)promotors) you should fill in the full titles and initials of all given names (not the full given name).

    You must submit the fully filled in form to ILLC's PhD team. They will make sure the director of the ILLC and the Dean of your faculty sign the form, as required. Important note: if you are employed by the Faculty of Humanities, however, your promotor(es) should submit the form directly to . 

    The decision regarding approval of the composition of your doctorate committee will take between 4 to 6 weeks. If you feel, however, it is taking too long, please contact the contact person for the Doctorate Board at your faculty.

    UvA page Documents and forms

    Faculty contacts

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  • Planning your defense date

    Preferably 9 months, but at the latest six months before planned graduation date

    (preferably 9 months, but at the latest six months before planned graduation date)

    As soon as you receive approval of the composition of your doctorate committee you can reserve a provisional date for your graduation ceremony with the Office of the Beadle. You should check that all members of your committee are available on the date that you select.

    You should make a reservation at least 6 months in advance,  9 months in advance if you want a popular month (such as June or December) or timeslot (such as Friday afternoon), and even earlier if you want both.

    Office of the Beadle

    Once you have a planned defense date, you can enter this date in your personal tracking page, Procedure dates, defense. Once you click 'save' all deadlines are automatically filled in and you can use that to stay on schedule.

    Personal tracking page

    Back to timeline

  • Manuscript to Doctorate Committee

    At the latest 14 weeks before planned graduation date

    (and to the dean of the Faculty)

    (at the latest 14 weeks before planned graduation date)

    If you graduate at the Faculty of Science your main promotor is allowed to request for a one-time plagiarism pre-scan before giving their approval. If they use this opportunity, they should discuss the outcome with you and if necessary with the ILLC director and/or the dean of this faculty.

    When your (co)promotors have approved your manuscript, your main UvA promotor sends a PDF of the manuscript to the members of your doctorate committee, as well as to the Dean of your faculty, with cc to ILLC's PhD team, attaching Appendix A from the Doctorate Regulation 2020. 

    Appendix A from the Doctorate Regulation 2020

    Since this version of your manuscript will be checked for fraud and plagiarism, this must be the final version.
    According to the Doctorate Regulations you are not allowed to make any changes to your thesis after this moment. This version is exactly the version that you will deliver to the printer.

    However, as mentioned above, there are a few exceptions, for example typo's, the ISBN number, the acknowledgements. 

    Which changes are allowed can be found in the document From manuscript to doctoral thesis. This document can be found on the UvA pages on 'Completing a doctorate'.
    It is advised to take a good look at this while finishing up your manuscript.
    Please note that this document hasn't been adjusted to the new Doctorate Regulations 2020 yet. What you can and cannot change in your manuscript after approval by the committee, however, has not changed.

    UvA pages on Completing a doctorate

    To keep to your schedule, you should hand in your manuscript to the committee and the Dean at least 14 weeks before your planned graduation date.

    Back to timeline

  • Contacting your printer

    Between 14 and 8 weeks before the graduation date

    (between the submission to the committee and its approval, resp. 14 and 8 weeks before the graduation date)

    Now your manuscript is with the committee and you're awaiting their approval, you have the time to start looking for a printer.

    The ILLC has an agreement with Ipskamp Drukkers, granting ILLC members a 10% discount on the cost of printing their dissertation. You may have to explicitly remind them of this. Please be aware that in spite of this discount, other printers might still be cheaper.

    Ipskamp Drukkers

    Another option is Hollandridderkerk. You can contact them at .

    With the printer of your choice you can start discussing options for paper and cover, set dates, and apply for the ISBN number. You can even already sign a contract with them. This is especially recommended during holiday periods. Please make sure to explicitely agree with your printer that the printing of your dissertation will not take more than 3 weeks.

    • ISBN number: The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique numeric commercial book identifier.
      Your printer can provide you with such a number. The ISBN is one of the few things that can be added to your manuscript after the approval of your manuscript by your committee.
    • Cover: The ILLC Dissertation style provides a very basic cover, but if you want anything more complex you have to make your own arrangements.

      ILLC Dissertation style

    • Bookmarker slips: Copies of dissertations usually contain bookmarker slips with an invitation to the PhD defense. These bookmarkers are printed simultaneously with the dissertation. A typical bookmarker/invitation would be in the same style as your cover, mention your name and the title of your thesis, and contain an invitation text with date, time and location.
    • Number of copies: How many copies you need depends mostly on how many copies you wish to send to researchers in your field, to family, friends and other interested people. Regardless of the number you need yourself, you need at least 3 copies for the Office of the Beadle and 3 copies for the ILLC. 
       If you are employed at the Faculty of Science, the Dean, the chair of your defense, and the committee members also need to receive a printed copy of the dissertation.
      If you are employed at the Faculty of Humanities, only the Dean and the chair of your defense need to receive a printed copy.
    • ILLC dissertation series number: At this time, you should also submit the dissertation to Marco Vervoort for inclusion in the ILLC Dissertation Series.
    • Please include your name and the title of your dissertation and the planned defense date.
      Marco will provide you with a ILLC dissertation series number. This number is one of the few things that can be added after the approval of your manuscript by your committee.
      Once the dissertation is finalized and sent off to the printers, you should send Marco the ISBN-number and both a Dutch and an English abstract of your dissertation (both in plain text), and (not obligatory but much appreciated) a PDF file of your dissertation for inclusion in our online archives.

    Back to timeline

  • Approval by the Committee

    No later than 6 weeks after submission to the commitee and 8 weeks before planned graduation date

    (no later than 6 weeks after submission to the commitee and 8 weeks before planned graduation date)

    The Doctorate Committee is allowed six weeks to evaluate your thesis. Their approval must be sent, using Appendix A from the Doctorate Regulations 2020, to both the dean of your faculty and your promotor. Your promotor is responsible that this is done in a timely fashion.

    As soon as the committee has decided that you may be admitted to the thesis defense, your promotor should immediately inform the dean of your faculty and you by email, with a cc to ILLC's PhD team.

    Once the approval date is finalized, please fill this information in on Procedure dates on your personal tracking pages and tick the box Actually done.

    Personal tracking pages

    The dean will inform the Office of the Beadle and the Beadle will confirm your defense date and send you the official title page, which you need to check before you add it to your manuscript. You can add this page either by using Acrobat Pro or using the LaTeX package: \usepackage{pdfinclude}.

    If, after two weeks, you did not receive anything from the Beadle, you are advised to contact their office at +31 (0)20 525 2808.

    Beadle's Office

    Please make sure to upload a copy of the title page to Forms and documents on your personal tracking pages.

    Back to timeline

    Preparing the digital final version of your thesis

    (no later than 8 weeks before graduation date)

    • If you do need or want to make some of the allowed changes to your manuscript, like adding the ISBN-number, the ILLC dissertation series number, and the acknoledgements, now is the time. Please make sure to make a complete overview of all the changes you carried out, however small and insignificant.

      Which changes are allowed can be found in the document From manuscript to doctoral thesis. This document can be found on the UvA pages on 'Completing a doctorate'.
      It is advised to take a good look at this while finishing up your manuscript.
      Please note that this document hasn't been adjusted to the new Doctorate Regulations 2020 yet. What you can and cannot change in your manuscript after approval by the committee, however, has not changed.

      This digital final version serves as the printer's proof, so that the digital version and the printed one are exactly the same.

      UvA pages on Completing a doctorate

    • At the latest 6 weeks before the defense date you send the digital proof of the doctoral thesis together with the complete overview of all changes to the dean of your faculty and your supervisors. After approval the dean will send the digital version to the UvA Library.
    • No later than 6 weeks before the defense date you must sign the License Agreement and submit this document to the UvA Library.

      UvA Library

      Back to timeline

  • Printing your dissertation

    8 weeks before graduation date

    (8 weeks before graduation date)

    As soon as the Office of the Beadle has sent you the official title page and thus confirmed graduation date, time and location, you can have your dissertation printed.

    Printing your dissertation may take max. 3 weeks (as agreed with the printer in an earlier stage) to make sure the Office of the Beadle gets your printed copies 4 weeks before your graduation date.

    Important note: Make sure that you are available during the printing process: somehow, regardless of all your preparations, there are always a host of small problems which require your personal attention. Having someone available with computer expertise and experience with the system you use is also highly recommended, as well as noting down any problems that occur and the solution used to solve them (in case the problem recurs). It is an extremely bad idea to go on holidays during this period: in the worst-case scenario, nobody will look at the proofs, and the first, and maybe only, book you write will appear with your name misspelled on the cover (and yes, this has actually happened).

    Note that on older systems, the fonts included in postscript files generated from LaTeX documents can cause problems on high-resolution printers (such as those used by printing shops). To avoid this, take care to have fonts included as scalable (Type-1) fonts instead of bitmapped (Type-3) fonts.

    Back to timeline

  • 3 Printed copies to Beadle

    No later than 4 weeks before graduation date

    (no later than 4 weeks before graduation date)

    You are required to bring or send 3 copies of your dissertation to the Office of the Beadle, where it should be received at the very latest 4 weeks before your graduation date. This means that you must have your dissertation printed by then. If you want to include a set of propositions, you should have the propositions approved by your promotor at this point, and include them with the copies you bring or send to the Office of the Beadle.

    Office of the Beadle

    As written above, at this point also the final digital version and required printed copies of the thesis must be or, preferably, have been sent or brought to your supervisors and the dean of your faculty. 

    • Faculty of Humanities: 2 printed copies in total (for the Dean and the chair of the defense).
    • Faculty of Science: printed copies for the Dean, the chair of the defense and each member of your doctorate committee. 
      Faculty contact person

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  • Preparing for your defense

    the month before your PhD defense

    (the month before your PhD defense)

    Announcing your defense

    You should send announcements of your dissertation and PhD defense to the ILLC News. Note that information you send to the UvA-Agenda is also made available to the general press, and is not under embargo (i.e. agencies are not obliged to wait until a specific date before publicizing the information).

    ILLC News

    Reception and dinner

    Although there is no formal obligation, it is tradition to have a reception after your graduation ceremony, which you should arrange for at this point. An average PhD defense will have 40-60 people in attendance, (including the committee members), who will consume 3-4 drinks (mostly non-alcoholic) and 2-4 snacks (mostly savoury). You can have the reception at the Agnietenkapel or Aula of the University itself. Normally they send you an application form for this automatically. This will cost between 250 and 500 euro. You can of course also arrange for a reception elsewhere.

    In addition, according to the same tradition, you also have a lunch or dinner to which you invite your family and prominent members of your doctorate committee. Arrangements for this and/or any other celebrations are up to you.

    Paranimfs

    It is also part of the tradition to have two persons, called your 'paranimfs', to accompany and support you during the graduation ceremony. Other than this, the paranimfs have some small formal and informal tasks (see below). It is wise to choose your paranimfs at this point, if you haven't done so before.

    Beadle Class

    You are strongly recommended to make an appointment with the Office of the Beadle to attend a so-called 'Beadle class' to get instructions for the actual graduation ceremony, such as where to stand and when to use which formal phrase. Let (one of) your paranimfs accompany you, so he or she can help you out at the ceremony when necessary. Please note that English and Dutch classes are held separately. You may also want to attend someone else's defense if you have never done so before.

    Preparing for the defense

    Of course, during this period you should also prepare for the questions your committee will ask you, in whatever way fits you best. 'To keep a proper frame of mind, you may want to remember that as far as the content of your dissertation is concerned, you are probably the world's only expert' (quoted without permission from one of UvA's former Beadles).

    Back to timeline

  • Defense

    The usual location for the ceremony is the Agnietenkapel. If you expect a large audience it is also possible to book the Aula. This is a general overview of what you can expect during the actual defense and graduation ceremony.

    Agnietenkapel

    Aula

    The paranimfs

    Besides providing moral and practical support, the formal tasks of your paranimfs are threefold:

    • they are responsible for getting you to the ceremony on time;
    • once the committee is seated, they present copies of your dissertation to the members of the committee who didn't bring their copies (make sure to have extra copies);
    • once the ceremony has ended and you leave the room, they stay behind and make sure everybody knows where to go.

    Informally, paranimfs are often in charge of arranging festivities and collecting donations for joint gifts.

    Dress code

    You should dress for the occasion in a formal yet festive fashion. For men, a dress-suit with tail is traditional, but a smoking is not unusual. Women can wear a suit or a gown, as they wish. At both the Agnietenkapel and the Aula a small room is available for you and your paranimfs to change.

    Video and photo's

    A stationary video-camera is available on request to make a recording of the defense. You may, of course, make your own arrangements, but note that the photographer or camera-man is not allowed on the podium itself.

    Explanatory talk

    Starting at the hour, you will have 10-12 minutes before the ceremony in which you can give a short talk for the audience. It is recommended that you avail yourself of this opportunity in order to 'warm up' before the ceremony and get rid of your nerves.

    The actual defense

    The actual defense starts 15 minutes past the hour, when the Beadle and the members of your committee enter the Agnietenkapel or the Aula. As soon as they are seated, the chair of the committee will give you a sign and you can start the ceremony by pronouncing the first of the two formal phrases. These phrases will be provided at the Agnietenkapel or Aula, but they can also be found in the Doctorate Regulations if you would like to practice beforehand.

    Then, for 45 minutes, members of your doctorate committee take turns to ask questions, and you 'defend' your work. Typically you can expect about 5 - 7 questions, two per committee member.

    The proper terms of address are: 'hooggeleerde opponent' / 'highly esteemed opponent' for full professors, and 'zeergeleerde opponent' / 'esteemed opponent' for others. In case of doubt, they can be distinguished by their clothing: only full professors are allowed to wear gowns.

    At the hour, the Beadle will enter the room again, and pronounce the words 'Hora est'. At this point, you are allowed to finish answering the question. Then, at a signal from the chair of the committee, you pronounce the second formal phrase, and the committee retreats to deliberate.

    After approximately 10-15 minutes, the committee returns and confers the doctorate on you. After the formal phrases, your promotor or co-promotor will give a congratulatory speech. You are not supposed to say anything yourself.

    The Beadle will bring you to the reception hall, followed by your immediate family, the doctorate committee and then everybody else, in that order.

    If your reception is being held in the Agnietenkapel or the Aula, you have the space available for 1 hour. Usually people form a line and come up to congratulate you and your immediate family. If you did not arrange for a reception, you and your retinue should leave the building at once to make room for the next graduation ceremony.

    Congratulations! You have your PhD!

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