Admission requirements

To be able to start a PhD at Wageningen University & Research funding must be guaranteed.

Scholarship candidates can only be accepted to the Wageningen PhD programme in case they meet one of the following conditions applicable at the time of admission (these conditions will be adjusted/increased every 6 months):

• A scholarship with an amount for living allowances that is sufficient for the whole PhD trajectory (for candidates starting between 1 July 2025 and 1 January 2026 this amount is € 1950,- per month), or;
• A scholarship with an amount for living allowances that is equivalent to the minimum income requirements by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Services (IND)* and a guaranteed future adherence to the minimum income requirements. This should be included in the agreement between the scholarship PhD candidate and the scholarship provider. The minimum income requirement is € 1698,- from 1 July 2025 to 1 January 2026.

It is not allowed to provide a financial ‘top-up’ ourselves as an organisation. Also, the scholarship cannot be complemented with funds of the PhD candidate/family themselves.

* According to the ‘IND minimum income requirements’, a PhD candidate should be able to demonstrate that he/she has sufficient and sustainable income when coming to the Netherlands. More information about the IND minimum income requirements can be found on the immigration website from the Dutch government.

The candidate must have obtained a master’s degree that is comparable to a Dutch master’s degree.

All diploma documents will be evaluated by the Doctoral Service Centre from WUR. They will decide if a credential evaluation by Nuffic (the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education) is necessary. Master’s degrees obtained in the Netherlands and Europe are automatically recognised by Wageningen University & Research, but they will be evaluated and verified for authenticity and accreditation.

In order to be admitted to the PhD program, the PhD candidate must demonstrate sufficient proficiency in the English language, as well as the Dutch language when the thesis is written in Dutch, at the level established by the Academic Board.

There are language requirements when the PhD candidate:

• does not have a master’s degree at a Dutch University and/or;
• does not come from an English speaking country and/or;
• has not completed a Master's degree with English as the language of instruction.

There are no language requirements when the PhD candidate:

• has completed a master degree at a Dutch University and/or;
• comes from an English speaking country and/or;
• has completed a Master's degree with English as the language of instruction.

When the PhD candidate has language requirements to be met, an internationally recognized Certificate of Proficiency in the English language must be submitted.