Postgraduate and doctoral studies

Postgraduate and doctoral studies are the main forms of training scientific-pedagogical and scientific personnel of the highest qualification.

In Ukraine, postgraduate and doctoral studies are available in higher educational institutions of the third or fourth levels of accreditation and postgraduate educational institutions equated to them, in scientific institutions with highly qualified scientific and pedagogical and scientific staff, modern research, experimental and material bases.

Postgraduate studies are conducted with a break (full-time, full-time education) and without a break from production (part-time).

During their studies, graduate students master the methods of scientific research, pass candidate exams and conduct research in the chosen scientific direction of the dissertation. In Ukraine, candidate exams consist of philosophy, foreign language (optional), specialty (depending on the specialty for which the dissertation is prepared). Those enrolled in graduate school with a break from production under the state order receive a state scholarship (graduate students enrolled under the contract are not entitled to receive a state scholarship). After the end of the study period, graduate students must complete work on the candidate’s dissertation and submit it for defense.

Doctoral students are persons who have the degree of Candidate of Sciences, scientific achievements and published works in the chosen scientific specialty and who can conduct basic, exploratory and applied research at a high level.

The result of the three-year activity of the doctoral student is the scientific work for the degree of Doctor of Sciences, and after the public defense of the work – the approval of the Higher Attestation Commission of Ukraine and the award of the scientific degree. A citizen of Ukraine who holds the degree of Candidate of Sciences may enter the doctoral program not earlier than 5 years after the defense of the relevant dissertation.

Activities in the field of training of scientific and pedagogical and scientific-personnel are regulated by the “Regulation on training of scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel”, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine from 01.03.1999 No. 309. Allocating a state order for training scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel , the state pays great attention to the rational use of budget funds. The main criteria for the effectiveness of graduate school is the number of dissertations defended by applicants during postgraduate school. As a result, much of the responsibility lies directly with postgraduate students.

Rights and responsibilities of postgraduate students

Postgraduate students have the right to:

  1. Use educational-industrial, scientific, cultural-sports, health-improving base of higher educational establishments, scientific establishments.
  2. Obtain any open scientific information and scientific advice.
  3. Participate in scientific activities of the department, department, laboratory.
  4. Receive the state scholarship of the established size in case of enrollment in training with separation from production by the state order.
  5. Interrupt the training for valid reasons with its further continuation. The duration and number of study interruptions, as well as the seriousness of the reasons are determined by the academic council of the higher educational institution, scientific institution.
  6. Take annual holidays of up to two calendar months, which are included in the total period of study in the case of enrollment in part-time study.
  7. Participate in elections to self-governing bodies of a higher educational institution, scientific institution.
  8. Have part-time job in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine (on the basis of concluded agreements).
  9. Have safe and harmless conditions of study and work.
  10. Be provided with tidy housing in the case of enrollment in off-the-job training under the state order – for the duration of training, subject to payment of the cost of housing by graduate student (out-of-town).
  11. Assignment by higher educational institutions, scientific institutions to postgraduate students of duties not related to the preparation of the dissertation is prohibited.

Postgraduate students are required to:

  1. Comply with the requirements of law, moral, ethical standards of conduct.
  2. Deeply master the knowledge, practical skills, professional skills, raise the general cultural level.
  3. Master the methodology of scientific research.
  4. Execute an individual plan of work on the dissertation. The individual work plan of the graduate student provides for passing the candidate exams in the specialty, foreign language and philosophy, and if necessary – an additional exam determined by the specialized academic council of the institution, the institution where the dissertation is defended, and tests in disciplines determined by the academic council. scientific institution taking into account the profile of training, as well as pedagogical practice.
  5. Report on the progress of the dissertation at a meeting of the department, department, laboratory, academic council of the higher educational institution, scientific institution.
  6. Defend the dissertation in due time or to submit it to a specialized scientific council.
  7. Adhere to the statute and rules of procedure of the higher educational institution, scientific institution.

What is required for the successful implementation of paragraph 6 of the above commitments?

Postgraduate students in the first year of study must:

  1. Attend classes in philosophy and relevant foreign language.
  2. Submit to the postgraduate department an excerpt from the meeting of the department on the approval of the supervisor.
  3. Submit and approve:
  4. a) the topic of an essay on philosophy. The topic is agreed upon at the Department of Philosophy (the abstract must be prepared for admission to the candidate exam);
  5. b) a book of a foreign publication or scientific articles in a foreign language for translation are approved by the supervisor and the lecturer to whom the graduate student is assigned.

  6. Submit to the Postgraduate Department an extract from the meeting of the department and the academic council of the structural unit of the university (faculty or institute) on the approval of the dissertation topic; approved individual work plan of the postgraduate student, signed by the supervisor; prepared essays on philosophy and relevant foreign language.
  7. Pass the certification for the first half of the academic year at the meeting of the department and fill in the individual plan.
  8. Approve certification at the meeting of academic councils of faculties or institutes for the first half of the academic year.
  9. Submit to the Postgraduate Department results of the certification:
  10. a) extracts from the meeting of the academic council of faculty or institute and the department meeting; b) filled in and signed the individual work plan of the postgraduate student.

To transfer to the second year of study, postgraduate students have to:

  1. Successfully pass the postgraduate exams in philosophy and relevant foreign language.
  2. Take the initiative and perform the tasks of the supervisor on the topic of research.
  3. Select the relevant literature and compile literature review.
  4. Formulate the aims and objectives of the research, choose and master methods of research and the completion of the set tasks.
  5. Conduct research and approbation of the research results at academic conferences and prepare and publish two articles in professional journals.

Postgraduate students of the second year with in-service training and postgraduate students of the third year of study without the in-service training need:

  1. To undergo pedagogical internship (to prepare and give lectures on a specialty, to carry out laboratory or practical classes with students under the guidance of the scientific adviser) in the terms determined by the specialized department. Report on the results of the internship at the meeting of the department and submit an extract from the meeting to the postgraduate department.
  2. To conduct experimental research determined by the individual work plan of the postgraduate student.
  3. To periodically report on the results of the study at scientific seminars and meetings of the specialized department and be approbated at least at two academic conferences in this field
  4. To publish or submit for publication at least two articles in professional journals.
  5. To finish collecting material to complete the dissertation research.
  6. To write and submit for review to the supervisor and leading specialists in this field the second and third chapters of the dissertation.
  7. To clearly formulate the stages of completion of the dissertation research.

Postgraduate students of the third year of in-service training and the fourth year of in-service training have to:

  1. Pass the postgraduate exam in the specialty in which the postgraduate student is studying.
  2. Publish the main results of the dissertation research in professional journals and to approbate them at academic conferences.
  3. Clearly formulate the conclusions of the dissertation and show the personal contribution of the postgraduate student in the implementation of the set academic objective during this research.
  4. Fully complete the work on the dissertation.
  5. Prepare for the preliminary defense of the PhD candidate dissertation at the meeting of the department.
  6. Pass the certification at the meeting of the department for the entire period of study.
  7. Submit dissertation materials to a specialized academic council.

 

Detailed information can be found on the website of Doctoral and Post-Graduate Studies