Organisation of Doctoral Studies

ORGANISATION OF DOCTORAL STUDIES – BIOLOGY

Doctoral field: Biology

Duration of studies: 3 years (6 semesters)

PPUA – Advanced University Training Program (1 semester)

DISCIPLINES:

• Scientific research methodology
• Ethics of scientific research
• Designing and writing a scientific paper
• Statistical processing of experimental data

Scientific Research Program (5 Semesters)

• The research project has the role of defining the doctoral topic, the general framework of the studies and their development, the study objectives, the targeted research methodology, the schedule of the planned activities, etc.
• Report 1 (semester II): Bibliographic report that includes the analysis of the current state of knowledge in the field for the specific doctoral topic.
• Report 2 (semester III): Interim results of the research
• Report 3 (Semester IV): Interim research results
• Defending the doctoral thesis in front of the doctoral supervisor and the guidance commission
• Public defense of the doctoral thesis

CONTENT OF THE UNIVERSITY DOCTORAL STUDIES PROGRAM

Doctoral student training program
The cycle of doctoral studies is composed of the “Advanced Training Program”, credited with 30 ECTS credits, lasting one semester and the “Scientific Research Program” lasting five semesters, completed with the defense of the doctoral thesis.

Advanced university training program

The advanced training program is carried out in SDB on the basis of a curriculum approved by the CSUD and approved by the Senate. Completion of this program must ensure the obtaining of 30 ECTS credits. The curriculum includes a semester in which compulsory subjects are studied, which ensures all doctoral students a unitary vision in approaching scientific research in the doctoral field and, respectively, management skills of scientific research projects, capitalization of scientific results, scientific research ethics and notions of biostatistics. Compulsory subjects are planned modularly. The evaluation is made by the course holder with the grades “Very good”, “Good”, “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory”.

If the doctoral supervisor considers it necessary for the doctoral student to acquire basic knowledge that is taught in the Research Masters hosted by the Doctoral School, or in other bachelor’s or master’s programs, he may ask the student to take certain courses, in any semester of the doctoral training, without taking the exam, with the consent of the holder of the respective course and of the management of the faculty in which they are taught.

The 1st semester of the first year ends with the elaboration of the Project of the Scientific Research Program, which has the role of defining the doctoral topic, the general framework of studies and their development, study objectives, targeted research methodology, schedule of activities, etc. The doctoral topic is established by the doctoral supervisor together with the doctoral student, being correlated with the field of expertise of the doctoral supervisor, with the UVVG topics and strategy.
The evaluation of the research project, including the doctoral topic, is done by an evaluation committee composed of the doctoral supervisor and the guidance committee.

Graduates of the research Master’s degree programs hosted by the Doctoral School can be equated with the compulsory subjects included in the Advanced Training Program. In this sense, the Master’s graduates will submit a request to the Doctoral School Council, which will analyze the equivalence of the disciplines and will grant the right of equivalence. The application will be accompanied by the files of the disciplines studied within the Master programs proposed for equivalence.

Scientific research program

The scientific research program is organized individually for each doctoral student by the doctoral supervisor together with the doctoral student. The responsibility regarding the fulfillment of the scientific research program belongs first of all to the doctoral student and secondly to the doctoral supervisor, both being signatories of the doctoral studies contract.

The scientific research program begins after the admission of the scientific research project, which thus becomes the program for the doctoral thesis.
The research activity of the doctoral student is evaluated through three research reports presented to the guidance committee and the doctoral supervisor, as follows:
In the second semester of the first year, the doctoral student will present a bibliographic report (Report 1) which includes the analysis of the current state of knowledge in the field for the specific doctoral topic.
two reports in the second year of doctoral studies that will include intermediate research results; each doctoral supervisor will decide on the content of these reports.

The deadlines for submitting research reports are set out in the individual scientific research plan. The terms for submitting the three reports can be extended at the request of the doctoral student, with the approval of the doctoral supervisor and with the approval of the director of the doctoral school.

The presentations of the reports are evaluated by a grade: “very good”, “good”, “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory”, by a commission composed of the doctoral supervisor and the guidance commission. The observations and suggestions of the members of the evaluation commission, as well as of the invited members of the department are noted in the minutes, and the doctoral student must take them into account for the completion of the thesis.

In case of rejection of a report (which obtained the grade “unsatisfactory”), the doctoral student will again support it before the same committee.

The actual date of each oral presentation (presentation of the report) is set by the doctoral supervisor, following the receipt of a written request from the doctoral student. The interval between two consecutive exposures may not exceed 12 months. The doctoral supervisor may not be absent from any presentation, and at least 2 members must be present from the steering committee at each presentation.

The report on the progress of the doctoral research is submitted to the CSD, together with the minutes signed by the doctoral supervisor and the members of the guidance committee who were present, within 3 working days from the date of the report. The minutes are included in the doctoral student’s file.

The scientific research program and implicitly the doctoral university studies end with the elaboration and public defense of the doctoral thesis.

SDB regularly organizes specialized conferences held by UVVG collaborators with international visibility in the field of Doctoral School, to which all doctoral students are invited, regardless of the stage of the training program, in order to provide them with access to up-to-date specialized information at national level. and international. These optional trainings will be explicitly mentioned in the individual training plan of the doctoral student.

SDB regularly organizes specialized conferences held by UVVG collaborators with international visibility in the field of Doctoral School, to which all doctoral students are invited, regardless of the stage of the training program, in order to provide them with access to up-to-date specialized information at national level. and international. These optional trainings will be explicitly mentioned in the individual training plan of the doctoral student.