Doctoral study

PhD study programme at Faculty of  Economics and Management, SUA

Scientific activity is one of the basic priorities of every faculty, as it is one of the most important criteria for faculty accreditation by the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education. Among the faculties of public universities in the Slovak Republic, FEM has a special professional position and a long-term stable position due to its educational and scientific research activities. This is also why FEM is regularly rated as one of the best Slovak economic faculties.

In 2022, a periodic evaluation of universities was carried out in Slovakia as part of the Renewal Program. The Renewal Plan envisages regular evaluation of universities and research institutions. The goal of the evaluation process is to increase the quality of scientific creation and support the competitiveness of scientific institutions. The result of the evaluation is the quality profiles of scientific institutions within the relevant field of research. Within a given area of research, the quality profile expresses the level of research, development, artistic and other creative activity. As part of the results of the periodic evaluation in economic sciences, FEM was ranked 3rd out of all the economic faculties in Slovakia. This testifies to the significant scientific and research orientation of the faculty, which is the basis for excellent doctoral studies.

The long-term intention of the Faculty of Economics and Management of SPU in Nitra is to be among the best European research workplaces and to connect science and research with practice, to be involved in solving international, national and local scientific and research problems. For this purpose, increased emphasis is placed on the quality of education and its connection to research, especially at the doctoral level of study. The Faculty of Economics and Management has been offering doctoral studies for more than 60 years.

PhD structure at FEM SUA

The FEM PhD Programme corresponds to three years on present form or four years on external form of doctoral studies. PhD study programme consists of 180 credits: of study part (60 credits) and scientific part (120 credits). The main focus during a PhD is doing your own research, which you will start from first year. In parallel, you will undertake compulsory coursework and take part in courses, seminars, and conferences. These will provide credits which are required to progress, as well as the skills to become a researcher and an expert in your own field. As a PhD student, your main activity will be to do research, mostly on your own project. However, it is compulsory to be involved in teaching, either by teaching directly, marking papers or supervising students. Other activities will include attending conferences, giving presentations and publishing scientific papers. As a PhD student at FEM, you have access to a broad range of courses, conferences and workshops both in Slovakia and abroad. During your studies you have good opportunities to follow and contribute to the knowledge development within your research field. At the end of your study, you have your final examination as a public defence. After successful defence you will be given the title "philosophiae doctor" (PhD.). The main criteria for the award of PhD are that you have conducted independent and original scientific research and that you are capable to present this  research orally and in writing.


PhD study programmes at FEM SUA

- Economics and Management of Agriculture and Food Processing,
 
- Business Economics and Management,
 
Agrarian Trade and Marketing


A Step-by-Step Guide to Applying for PhD at FEM SUA in Nitra

Step  1     Find a study programme and topic of PhD thesis
If you decide to apply for PhD study programme at FEM, you should select study programme and topic of your PhD thesis.
         
Step  2     Admission procedures
Once you have selected study programme and topic, you should apply for formal admissions. As a general rule, qualification of master degree is obtained for admissions to PhD studies. 
 
        PhD Admission Requirements  
Step 3     Filled in Application Form for doctoral study with all supplements.
       
Supplements:
 
      Curriculum vitae (original signed by doctoral candidate) in English
      Proof of completed Master degree officially recognised at the Slovak Republic, see Recognition of higher education
      Certified copy of the Master diploma/degree certificate - a certified copy (by notary) in a foreign language and an official translation in the Slovak language is required.
      Diploma supplement - a certified copy (by notary) in a foreign language and an official translation in the Slovak language is required.
      Outline of proposed PhD project - for the selected dissertation topic the candidate writes a brief and well-structured outline of the dissertation proposal within the maximum of 5 pages, A4 format
      Motivation letter
      Certified copy of Language Qualifications
      Proof of payment of the fee for admission procedure (Handling fee)
       

Department of PhD. Studies and Science must confirm your eligibility as a doctoral candidate. This involves completing an application form with all supplements. Afterwards you as doctoral candidate are officially invited for entrance exam, where you will present outlines of PhD project.

The date for sending application forms is May 1 – May 31, 2024

Entrance exam: June 12, 2024

Select a dissertation topic

Step  4     Enrollment
Once you are admitted, your next step is to enroll. You will be officially informed and invited for enrollment which is usually organized on September. The academic year runs from September to July with holidays which broadly follow a Christian festival calendar, although as a PhD student you will be expected to work throughout the year. 

Conditions for organizing entrance exams

1. Admission to doctoral studies takes place in the form of entrance exams based on an invitation.

2. The entrance exams will take place in front of an examination/admission committee, which will consist of at least four members. It consists of the chairman and at least three members, who are appointed and dismissed by the dean of the faculty. The exact composition of the examination committee will be determined after the application deadline.
The interview will take place either through an online interview on the day of the entrance exam or by attending in person on the day of the entrance exam according to the decision of the dean of FEM SPU in Nitra.

3. During the entrance exams, the examination committee takes into account the applicant's professional knowledge of the theoretical foundations of the chosen study program, prerequisites for independent scientific work and activities in study and scientific activities during the previous stages of study.

4. Through the entrance exams, the applicant will demonstrate the potential to study in a english language. The entrance exam in a english language will be implemented in the form of communication in a english language for a selected part of the presented project.

5. Content of the entrance exam in the form of an oral interview:
- Presentation of the project on the chosen topic of the dissertation (home preparation of a maximum 10-minute presentation using ICT) - the aim of the work, the reason for choosing the topic of the dissertation, the applicant's assumptions for the research of the given topic, an overview of the literature, a preliminary proposal of the methodology, methods of obtaining background data, etc.

Tuition fees

University education in Slovakia, including the FEM PhD Programme, is free of charge for PhD. students studying in Slovak language at a present form.

Part time students studying in English language pay € 2500 for academic year.

Full time students studying in English language pay € 1900 for academic year.

Part-time students studying in Slovak language pay € 1500 for academic year.

 Other costs which you may have to take into account:

  • Application fee, if applicable: € 40
  • Medical insurance (if from outside the EU): € 100-150
  • Third-Party Liability insurance: around € 15
  • Extracurricular activities (e.g. sports, library): € 20-40

 

Contacts on Admission Office

Rules of Study of SUA in Nitra