In this section, we have compiled the most frequently asked questions from candidates during the application process. If you have any questions that are not covered here, feel free to reach out to us.
Doctoral trajectory
- What doctoral degree will I receive upon completion of the programme?
Upon successfully completing the programme, you will receive a PhD degree from Maastricht University, as the university officially awards the PhD. While UNU-MERIT is part of the United Nations University network and provides academic guidance and support, the degree itself is granted by Maastricht University. - Is there a list of experts or researchers and their respective research fields that I can consult?
A list of the staff members and research fellows and their research interests is available on the experts' list section of our website. The publications of all staff are available online and freely downloadable, and you can search by staff member to find out if the publications are related to your research interest. - Who can be my supervisor? Can a professor or expert from my home university or country be on my supervision team?
According to the Maastricht University regulations, a supervision team should consist of two to three people. You should have at least one Full or Associate Professor from Maastricht University or UNU-MERIT, who acts as promotor and main supervisor. In addition to your promotor, you can have one or two co-supervisor(s), who should at least hold a PhD, but they do not necessarily need to be Full or Associate professors and can be external to UM. This means it is possible to have members on your supervisory team not working in Maastricht. They need to have a PhD degree from an institution recognized by the Dutch state. Additionally, your primary promoter needs to agree to work with them on the supervisory team. In practice, discussions about your supervision team will take place once you have been admitted to the second year of the programme. - Are there any scholarships offered by UNU-MERIT for the Dual Career Programme?
UNU-MERIT does not offer any scholarships for the Dual Career PhD programme. Candidates are encouraged to seek external funding sources if needed.
Admission requirements
- Does my earned degree fulfil the requirements to apply for the programme?
If for some reason you believe that your MA or MSc is not an accepted degree, please send the pdf documents to our PhD office (phdprogramme@merit.unu.edu). We will verify your eligibility. - What are the English language requirements?
As the website indicates, if you are a native speaker or studied in English for your BA or MA, you do not need a TOEFL or other proof.
If you cannot be exempted from the English proficiency requirement, we need proof of your proficiency in English. We accept TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge English Proficiency and Cambridge English Advanced tests.
The TOEFL code number of Maastricht University is 7102. - My TOEFL has expired, can I still submit it?
An expired copy will do. In case we need an updated one, we will let you know individually after reviewing the documents. - In my country, the next TOEFL exam date is after your application deadline. Can I send the exam results after the deadline?
Yes, you can. In case we select you for the programme, it will be conditional on you passing the English language threshold. - Can I be too young or too old for the programme?
Age is not a hard criterion we consider when selecting Dual Career applicants. - Can I apply if I am self-employed or an independent consultant?
Self-employed candidates or independent consultants can apply to the programme. Instead of an employer support letter, we would like to obtain a description of your company, with 1) its main focus / description, 2) starting date of self-employed/consultancy activities. Independent consultants can be considered self-employed, or employed by various institutions.
Application Procedures
- What are the application deadlines?
The application period for the Dual Career Programme opens on 15 November 2024 and closes on 15 February 2025. All documents must be submitted via the online system within this period. - What are my chances of being accepted in year one?
The selection process is highly competitive as the programme receives many high-quality applications every year. On average for the Dual Career programme over 120 people apply each year, and we tend to select a cohort of up to 15 fellows from them. - What should the research proposal include?
The main objective of asking you to write a research proposal is to get a clear idea of your research interests and background. This will help us find out if we can offer the right supervision for your research project. By giving details on the literature, you plan to contribute to, the research question and the methodological approach you plan to follow, we are in a much better position to assess our supervisory capacity for your topic. Therefore, ideally, the research proposal should include some of the following parts
(1) background to your research topic (relevance, literature to contribute to, gap in knowledge);
(2) research question(s);
(3) theoretical/analytical framework;
(4) methodological approach (eg qualitative/quantitative study; data sources and data collection methods).
Please note that a PhD dissertation can be written as a monograph or a collection of research articles. If you would opt for the latter, you may also readily develop a research proposal reflecting this structure, outlining about three research papers, with a brief description of the research question, theoretical framework, and methodological approach. We are aware that you may not have this fully developed at this stage, and it is indeed part of the first-year programme to develop the proposal in greater detail. However, we encourage you to reflect on your research plans in preparation for your application and share with us your thoughts. - Should I contact a potential supervisor before applying?
It is not necessary nor desirable to contact staff members before submitting your application to explore their willingness to act as a supervisor. Candidates apply based on their own merits. The best approach is to thoroughly explore the institute's agenda and assess if there is a topical alignment with your own research interests. When you submit your application, the PhD selection committee will evaluate its fit with the institute's focus and determine supervisory capacity. Reaching out to staff individually isn't encouraged, as they cannot accommodate personal requests for supervision and cannot support you in preparing your application. - What are the required documents concerning the grades of my Bachelor’s and Master’s?
We need the grades transcript and a document explaining the grading scale (if it is not on your transcript already), as well as a certified copy of the degree. A grades transcript is a document where we can see which courses you followed during your BA and MA, and the scores you obtained. The grading scheme informs us about the grading scales, if your grades were A-B-C, a scale 1-5, 1-10, 1-20 and at what grade you pass/fail. Our academic committee to select candidates and assess their performance uses the last two documents. The degree is a certified copy of the degree from your university. In case you do not have such a copy, your university can offer you one or send one directly to us. We need these documents to ensure access to the PhD programme in Maastricht and we are legally not able to allow you access to the programme unless the Dutch ministry of education approves this certified degree. - I have original copies of my certificates. Will you accept if I make copies and certify them with a notary public for uploading with my application?
For the application, you can just send us regular copies but if you are accepted onto the programme, we will need certified copies. - Can I submit the requested original degrees past the deadline?
We understand that it is sometimes hard to send us originally certified degrees. We need those to be able to formally register you in the programme. Universities will send them directly to us if you request them to send us a certified copy. For the selection process, after the deadline, we will need readable pdf uploaded degrees and grade certificates. For registering you later, we will need the certified documents, but we can process your application if your documents are available in pdf format. How can I encourage my referees and employer to submit reference letters?
The candidate provides two names in the online application, one from their employer and one from a referee. Your suggested referees need to send their reference letter directly to phdprogramme@merit.unu.eduIn case for some reason you cannot (e.g. self employment) or prefer not to obtain a letter of support, please inform the PhD office phdprogramme@merit.unu.edu
- Can I schedule a call to explore if the research interests align with the University and have the University review my CV?
Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to schedule individual calls or review CVs at the application process stage. We do have group consultation hours where you can raise particular questions you may still have. The scheduled hours are indicated on the PhD introductory page. We encourage you to apply directly so that your application can be considered on its own merit.
Practicalities
- Can I have a full-time job while pursuing this PhD?
Yes, of course, the programme is designed for professionals. However, you should ensure that you have the time to attend workshops and progress with your research. - Do I need a visa to attend the workshops in Maastricht?
If you are a non-EU citizen, you will need a short-stay visa to attend the workshops. The PhD office will assist with visa letters upon request. - Can my family join me during the workshops?
Yes, your family can join you in the Netherlands. However, you will need to meet the financial requirements for a family visa. Due to logistical matters, please note that your family member cannot join the workshops organized by the institute.