How to become a PhD candidate
To become a PhD candidate you can apply to a specific PhD position that can be found on our vacancy website.
If you can't find vacancies fitting your research interest, please consider sending an open application to the secretary of the research department of your interest.
Admission requirements
To apply for a PhD position you must:
- Be familiar with the theory and methodology of the research field
- Have a Dutch master’s degree (or a foreign equivalent)
- Be proficient in English
Please read the job description carefully for any additional requirements.
English language requirement
Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that you are able to:
- Communicate and interact well
- Participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses
- Write scientific articles and your dissertation
- Successfully defend your PhD dissertation
Here's the minimum requirement if you want to apply for a PhD or EngD programme at TU Delft:
- IELTS
Overall band score is 7.0 (with scores of at least 6.5 for all sections) - TOEFL
Overall band score is 100 (with scores of at least 21 for all sections)
Note: The TOEFL iBT Home Edition is accepted for the English proficiency, the TOEFL MyBest scores is not accepted.
You do not need to present the test results as part of your application; these results will be requested at a later stage during the selection procedure.
Exemptions from English proficiency test
Native speakers will be exempt from the English test requirement, as well as, in principle, non-native applicants who have obtained an English-taught Master’s degree. If during the selection process it is deemed that the English proficiency of the candidate with an English-taught Master’s degree does not meet the requirements, they may also be asked to do a test.
