3rd Cycle: PhD

The title of Doctor is awarded after successfully writing and defending a thesis.

The work related to the preparation of the thesis corresponds to at least 180 credits, which are acquired after being awarded 300 credits (i.e. having achieved a Master’s degree). Of the 180 PhD credits, 60 credits must be acquired during a doctoral training course, attested to by a training certificate in research.

The PhD includes:

Writing an original thesis with a personal theory, or an essay demonstrating the interest of a coherent set of publications and achievements of which the candidate is author or co-author.
Publicly presenting the thesis, highlighting its qualities, its originality and its scientific outreach potential.

The PhD Admissions Board (CAD) decides on the PhD candidate’s admission and approves the project proposal related to the thesis. The PhD candidate’s Thesis Advisory Committee (CAC) is put together upon admission. The candidate’s supervisor, the CAC and the candidate agree on a doctoral training programme, which is tailored to the candidate’s profile and which meets the needs of the research project. The supervisor oversees the research involved in the preparation of the thesis, while the CAC provides regular follow-ups. They assess the progress made and may make duly motivated recommendations for the following academic year.

Discover here an indicative list of research topics available in our Faculty

Doctoral Schools

The work related to the preparation of a doctoral thesis begins by obtaining a certificate of training in research (60 credits). This is obtained after the candidate has followed a specific programme and completed the activities proposed by the themed doctoral schools.

The FWEG is an active founding member of the following two doctoral schools:

Doctoral School in Management Sciences ULB-ULG-UMONS : http://www.edtgestion.hec.ulg.ac.be
Doctoral School in Development Studies : http://www.ecole-doctorale-developpement.net