Frequently Asked Questions

The call for enrolment is published by University of Ljubljana for all its members in February and is available on the website of University of Ljubljana and Faculty of Arts. The application for enrolment must be submitted via the eVŠ portal within the deadline specified in the call for enrolment. The application, together with the required documentation, must also be sent by post. Candidates who do not submit a complete application will be invited to complete it. After the completion of the selection procedure, all registered candidates for enrolment are informed about the outcome of selection procedure. The deadline for enrolment in doctoral studies is September 30.

A student can apply to the call for enrolment, but must meet the condition for enrolment (eg. completed second-cycle studies or equivalent) no later than the end of enrolment (September 30).

Študentom, diplomantom študijskih programov za pridobitev magisterija znanosti, Komisija za doktorski študij na predlog predstojnika oddelka in koordinatorja področja ter v soglasju z nosilcem predmeta ob potrjevanju Individualiziranega študijskega programa študenta - v skladu z določili Zakona o visokem šolstvu - prizna študijske obveznosti (tako organizirane oblike kot tudi individualno delo) v obsegu najmanj 60 ECTS. Študenti se lahko v skladu z Merili za prehode med študijskimi programi vpišejo neposredno v 2. letnik, če se jim v celoti priznajo obveznosti 1. letnika.

Vlogo za priznavanje študent odda ob vpisu in jo obravnava oddelek ter Komisija za doktorski študij.

The choice of a mentor is very important, as the mentor monitors the student's research work during the preparation of the conceptual design of the research work, proposal of the doctoral dissertation topic and doctoral dissertation, gives instructions to the student and participates in determining the content, methods and standards of work on doctoral dissertation, and introduces the student to the research community and enable its involvement in research work.

The candidate selects the mentor (based on his / her research interests) by himself / herself, before applying for the study, as he / she must submit his / her consent to take over the mentorship by the application deadline. If the selected mentor does not meet the conditions for mentoring/supervising, the Administrative Office for Doctoral Study (Third-Cycle) informs the candidate for enrolment and sets a deadline for him to find a new mentor. A list of potential mentors who qualify for mentorship is published on the website Of Faculty of Arts and on the website of the Doctoral School.

The doctoral programme in the Humanities and Social Sciences comprises 7200 hours or 240 ECTS. Organised forms of study account for 1800 hours or 60 ECTS, and individual research work for 5400 hours or 180 ECTS. One ECTS equals 30 hours of student work. Organised forms of study represent 25% and individual research work 75% of student obligations.

Organised forms - 60 ECTS

  • Compulsory core course I* - 10 ECTS
  • Compulsory core course II* - 10 ECTS
  • Elective seminar course I** - 10 ECTS
  • Elective seminar course II** - 10 ECTS
  • External Course *** - 10 ECTS
  • Presentation of the results of the research work before defending the doctoral dissertation in front of Committee to monitor the doctoral student - 5 ECTS
  • Public defence of the doctoral dissertation - 5 ECTS

* Compulsory core courses are basic methodological and theoretical courses, compulsory for all students enrolled in individual programme fields

** Elective seminar courses direct students towards their selected study field, confirmed by the doctoral dissertation topic. Every year faculties provide for the preparation and implementation of elective seminar courses, adjusted to students’ specific fields of study or the doctoral dissertation topic.

*** External course is selected by the student and his/her mentor at a recognised foreign university, which gives the student an opportunity to research abroad and experience different approaches to research. The external courses must be selected at the latest at enrolment in the second year of studies.

Other Study Units - 180 ECTS

  • Elaboration of the doctoral dissertation topic - 15 ECTS
  • Registration and public presentation of the doctoral dissertation topic - 15 ECTS
  • Individual research work – group/project research work and preparation of the doctoral dissertation - 110 ECTS
  • Preparation of an original scientific paper for publication **** - 40 ECTS

****Publication of an original scientific paper

A student, enrolled in four-year doctoral study programme must have the scientific paper accepted for publication no later than before submitting of the doctoral dissertation for assessment.  

A student, enrolled in the three-year doctoral study programme, must have the scientific paper accepted for publication no later than before the defence of the doctoral dissertation. 

 

The suitability of the student's scientific paper before the defence of the doctoral dissertation is confirmed by the members of the Committee to monitor the doctoral student

After enrolling a student in the first year of doctoral study, the mentor, in agreement with the student, creates an individualized study programme (hereinafter: ISP). The student's ISP is determined by the syllabus of the doctoral study programme, which includes basic and (external) elective courses, doctoral seminars and research work that are evaluated with credits. The mentor determines the content and providers of the Doctoral Seminar I and II and the external elective course. An external elective course can also be determined later, but no later than when enrolling in the second year of study.

The individualized study programme may be changed, but the change must be approved by the mentor, the field coordinator and the head of the department and the final decision is made by the Committee for doctoral studies.

Conditions for progression to a higher year are determined by an accredited study programme. If the student completes all the obligations of the previous year by the end of the academic year, he / she can enrol in the higher year.

 

Conditions for progression:

For progression from the first to the second year of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Study Programme in the Humanities and Social Sciences, students have to complete 40 ECTS in organised forms of study of the first year of study (Compulsory core course I,  Compulsory core course II , Elective seminar course I, Elective seminar course II).

For progression from the second to the third year, students have to complete 10 ECTS in organised forms of study of the second year of study (External course) and have a positive assessment of the suitability of the topic of doctoral dissertation by the Committee to monitor the doctoral student confirmed by the Senate of the faculty.

For progression from the third to the fourth year, students have to have the doctoral dissertation topic confirmed by the Senate of the UL.

The last, forth year is dedicated to individual research work and the preparation and defence of a doctoral dissertation.

The doctoral dissertation proposal must be registered by the student no later than 21. December in the second year of study. The doctoral dissertation proposal is discussed by the Senate of Faculty of Arts, based on a proposal from the Committee for doctoral studies.

To register the doctoral dissertation topic the student must submit to the Administrative Office of the Doctoral study (Third-Cycle) the following document:

  • application for the approval of the doctoral dissertation topic, which must include the student’s personal information, information about the mentor and co-mentor and their consent to the declared topic, the name of the study programme and the field in which the student wishes to acquire the doctoral title, and the title of the proposed doctoral dissertation in Slovene and English, as well as a proposal for writing the doctoral dissertation in another language if applicable;
  • appendices:
    • the student’s CV, with emphasis on his/her activities in the academic field;
    • the student’s bibliography (list of published academic, professional, project and other papers);
    • consent by the ethics commission if required by the content and methods of the doctoral dissertation;
    • a doctoral dissertation topic proposal.

 

The doctoral dissertation proposal must be written and set out in accordance with the rules that apply to the structure of academic and academic papers at the appropriate Faculty of Arts department and comprise 3 to 5 printed pages in A4 format (without sources and table of contents).

 

 The doctoral dissertation proposal must include:

  • the suggested title of the doctoral dissertation (in Slovene and English, in accordance with the recommendations and instructions for writing titles, which are a constituent part of these Rules and Regulations); the academic field of the doctoral dissertation topic; overview of the narrower academic field and description of the content that the student will deal with;
  • definition of the research problem, which includes:
    • overview of current research in the topic field,
    • clearly presented hypotheses and research questions with a short explanation,
    • research concept and description of research methods,
    • definition of the expected results and original contribution to research,
    • list of relevant literature from the topic field.

 

If upon declaration of the doctoral dissertation topic the student has submitted an application to write the doctoral dissertation in a foreign language, the proposal must be written in that foreign language and translated into Slovene.

All the documentation referred to in the previous paragraph must be written in Slovene. If the student is studying foreign languages and literature, the proposal may (in addition to Slovene) also be written in the relevant language.

A three-year doctoral student must submit a doctoral dissertation no later than four years from the day when the doctoral dissertation topic was confirmed at the Senate of the UL.

A student of a three-year doctoral study programme who is unable to submit a doctoral dissertation within the deadline referred to in the previous paragraph may submit an request to the Administrative Office for Doctoral Study (Third-Cycle) to extend the deadline for submitting the doctoral dissertation or extend the validity of the doctoral dissertation topic for a maximum of one year.

A four-year doctoral student must submit a doctoral dissertation to the Administrative Office for Doctoral Study (Third-Cycle) no later than two years after the expiration of the status in the last year of the doctoral study programme or after the expiration of the status in an additional year or in accordance with the decision to extend the status for justified reasons. A student may submit a doctoral dissertation only after completing all other obligations specified in the study programme.

If a four-year student does not submit, a doctoral dissertation within the period referred to in the previous paragraph, he must submit a request for continuation or completion of studies after the interruption, accompanied by the opinion of the mentor and any co-mentor.

A student who has lost student status may continue to study for two years after the loss of status, unless the programme's accreditation expires. After the expiration of two years from the loss of status, the student is considered to have interrupted his/ her studies and must submit an application for continuation of studies after the interruption to the Administrative Office for Doctoral Study (Third-Cycle), which is considered by the Committee for doctoral studies. Based on the student's request and in accordance with the opinion of the mentor and the Committee to monitor the doctoral student, the Committee for doctoral studies checks the topicality and originality of the doctoral dissertation topic before deciding on the student's eligibility to continue or complete the studies.

In the case of a positive decision, the year in which the student can continue his / her studies or the obligations he / she must complete in order to complete the doctoral study are determined, as well as any additional costs.

A student who has not successfully passed the exam or obligation in a certain subject or seminar may repeat the examination or obligation once. The third time, the exam or obligation is carried out in from of a committee consisting of at least three members. The grade given at the committee examination is final.

A student who even in the last possible retake in accordance with the Statute of the UL does not pass the examination cannot continue with the doctoral study programme.

The costs of the third retake of the examination shall be covered by the student according to the valid price list of the faculty.

When registering a doctoral dissertation topic, a student can apply to write a doctoral dissertation in English language if he/she is a foreigner, if the foreigners are students' mentors or co-mentors or if the foreigner is a member of Committee to monitor the doctoral student. In the case of studying foreign languages ​​and literature, the candidate may apply to write a doctoral dissertation in this language as well.

The decision is taken by the Senate of the UL based on a proposal by the Senate of Faculty of Arts.

If a student submits a request for writing a doctoral dissertation in a foreign language when registering a doctoral dissertation topic, the proposal of the doctoral dissertation topic must also be written in a foreign language and translated into Slovene.