In order to enhance their research skills, PhD students must successfully complete a mandatory doctoral training.

During this doctoral training, PhD students obtain credits by undertaking activities in a variety of competence categories:

1. Research skills and techniques 
2. Adapting to the research environment 
3. Research management 
4. Personal effectiveness 
5. Communication skills 
6. Networking and teamwork 
7. Career management

More detailed information can be found in the IOB Additional Doctoral Regulations and its annex.

In the context of the doctoral training, PhD students must follow a doctoral study programme. This programme consists of a number of advanced theoretical and methodological courses (worth at least 6 ECTS credits each). Some doctoral courses are offered by IOB, but PhD students can also propose other courses.

IOB offers six doctoral course modules (worth 6 ETCS credits). These modules are in line with some of the courses in the IOB advanced master programmes:

1. Globalisation and development 
2. Governance for development 
3. Evaluating development effectiveness 
4. Local institutions and poverty reduction
5. National institutions, poverty reduction strategies and aid 
6. From violent conflict to peace and state reconstruction

PhD students are evaluated on the basis of a doctoral paper and its presentation.

IOB is a member of CERES, the international research school of development studies. Together with the other institutional CERES members, IOB offers a PhD training course (worth 12 ECTS credits).

The course is specifically tailored to support PhD students at the start of their doctoral research or master students who wish to prepare a research proposal for a PhD application. A range of issues is considered, relating to epistemology and ontology, positionality and subjectivity, philosophy of science, and an overview of the spectrum of interdisciplinary methodologies and methods, both quantitative and qualitative, that researchers commonly draw from in development studies.

PhD students are evaluated on the basis of a doctoral paper and its presentation.

​Mind the GAP (Good Academic Practices) is an online training tool. It offers a thorough introduction on research integrity and touches upon all aspects and stages of the doctoral research.

Mind the GAP (worth 1 credit) is compulsory for all PhD students and must be taken up in the first academic year of the doctoral training.