Scholarship PhD

Being an international PhD scholarship student means you do not have an employment contract with the university. You write your dissertation in your own time and under the supervision of a professor. A dissertation can consist of a monograph, but you can also write a dissertation based on academic publications.

If you're planning to apply for a scholarship or have already received one, you can submit your application year-round. Some of the common scholarships available in our faculty include Turkish, Indonesian, and Chinese scholarships. To begin the application process, please provide the required documents listed below. We will proceed with your application once we have received all necessary documents.

CSC Candidates

If you are a Chinese candidate who is admitted and you plan to finance your studies privately, you will receive a letter confirming your acceptance as an external PhD candidate. Please note that this letter is not intended to support an application for a CSC grant (either through the collaborative or individual channel). While applying for a CSC grant at a later stage is possible, it is not officially guaranteed. Please keep this in mind.

Tuition fee

We charge tuition to  PhD scholarship students for the duration of their scholarship (usually 4 years). The standard tuition fee may vary depending on the scholarship. For more information, please contact the Graduate School: ggsl rug.nl.

Documents for your application

1. an up-to-date CV: Alongside information about your educational background, research and publications, your CV should contain full personal details: your full name, postal address and your date and place of birth.
2. a cover letter: You must submit a letter of motivation in which you outline why you wish to undertake research within the GSL. In such a letter, you should attempt to answer the questions of how the PhD study fits into your career plans, and why Groningen is the right place for you to conduct this research.
3. a research proposal with a maximum of 4 pages containing the following elements: introduction of the central research question, relevance of literature, methodology, plan of approach + planning, and the integration of the research in the Faculty's research programmes. You can use the research proposal form for this purpose.
4. a (certified) copy of your diploma(s):
   • A (certified) copy of your diploma(s) or degree certificate(s): If they are not in Dutch or English, please provide an English translation. If you have not yet completed your Master’s degree, please send a statement of expected date of graduation signed by your Faculty.
   • A (certified) copy of your transcripts (list of grades): If they are not in English, Dutch, French, or German, please also provide a certified translation in one of those four languages. If you have not yet completed your Master’s educational programme, please send temporary transcripts showing the grades you have received to date. In that case, please also send us a list of courses that are not on the temporary transcripts but that you will have to take to complete your programme.

You may send us scanned copies to be included in your formal application. However, we may ask for paper versions to be sent.

5. Proof of English language proficiency: see our requirements for a certified English Language test.
6. A statement of the academic funding agency, if any - i.e. what sort of scholarship do you hold? How long does it last? Which national or international body provides it?
7. Academic referees: Please include letters of recommendation from two academic referees, as well as the referees' names and (email-)addresses.
8. A copy of your identity document (ID)

You can address your application to the Director of the GGSL, Prof. Dr A. Tollenaar and send it to: ggsl rug.nl, the address of the Graduate School of Law.