Quality assurance
Research leading to the award of a PhD degree is supported by careful planning of the necessary activities and regular checks that these are both realized and are translated into academic outputs of the quality required for the award of a PhD degree.
At the time of or soon after registration, a graduate student is required a sign a Study Agreement with ITC in which he/she acknowledges that registration is maintained subject to satisfactory progress and is discontinued when progress is deemed, by the senior supervisor, to be unsatisfactory. The completed agreement is sent to the Head of Research.
Within the next few months (sooner for PhD interns, no longer than six months for others) the graduate student and senior supervisor agree a tailor-made training and supervision plan. The completed training and supervision plan is sent to Head of Research. The plan is expected to include attendance at short specialist course aimed at appropriately broadening and deepening the graduate student in the context of his/her research, and to include professional development such as presentations at international scientific conferences, preparation of scientific publications for ISI journals and advising MSc students undertaking related research.
The further study trajectory of graduate students carrying out research leading to the award of PhD degree of a Netherlands university is divided into several research phases. At the end of each phase, performance and progress are assessed according to a research project progress monitoring scheme by an examination committee chaired by the promotor-designate. The promotor-designate reports the result of the examination on the research project progress monitoring scheme and invites the student to acknowledge the result on the same form. The updated research project progress report form is sent to the Head of Research. If the promotor-designate reports that progress is unsatistactory, he may also inform the Head of Research that he is withdrawing his supervision. The Head of Research then discusses the consequences with the graduate student. Subject to satisfactory progress, the final phase culminates in the award of a PhD degree of a Netherlands university.
When registration in the Graduate Programme ends due either to a successful promotion or premature termination of studies due to unsatisfactory progress, the former graduate student is transferred to the alumni register. For a former graduate student residing in the Netherlands on a residence permit, this also signals the end of the validity of the permit; the student must proceed with the exit arrangements and return to his/her home country.