Conditions for enrolment & selection procedure

In 2023/2024 we start with four new interdisciplinary thesis labs. 

The conditions for enrolment 23/24 are:

  • We only admit students from Leiden University, Delft University of Technology or Erasmus University Rotterdam. Note: in the ‘Sustainable Healthcare’ Lab we admit students from Hogeschool Rotterdam as well.
  • The lab is open to students with a diverse range of expertise. For example: natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, design, law, health, economics, management, humanities, philosophy, etc.
  • You will work on your master thesis within the timeframe February to July 2024, with the possibility of starting your individual thesis somewhat earlier or later, if your study programme requires it.
  • Preferably you start your thesis (preparation) somewhere between October 2023 and April 2024. 
  • Your thesis accounts for 10 to 60 EC. 
  • You find your own thesis supervisor(s) at your university. Supervision of your individual master thesis is not part of the LDE lab program.
  • You are motivated to join the half year – extracurricular – interdisciplinary program and will attend all 11 bi-weekly in-person sessions. 
  • You agree with the workload of the program: approximately 60 hours in total 
  • At the end of the Lab program in June 2024, you will present data, results and/or conclusions from your thesis. You agree to prepare and share with us the following deliverables:
    1. Individual thesis report (no later than November 2024);
    2. Poster or your individual contribution to a 'patterns' book, with key takeaways of your thesis (to be completed before session 12, the final presentation). 
    3. Interdisciplinary result (you will create this with your lab team during session #9 and #10 of the program);
    4. Two newsletters for the case holder(s) and other stakeholders (you will make these newsletters with your Lab team as homework);
    5. LDE CfS communicates about the Labs via Lablogs on our website. We will ask some students for an interview.

The selection procedure 23/24 is as follows:

  • Interested? Enrolment for 23/24 is closed. For the academic year 24/25 enrolment will open September 1st, 2024. 
  • We will let you know by email if you are invited to an interview.
  • We organize online interviews of 20-25 minutes at the end of October/beginning of November 2023.
  • The interviews are conducted by the academic coordinator of the lab (LDE researcher) and LDE Centre for Sustainability hub coordinator.
  • During the interviews, we will discuss:
    1. Your motivation: why do you want to join the Lab? Are you ready to commit to the lab program and to the extra work it requires? Will you be an active member of the interdisciplinary lab group?
    2. The assignment you’re applying for: does the assignment you’re applying for fit your curriculum? Do you already have ideas of what you would like to research in your thesis?
    3. Can we make an interdisciplinary team? We are looking for a team consisting of multiple LDE master programs.  
  • We will let you know if you are selected by email after the interviews.
  • If you are selected, we ask you to find a thesis supervisor (if you haven’t already found one already). We also match you with the external case holder of the thesis assignment. Together with this case holder, your thesis supervisor and us you can start finetune your thesis assignment.
  • In January 2024, we organize a short online meeting together with all the other Lab students, to get to know each other and ask questions. The Lab Program 2024 will start in February 2024.