Assistant Professors also eligible for PhD supervision rights

Board of Deans highlights opportunities in regulations

The Board of Deans of Maastricht University, partly in response to discussions surrounding De Jonge Akademie’s ‘Iedereen Professor’ initiative, is emphasising PhD supervision rights for Assistant Professors. At UM, Assistant Professors can apply for the ius promovendi, granting them the right to confer a doctorate degree and act as a PhD supervisor. Although this possibility has long been included in UM’s doctoral regulations, in practice, PhD supervision rights have so far been reserved primarily for Professors and Associate Professors, with only a few exceptions.

Assistant Professors who wish to obtain these rights can submit an application to the dean of their faculty. That right is granted per PhD trajectory. When assessing the application, several factors are considered, such as the experience of the Assistant Professor in supervising PhD candidates and the composition of the entire PhD supervision team. The Board of Deans makes a final decision on applications based on the dean’s recommendation.

Academic robes at promotions
In line with these developments, the Board of Deans has expanded the right to wear an academic robe. From now on, all members of the PhD supervision team and the entire PhD committee, including Associate Professors and Assistant Professors, may wear a robe during PhD ceremonies. However, this is not mandatory. For academic events other than PhD ceremonies, the right to wear a robe remains reserved for Professors.

Use of the title ‘Professor’
The title ‘Professor’ will generally remain reserved for Professors, in accordance with Dutch academic traditions. However, in international contexts, exceptions may be made when it helps clarify the equivalent status of UM academics. Researchers themselves are expected to use appropriate terminology responsibly.

Recognition & Rewards
These developments align well with Recognition & Rewards, the university-wide programme aimed at fostering more diverse career paths and academic profiles. This change provides formal recognition for Assistant Professors with experience in supervising PhD candidates.

For more information on applying for PhD supervision rights, please contact your faculty’s research policy officer or dean.

The latest doctoral regulations can be found here.