Kinesiology

The aim of doctoral training is to bring doctoral graduates to an advanced level of creative and independent thinking and action. As such, the doctoral student prepares for a career in frontier research and education or for high-level roles in professional sectors where deep rigorous analysis is required. To realise this purpose, doctoral training focuses on personal development in four complementary domains:

• Professional expertise: knowledge of the discipline, analytic and synthetic mind set, creativity, thinking-out-of-the-box attitude;
• Research management: project management and financing, respecting professional and ethical standards;
• Personal effectiveness: self management, time management, motivation, problem solving, career planning;
• Impact and influence: collaboration, communication, networking, leadership.

Doctoral training takes place first and foremost in the research group or laboratory via informal and formal meetings with the promoter and peer researchers. This research-based training is complemented by more structured training activities organised by the doctoral school.

Training and development in the Doctoral School Biomedical Sciences consists of three elements:

• A mandatory truncus communis focusing on essential research skills;
• Thematic training in a doctoral school programme comprising advanced courses, invited lectures, journal clubs and doctoral seminars focused on a specific biomedical topic;
• Training and development of personal skills that are relevant for the successful completion of the doctorate and that can be valorised later in different professional sectors.

Requirements

• Students should submit a satisfactory score on an internationally recognized test of English language proficiency: TOEFL (minimum score 575 paper-based, 233 computer-based, 90 internet-based), IELTS (minimum score 7). No other proficiency tests will be accepted.
• Two recommendation forms
• A letter of motivation written and signed by the applicant, explaining the choice for Leuven and for this particular programme
• A master’s degree