Before admission - General information

• The entry qualifications must be in the field of Psychological and / or Education sciences;
• With at least a distinction (14/20);
• For admission on the basis of qualifications from ouside Belgium, the Doctoral Commission must attest to the validation of at least 300 ECTS (equivalent to 5 years of study: Bachelor + Master).

Who is a permanent member of the PSP faculty "accredited" to supervise a doctoral thesis.
This person must agree to supervise your research work and accompany you throughout your doctoral studies, from admission to the thesis defence.
You will find the criteria for authorisation to supervise a doctoral thesis in the Doctoral Regulations.
You will not be able to begin your studies until your research project has been supported by an accredited sponsor.
You can consult the list of research institutes and the research inventory to identify the players in your field of research.

Once you have identified one or other person, it is up to you to contact them:

• IPSY: Psychological Sciences Research Institute
• IACCHOS: Institute for the Analysis of Cha,nge in Contemporary and Historical Societies

The relationship between supervisor and PhD student is crucial to the success of the thesis project.
We strongly recommend that you get to know your supervisor well, so that you can identify his or her supervisory style.
The best thing to do is to discuss mutual expectations from the outset, and to agree together on the frequency of meetings (by planning them) and the arrangements for them, in harmony with each person's schedule.

The completion of a doctoral thesis is a project that will last several years. Before starting your admission process, it is essential that you consider the financing of these years of research work so as to give yourself every chance of completing your project in the best possible conditions. There are many ways of financing these years of doctoral work.It may be an assistant position, a mandate subsidised by the institution (e.g. FSR) or by an external donor (e.g. F.R.S.-FNRS) or even internationally, funding in the context of a research project concluded with a company, income from your current work, etc. Depending on the nature of the tasks required of the doctoral student (e.g. teaching), the requirements of the funder (e.g. intellectual property) or his/her personal situation, the doctoral student will receive a grant or a salary. Your supervisor will be able to help you identify funding opportunities for you.
The Research Administration (ADRE) can also provide information on these possibilities.

Your project should include a working title, a statement of the project's objectives highlighting the innovative aspects in relation to the state of the art, a work plan and an inventory of the human, material and financial resources to be deployed. Your project should enable the Doctoral Commission to assess its scope, feasibility and/or viability.
The Doctoral Commission will try to assess the best conditions for starting and carrying out the planned research work, so that it can be completed and lead to a doctoral thesis in the research area concerned.
You will find all the detailed information in the "Vademecum du doctorant".

Together with the promoter, other people will also help and support you throughout your doctoral studies.
It will be set up in collaboration with and with the help of the promoter.
The Supervisory panel will be made up of :

• The promoter.s and at least two other members (the doctoral rules do not stipulate a maximum);
• At least one member of the Supervisory panel is not a member of the research team to which the promoter.s and the applicant belong;
• All members hold a PhD obtained after defending a thesis, or demonstrate equivalent expertise;
• Permanent academic or scientific members belonging to the PSP faculty or the IPSY or IACCHOS Institutes may not be in a minority on the Supervisory panel.

Supervisory panels guide and advise PhD students, both to reinforce the role of the supervisor.s in shaping the direction of research and to expand the network of academic contacts available to students.
Supervisory panel members must be accessible to students and give constructive help with their research.
They are thus committed to providing students with regular support throughout their doctoral studies.
To this end, promoter.s, Supervisory panels and PhD student must meet at least once a year.

A doctoral degree can be obtained on completion of a doctoral programme with two compulsory components:

• The first, consisting of advanced academic training, worth 60 ECTS, referred to as "doctoral training";
• Research work relating to the preparation of a doctoral thesis, worth at least 120 ECTS.

The scientific training of 60 ECTS at the highest level, known as "doctoral training", is acquired throughout the PhD.
Doctoral training and research cannot be carried out entirely at a distance. They require involvement in the research team, the doctoral school, the institute and the faculty.
If part of the doctoral programme is carried out outside Belgium, this involvement presupposes an appropriate balance between face-to-face and distance learning, a balance to be established in consultation with the supervisory committee. When applying for admission to the doctorate, the timetable will specify the periods of presence in Belgium and abroad, as well as the modes of remote involvement from abroad.

Any application for admission (provisional or definitive) involves the necessary steps with the two competent authorities for doctoral studies, namely:

• The faculty authorities via the Doctoral Commission - in charge of faculty admission to the doctorate.
  Admission to the PhD is possible throughout the year, from January to December.
  The CDD meets every month (except July and August). The deadline for applications is the 10th of each month (midnight).
  Applications must be complete and include all the required appendices.
  Incomplete applications will be postponed until the next meeting.
  Applications submitted on an "emergency" basis, outside the normal procedure, without a valid reason or justification will be postponed until the next meeting;
• The academic authorities via the Enrolment Office - in charge of academic registration for the PhD.
  In parallel to the Doctoral Commission, you will need to register online via the Enrolment Office.
  The PhD student can take this step before the Doctoral Commission makes its decision, as soon as possible.
  The PhD student's file will remain "dormant" until the CDD (Doctoral Commission) has approved the application for admission.
  Once admission has been approved by the CDD (Doctoral Commission), the administrative manager will be able to "take control" of the PhD student's "online" file and confirm that enrolment in the doctoral programme has been authorised.
  In the end, SIC will send the PhD student the official registration certificate.

Both these steps (Doctoral Commission and Enrolment Office) are mandatory.
They should be undertaken in parallel.

Being a doctoral student means wearing several hats at the same time:

• A researcher, for whom doctoral research will be the core business for several years;
• A worker, whose doctorate will constitute a unique professional research experience;
• A student, trained by the best teachers in their discipline.

Hence the need to carry out various administrative procedures with different departments within UCLouvain:

• The HR Administration (ARH)
• The Enrolment Office (SIC)
• Research Administration (ADRE)
• The Doctoral Commission (CDD)
• The Institute (IPSY / IACS / IONS/ etc.)

There is a "network" of researchers/doctoral students within your research institute, which could be useful to activate, as it will facilitate the exchange of information throughout your course.
There are also CorSci representatives within your institute to help you deal with the various problems you may face during your PhD thesis.
Ask your institute/research secretary for more information.