At the third cycle (educational scientific/educational creative), students get the ability to solve complex tasks for professional and/or research and innovation activities.

The educational scientific level provides theoretical knowledge, skills, abilities, practices and other competences. They should be sufficient to generate new ideas, and solve complex tasks for their activities. Students master the methodology of scientific and pedagogical activities. They conduct research, getting results with scientific novelty, theoretical and practical significance.

The educational creative level requires the mastery of the methodology for artistic and art-pedagogical activities. Students realise independent creative art projects. They acquire practical skills in generating new ideas and solving theoretical and practical tasks in the field of creative arts.

After the study at the third level, an individual must complete the curriculum. It is the basis for awarding them the degree of Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of Arts.

A Doctor of Philosophy is an educational and academic degree obtained at the third level of higher education based on a Master's degree. A one-time specialised academic council at the higher education institution (HEI) or scientific institution awards the Doctor of Philosophy degree. For that the applicants must completed the relevant programme and publicly defend their thesis before the council.

A person may obtain a Doctor of Philosophy degree during postgraduate studies (adjuncture). Persons who are professionally engaged in scientific or pedagogical activities at work may obtain a Doctor of Philosophy degree outside of formal postgraduate studies. They may do so during a sabbatical leave, if they complete the relevant programme and publicly defend their thesis before the council.

The standard period of postgraduate studies (adjuncture) for Doctor of Philosophy is four years. The volume of the educational component in the programme for the Doctor of Philosophy is 30-60 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits.

Scientific institutions may offer their own programmes for Doctors of Philosophy if they have licenses for relevant educational activities. They also may may offer joint programmes with some elements provided by other scientific institutions and/or HEIs.

A Doctor of Arts is an educational creative degree obtained at the third level of higher education based on a Master's degree. A person may obtain a Doctor of Arts degree during creative postgraduate studies. The first stage for obtaining a Doctor of Arts degree may be a practical assistantship. It is a form of training for artistic performers of higher qualification. 

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approves the procedure for obtaining a Doctor of Arts educational creative degree and for practical assistantship training. The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU) give a respective proposal.

A specialised council for granting a Doctor of Arts degree at the artistic HEI awards the Doctor of Arts degree. The conditions for that are completion of the relevant educational programme and the public defence of a creative art project. 

The standard period of creative postgraduate studies for the Doctor of Arts is three years. The volume of the educational component in the programme for the Doctor of Arts is 30-60 ECTS credits.

The standard duration of PhD programme in Ukraine is four years for all branches of study. However, the training structure and stages vary depending on the speciality. The official List of Specialities groups all specialities as follows: 

• Humanities and social sciences (branches: Culture and Art, Humanities (philology, history, philosophy), Social and Behavioural Sciences (economics, psychology, sociology), Journalism, Law, International Relations;

•  Natural Sciences and Mathematics (branches: Biology, Natural sciences (chemistry, physics, geology, geography), Mathematics and statistics; 

• Engineering, Technology and IT (branches: Information Technology (computer science, software engineering), Engineering (mechanical, electrical, chemical), Manufacturing and Technology, Architecture and Construction;

• Health and Applied Sciences (branches: Health (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy), Agricultural sciences and food, Education/Pedagogy, Service sector, Public management and administration. 

   

The stages of PhD training are standard and consist of two main parts. They are the education part (mostly the first 1-2 years) and the research part (lasting the full 4 years). There are four logical stages of the PhD programme.

1. Organisational and theoretical stage (1st year). Educational and Research Programme: study of compulsory courses (philosophy of science, foreign language for science, teaching methods). Special courses: studying advanced courses in the chosen speciality. Starting research: the Academic Council approves the topic of research; the student creates the individual research plan.

2. Research and experimental stage (2nd-3rd years). Completing studies: taking final examinations for the education programme. It includes conducting experiments, laboratory analyses, field studies, or archival research depending on the field. 

It also consists of writing and publishing research articles in specialised Ukrainian journals and international databases. For Ukraine it’s Scopus or Web of Science. Learners must participate in scientific conferences. Learners must also work as teaching assistants by delivering lectures or conducting seminars for Bachelor’s or Master's students.

3. Analytical and concluding stage (end of 3rd year - 4th year). Finishing the thesis: systematisation of the obtained results and drafting of the thesis and its abstract. They must comply with the requirements of the MESU. Passing regular certifications at meetings of the department.

4. Qualification stage (end of the 4th year). Before the thesis presentation: obtaining the conclusion on scientific novelty and the specialised seminar. It’s the first public discussion of the thesis. Creating the specialised academic council for the thesis presentation. Public presentation of the thesis before the Council and getting the Doctor of Philosophy diploma.

Organisation of doctoral studies

The HEIs and/or research institutions may offer the third-cycle programmes in 28 branches of study and 122 specialities. Most programmes have current standards of higher education that they use. 

The funding of the PhD studies may be:

•  by state budget in public HEIs (state order) and by local budget in municipal HEIs (regional order);

•  by individuals (or legal entities) under contract terms. It may be through grant funds received by the HEI for scientific research including PhD studies.

   

HEIs may offer PhD programmes after getting the license for it. The total licensed capacity includes learners studying outside the formal PhD programme. 

State authorities responsible for different types of military HEIs may set special requirements for the PhD programmes. They need to coordinate those requirements with the MESU.

The HEIs may create a separate unit to coordinate the activities within the PhD programmes and to support postgraduate (adjunct) studies.

The HEIs offer the training for the PhD degree in: 

•  their postgraduate (adjunct) programme on a full-time (daytime, evening) or part-time basis;

•  outside of their postgraduate (adjunct) programme.

   

Admission requirements

There is a competition for admission to the PhD programme. The Procedure for Admission to HEIs and the admission rules set the terms of competition. The MESU annually approves the Procedure and the Academic Council sets the Rules.

PhD student must have the Master’s degree. The admission rules must include a list of accredited and non-accredited educational-scientific programmes. The PhD student’s assessment is possible only within the accredited educational and research programme.

Only accredited educational and research programmes admit foreign nationals and stateless persons.

To apply for a PhD programme in medical or veterinary specialities, the applicant must have a relevant Master’s or Specialist’s diploma.

An applicant with a diploma equivalent to a Master’s degree issued by a foreign HEI takes entrance examinations with other applicants. The recognition of such a diploma must be within four months of the applicant's enrolment.

The registered statutes of the theological HEIs set the rules for admission to their PhD programmes. Admission to PhD programmes depends on the results of:

•  the unified entrance exam in a foreign language. The Ukrainian Centre for Educational Quality Assessment sets that exam;

•  an entrance exam in one or several specialities for an interdisciplinary programme. It covers the scope of the Master's level curriculum in the relevant speciality;

•  other forms of entrance exams such as examination, interview, presentation of research proposals.

   

 Status of doctoral students/candidates

Students of a third-cycle programme have the status of postgraduate students or military postgraduate students (adjuncts). They have legal duties and rights including:

•  academic and social leave;

•  employment outside of study hours.

   

Supervision arrangements

The state (regional) order for training for the PhD degree may be only in a full-time (daytime or evening) form. The MESU allocates state (regional) orders within postgraduate (adjunct) programmes on a competitive basis by speciality.

PhD students carry out fundamental and applied research, engage in applied scientific activities. They also participate in scientific programmes in their own country and abroad.

All PhD students may use the network of academic libraries in Ukraine. PhD students also have the following rights:

•  free access to all types of open information available in institutions, libraries, and state archives of Ukraine;

•  receiving scientific consultation about their research from scientific supervisors;

•  safe conditions for conducting scientific research, properly equipped workspace for scientific work;

•  learning mobility and research intern-ships.

   

There is a close contact between PhD student, their supervisor and the HEI (research institution) to improve the quality of doctoral training. The PhD student conducts research on schedule upholding academic integrity, and reports on progress. 

The supervisor provides regular consultations, high-quality feedback, support for publication activities. The HEI provides access to research infrastructure (laboratories and libraries, financial support (scholarships or grants). It also serves as a platform for conflict resolution. 

There is a joint supervision for interdisciplinary research to improve its quality. The supervisors have different roles. One supervisor typically acts as the primary one handling administrative and methodological aspects. The other serves as an expert in a specific, narrow topic or a related discipline. 

Employability

Usually, Doctors of Philosophy and Doctors of Arts in Ukraine have better chances of employment at specialised scientific institutions and HEIs. Additional demand for such specialists also arises in specific sectors of the country's economy. The sectors include civil service, lawyers, healthcare and social services, architecture, engineering, etc.

Assessment

The candidate for the degree of Doctor of Arts must publicly present their creative artistic project to the one-time specialised council. The HEI with an accredited PhD programme in the relevant speciality creates that Council. The HEI broadcasts the public live presentation of the creative artistic project on its official website.

The candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must publicly present their research thesis to the one-time specialised academic council. The HEI with an accredited PhD programme in the relevant speciality creates that Council. The interdisciplinary programme requires the council with several specialities.

The relevant HEI publishes the candidate’s thesis, its reviews and evaluations on its official website. The HEI also publishes information about the Council, the date, time, and venue of the attestation on its official website. 

The HEI also submits it in electronic form to the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA). The NAQA publishes such information on its official website.

HEIs must broadcast the assessment of PhD candidates live on their official websites.

The PhD student may present only independent individual research thesis. The discovery of academic plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification in a thesis is the reason for refusing to award the PhD degree.

If later others discover academic plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification in the thesis, it may be cause to revoke the Council’s decision to award the degree. The authorities revoke the diploma as well.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine sets the procedure to revoke the PhD degree under several conditions. For example, if there were academic plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and violations of the presentation procedure, the HEI or the NAQA may revoke the degree. 

If the thesis has academic plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification, the candidate’s supervisor loses the right to train PhD students for two years. The chairperson and members of the respective Council, and the official opponents lose the right to participate in the attestation of PhD candidates for two years. 

Official opponents lose their right only if they provided positive assessments. The HEI also loses the right to create academic councils in the relevant speciality for one year unless the HEI revoked the degree itself.

Certification

The HEIs issue the Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Arts diploma after completion of PhD programme and public presentation of the doctoral thesis. The European-style addendum is an integral part of the diploma. It contains structured information about the completed studies. 

The Addendum includes the student's learning outcomes, educational components, grades obtained, and ECTS credits earned. It also has details regarding Ukraine's national higher education system.

The NAQA is responsible for programme accreditation. The NAQA accredits educational-scientific and educational-creative programmes for training doctoral students (adjuncts) and trainee assistants. The HEIs create one-time specialised councils to assess the candidate and award academic degrees of Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Arts.

 The HEI assesses theoretical knowledge during the studies. The academic council evaluates research thesis or creative artistic project during its public presentation. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approves and amends the Procedure for Awarding Academic Degrees. 

The MESU sets specific requirements to the thesis format, criteria for scientific publications, and document templates. The NAQA sets internal standards and criteria for monitoring the quality of education.

 Titles of qualifications awarded: 

• Doctor of Philosophy with the branch of study and speciality. For example: ‘Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities, specialising in 033 Philosophy.’ 

• Doctor of Arts, specifying the creative specialisation.

   

The HEI where the applicant presented the thesis issues an official state-recognised diploma. The MESU controls and registers issued diplomas through the entry of data into the Unified State Electronic Database on Education. The MESU or other authorized bodies recognise the Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Arts degrees obtained abroad. One of the bodies is the State Enterprise ‘Information and Image Centre’. 

The Lisbon Recognition Convention (1997) ensures the recognition of Ukrainian doctoral degrees in European countries, and vice versa. 

Ukraine also has agreements for the mutual recognition of educational documents and academic degrees with a number of countries. For example, France, Poland, Lithuania, etc. are among them. 

The Ukrainian Doctor of Philosophy degree fully corresponds to the third cycle of the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area. It automatically facilitates academic mobility and employment for Ukrainians in the scientific sector abroad.

Organisational variation 

There are no organisational variations offered.