Frequently Asked Questions
About Registration.....
Who has to register to a PhD program?
All PhD students who have started their PhD after January 1st 2007 have to register to a PhD program. PhD students who started before 01-01-2007, earn their doctoral degree the 'oldfashioned way', outside of the GS-LS.
What is METIS?
Hora Est is the registration system of the Utrecht University. Whitout registration in Hora Est, you can't earn your doctoral degree at the Utrecht University.
What is a TSA?
A TSA is a Training and Supervision Agreement. This is the registration system of the Graduate School of Life Sciences. It is the agreement between the PhD student, his supervisor and the chair of his PhD program. Whitout registration by filling out your TSA, you will not recieve the GS-LS certificate at the end of your PhD.
What is a PhD program?
Whitin the GS-LS there are 14 programs (see this website). Every PhD student has to subscribe to a PhD program. Each program offers (thematic) courses.
Does the student chooses his PhD program himself?
Yes. The PhD students chooses which PhD program fits his reserach subject best (of course in consent with his supervisor).
When do I have to register to a PhD program?
Registration to a PhD program, by filling out your Hora Est (form 1) and your TSA has to be completed within 3 months after starting your PhD.
Where do I sign in to a PhD program?
The PhD program has to be registered at your TSA.
What are the consequences of not registering to a PhD program?
Whitout full registration in Hora Est/ TSA, you can not earn your PhD degree.
Problems with METIS? Forgotten your login?
Logins for Hora Est are the responsibility of the university. Information about requests for logins and problems with Hora Est can be found in the instructions at this website of the Utrecht University.
About Education...
How many ECTS credits do I have to earn during my PhD?
Every student has to obtain 20 ECTS credits in total.
How do I earn ECTS credits?
There are several ways you can obtain your 20 ECTS credits; general courses (at least 4 credits), thematic courses of your own PhD program (at least 8 credits, max. 16 credits), courses of the other PhD programs of the GS-LS and by attending external courses or meetings.
Where can I find an overview of courses?
There are 2 kinds of courses: general courses and thematic courses.
An overview of the general courses can be found at this wesbite.
For an overview of thematic courses, please contact your PhD coordinator.
How do I know how many ECTS credits an external symposium or workshop is worth?
The chairman of your PhD program has to decide how many credits following a course or attending a meeting is worth. In most cases, one credit corresponds to 25-30 hours of work.
Is the PhD student himself responsible for gathering 20 ECTS credits?
Yes, the PhD students is responsible for keeping the accounts.
Do all PhD students have to follow courses?
Yes, in the GS-LS all PhD students are obligated to follow courses, including clinical researchers.
What happens when I don't get 20 ECTS credits?
Whitout 20 ECTS credits, you can't earn your GS-LS certificate.
Do I have to join a PhD program when my research project doesn't fit one?
Yes. All PhD students (including clinical researchers) have to join a PhD program and follow courses. But, because of the wide offering of general courses, including the possibility to participate in courses of other PhD programs, students are not obligated to follow (thematic) courses only within their own PhD program.
During the PhD track...
What is the procedure during my PhD track?
Each year you will have a supervision-meeting with your supervisor to discuss the progress of your research project. The arrangements and conclusions of that meeting will be reported in your TSA. Your supervisor and you sign your TSA. The chair of your PhD program will also sign your TSA every yaer.
What happens at the end of my PhD?
At the end of your PhD track, the TSA must be completed (e.g. 20 ECTS credits and all necessary signatures). Then the chair of the PhD program will signs the complete TSA and the GS-LS certificate can be requested.
Other questions...
What do I do when I earn my PhD in Nursing / Education Sciences?
For PhD students in the field of Nursing Sciences or Education Sciences, there are very little courses that match their PhD subject. These students can earn their PhD degree the old-fashioned way (outside the GS-LS, no GS-LS certificate).
Can I still get a GS-LS certificate when I earned my PhD degree outside the GS-LS?
In some specific cases, it is possible to get a GS-LS certificate whitout participating in the GS-LS. You can discuss this option with your supervisor or coordinator.