Various regulations define the framework governing admission, registration, the award of degrees and funding for PhD studies. The general framework was laid down in the Decree of the French-speaking Community of 31 March 2004 (Bologna Decree), which defined higher education, promoted its integration into the European Higher Education Area and refinanced universities. Under this Decree,
the minimum requirement for a PhD programme of study is 180 credits acquired after initial training worth at least 300 credits leading to the award of a Master’s degree. Doctoral degrees are conferred upon students following the defence of a thesis demonstrating creativity and the ability to carry out scientific research and disseminate their findings.
The PhD programme of study consists of:
- the production of an original dissertation in the discipline, in the form either of a personal thesis or an essay written by the candidate demonstrating the interest of a coherent set of publications and work of which the candidate is the author or a co-author;
- the public presentation of this work, emphasizing its qualities and originality, and the candidate’s ability to present scientific material in a way that can be understood by non-specialists.
The doctoral regulations of the Académie universitaire Louvain set down the general framework for PhD programmes of study undertaken by students wishing to obtain a doctoral degree from one of the Académie’s member universities. It specifies, in particular, that a doctoral degree is awarded on completion of a PhD programme of study with two compulsory elements:
- advanced academic training, referred to as “doctoral training” in the terms of the Bologna Decree and worth 60 credits. Students who complete this doctoral training are awarded a research training certificate;
- a research assignment relating to the preparation of a PhD thesis, worth at least 120 credits.
The organization of PhD studies at the Académie universitaire Louvain involves various groups acting at different levels:
- The CDD (subject-specific doctoral committee) is responsible for the academic and administrative aspects of PhD studies. CDDs have been set up within the Académie universitaire Louvain under the aegis of the Academy Doctoral Committee, CODAL;
- PhD candidates register for the PhD programme and for doctoral training at one of the Académie’s member universities and are awarded their PhD by that university.
- Doctoral training is organized jointly by the various university consortia of the French-speaking Community of Belgium under the aegis of the Fund for Scientific Research - FNRS.
