University of Silesia in Katowice

A doctoral student wishing to submit a doctoral dissertation should report to the Office for Evaluation and Service of Institutes (BEOI – Biuro Ewaluacji i Obsługi Instytutu) appropriate for the candidate’s scientific discipline (note: at the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Social Sciences there are selected persons who are responsible for that process, not the ones who works for the institutes, Faculty od Humanities – link, Faculty of Social Sciences – link – both websites in Polish only). There, he/she will obtain information about the necessary documents and the deadlines for their submission, related to the dates of meetings of the institute’s scientific council.

In BEOI, the doctoral student also receives access to the APD system, into which he/she is to upload a doctoral dissertation. In APD, the dissertation will be subject to anti-plagiarism control.

Before completing the education, it should be verified whether the doctorate has fulfilled all the obligations arising from the curriculum and the Regulations of the Doctoral School. The Office of the Doctoral School verifies this using a checklist – for ease of use, we provide it here (at the bottom of the page).

In addition to accounting for the implementation of the educational program and other obligations, the doctoral student should also make sure that he or she does not have any equipment or books that should be return, and that he or she has submitted a declaration of assignment to the discipline and provided a list of its scientific achievements (https://us.edu.pl/szkola-doktorska/osiagniecia-naukowe-doktorantow-a-ewaluacja-dyscyplin/).

After verification, the DS office issues the doctoral student (personal presence required):

• certificate of learning outcomes at level 8 of the Polish Qualifications Framework
• a certified copy of the supervisor’s designation

– these documents will be necessary to submit a doctoral dissertation.

A doctoral student who plans to complete education and submit a doctoral dissertation informs the DS office about it at least 2 weeks before the date he wants to obtain a certificate of 8 PRK.

The doctoral student submits the dissertation to the relevant BEOI (Office for Evaluation and Service of Institutes) no later than the deadline for submitting the dissertation specified in the Individual Research Plan.

To initiate the procedure for granting a doctoral degree, a doctoral student of the Doctoral School contacts the relevant Institute and submits relevant documents (the list should be confirmed in BEOI):

• a copy of the document confirming obtaining the appropriate professional title (PSWiN art. 186 section 1 item 1);
• information on obtaining learning outcomes for qualifications at PRK level 8 (PSWiN art. 186 section 1 item 2) – certificate issued by the Doctoral School on getting learning outcomes for qualifications at PRK level 8;
• information on the knowledge of a modern foreign language (confirmed by a certificate, a diploma of graduation or a document issued by the doctoral institution after the examination), confirming the knowledge of this language at the language proficiency level of at least B2 (PSWiN art. 186 section 1 item 2);
• a list of his/her scientific works together with information on having the relevant scientific achievements, entitling to initiate proceedings for the award of a doctoral degree (PSWiN art. 186 section 1 item 3);
• information on the designation of a supervisor – a decision on the designation of a supervisor certified by the Doctoral School, resolution of the scientific council (from 2023);
• doctoral dissertation with a positive opinion of the supervisor or supervisors (PSWiN art. 189);
• a report signed by the supervisor on checking the doctoral thesis using the Uniform Anti-Plagiarism System if the dissertation is a written work;
• a summary of the doctoral thesis in English, and in the case of a doctoral dissertation prepared in a foreign language, also an abstract in Polish. If the doctoral dissertation is not a written thesis, its description in Polish and English shall be attached.

In the absence of a certificate or diploma of graduation referred to in point 3, an examination confirming the knowledge of a modern foreign language at the level of language proficiency B2 shall be carried out. It is worth remembering that the examination board is appointed by the organ conducting the procedure at the next meeting of the organ. This means that this path will be extended in time compared to the others. The proceedings in this case are described in Circular Letter No. 5 of the Rector of the University of Silesia of March 29, 2023.

BEOI verifies the documents and issues a certificate confirming that the doctoral student has submitted a dissertation. This certificate is forwarded directly to DS by BEOI.

After receiving the certificate, DS completes the doctoral student’s education on a date consistent with the dissertation’s submission date. Then, DS sends information to BEOI about the end of education, which is the basis for financing the procedure by the university. Further proceedings are conducted at BEOI.