Universities of Applied Sciences are less likely to be associated with research and science than Research Universities. However, for certain positions this is not right. In fact, Universities of Applied Sciences offer positions in research or for which a doctoral degree is required.

Discover the possibilities in higher professional education
After earning your PhD degree, you face an important decision: further develop your career in the scientific field or opt for a career in the business community or government? Well, how about choosing a career at a university of applied sciences? Many (recent) PhD graduates do not consider the option of working at a university of applied sciences. Yet such universities have much to offer PhD graduates.

The possibilities for PhD graduates
Universities of applied sciences are interested in both recent graduates and graduates with experience and an established network. Since universities of applied sciences place considerable focus on the link between education, research and entrepreneurship, there is a growing need for PhD graduates. The possibilities for these graduates are diverse:

Lecturers and associate lecturers
Lecturers are the drivers of knowledge networks established in higher professional education around content-based themes. Lecturers are expected to not only have a PhD degree, but also a good (regional) network in their field. Associate lecturers, who also coordinate research in some knowledge networks, are often PhD graduates or in the process of earning their PhD degree.

Staff positions
Policy officers, faculty directors, institute directors, and managers of knowledge centres, who are regularly responsible for budget decisions and research proposals.

Associate professors, university professors and senior professors
Instructors responsible for taking the lead in their field and the development of educational content.

Researchers
Positions with a strong focus on conducting practically-oriented research. Researchers are also involved in education.

Professors in a Master’s degree programme
Professors teaching a Master’s programme at a university of applied sciences are strongly advised to have a PhD degree. This is because the goal is for every professor to have an educational degree that is higher than the level on which he or she teaches. In other words, the Master’s programme at a university of applied sciences should only have professors with a PhD degree. This has not yet become customary in the current Master’s programmes offered at universities of applied sciences.

Other tasks and positions
There are a number of other tasks and positions within universities of applied sciences for which a PhD degree is preferred. This includes supervisors for internal PhD students, graduation coordinators and those responsible or co-responsible for research lines in the education programme.