On this page, you can find everything connected to registering your topic, writing your doctoral thesis and defending your thesis at the third-level programme Materials Science and Engineering.
During your studies
For every subject passed, doctoral students must submit the “Exam Completion Certificate” – signed by the relevant professor – to the Student Administration Office. Also you have to submit a report on attendance on organised lectures.
Doctoral thesis
The condition for completing the study programme and obtaining the academic title Doctor of Science is for the candidate to successfully complete all the requirements demanded by the programme and successfully defend his or her doctoral thesis. The doctoral candidate is required to publish at least one scientific article on the subject of his or her thesis; it must be published in one of the SCI, SSCI or A&HCI indexed journals. The doctoral candidate must be the first author of the article. The scientific article must be published or accepted for publication before the defence of the doctoral thesis.
Registering the topic
The student is required to register the disposition of his or her doctoral thesis during Year 2 of the third-level doctoral study programme. By the end of February of the current year, the student must submit the “Application for registering the doctoral thesis topic” with all the necessary appendices.
After the appointment of the members of Doctoral Studies Committee (DSC) a doctoral candidate shall present the doctoral dissertation proposal to the appointed DSC.
Conditions for mentors / co-mentors
The Office of Doctoral Studies at the University of Ljubljana gives the following conditions for mentors: The minimal requirements for demonstrating the mentor’s research activities – in the case of basic research – is a bibliography of the past five years’ worth a 150 points according to SICRIS and also more than zero points on A1/2 important achievements.
More you can read on https://www.uni-lj.si/en/study/doctoral-study/supervision/conditions-for-supervisors
Instructions for writing the thesis
The doctoral thesis is prepared following the instructions given by the mentor and in accordance with the rules on doctoral studies. The attachment contains instructions for writing the first inside pages of the doctoral thesis.
Doctoral thesis topics validity
- A doctoral candidate enrolled in a three-year doctoral study programme shall submit their doctoral dissertation four years after being confirmed by the University of Ljubljana’s Doctoral Studies Committee
- A doctoral candidate enrolled in a four-year doctoral study programme shall submit their doctoral dissertation to the member faculty in electronic and written form, together with the consent of the mentor and co-mentor, within two years following enrolment in the final year of the study programme or following enrolment in an additional year.
Instructions for submitting the thesis before the presentation
Once mentor confirms that the doctoral thesis is adequate, the student then sends it via e-mail to the other committee members for review and they in turn provide potential corrections.
Presentation of the research work
During the final phase of research work and when it is already possible to draw conclusions in accordance with established hypotheses and research questions, the doctoral candidate shall present the results of their research work, with an emphasis on the main findings and contribution to science.
A minute shall be done on the presentation and shall include the written questions of members of the committee and the decision regarding the success/failure of the presentation. If corrections to the draft doctoral dissertation are required, the committee shall set a deadline by which the doctoral candidate shall resubmit their draft. That deadline shall not exceed one year.
Submitting final version of PhD
Before submitting an electronic version of the final work to VIS system a final work (in MS Word) must be sent to student’s office majda.strakl@ntf.uni-lj.si for technical review. With the agreement of mentor student uploads final work in VIS student system and submit to student’s office required number of hard copies. For the information on number of hard copies of PhD contact student’s office.
Evaluation of PhD by the members of the commission
Members of the CSD separately prepare the assessment of PhD thesis within two months after receiving the final version of disertation. Instructions were sent to members of the CSD when disposition was confirmed.
PhD viva
PhD viva or public defence is an academic discussion between the doctoral candidate, members of the DSC and members of the public with an interest. The main purpose of the viva is the presentation of the doctoral dissertation.
When assessments of disertation are confirmed by the faculty Senate, the student may defend the thesis. The defence can be organised 3 days after assesments are confirmed by the Faculty’s Senate at the earliest and in one month after being confirmed by the Senate at the latest.
After the successful defence of the doctoral thesis, the student receives a temporary certificate on finishing his or her studies; it is valid until the original diploma is issued – the student receives it at the doctoral award ceremony (promotion). The procedure for the promotion begins immediately after the student’s scientific article is published. In the event the article was already published, the procedure starts immediately; otherwise, it is launched only when the student forwards a certificate proving publication to the Student Administration Office.