Current PhDs

As a PhD candidate at Maastricht University, there are a number of educational opportunities and services available to support you in your research and in your life in Maastricht. We offer a wide variety of professional training courses and workshops, resources on practical matters for living in Maastricht and social events to help make Maastricht feel like home.  

Short courses

Maastricht University offers a number of short courses for PhD candidates. The courses may be taken as part of your training programme or as optional courses to enhance your skills or career prospects. They cover a wide variety of topics including: 

  • professional language skills
  • academic writing
  • labratory techniques 

 Overview of short courses for PhDs

Professional development

Staff Career Centre

The Staff Career Centre (SCC) has a team that is dedicated specifically to PhD candidates and postdocs. You can come to the SCC for (help with issues related to):

  • coaching
  • courses and workshops
  • learning
  • development
  • your career

 Overview of courses from the Staff Career Centre   

University Library

The University Library also offers workshops and courses for PhDs and other UM researchers. The topics include:

  • systematic literature searches
  • research data management
  • increasing the impact of your research
  • selecting a journal for publication

 Overview of University Library courses    

Research Data Management portal


The RDM portal supports researchers in managing their data. Here you can find information on the available services and infrastructure, best practices and where to find assistance.

 RDM portal    

Valorisation 

Today, young scholars operate in an academic environment that expects them to consider the potential impact of their research and to make an effort to valorise what is of social, ecological and/or economic value. At Maastricht University, PhD candidates are required to include a section in their doctoral thesis that outlines the valorisation potential of the research findings presented in the thesis.

Practical matters

In the support section, you can find out more about practical matters:

 Visit support for PhDs

Professional and social activities

Central PhD Candidates Platform

The Central PhD Candidates Platform at Maastricht University is a central platform that discusses interfaculty and (inter)national issues that concern PhD candidates. The platform serves as an advisory board for the Executive Board by providing both solicited and unsolicited advice about such issues.

The platform consists of six members. Each faculty is represented with one PhD representative. PhD representatives are PhD candidates who have taken up the official role of representing PhD candidates within their faculty.

The Central PhD Candidates Platform is also in contact with the PhD Candidates Network of the Netherlands (PNN). PNN is the national organisation that represents the interests of PhD candidates who work at Dutch universities. PNN discusses PhD policy and other issues with local PhD candidates boards.

  More information about the Central Phd Candidates Platform