Hora Finita is the PhD tracking system for PhD candidates at the Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc. The system tracks registration, agreements, training plan and thesis defense for all PhD candidates. Every VUmc PhD candidate has to earn at least 30 ECTS though training and education during the PhD trajectory.

Hora Finita registration

The registration of new PhD trajectories for VUmc PhD students in Hora Finita is initiated by the research institutes. After we received your basic details after your registration at the Doctoral school and started the Hora Finita registration, you are invited to enter additional information including your Training Plan (TP), which you will draw up together with your (co)Promotor. After you have completed entering all of the information it will be assessed by each of the various stakeholders (Promotor, co-promotor, Research Institute, Deans Office etc.), with the final approval of the Rector Magnificus of the Vrije Universiteit.

Once your PhD Training Plan is approved you will get access to Hora Finita where you can view your PhD program and log your educational activities. Your PhD program will also be visible in the Hora Finita dashboard of your (co)promotor.

Please find extensive Hora Finita sytem manuals about every phase of your PhD project at this page (scrol down to the Hora Finita tile): VU PhD page.

Training Plan

According to article 15 of the Doctorate Regulations VU Amsterdam (2015), the PhD candidate (starting after April 2015) must earn at least 30 ECTS (840 hours) though training and educational activitites. Please be aware that if you have not copleted 30 ECTS you do not meet the criteria to obtain PhD degree, even if the thesis committee has submitted a positive review of your dissertation.

Anyone wishing to obtain a PhD at VUmc must fill out the required forms and draw up a Training and Supervision Plan at the start of their trajectory, and apply for approval to the Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA) Committee for Education and Training. For more information you may contact Evelien Bos: ooa-tp@amsterdamumc.nl.

These regulations also apply to physician-researchers (arts-onderzoeker) and other medical employees who are pursuing their PhD alongside their regular work.

OOA Training Plan (TP) regulations

Regardless the start date of your PhD project and the University where your will defend your thesis, the OOA Training Plan regulations applies (the 'old' CCA regulations do not apply anymore). If you like to review your current plan or have some questions about your plan? Please email to OOA-tp@amsterdamumc.nl.

Please find more information about the OOA Training Plan (chapter 8 in the Doctoral School PhD plan) at the Training plan page at the OOA website.

Portfolio review

Before you can upload your final manuscript in Hora Finita your portfolio needs to be approved. For instructions on how to upload activities in Hora Finita and how to request a portfolio review please read the Hora Finita guidelines (03.08.01: Registration of courses and training activities and 03.08.03) at the VU website.

Regardless the start date of your PhD project, the OOA training plan regulations are used to evaluate your portfolio. This means that Training plans that have been drawn up according the former CCA instructions als will be assessed according the OOA regulations.

PhD candidates of the program Cancer Immunology

The Cancer Immunology program is the joint theme of Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity (AII) and the Cancer Center Amsterdam. Therefore, PhD students who have embedded their project in the Cancer Immunology theme become member of both institutes and adhere to the Cancer Immunology Training Plan (regardless the starting date). Please find the documents at the bottom of the page.

Do you have any questions about Hora Finita, the different regulations or your Training plan?
Please contact Evelien Bos: ooa-tp@amsterdamumc.nl.