Doctoral training and Doctorate in Political and Social Sciences

Doctoral thesis (180 credits)

The of 180 credits includes research and thesis writing, as well as the private and public thesis defence.

Doctoral training (60 credits)

Political Science Department

The Department offers doctoral training starting from the first year of doctoral studies and ending when the student has earned a research training certificate.

The doctoral training is made up of three elements:

1/. Mandatory attendance of the seminar on political science theory, methodology, and research (10 credits, 24 two-hour sessions, from late October to May, during the first year of the PhD programme)

2/. The writing of an intermediary piece of work (20 credits) at the end of the second year (except in cases of exemption)

3/. Personalised training (various scientific and research activities totalling 30 credits) completed throughout the entire enrolment in the PhD programme. For more information, please read ULB’s PhD regulations.

Social sciences and Labour Studies Department

The content of the doctoral training programme in social sciences is defined by the student’s supervisory committee, and progress is assessed during the committee’s annual meeting.

The training programme may include (among other activities): taking an active part in doctoral schools, study days, workshops, or conferences; writing articles or book chapters; writing research reports; or even validating courses followed while completing the thesis and relevant to the progress made on the thesis.

Doctoral training also contains an intermediary test (20 credits), after the second year of the thesis, during which the candidate must provide evidence of their mastery of their thesis topic and the regular progress of their work.