Form of qualification proceedings and number of points to be awarded

One-stage proceedings
The maximum number of points to be obtained in the qualification proceedings – 100 points

Assessment criteria and method

Initial research project proposal (maximum number of points – 5)
When evaluating the initial research project proposal, the following shall be taken into account:
1) the feasibility of the project in the context of documented competencies of the candidate;
2) the academic importance of the project;
3) anticipated added value for the scientific community of the academic discipline.

Scientific activity of the candidate (maximum number of points – 15)
When evaluating scientific activity, the following elements, confirmed by means of scanned documents, shall be taken into account:
1) scientific publications (a scan of the front page is required; in the case of multi-author achievements, the percentage share of the candidate’s participation in the achievement must be defined)
2) confirmed participation in student competitions;
3) confirmed participation in research projects (a scan of the certificate issued by the project coordinator is required);
4) presentations delivered or seminar and conference messages (a scan confirming presentation delivery is required);
5) documented research internships;
6) achievements within students’ research groups (a scan of the certificate signed by the chairperson of the group is required).

Qualification examination (maximum number of points – 40)
Verifying the candidate’s knowledge and skills within the particular academic discipline in writing (chemical and physical sciences, mathematics and computer science) or oral form (astronomy, biological sciences and earth and related environmental sciences).
In justified cases (e.g. where the candidate stays abroad), at the written request of the candidate addressed to the chairperson of the qualification team appointed for the particular academic discipline, the written examination may be replaced with an oral examination carried out remotely with the use of generally available online tools.

Interview (maximum number of points – 40)
The interview entails an assessment of the candidate’s scientific potential. The interview may comprise the following elements:
1) discussion of the candidate’s Master’s thesis (understanding of the subject, research hypotheses, their implementation, results obtained and conclusions);
2) questions about the academic record and the course of the graduate and postgraduate studies or the uniform Master’s degree studies, including subjects related to the doctoral dissertation;
3) questions pertaining to information included in letters of recommendations, including the nature and results of cooperation of the candidate with the authors of these letters;
4) questions pertaining to the doctoral project and other information included in the documentation submitted by the candidate.

The interview shall be held in Polish or English, according to candidate’s preferences indicated in the IRK. If Polish is selected, a part of the interview may be held in English.