Doctoral School Admissions – Check the List of Required Documents
Applicants applying for admission to the Doctoral School are requested to prepare and upload all required documents to the online application system according to the relevant field of study. The required documentation varies depending on the discipline.
Humanities and Theology, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences
Humanities and Theology:
- Philosophy
- History
- Linguistics
- Literary Studies
- Culture and Religion Studies
- Arts Studies
- Theology
- Polish Studies
Social Sciences:
- Social and Economic Geography and Spatial Management
- Communication and Media Studies
- Political Science and Public Administration
- Law
- Sociology
- Education
- Psychology
Natural Sciences:
- Biological Sciences
- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences
Applicants are required to submit:
- a copy of the diploma confirming the acquisition of the required qualifications (or – if the diploma has not yet been issued – a certificate confirming the award of the degree); for more information: Participation in the recruitment process before graduation,
- in the case of a degree obtained abroad – a legalized or apostilled diploma (or equivalent document), together with a certified translation into Polish or English,
- a research plan proposal (maximum 12,000 characters including spaces, excluding bibliography), prepared using the applicable form: project-of-the-research-plan-2026,
- a written opinion from an academic supervisor at the University of Silesia, including consent to act as the doctoral student’s supervisor or auxiliary supervisor. Form: opinion of the scientific advisor of the candidate 2026 (template),
- a written opinion from an additional academic teacher or researcher holding at least a doctoral degree. Form: opinion of an additional academic teacher or researcher with at least a PhD degree 2026 (template),
- a list of scientific achievements prepared using the applicable form: Scientific-achievements-and-international-cooperation-2026,
- documents confirming scientific achievements (free format – no mandatory template).
The Arts
- Film and Theatre
- Music
- Fine Arts and Art Conservation
Applicants applying within the field of arts are required to submit:
- a copy of the diploma or a certificate confirming the award of the degree; for more information: Participation in recruitment before graduation,
- in the case of foreign diplomas – certified documents together with the required translation,
- a research plan proposal (maximum 12,000 characters including spaces, excluding bibliography). Form: project-of-the-research-plan-art-2026,
- an opinion from an academic supervisor at the University of Silesia, including consent to supervise the doctoral project. Form: opinion of the scientific advisor of the candidate_art_2026 (template),
- an opinion from an additional academic teacher or researcher. Form: opinion of an additional academic teacher or reseracher with at least PhD degree_art_2026 (template),
- a list of scientific achievements (free format – no mandatory template),
- documents confirming achievements (free format – no mandatory template),
- a portfolio or presentation of artistic achievements (no mandatory template).
Exact Sciences and Engineering & Technology
- Computer Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mathematics
- Chemical Sciences
- Physical Sciences
Applicants in this area are required to submit:
- a copy of the diploma or a certificate confirming the award of the degree; for more information: Participation in recruitment before graduation,
- in the case of studies completed abroad, certified documents together with a sworn translation,
- an academic transcript,
- a motivation letter (maximum 12,000 characters including spaces, excluding bibliography), explaining the choice of discipline and research topic and describing the candidate’s research experience. Form: cover-letter-2026 (mandatory form),
- at least one and no more than two written references from academic or research staff holding at least a doctoral degree,
- a list of scientific achievements (separate forms apply for Mathematics: scientific-popsci-activities-math-2026, and for other disciplines: scientific-achivements-2026,
- documents confirming scientific achievements (free format – no mandatory template).
Please note: applicants in the discipline of Mathematics are not required to submit a motivation letter.
Before submitting the application, applicants are encouraged to ensure that all documents are prepared in accordance with the applicable forms and recruitment requirements.