EDUCATION CURRICULUM OF IZIIS DOCTORAL STUDIES

The candidates who will successfully realize the anticipated academic programme for international doctoral studies at IZIIS are conferred the highest academic degree of doctor of technical sciences.

Doctoral studies at IZIIS can be attended by candidates who fulfill the following conditions:

• Candidates that have completed a corresponding degree of academic training, i.e., candidates that have been conferred the academic degree of master in the corresponding scientific field and fulfill the other conditions prescribed in the announced competition.


• A corresponding degree of academic training is considered education involving previously accomplished master studies and acquired degree of master of technical sciences in the corresponding field with achieved at least 300 equivalent credits by the accomplishment of the master studies.


• If the candidate has less than 300 credits from the previous education, it is necessary that the candidate passes additional examinations to acquire additional credits according to the report issued by the IZIIS’ Commission for Post-graduate Master and Doctoral Studies  certified by a resolution made by the Academic Council.


• If the candidate has more than 300 credits,  the Academic Council may acknowledge a certain number of credits by passing a resolution whereat the candidate should acquire the remaining necessary credits by passing examinations in optional subjects from the curriculum of the doctoral studies.

Due to the differences in previous education of candidates coming from different faculties in the home country and abroad, the necessary conditions for enrollment of each candidate are individually  evaluated and defined by the IZIIS’ Commission for Postgraduate Master and Doctoral Studies and are certified by a resolution passed by the Academic Council.

TIME DURATION OF DOCTORAL STUDIES

To enable as successful as possible harmonization of the curricula with the criteria contained in the Bologna Declaration, the IZIIS’ doctoral studies are anticipated to last 3 years. The program of the doctoral studies is performed on English. 

ACADEMIC PROGRAMME OF IZIIS’ DOCTORAL STUDIES

The academic programme of IZIIS’ doctoral studies consists of two separate parts. In the first part of the academic programme (two semesters), it is anticipated that the candidate successfully finish the corresponding curriculum (by passing the examinations) according to the defined scope and contents, whereas the next (the second) part of the academic programme (four semesters) is planned to involve research activities resulting in independent elaboration and public defense of the doctoral dissertation by the candidate.

Curriculum of Doctoral Studies

To acquire the academic degree of doctor of technical sciences at IZIIS, the candidate must acquire at least 180 credits from taking examinations and elaboration of the doctoral dissertation.

For the IZIIS’ doctoral studies leading to the academic degree of doctor of technical sciences, the candidate should first enter and pass a sufficient number of examinations in individual subjects anticipated with the curriculum, whereat the candidate must acquire a total amount of at least 60 credits.

In addition to the above condition, the student should apply for, elaborate and publicly defend a doctoral dissertation in line with the procedure for elaboration and public defense of doctoral dissertations at IZIIS by which the candidate acquires an amount of 120 additional credits (i.e., a total of 60 + 120 = 180 credits).

The curriculum of the IZIIS’ doctoral studies per relevant scientific fields, subjects and contents is presented in the corresponding table.

Elaboration and Public Defense of Doctoral Dissertation

The candidate elaborates the doctoral dissertation under the supervision of the candidate’s previously appointed mentor. The mode and the procedure of public defense of the doctoral dissertation complies with the defined official procedure.

PERFORMANCE OF THE LECTURING PROCESS

Depending on the number and the composition of the candidates who have applied for doctoral studies at IZIIS, the lecturing process is adapted and can be performed in three ways:

1. Lectures in classroom for groups of students;
2. Individual lectures given by mentors;
3. Use of other modern way of distant learning.

The decision on the mode of performance of the lecturing process within the doctoral studies at IZIIS is made by the IZIIS’ Academic Council.

The curriculum of each subject anticipates modern lecturing contents of a current concern that are elaborated or studied through corresponding lectures, latest literature, individual seminar papers and alike.

SELECTION OF TOPIC AND MENTOR FOR DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

The IZIIS’ Academic Council appoints mentor and accepts theme for the doctoral dissertation by a resolution made for each enrolled candidate. The candidate first submits a proposal of a theme and possibly a proposal for a mentor to the Academic Council, i.e., the Commission for Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies at IZIIS.  The Commission considers the proposal from the aspect of scientific and current concern in the subject proposed, primarily considering the originality principle. After harmonization of the proposal with the candidate, the IZIIS’ Academic Council makes a decision on acceptance of the theme and the mentor (the supervisor) of the doctoral dissertation.

As a rule, the selection of theme and mentor for doctoral dissertation is carried out before the beginning of the third semester, or earlier, if the candidate has at least 80% of the anticipated credits for the doctoral studies.

The doctoral dissertation is elaborated under the supervision of the previously appointed mentor. The candidate submits five copies of the doctoral dissertation to IZIIS.  By resolution passed, the Academic Council of IZIIS appoints a Reviewing Commission for evaluation of the doctoral dissertation composed of at least 5 members and a President of the Commission.

The Reviewing Commission publishes the Reviewing Report in the official bulletin of the “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” University and after that it submits it for adoption by the IZIIS’ Academic Council. After acceptance of the positive reviewing report, the Academic Council appoints Commission for Public Defense of the doctoral dissertation composed of at least 5 members and schedules the time for its public defense.

DEFENSE OF DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

The candidate defends the doctoral dissertation in public, in front of a Commission composed of 5 members, at the scheduled time, in line with the prescribed procedure for public defense of doctoral dissertations at IZIIS.

After successful defense of the doctoral dissertation, the Commission signs a resolution and publicly proclaims that the candidate has acquired the highest academic degree of doctor of technical sciences.

DOCTORAL STUDIES WITHIN INTERNATIONAL FRAMES

The programme of the doctoral studies is performed on English language. 

FINANCING

Education leading to the academic degree of doctor of technical sciences is financed, in several ways as follows:

1. Complete or partial financing of the most successful candidates directly from governments or governmental institutions of interested countries;
2. Through international fellowships from different sources awarded to the most successful candidates.
3. Financing of individual candidates by industry, i.e., for the needs of specific companies;
4. Financing of candidates from available European and World funds (through different prescribed instruments and programmes);
5. Self-financing of interested candidates from different regions and countries from Europe and the World.

The amount of financial resources for attendance and accomplishment of doctoral studies at IZIIS is defined based on a decision made by the IZIIS’ Council for each concrete academic year.