PhD Programme

Training PhD students is an important component of the UGC. As a PhD student you will work one on one with your supervisor from the outset, but in the context of the entire UGC research group consisting of staff members, postdocs, and other PhD students.

The UGC research interests cover six broad areas: Algebraic Geometry, Algebraic Topology, Differential Geometry, History of Mathematics, Mathematical Logic, and Number Theory. Research and reading seminars on these topics are organised regularly and offer an opportunity for you to learn more about your field and to interact with other UGC members.

In addition to these local activities at Utrecht University, you can expect plenty of interaction with the Dutch mathematical community. Master-level courses are offered through the national Mastermath programme, many of them covering advanced topics that may be relevant for your research. On top of this, you will be able to interact with PhD students at other Dutch universities through the DIAMANT, GQT, and NDNS+ research clusters, which organise short courses on specialised topics.

PhD students are usually employed on four year contracts which provide full funding. The position involves a modest amount of teaching. In practice, this means that PhD students supervise exercise classes for about one afternoon a week during the semester, and assist in marking exams.

Special arrangements can be made for students who have obtained their own funding.

When positions become available, an advertisement and instructions about how to apply will appear on this page.

We expect applicants to have completed the equivalent of 3-4 years of mathematical studies at an undergraduate level and 1-2 years at a master level by the time they would join the PhD programme.

PhD positions are usually funded through individual research grants of UGC members. If you have obtained funding yourself and are interested in completing a PhD with us, you can contact us directly at geometry@uu.nl. Some opportunities for external funding can be found here and here.

A list of all the students that have completed their PhD theses at the UGC since 2011 can be found here.