Roadmap to a PhD

Check out the KU Loket tool 'PhD Progress'

Log in to KU Loket (using either your student number or your u-number, both will work) and click on 'research' ('onderzoek') and then on 'PhD Progress' ('doctoraatsopvolging'). This tool gives an overview of the milestones which you need to achieve throughout your PhD. Follow the instructions that go along with each milestone and upload the necessary documents.

How to upload a document (pdf only - max. 7,5MB - title no more than 50 characters)

In case of questions, consult the FAQ or contact the Faculty Administration

Below you can find a general overview of the milestones in a PhD (if you started your PhD before 1 October 2011 in the old system, check here)

Go to the PhD Progress tool in your KULoket for your personal overview and to submit documents with a milestone.

Deadline Milestones
3 months Compose Supervisory Committee
3 months Blueprint doctoral training
3 months Charter of the PhD researcher and the supervisor
9 months First progress presentation
1 year Course research integrity
1 year

Teacher Assistant training for PhDs in Engineering Technology (Industriële Ingenieurswetenschappen) - part 1

18 months

Teacher Assistant training for PhDs in Engineering Science (Ingenieurswetenschappen) and Science (Wetenschappen) 

21 months Mid-term progress presentation (= former mid term report)
36 months

Teacher Assistant training for PhDs in Engineering Technology (Industriële Ingenieurswetenschappen) - part 2

36 months Research integrity advanced 
36 months Final progress presentation (= former second oral presentation)
as soon as you have fulfilled the requirements of the doctoral training Doctoral diary 
every year from 4th year onwards until the public PhD defence Annual progress presentation
the Examination Committee needs to be approved before you submit your manuscript Compose Examination Committee
before the preliminary defence Plagiarism prevention, use of GenAI and ALLEA code of conduct 
4-8 weeks after you have submitted your manuscript to the Examination Committee Preliminary defence
2 weeks before the public defence Submit the practicalities public defence
before your public defence Digital archiving in Lirias
  Public defence (no milestone or documents to submit)

Specific Milestones 

  • If you want to change the composition of your Supervisory Committee, please Contact the Faculty Administration, they will add a special milestone to do this.
  • After your final progress presentation has been approved, there will be a new milestone added automatically: annual progress presentation. If this milestone is approved, there will be a new milestone (for a new progress presentation) automatically added, etc. until you are admitted to the public defence.
  • In case the Faculty Doctoral Committee decided that you need to follow additional course work, you will receive an additional milestone in your PhD file to submit your proposal for the additional course work.
  • In case the Faculty Doctoral Committee decided that you need to improve your English language proficiency, you will have a special milestone for the first oral presentation.
  • In case you have provisional status, you have two additional milestones:
  • Doctoral candidates with predoctoral status do not have the PhD progress tool in KULoket. More information is available on this website.

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