Structure of the Programme

The Phd programmes of courses in English, individual research work, regular meetings with the supervisors, publication activity and the preparation of the dissertation. The first phase of the doctoral programme (1-4 semesters) focuses on training and research, the second phase (5-8 semesters) focuses on research and preparing the doctoral thesis.

By the end of the PhD program, in order to receive the PhD degree, students must accomplish the following:

• Pass the training module
• Fulfill publication requirements
• Pass the comprehensive doctoral examination
• Defend the PhD dissertation

Training module

Within the framework of the training module (during the 1-4 semesters), students must accomplish general, methodological, program-specific and semi-elective courses. In addition, they also have to take part in research forums. Students can take common compulsory courses in the first two semesters and programme-specific compulsory courses in the third and fourth semesters.

Publication Requirements

PhD students are expected to write research papers that can be submitted for publication in international scientific journals. Students have to participate and present their research results in international workshops and conferences.

To become a PhD candidate

To become a PhD candidate, PhD students have to complete the required number of credits in the first two academic years, and have to pass the doctoral comprehensive exam.

Students who have completed the courses and earned the required number of credits in the first 4 semesters, have the right to take the doctoral comprehensive exam, and later as a PhD candidate may defend the doctoral thesis.

Doctoral Comprehensive Exam

The final, doctoral comprehensive exam aims at testing and assessing the knowledge on the chosen field of science. The comprehensive exam consists of two parts: a theoretical part, which aims at testing the theoretical preparedness, and a dissertation part, in which students have to report their progress in research. The comprehensive exam must to be taken after the first two academic years, at the end of the phase of training and research.

PhD Defence

To obtain the degree of PhD, the doctoral candidates must write and verbally defend a scientifically based doctoral thesis that passes the preliminary and public defence. The preliminary defence aims at presenting and defending the first version of the complete dissertation. PhD candidates must apply for the preliminary defence 1 year after becoming a PhD candidate, at the latest. The doctoral thesis is evaluated by two independent reviewers.

Public defence may be organized after making the improvements suggested during the preliminary defence. The dissertation should be handed into public defence 2 years after becoming a PhD candidate, at the latest. The thesis has to be a monograph.

The degree is granted based on the results of the doctoral comprehensive exam and the public defence.