Questions and answers

The Master’s degree defence is scheduled for September, while recruitment is in June and July – can such a person apply?
– Yes. You will then need to submit an affirmation in place of your diploma that your diploma will be delivered by 19 September 2022.

If I am a winner of a ‘Diamond Grant’, can I be a candidate for the Doctoral School? If I get in, will I receive both a doctoral scholarship and the grant?
– Twice yes.

Can the research project be written in a language other than Polish?
– It can be written in English or Polish.

The English language statement should be at B2 level. Do the language proficiency statements apply to various other languages and do they have to certify proficiency at any particular level?
– The admissions resolution specifies the level of English at B2, it does not specify the required level of knowledge of other languages. Moreover, at the recruitment stage, only a declaration of English language proficiency needs to be submitted. You do not need to provide language certificates in English.

What documents proving language proficiency are taken into account (within the meaning of §15(1)(4)(l))?
– Documents proving completion of a course with an examination (e.g. diploma supplement), certificates, completion of studies in a foreign language (this should be stated on the diploma or supplement), completion of philological/linguistic studies.

Which materials can be considered as proof of language skills. Is a degree in English sufficient?
– Yes, if there is a note on the diploma supplement confirming this.

Which documents require a certified translation?
– All documents submitted during the application process should be in Polish or English. Documents confirming education (particularly diplomas, supplements) should be translated into Polish (Recruitment Resolution § 15(1)(2)).

What documents can be considered as proof of scientific activity?
– Certificates of participation in conferences issued by the organisers or of work in study circles certified by the Board. Scans of the title pages of publications indicating the authors’ details and the characteristics of the publication itself (its title, editors or authors, publisher).

Is it possible to apply to the Doctoral School without scientific experience – e.g. published articles -?
– One can, the candidate will then receive fewer points for scientific activity.

Who can be a supervisor?
– A person who is a habilitated doctor or professor employed or retired at the UW and who does not have more than five doctoral students under his or her supervision. Doctoral students counted towards this total are doctoral students from the Doctoral School (not candidates), “old-type” doctoral students with an open dissertation or an initiated doctoral procedure, and candidates applying for a doctoral degree in extramural mode.

Can the intended supervisor be a person with a doctoral degree whose habilitation defence is scheduled for September?
– No. The intended supervisor must meet all the requirements at the time of signing the declaration. A person with a doctoral degree can instead become an assistant promoter.

Who is included in the limit of five doctoral students under the supervision of a supervisor?
– Included in the limit set out in the admissions resolution (§ 15(6)) are doctoral students from the Doctoral School (already pursuing their training, not current candidates), ‘old-style’ doctoral students with an open dissertation or an initiated doctoral procedure, and candidates applying for a doctoral degree in extramural mode. The limit also includes doctoral students from outside the UW.

My intended supervisor has already undertaken the supervision of at least five doctoral students. Can he or she support me in any way in the recruitment process?
– Yes. By submitting an opinion on the candidate, his/her scientific activity or research proposal. In accordance with §15 (1) (7) of the recruitment resolution, the candidate may include a scan of the opinion of the intended promoter and the opinions of other academics on the candidate and his/her scientific activity or research project proposal.

Can a supervisor only be chosen from among those entered in the search engine for supervisors on the doctoral school website?
– No. It is possible to make an appointment in the traditional way with any employee of the University of Warsaw who meets the conditions and is not on the list (promoter search engine on the SD website).

How is a candidate from outside the UW supposed to find a supervisor?
– Through the search on the website (https://promotorzy.szkolydoktorskie.uw.edu.pl/en) or search on the websites of UW units (Faculties, Institutes, Departments) – according to scientific interests of the employees.

Can the supervisor be a person on sabbatical, retirement?
– If he/she fulfils the other conditions – yes.

Can the second supervisor be a professor from a university but not from the University of Warsaw?
– Yes.

Can ‘old’ doctoral students apply?
– Yes. You must indicate your status as a current doctoral student in the appropriate place in IRK.

Can non-EU foreigners take part in the admissions process?
– Yes. However, it is essential to present documents in English or Polish. In the case of a diploma, a certified translation is necessary. On the other hand, for documents confirming academic achievements, an ordinary translation is sufficient.

Is it possible to be a doctoral student at UW and a doctoral student at PAN at the same time?
– No. According to article 200, paragraph 7 of Act 2.0, you can only be a doctoral student at one doctoral school at a time. This includes a doctoral school run by PAN.

If I am a PhD student, can I transfer to a Doctoral School?
– No, you have to take part in the recruitment process.

Is it possible to rewrite the grades obtained during my training at the “old type” doctoral studies?
– No.

Is there a QPE recruitment this year?
– No. In the current recruitment there are 30 places for the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School instead of 20 for MSD and 10 for QPE recruitment.

However, there is an option to choose the Quantatitive Analysis (QA) doctoral study track within the MSD study track.

The prerequisites for admission to the QA study track are that applicants successfully pass the MSD admissions process in a given year, that they have a degree in social sciences (especially economics) or in science and that they declare their willingness to take the QA study track. Admission is determined by place on the ranking list in MSD recruitment.

For more information: https://msd.uw.edu.pl/en/about/quantatitive-analysis-qa/

What fees do foreign students pay?
– Only the recruitment fee. Doctoral school education is free of charge (no tuition fees).

By when do I have to pay the recruitment fee?
– No later than 23:59 on the day following the closing date for submission of documents via IRK – i.e. by 20 June 23:59.

Can I work while in SD?
– Yes, as long as your work does not interfere with your education in SD. A caveat – Act 2.0 article 209, paragraph 10: “A doctoral student may not be employed as an academic teacher or researcher”.

Do classes take place at weekends?
– The training takes place in full-time mode on weekdays.

Who is entitled to the stipend, is it paid for twelve months or with a summer break?
– To all throughout the year, including non-EU doctoral students, with no holiday break.