How to apply – application step by step

 

Step 1: Choosing your discipline

Choose the scientific or artistic discipline within which you wish to pursue your PhD.

You can enter the admissions process for two or more disciplines. If you qualify for admission to more than one discipline, you will be required to choose only one discipline and resign from the others before commencing your education process.

You do not have to choose disciplines that are the same as the field of study that you have completed. Remember, however, that in the admissions procedure you must document at least one scientific or artistic achievement that fits into the discipline for which you are applying.

The UR Doctoral School does not charge a fee for the admissions procedure.

 

Step 2: Finding your future supervisor and defining the topic of your future dissertation

The UR Doctoral School offers candidates the topic of a doctoral dissertation selected from the current list of thematic proposals for scientific or artistic areas, available on the website of the UR Doctoral School, approved by the Council of Disciplines.

You must attach the following to the research topic:

  • initial assumptions of the planned research or artistic activities;
  • a description of the main assumptions of the research hypothesis;
  • an opinion of the potential supervisor on the initial assumptions of the planned research or artistic activities.

Contact your potential doctoral dissertation supervisor and obtain his/her approval. Please note that:

  • Your proposal indicating a potential doctoral dissertation supervisor together with a justification of the indicated proposal in relation to the initial assumptions of the planned scientific research or artistic activities that you intend to carry out during your training at the UR Doctoral School,
  • acceptance of the potential doctoral dissertation supervisor to undertake scientific supervision.

are all documents required for electronic registration.

The supervisor may be a person with the degree of habilitated doctor or professor title.

Any academic teacher employed at the University of Rzeszów who has scientific or artistic achievements in the field of research of the candidate for a doctoral degree may act as his/her supervisor.

An academic teacher or a researcher employed outside the University of Rzeszów may also act as a supervisor on condition that the University of Rzeszów does not employ a person with scientific or artistic achievements in the field of research of the doctoral candidate.

 

Step 3: Developing a concept for a future dissertation under your supervisor

Please note that the list of required documents includes preliminary assumptions for the planned scientific research or artistic activity. Therefore:

  • study the literature, define what interests you, what the aim of your research will be, what you want to achieve and what problem you intend to solve as a result of your dissertation;
  • define research methods for verification of your dissertation objectives;
  • draw up a preliminary timetable for your research, identify the stages and define the outcomes for them, by means of which you will measure the progress of your research.

This is also a topic you may be asked about during an interview.

 

Step 4: Opinion on the candidate

Your application documents must also include an opinion of an academic staff member holding a doctorate or a post-doctorate degree or a professor title on your academic work to date. The author of the opinion cannot be a person who runs a common household with the candidate or remains with the candidate in a relationship of kinship, affinity to the second degree or in a relation of adoption, custody or guardianship.

 

Step 5: Completing documents

Check the current document requirements and prepare an electronic version of the documents. There is no obligation to provide originals at the e-registration stage. Remember to upload scans of all required documents into the admissions system. If even one document is missing, your application will be rejected. If you have additional academic and artistic achievements within the discipline you are applying for, please attach scans of documents confirming these achievements as well. The admissions committee may thus award you additional points.

 

Step 6: Admissions schedule

The admissions procedure is conducted according to the schedule. Remember to adhere to the specified deadlines. Electronic registration begins on August 1, 2025.

 

Step 7: Be prepared for an interview

If you meet all the formal requirements, you will be invited for an interview. The interview may be conducted face-to-face or remotely. The interview will be conducted by the committee. Each member of the committee has the right to ask you questions.

The interview is scored according to a scale of 0 - 40 points. A score of at least 20 points is considered a positive result of the interview. Please note that if you score less than 20 points in the interview, you will not be qualified for admission to the UR Doctoral School even if you score high in other recruitment criteria.

Detailed information about the interview can be found in the Assessment Criteria tab.

 

Step 8: Results

The results of the admissions procedure are public and will be available on the UR Doctoral School website. If you qualify for admission to the UR Doctoral School you will be required to provide original documents. Failure to submit documents within the specified time, or the submission of incomplete documents will result in a refusal of admission to the UR Doctoral School.