Students with gaps in their training may be asked to take equivalents of the required Master's courses at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies. The Ph.D. program takes four years. In general, Ph.D. students start the program in September. In some cases exemptions from these requirements may be granted. During the first year of the Ph.D. program, the students carry out a literature survey and preparatory research in order to formulate a research proposal, and possibly write a first research paper, by the end of that year.
Allowances are available for presentation of papers at international conferences.
During the third and fourth years of the Ph.D. study, students concentrate on thesis research. Of course, they are still expected to attend seminars. The Ph.D. thesis should be completed and defended before the end of the fourth year. Supervision Upon admission to the Ph.D. program, the graduate student is assigned a temporary personal supervisor who will advise him or her on which courses to take and in which seminars to participate, as well as guide the student's first year of research. In addition, two other members of the faculty are responsible for first-year Ph.D. students.