NetherlandsThe Urban and Regional Studies programme investigates the interrelationships between every-day social and spatial patterns, and the governance and growing complexity of neighbourhoods, cities and regions.
Urban and Regional Studies is about the interrelationships between everyday social and spatial patterns, growing complexities, and the governance of neighbourhoods, cities and regions. The programme has four sub-programmes:
-Governance of land development
-Territorial governance
-Urban and neighbourhood Change
-Urban systems and transport
The programme has a strong international position and reputation and contributes to a variety of networks and collaborations.
Societal/scientific quality and relevance of the research
The research programme is positioned in the context of the TU Delft, involving that “it seeks to answer utility-driven questions in a fundamental way” (TU Delft, 2012, Roadmap 2020, p. 47). So by default, most of the research of this programme is driven by its societal relevance. Increased understanding of competitive, sustainable and liveable cities and regions, territories and neighbourhoods is highly relevant, especially as this programme addresses these aspects in relation to governance and planning. It provides insights in the interactions between authorities and market players and also between institutions and people in a day-to-day living environment.
The scientific relevance of the field of Urban and Regional Studies is illustrated by the quantity and quality of research outlets in the thriving interdisciplinary field of research. The scientific relevance of the programme can also be illustrated by some of the lively academic debates that take place in areas covered by this research programme and to which the programme contributes.
The Future
The Urban and Regional Studies programme contributes to fundamental discussions about current and future changes in the politics and practices of territorial governance, urban and neighbourhood change, governance of land development and urban systems and transport, as well as their implications on various scale levels. The programme:
-contributes to solving some of the contemporary issues in our cities and regions and to generate knowledge about the preconditions, supporting contexts and barriers to urban regeneration and transformation;
-contributes to the development of competitive, sustainable and liveable cities, and to contribute to policy discourses in these fields;
-especially focuses on the issue of the inclusiveness of spatial strategies and interventions, both in terms of actors and in terms of sustainability and competitiveness effects.
PHD ADMISSIONS
The admission requirements for doctoral candidates are recorded in Article 2 of the TU Delft Doctoral Regulations.
More detailed information can be found in the back of the Regulations, in section A of the Implementation Decree.
Admission requirements
According to Dutch law and the TU Delft Doctoral Regulations a doctoral candidate should be in possession of a Dutch Master’s degree. This may be a Master of Science or a Master of Arts degree from a University or College of Higher Education.
Naturally, doctoral candidates with foreign Master degrees are also admitted to TU Delft. Some foreign degrees are evaluated by the TU Delft Admissions Office. This office determines whether the foreign degree can be considered as an equivalent of the Dutch Master degree.
N.B. TU Delft Faculty Graduate Schools (FGS) may have additional admission requirements. Therefore, please visit the webpage of your intended FGS.
Preparation and paperwork
For every would-be doctoral candidate of TU Delft, a check of their eligibility is standard procedure. This means that, besides a letter and a CV, all applications must include scans of the (highest) diploma and transcript. Furthermore, at the start of their Doctoral Programme all doctoral candidates must be registered as such at the TU Delft Graduate School. For more information about registration and the required documents see Intake Meeting.
According to Dutch law and the TU Delft Doctoral Regulations a doctoral candidate should be in possession of a Dutch Master’s degree. This may be a Master of Science or a Master of Arts degree from a University or College of Higher Education.
Naturally, doctoral candidates with foreign Master degrees are also admitted to TU Delft. Some foreign degrees are evaluated by the TU Delft Admissions Office. This office determines whether the foreign degree can be considered as an equivalent of the Dutch Master degree.
N.B. TU Delft Faculty Graduate Schools (FGS) may have additional admission requirements. Therefore, please visit the webpage of your intended FGS.
Article 2 Doctorate
2.1. The degree of Doctor can be obtained at TU Delft following the public defence of a doctoral dissertation before the Board for Doctorates or the doctoral committee appointed by it. The Board for Doctorates will award the degree of Doctor. By way of a departure from that stipulated in the other Articles in these Regulations, the provisions of Article 21 will apply to the awarding of the honorary doctoral degree.
2.2. Admission to the doctoral defence ceremony will be open to anyone:
– who has been awarded the degree of Master in accordance with Section 7.10 a, paragraph 1, 2 or 3 of the WHW, and
– who, as proof of competence to practice science independently has written a doctoral dissertation, and
– has met the other requirements set in these Doctoral
Regulations with regard to, among other things:
– completing a Doctoral programme,
– following a DE programme and
– the quality and content of the doctoral dissertation.
2.3. In exceptional circumstances, the Board for Doctorates can, on his request, admit access to the doctoral programme and the doctoral defence ceremony to a person who is not in possession of the required degree but who meets the requirements stipulated in Article 2.2b and c, if the person requesting this demonstrates in some other way, and to the satisfaction of the Board for Doctorates, that he has sufficient knowledge. The Board for Doctorates can determine more specific rules for this in the Implementation Decree.
Article 4 Start of Doctoral Programme
4.1. A person who wishes to complete a Doctoral Programme in order to obtain a doctorate must:
– enter into consultations with the most appropriate full professor or the most appropriate staff member with a doctorate to whom the ius promovendi has been awarded in view of the field of science involved and reach agreement on the subject of the doctoral research, the title of the doctoral dissertation and his willingness to act as promotor, and
– register as a doctoral candidate at the TU Delft Graduate School by submitting valid proof of identity and a certified copy of a degree certificate as defined in Article 2.2a or a copy of the awarding of access pursuant to Article 2.3.
4.2. When the conditions stipulated in 4.1 have been met, the TU Delft Graduate School will ensure that a statement is issued as soon as possible on behalf of the Board for Doctorates detailing the registration as a doctoral candidate and the appointment as intended promotor of the person referred to in 4.1a, and, if applicable, the appointment of an intended copromotor.
4.3. Within three months of the start of the Doctoral Programme, the doctoral candidate must have made agreements with his intended promotor on his supervision and the content of the DE Programme to be followed by him, and this must be recorded in a PhD agreement and submitted to the Faculty Graduate School.
Article 5 Doctoral candidate and preparation of doctoral dissertation
5.1. The doctoral candidate will conduct independent scientific research. He will also maintain the customary academic contacts with his fellow scientists.
5.2. The doctoral candidate is responsible for producing the doctoral dissertation as a contribution to science and for ensuring that the research is conducted:
– in accordance with the code of conduct and professional code that apply to professional activities in the area of science concerned;
– according to the statutory regulations and university regulations applicable, in all events, for research involving animal testing, hazardous (e.g. radioactive) materials, hazardous (e.g. biological) substances; and c. without the imposition of any limitations that conflict with academic freedom on the research and the freedom of publication of data and results from the research, also insofar as (part of) the research is funded by third parties.
