At the third cycle/level (educational scientific/educational creative), higher education students acquire the ability to solve complex tasks in the field of professional and/or research and innovation activities.
The educational scientific level of higher education provides theoretical knowledge, skills, abilities, practices and other competences. These should be sufficient to generate new ideas, and solve complex tasks in the field of professional and/or research and innovation activity. Students master the methodology of scientific and pedagogical activities, conduct their research, the results of which have scientific novelty, theoretical and practical significance.
The educational creative level of higher education requires the mastery of the methodology for artistic and art-pedagogical activities, as well as the implementation of an independent creative art project. Students acquire practical skills in generating new ideas and solving theoretical and practical tasks in the field of creative arts.
According to the results of the study at the third level (educational scientific/educational creative), an individual must complete the curriculum (educational programme) that will be 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 on the basis of a Master's degree. The Doctor of Philosophy degree is granted by a one-time specialised academic council at the HEI or scientific institution. It is awarded to an applicant who has successfully completed the relevant educational and scientific programme and publicly defended a dissertation at a one-time specialised academic council.
A person has the right to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy degree during postgraduate studies (adjuncture). Persons who are professionally engaged in scientific, scientific and technical or scientific and pedagogical activities at their main place of employment have the right to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy degree outside of postgraduate studies. In particular, they may do so during a sabbatical leave, provided they successfully complete the relevant educational and scientific programme and publicly defend a dissertation at the one-time specialised academic council.
The standard period for training a Doctor of Philosophy in postgraduate studies (adjuncture) is four years. The volume of the educational component in the educational and scientific training programme for the Doctor of Philosophy is 30-60 ECTS credits.
Scientific institutions may train Doctors of Philosophy under their own educational and scientific programme following the obtained licenses for relevant educational activities. Alternatively, they may train Doctors of Philosophy under the educational and scientific programme 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 has the right to obtain a Doctor of Arts degree during creative postgraduate study. The first stage for obtaining a Doctor of Arts degree may be a practical assistantship, which is a form of training for artistic performers of higher qualification. The procedure for obtaining a Doctor of Arts educational creative degree and for practical assistantship training is approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the proposal of the Central Executive Authority for Culture in coordination with the Central Executive Authority for Education and Science.
The Doctor of Arts degree is awarded by a specialised council for granting a Doctor of Arts degree at the artistic HEI upon the successful completion of the relevant educational programme and the public defence of a creative art project (as stipulated by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine).
The standard period for training a Doctor of Arts within creative postgraduate studies is three years. According to the Law on Higher Education (Закон України ‘Про вищу освіту’), the volume of the educational component in the educational creative programme for the Doctor of Arts is 30-60 ECTS credits.
Organisation of postgraduate studies (adjuncture)
The third-cycle of study can be implemented by HEIs and/or scientific institutions in 28 knowledge branches and 122 specialities (Постанова Кабінету Міністрів України ‘Про затвердження переліку галузей знань і спеціальностей, за якими здійснюється підготовка здобувачів вищої освіти’). For most of them, higher education standards (HESs) have been developed and implemented in practice for the relevant field of study.
Postgraduate (adjuncture) training is conducted in two ways:
- At the expense of state budget funds in state institutions (state order) and at the expense of local budget funds in communal institutions (regional order).
- At the expense of individuals/legal entities (under contract, including funds from grants received by the institution for conducting scientific research, which includes the training of applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy degree).
Institutions that have obtained a licence are responsible for conducting educational activities at the third (educational scientific) level of higher education. The total licensed volume includes individuals who have obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree outside of postgraduate studies (adjuncture).
Public authorities have the right to establish special requirements for the training of research staff in postgraduate (adjuncture) and doctoral studies for certain HEIs through their regulations. These include military HEIs, HEIs with specific conditions of education, and military education units of HEIs (scientific institutions). Such special requirements are approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
In order to facilitate the coordination of the activities of structural units involved in training applicants, institutions may establish a special structural unit for scientific and methodological support. Those institutions are responsible for ensuring the activities of postgraduate (adjuncture) studies.
The training of applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy degree is conducted in accordance with the following procedures:
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In postgraduate (adjuncture) studies of the institution through full-time (day, evening) or part-time (distance) forms of higher education.
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Outside of postgraduate studies (outside of adjuncture) within the institution (according to the Procedure for training applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Science degrees in HEIs (scientific institutions) (Постанова Кабінету Міністрів України ‘Про затвердження Порядку підготовки здобувачів вищої освіти ступеня доктора філософії та доктора наук у закладах вищої освіти (наукових установах)’ ).
Admission requirements
The admission of applicants to institutions for postgraduate (adjuncture) studies is conducted on a competitive basis. The regulations governing this process are set out in the following documents:
- The Procedure for training applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Science degrees in HEIs (scientific institutions),
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The Procedure for admission to HEIs, which is approved annually by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine,
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The rules/conditions for admission to the relevant institution approved by the academic council of the institution.
A person holding a Master’s degree may apply for a third cycle higher education degree. The list of accredited and non-accredited educational and scientific programmes is mandatory in the admission rules. Certification of a Doctor of Philosophy candidate is only possible under an accredited educational and scientific programme.
Foreign citizens and persons without citizenship are admitted to study only in the accredited educational and scientific programmes.
For admission to the institution for postgraduate (adjuncture) study in medical or veterinary specialities, applicants must hold a Master’s (Specialist’s) degree in the relevant field.
If an applicant submits a diploma equivalent to a Master’s degree issued by a foreign HEI for admission to a postgraduate (adjuncture) study, they must pass entrance examinations on an equal basis with other applicants. The recognition of a diploma issued by a foreign HEI is carried out according to the relevant legislation within four months of the applicant’s enrolment.
The admission of students to theological HEIs for postgraduate studies is carried out in accordance with the provisions of their statutory documents, registered as prescribed by the established legal procedure. Admission to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme is based on the following criteria:
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A unified entrance examination in a foreign language conducted by the Ukrainian Centre for Educational Quality Assessment (UCEQA) in accordance with the law;
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An entrance exam in a speciality or specialities for an interdisciplinary programme (within the scope of a Master's degree programme in the relevant speciality);
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Other forms of entrance assessment such as exams, interviews or presentations of research proposals or achievements.
Status of postgraduate students/ adjuncts
Students in the third-cycle of higher education hold the status of postgraduate students or adjuncts. They must meet their responsibilities and can exercise the rights provided by the Law on Education(Закон України ‘Про освіту’), the Law on Higher Education (Закон України ‘Про вищу освіту’) and Law on Scientific and Scientific-Technical Activities (Закон України ‘Про наукову і науково-технічну діяльність’).They may also take academic and social leave, and work during extracurricular times, as stipulated by relevant legal provisions.
Teaching methods
Training applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy degree under the state (regional) order is conducted exclusively in postgraduate studies (adjuncture) through full-time (day, evening) form of education. The state (regional) order for the training of applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in postgraduate studies (adjuncture) by specialities is carried out on a competitive basis.
Postgraduate students (adjuncts) are engaged in both fundamental and applied research, as well as applied scientific activities. They participate in scientific programmes in their country and abroad. All postgraduate students/adjuncts can use the network of academic libraries in Ukraine.
In accordance with regulations, among other things, they are entitled to the following:
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Free access to a range of open scientific and technical information resources available in institutions, libraries, and state archives throughout Ukraine,
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Methodical and substantive scientific guidance and consulting for their own research from a scientific advisor (supervisor/supervisors),
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Safe and non-harmful conditions for studies, including access to properly equipped facilities for their scientific work,
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Opportunities for academic mobility and scientific internships.
Employability
In Ukraine, the employment prospects for Doctors of Philosophy and Doctors of Arts are generally favourable, particularly in specialised scientific institutions and HEIs. Furthermore, there is a demand for such specialists in specific sectors of the country's economy, including civil service, the legal sector, healthcare and social services, architecture, engineering, etc.
Assessment
The attestation of individuals obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy degree is carried out based on a public defence of scientific achievements in the form of a dissertation. This is conducted by a one-time specialised academic council, established by the HEI (scientific institution) that has an accredited third-level educational programme in the relevant speciality (specialities for interdisciplinary work).
Dissertations of individuals obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy degree, along with any related feedback and peer reviews, are published on the official website of the relevant HEI (scientific institution) in accordance with the legislation.
Information about the established one-time specialised academic council, the date, time and place of the attestation should be published by the HEIs (scientific institutions) on their official websites according to the legislation. This information should be submitted electronically to the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA), which shall publish it on its official website.
HEIs and scientific institutions are obliged to broadcast the Doctor of Philosophy applicants' live attestations on their official websites in real time.
A dissertation is only admitted for defending if it has been independently completed by the applicant for a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Academic plagiarism, fabrication or falsification in the dissertation submitted for defending is a ground for denial of the granting of a Doctor of Philosophy degree.
Discovering the facts of academic plagiarism, fabrication or falsification in the dissertation defended by an applicant is a ground for cancellation of the decision made by a one-time specialised academic council on granting him/her a Doctor of Philosophy degree and on issuing the corresponding diploma.
If it is determined according to the legislation that an applicant for a Doctor of Philosophy degree used academic plagiarism, fabrication, falsification and/or breached the procedure of dissertation defending established by the legislation, the decision made by a one-time specialised academic council to grant him/her a Doctor of Philosophy degree should be cancelled by the HEI (scientific institution) where this council was established, or by the NAQA as stipulated by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
In the case that facts of academic plagiarism, fabrication or falsification are determined according to the legislation in the dissertation defended by an applicant for a Doctor of Philosophy degree, his/her academic supervisor is deprived of the right to participate in training and attestation of applicants for a Doctor of Philosophy degree for two years. Also, the chairman and members of the one-time specialised academic council where this dissertation was defended and the official opponents who provided positive opinions for the dissertation is deprived of the right to participate in the attestation of applicants for a Doctor of Philosophy degree for two years.
Certification
Upon completion of postgraduate (adjuncture) studies and the defence of a doctoral dissertation, a Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of Arts degree is awarded. An integral part of the Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of Arts diploma is a European-standard addendum containing structured information about the completed studies. The addendum to the diploma provides information about learning results, educational components, obtained grades and number of acquired ECTS credits, as well as information about the Ukrainian national system of higher education.
Organisational variation
There are no organisational variations offered.