For successful completion of the Doctoral Program, the PhD students must accumulate 180 credits, which correspond to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). The doctoral study program must include the preparation of a doctoral thesis in a subject related to the scientific area of the School of Physical Education, Sport Science and Dietetics. It also includes a program of doctoral study courses, which consist of the attendance and successful completion of courses and research activities, such as advanced statistics, research methodology, elective courses, skill development apprenticeships, scientific research project presentations and scientific publications.

A. Compulsory Courses

The School offers courses in the English language that are mandatory for the successful completion of the Doctoral Studies. The compulsory courses (Table 1) emphasize the in-depth study of research methodology and data analysis, which are required for the successful completion of the PhD thesis.

Table 1. Courses and ECTS

C = Compulsory; E = Elective

B. Elective Courses or Apprenticeships

In agreement with the supervising professor, the students choose to attend courses aimed at developing knowledge and skills related to the subject of the Doctoral Dissertation or the preparation of an apprenticeship.

• Elective courses are in the English language and must be relevant to the wider field of research of the School of Physical Education, Sport Science and Dietetics. This is confirmed for each course separately by the supervisor of the Doctoral Dissertation, who is responsible for submitting a written statement to the Secretariat. The declaration includes the supervisor’s written consent to attend the elective courses, as well as the assurance – under the supervisor’s responsibility – that the courses belong to Graduate Programs.
• The skills development apprenticeship concerns the practice of the PhD student in academic settings (laboratories, research centers, etc.) or professional bodies (clinics, centers of exercise services, sports tourism, kinetic recreation, etc.) and the connection of the theoretical training with practical application. The apprenticeship may also include participation in a research program with an obligation of deliverables, the design and submission of a proposal for the financing of research programs, training in an experimental methodology, the implementation of intervention programs, participation in a teaching project of the School, etc. The implementation of the apprenticeship is checked and evaluated by the supervisor of the Doctoral Dissertation

C. Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is the main work for obtaining the doctoral degree. The writing language of the Doctoral Dissertation is English. The suggested way of writing is presented in detail in the writing guide of the Doctoral Dissertation. In cases where one or more studies of the Doctoral Thesis have been published in scientific journals or books and the Doctoral Student is the first author, they can be included as chapters of the Thesis, unless they have included as parts of another Dissertation.

The Dissertation is delivered in electronic form to the members of the Three-Member Advisory Committee. Committee members have the right to request further corrections from the Director