The Berlin Communiqué (2003) on The Bologna Process mentions the importance of research as an integral part of Higher Education across Europe and calls for the inclusion of doctoral level qualifications as the Third Cycle (after the Bachelor‐Master system). It is expected that incorporation of the PhD‐training programme will reinforce the link between the European Research Area and the European Higher Education Area. To facilitate this process it is important to define common standards and to remove legal and other obstacles that might prohibit co‐operation among EU countries.Not all dental faculties in Europe are using a similar format for attaining the doctoral level. The varying format highlights the differences rather than the similarities among members of the EU. Based on the outcome of a trans‐continental questionnaire, an attempt was made to outline the contours of a common PhD programme for dentistry that might serve as a template for European compliance.