The government intends to introduce two new titles into law: EngD and PD, or “engineering doctor” and “professional doctor.” The corresponding legislative proposal has now been published online for public consultation.

These titles can only be obtained after completing a master’s degree. In that sense, they are comparable to the doctoral title (PhD) at universities.

Minister of Education Rianne Letschert calls the new legal degrees “truly a missing piece of the puzzle.” In an announcement, she says: “Practice-oriented research is of great value in providing solutions to societal challenges, and is often directly applicable, for example, in industry.”

EngD

The idea behind the universities’ two-year EngD program is: why should advancing theory always be the goal? You can also achieve something remarkable by creating an innovative design.

TU/e describes the EngD program as a post-master track in which participants are not students, but trainees. TU Delft characterizes it as an application-oriented alternative to a PhD trajectory.

According to Wageningen University, an EngD is not primarily about acquiring new knowledge. Instead, it focuses on practical solutions, aimed at “the needs of society and industry.”

Universities in Twente, Groningen, and the University of Amsterdam also offer EngD programs. The recognition will apply retroactively to 2004, as these programs have been around for quite some time. This differs from the professional doctorates at universities of applied sciences (HBO's), which have only recently been introduced.

PD

For several years, universities of applied sciences or HBO's have been developing their own doctoral track, in which researchers conduct applied research under the supervision of lectors. Lectors are the full professors of HBO.

A total of 26 universities of applied sciences offer such PD programs. The first candidates started in 2023, and more than 100 are now enrolled, spread across 7 different domains.

Recognition of these programs seemed only a matter of time: Ministers of Education from the past four administrations have all supported the initiative. That recognition may now come even before the first candidates have completed their programs.

According to the legislative proposal, future PD candidates will have at least two supervisors. These may be lectors, but also other qualified staff members holding a doctoral degree. In the future, this may also include “professional” doctors.

Recognition

Legal recognition means that the titles will be protected. In other words, you cannot use these titles unless you have completed a professional doctorate or engineering doctorate, just as you cannot call yourself a bachelor or master without the corresponding degree.

After the public consultation, the proposal will be submitted to the Council of State for advice. Only then will the (potentially amended) bill be presented to the House of Representatives.

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.