Economics School of Louvain Doctoral School Information Session

Economics School of Louvain Doctoral School Information Session of August 2013

Content I. III. IV. V. Admission The doctoral process step by step Doctoral training Contact persons Resources

Time line Confirmation Admission Phase 0 Private defense Phase 1 (max 24 months*) Phase 2 Phase 3 (min. 1 month) Public defense * Max. 36 months for Teaching Assistant

Conditions, how to prepare your file I. ADMISSION

Admission: Conditions Necessary conditions (not sufficient) : - Satisfy the legal conditions: http: //www. uclouvain. be/en-359965. html - or or Satisfy the academic conditions: Have a Distinction (14/20) in a Research Master degree in economics/econometrics from the French Community of Belgium (www. cfwb. be) Have an equivalent level in a Research Master degree in economics/econometrics from outside the FCB Have a Distinction (14/20) in a training program specifically designed for you by the doctoral school

Admission: file to be submitted The file you submit to the doctoral commission contains : - Your CV, including your studies year by year, and detailed grades course by course. - Copies of your diplomas and transcripts of grades - The name of your supervisor(s) - Your source of funding for the whole duration of your Ph. D - A research proposal approved by your supervisor(s) - A supervisory panel (“comité d’accompagnement”, cf. infra) - A prospective doctoral training program, signed by your supervisor How to build your training program ? See the specific section infra Title - Context and main goals - State of the Art Objectives beyond the State of the Art - Work plan - Environment Remark: If necessary, you might have to show that you have sufficient proficiency in English to enter the Ph D program

Phase 1 : Supervisory panel The supervisory panel (SP) : Supervisor(s) + 2 members (Ph. D level. One of whom does not belong to the supervisor’s research team) - - SP does not substitute for supervisor(s) in the management of thesis SP is a privileged resource to advise and inform the student (on research contents, on networking, on education). Official duty of SP: Interact once a year with the student. During this interaction: - evaluate the progress of the student check and validate the ECTS/credits obtained during the year discuss the training program for the next year be a source of inspiration The method of interaction is free. 2 nd official duty of the SP: Be present (a video conference is possible) for the confirmation stage

Phase 1 : Supervisory panel Remarks: - A member of the SP does not have to be a member of the Jury - The members of the SP should be easily contacted by the student - They should be able to attend the confirmation stage (oral and written examinations)

Admission : 2 remarks Preadmission is exceptionnal E. g. : A student needs a preadmission in order to get a Visa before coming to Belgium Teaching Assistants - We advise not to wait before submitting your file so that you can start accumulating ECTS/credits early

Important milestones of the doctoral process II. THE DOCTORAL PROCESS

Time line Confirmation Admission Phase 0 Private defense Phase 1 (max 24 months*) Phase 2 Phase 3 (min. 1 month) Public defense * Max 36 months for Teaching Assistant

Confirmation (max. 24 months – 36 months for Teaching Assistant – after admission) Is an examination concluding the first phase of your work: Two parts: 1. A written report (e. g. a research working paper) to be sent to the supervisory panel and supervisor(s) 2. An oral presentation in front of the supervisory panel and supervisor(s) Possible outcomes: - Success: you go to Phase 2 Failure: you have to redo it within 12 months

Phase 2 : From Confirmation to Defenses - When both the doctoral training and the research work of the student are complete, supervisor(s) submit a thesis jury proposal to the doctoral commission for approval. - The jury: - Supervisor(s) - 3 members, at least one of whom does not belong to the Académie Louvain - 1 academic member from your institution to be proposed as President of thesis jury - Remarks: - The supervisory panel ends its work and mission as soon as thesis jury is validated by the doctoral commission.

Phase 3 : Private Defense Once thesis jury is approved by the doctoral commission: 1. The Ph. D student hands in a proof of payment of tuition fees (Minerval) so that the Doyen and Rector can give their final approval. 2. The Ph. D student sets a date for the private defense with the jury, and provides each member with a printed copy of his/her thesis at the latest one month in advance. 3. Ph D administrators send the official invitation to the jury members. 4. The whole jury must be present for the private defense 5. After the defense, the supervisor provides the Ph D administrators with a report/ Minute on the outcome. 6. The date and time of the public defense are communicated to the Ph D administrators at least one month in advance.

Phase 3: Public Defense 1. Ph. D students must upload their entire thesis on the electronic thesis library : DIAL and sign a contrat de diffusion 2. The candidate must also publish his/her thesis in a print form. At UCL this can be done via the CIACO company for the Presses Universitaires de Louvain ; a grant can be requested from the Faculty. 3. At least two thirds of the members of jury must be present at the public defense. Any member unable to attend the public defense must send the President a written report containing his/her reasoned opinion on the value of thesis, and a list of the questions. 4. During the public defense, the student may spend a maximum of 30 minutes presenting his/her thesis, after which the jury and the public will be permitted to ask questions. 5. After the Defense the jury President provides the Ph D administrators with the Minute and all the official documents (diploma, supplement, certificate, annexe) duly signed by the members.

How to get 60 ECTS III. DOCTORAL TRAINING

How to get 60 ECTS ? Mandatory activities: • Doctoral courses: min. 16 ECTS • • – • 15 h-course with a soft evaluation: 2 ECTS 30 h-course with a soft evaluation: 4 ECTS 15 h-course with a hard evaluation: 4 ECTS 30 h-course with a hard evaluation: 6 ECTS Upon the approval of the supervisory comittee, this grid is also applicable to the doctoral courses organized outside the AL Master courses : max. 10 ECTS • Maximum 2 courses • Research seminars (attended) : 4 ECTS Condition: min. 20 seminars, based on a research paper, of at least 1 h Remark: A worskhop of a half day counts as one seminar • Confirmation : 5 ECTS • Scientific communication: min. 7 ECTS – – • International conferences/workshops: 3 ECTS each Condition: The student presents a paper that has been selected by an academic committee Research seminars- invited or regular : 3 ECTS each Doctoral workshop (twice a year).

How to get 60 ECTS ? Other activities • Summer school: max. 10 ECTS (providing a certificate of attendance is delivered) – • • Teaching: max. 3 ECTS over the whole doctoral process (Condition: At least 60 hours on min. 2 courses) Visit abroad: max. 6 ECTS (Research stay of min. 3 months, providing a certificate of attendance is delivered) Cooperation: 3 ECTS (at least 10 hours of teaching abroad) Refereeing: 2 ECTS each (max. 6 ECTS over the doctoral studies) – – – • max. two summer schools can be credited The editor asks directly the Ph. D student to write a report Credits are provided upon the approval of the supervisory comittee The journal is a major journal in economics Reading groups: max. 7 ECTS

Who is who IV. CONTACT PERSONS

Bureau Economie for the Doctoral Commission President: Sébastien Van Bellegem Academic members: - Jean-Marie Baland from U Namur - Frédéric Docquier from UCL, Louvain-la-Neuve - Xavier Wauthy from St-Louis Brussels Representative for the Ph. D Students: Pierre Pecher Ph D Administrators: Marie-Hélène Chassagne (UCL) Gaëlle de Vinck (UCL) Pierrette Noël (U Namur) Florence Gosselain (U St-Louis Bruxelles).

Useful links V. RESOURCES

Resources The Académie Louvain : http: //www. academielouvain. be/ The Doctoral School (UCL): http: //www. uclouvain. be/en-3891. html The Doctoral Regulation: http: //www. academielouvain. be/view. php 3? includ e=283&pere=138&print=0