The process of awarding a doctor’s degree implemented as a part of the CUE Doctoral Program includes the following procedures described in the form of 13 steps. The first element is the elaboration of the initial concept (draft) of doctoral dissertation. In the case of advanced work on a doctoral dissertation, at the joint request of a Participant of the CUE Doctoral Program (later called the doctoral candidate) and a tutor’s supervision, research supervisor, this procedure may start with the preparation of an individual research plan (IRP), omitting the elaboration of the initial concept (draft) of doctoral dissertation. The application for the approval of IRP, the title of the doctoral dissertation, and the designation of subjects covered by the doctoral examination (Step 5) should be accompanied by an application for the appointment of a supervisor.
We kindly remind you that according to the Polish low (Act of 20 July 2018 Law on higher education and science) together with the Regulations on earning a doctor’s degree in the course of extramural program at Cracow University of Economics a doctor’s degree may be awarded to a person who has reached learning outcomes at level 8 of PQF while the learning outcomes in the knowledge of one modern foreign language have been confirmed by a certificate or a diploma of graduation attesting the knowledge of that language at least at B2 level.
Step 1. Elaboration of the initial concept (draft) of doctoral dissertation
The initial concept (draft) of doctoral dissertation is prepared under the tutor’s supervision as part of the conducted seminar classes. The initial concept (draft) of doctoral dissertation is prepared on the basis of the research proposal presented during the recruitment.
Step 2. Appointing a supervisor
A supervisor (or supervisors or supervisor and an auxiliary supervisor) is appointed at the request of the respective Council of the Discipline after a positive evaluation on the initial concept (draft) of doctoral dissertation.
Should the evaluation be negative, the Scientific Council of CUE Doctoral School shall indicate the directions and steps to be taken, prerequisite for reaching a positive evaluation. The initial concept (draft) of the doctoral dissertation with a negative evaluation result needs to be resubmitted to the Scientific Council of CUE Doctoral School.
After obtaining a positive evaluation of the initial concept (draft) of doctoral dissertation, the doctoral candidate’s application for the appointment of a supervisor is forwarded to the respective Council of the Discipline.
Step 3. Elaboration (preparation) of Individual Research Plan (IRP)
Individual Research Plan (IRP) – description of research intentions which are the basis for preparing a doctoral dissertation and applying for a doctoral degree. The doctoral candidate prepare an individual research plan under the guidance of the supervisor or supervisors, which is then to be presented at an open scientific meeting.
IRP should:
a. justify the selection of a research problem,
b. present the goal, research hypotheses, research questions,
c. indicate the research methodology that allows for an original solution to the research problem,
d. contain a declaration of other research, conference and publication activities.
The individual research plan shall be prepared within the framework of individual work with the supervisor in the course of seminars.
Step 4. Presentation and discussion on the proposed project of IRP
The presentation and discussion on the individual research plan (IRP) shall be organized in the course of an open discussion during meetings organized online on the MS Teams platform.
The participant shall submit a plan of individual research to scientific tutor/supervisor. The discussion is attended by members of the respective Council of the Discipline, Scientific Council of CUE Doctoral School and researchers appointed by the Supervisor.
The host of the meeting is the tutor (supervisor). A protocol (minutes of the meeting) should be drawn up from the meeting. The scientific supervisors, within the set date, send to the address phd.program@uek.krakow.pl a link to the meeting along with the time of the meeting as well as the name and e-mail address of the person who will draw up the protocol.
Step 5. Application to the Council of the Discipline regarding the approval of IRP, the title of the doctoral dissertation and designation of subjects covered by the doctoral examination
After the completion of the meeting and introducing any changes, the final version of IRP is submitted along with the opinion of the supervisor and auxiliary supervisor (if applicable) and the documents listed below.
The final plan of individual research shall then be submitted to the Council of the Discipline. The Council of the Discipline shall pass a resolution on:
a) approval of the individual research plan,
b) approval of the title of the dissertation,
d) designation of two subjects covered by the doctoral examination (a subject related to the discipline of the dissertation and one subject from an additional discipline). The additional disciplines include philosophy, sociology and other scientific disciplines in which CUE has the right to confer doctoral degrees.
Step 6. Implementation of IRP – preparation of doctoral dissertation
Editing of doctoral dissertation – recommendations
Step 7. Verification of the doctoral dissertation by the Unified Antiplagiarism System
The doctoral candidate sends the supervisor the finished thesis in pdf format. The supervisor places the dissertation in the JSA system. After receiving the report from the JSA, the supervisor decides on the acceptance of the report and the submission of the dissertation by the doctoral candidate to the Center for Doctoral Education and Procedures (CDEP) together with the statement or sends the report to the doctoral candidate with an order for improvement.
Step 8. Submission of the doctoral dissertation – application to initiate the commencing procedures to award a doctor’s degree
The application to initiate the commencing procedures to award a doctor’s degree is verified and reviewed by the Scientific Council of CUE Doctoral School.
Step 9. Assessment of the doctoral dissertation by external reviewers
The respective Council of the Discipline appoints 3 reviewers from persons who are not faculty of CUE or work for Polish Academy of Sciences, a research institute or an international institute, Centrum Lukasiewicz or Lukasiewicz Network Institute where the person applying for a doctor’s degree may be employed.
The reviewers shall write a review of the dissertation within two months of its submission. To become appointed a reviewer, a person shall hold the degree of a habilitated doctor or the title of a professor. A person who is employed by a foreign university or an institution may become a reviewer even if he does not fulfill the conditions stipulated by section 3 provided the Council of the Discipline recognizes exceptional accomplishments of such person in the area covered by the dissertation.
Step 10. Doctoral examinations
Sitting a doctoral examination with a positive result is prerequisite for admission to the doctoral dissertation defence. The doctoral examination shall be held by an examination board of at least five members. The examination board shall include::
b) the examiners in two subjects included in the doctoral examination – the examiners shall hold at least a degree of a habilitated doctor in the discipline covered by the examination,
a) the chairperson selected from the members of the Scientific Council of CUE Doctoral School,
c) at least two members holding a degree of a habilitated doctor or the title of a professor.
The form of the examination shall be decided upon by the examination board. Should a doctoral candidate fail one of the examinations, at his request the Discipline may allow another sitting of the examination. The doctoral examination shall be organized by Center for Doctoral Education and Procedures. The doctoral examination may be evaluated as positive or negative. Should there be differences of opinion among the examination board members, the chairperson of the board shall have the casting vote.
Step 11. Admission to a public defence of doctoral dissertation
On receiving the reviews the Doctoral Board takes a decision on admitting a doctoral student to a public defence of the dissertation. The resolution on admission shall be in the form of a decision. The person admitted to the defence of the doctoral dissertation shall:
a) have received positive reviews from at least two reviewers,
b) have sat a doctoral examination with a positive result.
Step 12. Public defence of the doctoral dessertation
Public defence of the doctoral dissertation shall be held before the Doctoral Board.
Step 13. Conferment of a doctor’s degree
A doctor’s degree is awarded on the basis of the resolution passed by the Discipline Council by a secret ballot by the absolute majority of votes, with at least a half of the statutory composition attending.