PhD Programme in Political and Administrative Sciences University of Wroclaw

Recruitment rules to the College of Political and Administrative Sciences at the Doctoral School of the University of Wrocław

Required documents also for applicants for STER Programme (doctoral scholarships for foreigners):

1. application (including information on the planned subject of doctoral thesis and the name of the proposed research supervisor);
2. application for admission to the Doctoral School printed from the IRK / IRC system, signed by the candidate with consent to the processing of personal data for the purposes of the qualification procedure and potential education at the Doctoral School;
3. photocopy of the diploma of completion of second-cycle studies or uniform master's studies or another document entitling to apply for admission to the doctoral school (the original will be available for confirmation in order to confirm compliance with the original); in the case of a diploma obtained outside Poland, an apostille or legalization of the document required;
4. a written opinion of the research supervisor selected from among independent research fellows of the Faculty of Social Sciences of University of Wrocław regarding the draft outline of doctoral thesis including the declaration of providing research guidance for the candidate
5. the initial outline of doctoral thesis;
6. a certificate or a statement confirming the knowledge of English language at B2 or equivalent level (FCE, TOEFL- 550, IELTS 5,5- 6,5, BEC Vantage and other equivalent international certificates), and for STER programme applicants a certificate or a statement confirming the knowledge of English language at C1 or equivalent level (CAE, TOEFL- 95, IELTS 7,0, BEC Higher and other equivalent international certificates); the candidates for whom English was a lecturing language during a previous stage of education or for whom it is a native language, are released from the obligation of 3 presenting the certificate.
7. a statement of the candidate for the Doctoral School of the University of Wrocław containing information: whether they have or have not got a PhD degree, whether they are academic teachers or researchers, or whether they are PhD students at another college of the Doctoral School of the University of Wrocław or at another Doctoral School (according to the required formula). The documents should be submitted in Polish or in English.
8. the confirmation of recruitment fee payment.

Foreigners submit additionally:

1. translation into Polish of a diploma or other document entitling to undertake education at the Doctoral School. The translation must be certified by a Polish sworn translator (entered on the list of sworn translators kept by the Minister of Justice), a sworn translator from the EU (if a sworn translator institution exists in a given country) or a Polish consul
2. photocopy of the document confirming the legalization of the stay (the original can be viewed to confirm compliance with the original). It is possible to admit the candidate to the entrance examination without a photocopy of the document confirming the legalization of the stay and its delivery only in the event of a positive result of the entrance examination.

The list of exam topics (entrance exam)

1. Contemporary democracies – models and characteristics
2. Public administration – structural properties and principal functions
3. Political problems in today’s world
4. Mass media in modern world
5. Politics and power
6. Populism and democracy
7. International systems of national and ethnic minorities’ rights protection
8. International organisations
9. Processes of integration and disintegration in Europe after 1945.
10. Main theories of European integration.

English language requirements

Confirmation of the knowledge of the English language:

1. The University of Wroclaw accepts worldwide recognized certificates confirming the knowledge of the English language:

TOEFL code for the University of Wroclaw is 6448.

All certificates cannot be older than three years.

2. Previous education fully taught in the English language:

The transcript of grades or the diploma/degree certificate itself needs to contain a clause stating that English was the medium of instruction.

3. Native speakers do not have to confirm their knowledge of the English language.

4. Certificate confirming graduation and passing of an exam on B2 level from a one-year English course offered by the English Language Centre of the University of Wroclaw.

5. Candidates, who had an English language exam passed on B2 level during bachelor/master level studies and this information is included to diploma supplement don't have to confirm English Language skills with separate certificate.

6. If you do not have a certificate, you can take a placement test at**:

English Language Centre

ul. Świdnicka 10 (entrance ul. Kazimierza Wielkiego)

50-068 Wroclaw

* Please be informed that during the pandemic we also accept IELTS Indicator.

** Please be informed that tests are unavailable until further notice due to the limitation of the university's activity in relation to the pandemic. At the moment ELC offers only online examinations for candidates applying for 1 year Preparatory English Language Course.

Assumptions of the Doctoral College of Political and Administrative Sciences programme

• Education at the Doctoral College of Political and Administrative Sciences will be provided in Polish or English.
• The curriculum of the Doctoral College of Political and Administrative Sciences consists of three groups of subjects:
  • OU – general university subjects (including classes in law, the ethics of scientific research and didactical methods at academic institutions;
  • ZW – subjects provided within the scope of colleges at the Faculty of Social Sciences
  • NS – subjects offered to doctoral students under the auspices of the Doctoral College of Political and Administrative Sciences

The courses will be selected by the doctoral student and his/her doctoral thesis supervisor before the beginning of the semester in which the course is to take place with the exception of elective courses carried out in the first semester when the courses will be selected by the doctoral student and his/her proposed research supervisor.

• Doctoral students learn and study both within the scope of the organised classes and within the broader scientific community.
• For the purpose of achieving the educational objectives, other obligations of a doctoral student are also envisaged, which will be included in the individual research plan prepared in agreement with supervisors and will specifically take into account the doctoral thesis preparation schedule and such elements as:
  • conducting scientific research and submitting reports on this research,
  • professional practice in the form of conducting didactic classes or participating in the classes held by university teachers – a minimum of 15 hours during the entire education cycle, no more than 60 hours during the academic year,
  • being on consultation duty,
  • active participation in scientific conferences and other scientific events (e.g. guest lectures, summer academies) – minimum 1 conference/event during the academic year,
  • participation in organisational work at the university, specifically at the unit employing the supervisor or in organisation of a doctoral conference,
  • active participation in activities popularizing the science (e.g. presentation at the Science Festival, organisation of popularization activities, popular science presentations) – minimum 1 event during the academic year,
  • participation in domestic or foreign mobility within the scope of collaboration with other research centres (e.g. Erasmus Plus and Most programs, guest lectures at other universities, didactical and research internships at other universities) – minimum 1 form of mobility during the entire education cycle,
  • preparation during the entire education cycle of a minimum of 1 scientific paper published in a scientific journal or in reviewed materials from an international conference, which during the year of publication of the paper in its final form were included in the list prepared according to the regulations issued pursuant to article 267 section 2 point 2 letter B of the Law on Higher Education and Science dated 20 July 2018 or 1 scientific monograph published by a publisher, which during the year of publication of the monograph in its final form was included in the list prepared according to the regulations issued pursuant to article 267 section 2 point 2 letter A or a chapter in such a monograph.
• An individual research plan will be presented by the doctoral student within 12 months from the date of starting the doctoral programme to a three member Committee appointed by the head of the Doctoral College of Political and Administrative Sciences from the members of the Council of Discipline responsible for the political and administrative sciences.
• The doctoral student is required to participate in scientific events such as faculty seminars, institute seminars, symposia, conventions and guest lectures.
• The achievement of the education effects can be also confirmed based on classes completed at other colleges of the Doctoral School of the University of Wrocław and at other universities both in Poland (e.g. within the scope of the MOST program) and abroad (e.g. within the scope of ERASMUS+ program).
• The doctoral student is required to complete a professional internship in the form of conducting didactical classes or participating in the classes conducted by a university teacher.
  • The internship may not exceed 60 hours during the academic year or be less than 15 hours during the entire education cycle. The internship shall be held between the 3rd and 8th The verification method of the internship shall be a credit without a grade given by the coordinator/supervisor of the given subject or a promoter based on observation.
  • The essential form of performance of the duty of professional internship concerns the doctoral student conducting didactical classes.
  • The doctoral student may be released from the obligation of conducting didactical classes on the terms defined in the statute of the Doctoral School. The release should be granted by the head of the Doctoral School College.
  • The head of a didactical unit employing the doctoral student’s promoter shall decide in agreement with the promoter the level and type of the classes to be conducted. The promoter shall make decisions regarding the participation of doctoral student in the classes of an academic teacher, their level and type and shall indicate the classes in which the doctoral student should participate.
• The doctoral student is required to be on consultation duty. The detailed rules of performance and number of hours of consultation duty is defined in separate regulations.
• The doctoral student is required to actively participate in the organisational work of the university and unit in which he receives education within the scope of the Doctoral School.
• The duties of the doctoral student specifically include participation in preparation of organised conferences, symposia, conventions and guest lectures and assistance in the performance of exams.
• The education of the doctoral student is completed by the submission of his/her doctoral thesis.