Introduction
On 29 May 2019 the Doctoral School of the University of Wrocław, an organised form of doctoral training, was established. The training of doctoral students in particular disciplines will now be carried out in doctoral colleges established within the doctoral school at faculties appropriate to the respective councils of scientific disciplines.
The training programmes at the Doctoral School at the University of Wrocław focus both on providing doctoral students with the highest qualifications in a given scientific field and on supporting them in the implementation of their doctoral theses, and on sharing the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to independently manage their own careers (including building a research and teaching workshop, working in interdisciplinary and international teams and supporting them in conducting their own research projects). Doctoral students at the UWr Doctoral School benefit from implementation doctorates, Preludium BIS and OPUS projects. Currently, the Doctoral School at the University of Wrocław educates over 300 doctoral students, every tenth of whom is a foreigner.
Currently, there are 16 colleges at the UWr. The Doctoral School at the University of Wrocław offers about twenty courses, including some available in English. Education at all doctoral schools is free and lasts four years. In addition, each doctoral student at the Doctoral School receives financial support in the form of a scholarship.
The programme at the Doctoral College of Sociology considers recommendations of the Bologna Seminar “Doctoral Programmes for the European Knowledge Society”, which was held in 2005 in Salzburg at the initiative of Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, German Ministry of Education and Science and the European University Association. The recommendations and conclusions from the seminar are continuously promoted by the European University Association.
By launching a new programme at the Doctoral College of Sociology, we place particular emphasis on three of the recommendations we intend to implement:
the main component of curriculum concerns the doctoral students carrying out their own research,
the doctoral students are perceived as professionals who have significant contribution in broadening of the knowledge,
the curriculum of doctoral studies assumes promotion of mobility both in international dimension and between the university and other entities and within the university between various disciplines.
Recruitment rules to the Doctoral College of Sociology at the Doctoral School of the University of Wrocław
List of required documents
Application (including information on the planned subject of doctoral thesis and the name of the proposed research supervisor);
Personal questionnaire completed in applicable online candidate recruitment system;
Diploma of graduating from 2nd degree studies or uniform Master’s studies or other document entitling to apply for admission to a doctoral school (the original will be available for inspection to verify its conformity with the original); in the case of diploma acquired abroad (outside of Poland) an apostille or certification by the Polish consulate is required.
A written opinion of the research supervisor selected from among independent research fellows of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Wrocław regarding the draft outline of doctoral thesis including the declaration of providing research guidance for the candidate;
The initial outline of doctoral thesis;
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); 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 presenting the certificate.
The copy of a document confirming the legalisation of stay in Poland along with the original for inspection (in case of foreigners); it is possible to be admitted to the entrance exam without the copy of the document confirming the legalisation of stay and to present the document in case of positive result of the entrance exam.
The documents should be submitted in Polish or English language.
The confirmation of the recruitment fee payment
Rules of recruitment
The candidates will be admitted to the Doctoral College of Sociology of the Doctoral School of the University of Wrocław based on a competition within the scope of the available limit of places.
The result of the competition expressed in points will be determining the admission to the Doctoral College of Sociology of the Doctoral School of the University of Wroclaw.
The following items are scored: draft outline of doctoral thesis accepted by the proposed research supervisor, research achievements to date and activity in student research clubs, answers during the oral entrance exam to questions regarding the draft outline of doctoral thesis and general knowledge of the candidate in the given research discipline.
The entrance exam can be conducted in the form of a videoconference upon the consent of the recruitment commission.
The minimum score required to be admitted to the Doctoral College of Sociology is 60 points.
The following scoring is defined for the draft outline of doctoral thesis, research achievements and entrance exam:
No
Assessed topic
Requirements/detailed description
Scoring
1.
Initial outline of doctoral thesis
Acceptance by a proposed research supervisor; Volume 20-40 thousand characters including spaces, content encompassing as minimum: introduction and definition of a research topic including the justification, review of the literature on the subject, methodology and approach to the research; planned content of doctoral thesis, bibliography in Harvard style
0-30 points
2.
Research publications
A copy of the publication or a statement confirming the admission to printing should be attached:
5 points – articles published in journals listed in databases: Scopus, Web of Science, ERIH Plus and own monographs published by publishers from the list of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW) dated 18 January 2019.
3 points – other articles in journals from the list of journals of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education dated 25.01.2017, list from 2019 or the chapters in edited volumes published by publishers from the list of MNiSW dated 18 January 2019.
c. 1 point – other research articles or chapters
0-10 points
3.
Participation in research projects
Confirmation of participation from the project leader or decisions on allocation of funds should be attached.
3 points – role of a research fellow or a leader in projects: NCN, NCBiR, MNiSW, H2020, ERC, European Commission and other foreign institutions and organisations
1 point – role of a research fellow or a leader in other projects
0-5 points
4.
Activity in student scientific clubs, participation in organisational committees of conferences or activity promoting the science
A statement from the organisers of the event should be attached, in case of student scientific clubs – a statement issued by the research club supervisor.
The commission shall award the score based on qualitative assessment of the achievements.
0-5 points
5.
Active participation in a scientific conference (including a presentation, poster etc.)
Conference program and certificate/statement from the organisers should be attached
1 point – student-doctoral conference,
2 point – nation-wide conference,
3 point – international conference (minimum 30% of participants with the papers from outside the country of the organiser)
0-5 points
6.
Research scholarships and awards awarded both within and outside the University, participation in student exchange programs (Erasmus+, Most, other)
A certificate, confirmation or a diploma should be attached.
The commission shall award the score based on qualitative assessment of the achievements.
0-5 points
7.
Entrance exam – discussion on the submitted draft outline of doctoral thesis
0-20 points
8.
Entrance exam – assessment of general knowledge in the area of the given discipline
Random questions from the list of exam topics
0-20 points
Total
0-100 points
The list of exam topics (entrance exam)
Basic concepts in sociology
Macro- and micro-perspectives on society
Sociological theories: basic assumptions and concepts
Basic problems of the subfields of sociology
Contemporary theories of social change
Sociological approaches to globalization
Culture and identity
Conceptualization and social research design
Key debates in contemporary social science methodology
Quantitative and qualitative approaches to data analysis in sociology
