PhD Study in Europe
In this article we will talk about the general requirements for getting admitted to European universities and the best and most prestigious European universities for doctoral studies. Is it possible to study for free in European universities? How long does it take to study for a PhD degree in Europe? How are the working conditions and the labor market in European countries for PhD students? This article will answer such questions and also the possible questions of the readers. Due to the existence of prestige of universities in Europe, the high quality of life and also the possibility of pursuing a PhD degree for free in most European universities, this continent has become a very important study destination for international students. European countries provide very favorable conditions for applicants who want to study for a PhD degree. Most PhD students have a very strong academic CV and scientific resumes, and this will allow them to get scholarships, in other words, this way they will have the opportunity to study for free in Europe.
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General requirements for PhD programs in Europe
The European Higher Education Area, known as the EHEA, is actually consisted of 48 European countries which follow the Bologna Process, and the degrees issued by universities in these countries are valid in other countries in the world, and students who graduate from European universities will be able to work in all countries across the world. Studying for a PhD degree in Europe is in fact a full-time job, and students will receive a salary for doing research projects related to the university.
To study for a PhD degree in Europe, international students must find a tutor/supervisor and in order to get admitted to the relevant European university they must get the tutor’s/supervisor’s approval. To do this, students must send their CV, motivation letter explaining their academic goals and the topic of their dissertation to the supervisor/tutor and if they get the approval of the supervisor, they can go through the rest of this process. This article has been written and prepared by the experts of Malekpour Legal Institute, and copying it without mentioning the source is against the law.
Studying for a PhD degree in Europe by obtaining a scholarship
One of the most important things that students who are studying for a PhD in Europe wantto know is the requirements for obtaining a scholarship in European countries (whether fully funded or partially funded scholarships). In the partially funded scholarships, half of the student’s tuition fees are covered by the university, but in the fully funded scholarships, the university is responsible for all of the student’s tuition fees and living expenses until the end of his / her studies. It’s good to know that it is possible to study in most of the European countries for free by obtaining a fully funded scholarship. After a student finds his/her tutor/supervisor and he/she is selected as the supervisor’s research assistant, the student can apply for a scholarship and his/her application for the scholarship will be reviewed
Some of the fully funded scholarships that are offered by European universities are:
- Scholarship for essay writing
This scholarship, which is approximately US $ 2,500, is paid to students at all levels who write essays and articles on topics covered by the university.
- DAAD Scholarship for students who are residing in Germany as researchers
This scholarship includes € 2,000 per month for assistant professors and € 2,150 per month for professors who have immigrated to Germany to study in this country as researchers.
Top European universities for PhD studies in Europe
One of the interesting things for applicants who want to study for a PhD degree in Europe is the university they are going to study at and its validity among other universities around the world. A wide variety of fields of study such as management, business, etc… are offered for doctoral studies in European universities. Students who have a strong academic background, valid published articles, have done various researches or have a language certificate with a high score, can study for a PhD degree in Europe in some of the best and most prestigious universities in Europe. Most of the prestigious European universities are located in countries such as Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom, in the table below you can see some of the top European universities:
| Ranking | University | country |
| 1 | University of Oxford | England |
| 2 | University of Cambridge | England |
| 3 | The University of Edinburgh | England |
| 4 | Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich | Switzerland |
| 5 | University College London | England |
| 6 | The University of Manchester | England |
| 7 | Katholieke Universiteit Leuven | Belgium |
| 8 | Universität Wien | Austria |
| 9 | Universitetet i Oslo | Norway |
| 10 | Universidad Complutense de Madrid | Spain |
| 11 | The London School of Economics and Political Science | England |
| 12 | Universitat de Barcelona | Spain |
| 13 | Universidade do Porto | Portugal |
| 14 | Universität München | Germany |
| 15 | Moscow State University | Russia |
| 16 | University of Glasgow | England |
| 17 | Università degli Studi di Bologna | Italy |
| 18 | University of Leeds | England |
| 19 | The University of Nottingham | England |
| 20 | Freie Universität Berlin | Germany |
Required documents for getting a student visa in Europe
There is an intense competition between PhD students and applicants who want to study for a PhD in Europe. In some universities, in addition to finding a supervisor, students must also participate in an interview held by the university and they must earn the passing grade. International students outside the European Union must apply for a student visa in order to pursue a PhD in Europe. To obtain a study or student visa in the destination country, students can take a look at the list of required documents by visiting the official website of the government of that country.
Some of the main and required documents for obtaining a student visa in Europe are:
· Passport with a validity of at least six months
· Having all of the identity documents
· Photo
· Acceptance letter issued by the relevant university
· Visa application form completed by the applicant
· Motivation Letter, stating the goals of the applicant for pursuing a PhD in Europe
· Language Certificate according to the needs of each university
· Work letter (if required)
· Marriage certificate, in case of being married
· Payment receipt of the first semester tuition fee
· Proof of sufficient financial means
· Latest degree and also transcripts
Finding a Tutor/supervisor to study for a PhD degree in Europe
Students who are interested in pursuing a PhD in Europe will definitely need to have a tutor or supervisor. Students can find a tutor/supervisor by having an excellent CV, valid published articles, a valid language certificate with a high score, and a strong thesis topic. To find a tutor/supervisor, students should look for professors who work in their field of study. After finding the relevant professor, the student should send his / her resume to the professor via email and get his / her approval. Finding a tutor/supervisor is a bit time consuming and should be done with patience. Students interested in pursuing a PhD in Europe should make sure that the email they send is short, useful and attractive. Depending on their field of study, students can choose several European countries to study in and look for a tutor/supervisor in these countries.
Duration of doctoral studies in Europe
Universities in various European countries have always been home to many prominent scientists, artists and researchers. Doctoral/PhD programs in Europe include a wide range of educational programs. The European Higher Education Area (EHEA), which includes 48 European countries, has an education system based on the Bologna system. This system was named Bologna because it was first established in 1999 at a university of the same name. According to the Bologna system implemented in European universities, doctoral\PhD programs in Europe are shorter than doctoral\PhD programs in the United States. PhD programs in Europe and in countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Norway are a three-year course, and in most European countries a PhD program is a three to four-years program, while a PhD program in the United States typically lasts six years. And some PhDs in the humanities take seven or eight years to complete.
How to apply for a PhD in Europe
In order to apply to top universities in Europe, applicants must first find a supervisor or tutor according to their CV and academic background and correspond with him/her. Applicants must also provide the required documents for getting admitted to a PhD program in Europe. Getting admitted to universities in Europe is much easier than getting admitted to universities in other countries. Having a strong CV as well as having a strong and good topic for the dissertation increases the chances of students for getting the approval of a tutor/supervisor and getting admitted to the best European universities. Although the official language of European countries is different from each other, but PhD students in Europe can easily study or even work as students in European countries if they know English.
Working in Europe after finishing your doctoral studies
One of the main goals of people who want to migrate through education is to find a job with appropriate salary. PhD students in Europe can look for work both during work and after graduation and they can convert their student visa into a work visas by finding the job they are looking for. PhD students are allowed to work for 40 hours per week in Europe. Some students are employed by the university they are studying at and they can work in that university while studying without any time limits. After graduation, applicants can stay in the country they are studying in for a period of 6 months to 1 year and look for a job related to their field of study, and if they get a job offer, they can get a work permit, and finally they can obtain a permanent residence permit and citizenship in one of the European countries. In this article, we have tried to carefully review and describe all aspects of doctoral studies in Europe. International students can study in a wide range of doctoral programs at some of the best and most prestigious universities in Europe. In most cases, PhD students in Europe are able to study for free by obtaining scholarships. The duration of doctoral studies in Europe is 3 to 4 years, during which students can work and receive a salary while studying. In order to be accepted into a PhD course, students must correspond with the supervisor/tutor and get his/her approval.
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