External PhD program

Resolution No. 27/2025

of the Senate of the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce
dated 24 April 2025

amending Resolution No. 5/2021 of the Senate of the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce of 28 January 2021
on the adoption of the Regulations defining the rules and procedure for awarding the doctoral degree in the discipline

https://bip.ujk.edu.pl/uchwala_nr_27_2025.html

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CANDIDATES – EXTERNAL PHD PROGRAM

1. Before initiating the procedure, the candidate submits an application for the appointment of a supervisor or supervisors, or a supervisor and an auxiliary supervisor, using the template provided in Appendix No. 6 to the Regulations.

2. The application for the appointment of a supervisor or supervisors, or a supervisor and an auxiliary supervisor, must be accompanied by the following documents:

a) the Candidate’s personal questionnaire, in the form specified in Appendix No. 7 to the Regulations,
b) the original or a copy of the diploma of completion of long-cycle Master’s degree studies with a diploma supplement, or the originals or copies of diplomas of completion of first- and second-cycle studies with supplements. In the case of a person referred to in § 3(7) – the original or a copy of the diploma of completion of first-cycle studies with a supplement, or a certificate of completion of the third year of long-cycle Master’s degree studies. In the case of studies completed abroad, the documents must be legalized or bear an apostille, in accordance with generally applicable regulations, and recognized as equivalent to the corresponding Polish diploma, unless legal regulations exempt from this requirement,
c) a description of the Candidate’s scientific activity, documented in the form of a list confirmed by the University Library in Kielce, containing a full bibliographic record (author’s full name, title of the scientific monograph or scientific article, name of the publisher, place of publication, month and year of publication, ISBN, eISBN, ISSN, eISSN, ISMN or DOI numbers, page numbers), as well as originals or copies of the publications,
d) a description of artistic activity, documented by a record of the work appropriate to its type and documentation of its public presentation (in both paper and electronic form, in PDF or JPG format),
e) a preliminary concept of the doctoral dissertation,
f) a declaration of the chosen additional discipline, using the form provided in Appendix No. 8 to the Regulations.

3. The Academic Council appoints a Committee for the Evaluation of the Candidate intending to prepare a doctoral dissertation in the external mode, indicating the persons to serve as Chair and Secretary:

a) The Committee for the Evaluation of the Candidate, composed of at least three members, includes:
−Chairperson – a member of the Academic Council representing the discipline in which the Candidate intends to prepare the doctoral dissertation, holding at least the degree of doktor habilitowany (postdoctoral degree),
− Two members – members of the Academic Council representing the discipline in which the Candidate intends to prepare the doctoral dissertation, each holding at least the degree of doktor habilitowany,
− In cases justified by the scope and subject of the doctoral dissertation, the Academic Council may appoint no more than one person representing a discipline other than the one in which the doctoral degree proceedings are being conducted.

b) The responsibilities of the Committee for the Evaluation of the Candidate include, in particular:
− assessing the application and achievements of the Candidate,
− informing the Candidate of the date and place of the qualification interview,
− conducting the qualification interview with the Candidate,
− determining the need to supplement the learning outcomes for qualifications at the Polish Qualifications Framework level 8 (PRK level 8),
− preparing an opinion on the Candidate based on the evaluation of the submitted application, attached documents, and the qualification interview. The Committee’s opinion includes the results of the verification of the Candidate’s attainment of learning outcomes at PRK level 8 and the conditions for their completion, based on Appendix No. 9 to the Regulations,
− in the case of a positive opinion issued by the Committee – recommending the person or persons to serve as the supervisor(s) or supervisor and auxiliary supervisor,
− if there are grounds for appointing an auxiliary supervisor, the Committee must indicate the scope of the scientific research that requires their involvement,
− promptly submitting the opinion to the Chair of the Academic Council.

4. The Academic Council adopts a resolution on the appointment of a supervisor or supervisors, or a supervisor and an auxiliary supervisor, based on the opinion of the Committee for the Evaluation of the Candidate, subject to § 5(6) and (7). In the event of refusal to appoint a supervisor or supervisors, or a supervisor and an auxiliary supervisor, the resolution of the Academic Council must include a justification stating the reason for the refusal.

5. If it is determined that there is a need to supplement learning outcomes, this process is carried out before the University Team for the Supplementation of Learning Outcomes at Polish Qualifications Framework (PRK) Level 8, composed of:

a) Chair – Director of the Doctoral School,
b) Deputy Director of the Doctoral School,
c) Heads and deputy heads of sections within the Doctoral School,
d) Chair of the Quality Assurance Committee in the Doctoral School, unless already serving in another capacity,
e) Head of the Foreign Language Teaching Unit,
f) Secretary – an employee of the Doctoral School.

6. The responsibilities of the Team referred to in point 5 include:

a) organizing and conducting the required examinations, excluding the exam in the discipline in which the Candidate is seeking the doctoral degree,
b) issuing a certificate confirming the achievement of learning outcomes at PRK level 8, using the template provided in Appendix No. 10 to the Regulations.

7. The examination in the discipline in which the Candidate is seeking the doctoral degree is conducted by a five-member Examination Committee appointed by the Academic Council of the relevant discipline from among academic staff holding the degree of doktor habilitowany or the title of professor.

a) If the Candidate does not hold a certificate or diploma confirming knowledge of a modern foreign language at B2 level, the doctoral candidate is required to take an exam under the conditions specified by the Act.

8. The procedure for awarding the doctoral degree is initiated upon the Candidate’s application, using the template provided in Appendix No. 11 to the Regulations. Within 30 days of the application submission, the Candidate’s data must be entered into the POL-on system list of persons applying for the doctoral degree.

9. Along with the application referred to in point 8, the Candidate submits to the Chair of the Academic Council the documents referred to in § 7(2), with the following modifications:

a) instead of a certificate of completion of education at the Doctoral School, the Candidate submits a certificate confirming the achievement of learning outcomes at PRK level 8. This requirement does not apply to candidates for whom the Evaluation Committee did not indicate the need to supplement learning outcomes at PRK level 8,
b) additionally, the Candidate submits a declaration of coverage of the costs of the doctoral degree proceedings. A template of this declaration is provided in Appendix No. 12 to the Regulations.

10. The Committee for the Evaluation of the Candidate adopts resolutions by secret ballot by a simple majority of votes, in the presence of at least half of its members.

11. The provisions of § 7(3–18) apply accordingly.