To do:

  • According to the Doctorate Regulations (art. 20), the PhD candidate decides whether the dissertation is printed or reproduced in a similar way. A condition here is that the result must meet requirements of reasonable legibility. The dissertation will be published in a conveniently-sized format and in glue-bound or spiral-bound form, or with a stitched binding. Printing of at least 5 copies of the dissertation is obligitory
  • Not sure about the possibilities, deadlines, the process of printing your thesis? Check the ASAP website regularly: ASAP organizes once a year a 'printers fair' on both location AMC and VUmc, and several times in a year workshops 'innovative thesis printing'
  • Make an appointment with the printer of your dissertation. Never print your dissertation before you have received the final decision with the definitive date of your defence from the VU Amsterdam Beadle’s Office (see 'Defence Date')
  • You need to send 5 copies of your dissertation to the Beadle by three weeks before the PhD ceremony. Address: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Bureau Pedel, HG 2D-05, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV  Amsterdam. If, for any reason, this is not possible, the Beadle reserves the right to postpone the ceremony to another date**
  • The Beadle will make sure that two copies of the dissertation will be received by the University Library and two copies by the Amsterdam UMC Office of Doctorate Affairs (Bureau Promotiezaken) (one for the Dean and one for the Chair of the public defence)*
  • The PhD candidate will provide the members of the Thesis Committee with a copy
  • Submit the final PhD dissertation in Hora Finita (tab ‘Ceremony’ (Plechtigheid')) and fill in the license agreement. With the license agreement permission is given for online publishing through the digital academic repository of VU University, and where needed, which articles should be placed under embargo for publication

*In case you want to compete for the PhD Thesis Design Award, please send an email to the Doctoral School, including the email address at which we can reach you in future time

**Note: One of the two printed theses will be sent to the chairman of the defence ceremony. The second printed thesis we will keep in store for (no longer than) exactly one month after the date of your defence. Please feel free to collect it, or have it collected, at our office of Doctorate Affairs. Unfortunately we shall not return it to you by mail

Necessary documents:

  • Final version of the dissertation

Tips:

Requirements & instructions for submission of an electronic version of the dissertation
  • Convert the dissertation to a PDF or a PDF/A format, as a single or multiple file, without file protection
  • Make sure the dissertation is complete (i.e., includes cover page, sections covered by an embargo (even if a permanent embargo) any material appended separately such as supplementary annexes, a propositions sheet, a list of changes made to the dissertation)
  • The dissertations’ contents uploaded in Hora Finita must be absolutely identical to the printed version (including the cover, title page, publishing details, layout, orthography, pagination)
  • The VU University Library will check the upload and publishes the digital dissertation online in the VU Research Portal (Pure) after approval
  • As an alternative the PhD candidate can also click on the link in the Hora Finita Checklist to upload the dissertation
Printing your thesis
  • Not sure about the possibilities, deadlines, the process of printing your thesis? Check the ASAP website regularly: ASAP organizes once a year a 'printers fair' on both location AMC and VUmc, and several times in a year workshops 'innovative thesis printing'
  • You can request all your notifications for design, printing and illustration via the Amsterdam UMC 'Service Portaal', being the application-desk both Amsterdam UMC locations. No access to the Service Portaal? Then send an email to the 'Huisdrukkerij'
Statements of commercial nature

If a PhD candidate intends to acknowledge support for their doctoral research from outside the university in writing, this may only be done following consultation with the supervisor and with the permission of the Doctorate Board. Statements of a commercial nature are not allowed in the thesis itself (source: procedural regulation no. 16 of the VU Amsterdam Doctorate Regulations). PhD candidates who violate this rule may be required to reprint their thesis

VU University Library

Check the website of the VU University Libraryregularly, to find useful information (also link below: Publish in Open Access)

Reimbursement for PhD costs

For all Amsterdam UMC PhD candidates: click here for the summarizing schedule of the following regulations for compensation:

  • For information about a refund for printing costs click here
  • For information about the Graduation Bonus (CAO Regulation) click here
Invitation:
  • Amsterdam UMC Workshop 'Finishing my PhD trajectory'
  • VU Meet the Beadle

For more information on both events: Check step 8

Do you include, or are you planning to include propositions (stellingen) in your thesis?

If you think (some of) your propositions are a game changer in the medical field, you can submit your best 2 propositions to the "Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde (NTvG)" magazine and perhaps they will be featured in the next issue

Note: A propositions sheet should not be included as part of the dissertation, but as a separate page

Note: Please be aware to update your email address in Hora Finita, at the moment this changes. For example when you are no longer a VUmc (or Amsterdam UMC) employee. If we don't have a current email address, we won't be able to reach you

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