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You have several options for pursuing a PhD at the Eindhoven University of Technology. Namely, you can become a PhD candidate with or without employment. Most PhD candidates are employed by ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø. However, you can also become a PhD candidate by seeking funding yourself. Some PhD candidates work part-time on their PhD. Read on for more information about the admission requirements, the different options to get a PhD, and the support for international candidates.

To be eligible for a PhD at ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø, you typically need:

• Strong academic record and research potential; you must be familiar with the theory and methodology of your field of study
• A Dutch Master’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in a relevant field
  • Not every foreign preparatory and/or master's program automatically gives you access to a Dutch PhD track. This is assessed per candidate.
• English proficiency (at least C1 level)
• A research proposal and agreement from a ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø supervisor (if you do not apply through a vacancy)

Additional requirements may be set in the job description.

There are two main routes to pursue a PhD at ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø: as an employed candidate or as a non-employed candidate. In both cases, you’ll be part of ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø’s Graduate School and benefit from a stimulating research environment.

If you want to become an employed PhD candidate, you apply for a funded position listed on the ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø vacancies page. These positions are tied to specific research projects. If you are accepted, you will sign a contract and have the status of an employee during your trajectory, including a salary and employment benefits under the collective labor agreement. PhD candidates employed by the university usually spend around 10% of their time on teaching tasks. 

PhD trajectories are typically full-time and designed to be completed in four years. However, part-time arrangements may be possible, depending on agreements with your supervisor.

As a non-employed PhD candidate, you must arrange your own funding, for example through a scholarship or company. You’ll need to find a ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø professor willing to supervise your research and submit a research proposal to them. Non-employed candidates are not on ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø payroll and can be required to pay a tuition fee. If you do a PhD alongside other work, this usually extends your PhD trajectory. Without an employment contract, you have no teaching obligations at ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø.

We distinguish three types of non-employed PhD candidates:

• Scholarship PhD candidates
• Externally financed PhD candidates (who receive time and/or money from a company or external party for their PhD trajectory)
• External PhD candidates (who finance their trajectory themselves)

Please note: Eindhoven University of Technology (ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø) only accepts scholarship PhD candidates if their scholarships meet the minimum amount required by the Dutch (IND). For more information, please read the . To discuss alternative options, please contact Margje Geurts at m.j.geurts@tue.nl.

PhD candidates at ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø may be subject to tuition fees, depending on their funding route and department. PhD candidates employed by ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø (hired through a vacancy) do not pay tuition fees and receive a salary as ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø staff. Non-employed candidates, who join ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø with external funding or a scholarship, may be required to pay tuition fees. If expensive technology is needed for the PhD research, a higher fee may apply.

In the calendar year 2026, the fees are as follows:

The tuition fee applies in the period between the start of the PhD trajectory to the date of the defense. The fee is paid annually. Tuition fees are confirmed during the application process by the department’s HR services.

A waiver (an exemption or partial exemption from the annual tuition fee) may be granted by the managing director of the ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø department. The waiver request must be submitted by the (intended) promotor before the start of the hiring process.Possible reasons to grant a waiver can be:

• not working fulltime on the PhD trajectory
• having a small scholarship
• not using the campus facilities or labs
• employed by another university (of applied sciences), UMC, or other scientific institution
• the candidate’s scholarship contract ended
• long-term absence due to illness
• strategic interests

ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø offers a number of PhD-TA (Teaching Assistant) positions. Whereas a standard PhD trajectory takes four years, a PhD-TA takes five years. You can spread this extra year, which is entirely devoted to teaching, over the entire contract period.  Sometimes you can apply for a PhD-TA (Teaching Assistant) position. In other cases, you may be able to change your contract to a PhD-TA track later, in consultation with your supervisor and only if the department can facilitate this.

If you take up a PhD-TA position, ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø offers a dedicated educational program. Teaching is a meaningful and impactful part of academic life, but it also comes with significant responsibility. To help you succeed in this role, ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø offers three professional development pathways to enhance your teaching skills. These pathways range from introductory courses to the full University Teaching Qualification program (UTQ).

The best option for you depends on the scope of your teaching duties and personal development goals:

1. Start to Teach & Start to Supervise These introductory modules offer essential skills for classroom engagement and student supervision.
2. Partial UTQ Certificates These certificates cover key areas of academic instruction and mentoring and are valid at all Dutch universities.
3. Full UTQ Program This comprehensive program leads to formal teaching qualification at the university level which is valid at all Dutch universities.

Please note: Participation in any UTQ program requires meeting specific entry criteria and obtaining approval from your supervisor. Full details are available on the .