Progress Review

• The progress of the 1^st year doctoral candidate is reviewed twice:
  • after one studied semester has passed from matriculation
  • after two studied semesters have passed from matriculation.
• From the 2^nd year onward, the progress of the doctoral candidate is reviewed once in an academic year, after two semesters have passed from the last progress review.
• The external doctoral student’s progress is reviewed after two semesters from the admission have passed.
• Doctoral candidate’s progress is not reviewed during academic leave.

Progress reviews are held at least twice in an academic year for each curriculum. The dates of progress reviews are confirmed by November 1^st (progress reviews of the spring semester) and March 1^st (progress reviews for the autumn semester. This means that the progress review of the doctoral candidate does not necessarily take place immediately after they return from academic leave, but on the confirmed dates. The progress review meetings usually take place at the end of January for the autumn semester meetings, and at the end of June or at the end of August for the spring semester meetings.

The progress review report follows the structure of the individual plan:

1. Research, development and creative activities

1.1 Content and volume of research work and the stage of the doctoral thesis; publishing the results of the research, development, and creative activities.

1.2 Participation in and presenting at research-field related professional events, international studies and research experience.

1.3 Other research, development and creative activities

Participation in the organisation of research, development and creative activities; involvement in planning and carrying out of grant projects; implementation of the results of the research, development and creative activities; cooperation with enterprises and research agencies, etc. If you are involved in any research grants, add their basic information, including project code, eligibility period, and full name.

Here you should report the research projects which you are officially involved in as a research staff, and which are related to your doctoral studies. Specify the tasks related to the project and their connection with your doctoral thesis.

1.4 Development of transferable skills according to the learning outcomes of the doctoral programme

Obtaining teaching and supervision competences, developing cooperation and leadership skills, popularisation of the research field/specialty, etc. Other tasks not related to the thesis research, should not take up more than 20% of the work time of the junior researcher. Your period plan should show the amount of other work in hours.

Here report all the activities that are not directly related to your research or reported under studies, e.g.

1) participation in projects that are not related to your research (including, e.g., popularisation of research);

2) supervising and reviewing;

3) (co-)organising events;

4) participation in decision-making bodies and attendance of their meetings.

2. Studies

Coursework and self-improvement according to the doctoral studies programme. Courses, trainings etc that the student has selected to improve on their transferable and professional skills. Activities should be divided into sub-sections.

The core of doctoral studies is research, and this should be done consistently throughout the years of doctoral studies (including in the first year). Courses that support research should also be divided over several years. At the same time, it is not advisable to leave the courses for the last year when you have to focus on finishing and editing the doctoral thesis.

1st year doctoral candidate

At the end of the first semester of the first year of study, the research and studies of a learner in doctoral studies are assessed positively if the learner in doctoral studies has completed the individual plan for doctoral studies and the period plan of the second semester that meet the requirements.

At the end of the first year of study, the research and studies of a learner in doctoral studies are assessed positively if the learner in doctoral studies has presented the results of his/her doctoral thesis to a wider audience at least once during the year of study, for example, at a research colloquium, an extended doctoral seminar, a scientific conference, etc., and has completed one of the following:

1. an extended doctoral thesis project, including an overview of the work done so far;
2. the first manuscript of a research publication;
3. the project of the monograph and the manuscript of one chapter (at least 1/5 of the planned volume of the thesis)

2nd year doctoral candidate

At the end of the second year of study, the research and studies of a learner in doctoral studies are assessed positively if the learner in doctoral studies has presented the results of his/her doctoral thesis to a wider audience at least once during the year of study, for example, at a research colloquium, an extended doctoral seminar, a scientific conference, etc., and has completed one of the following:

1. a research publication qualifying for the defence of a doctoral thesis submitted to a journal or collection, and the manuscript of the second publication ready to be submitted;
2. at least ⅓ of the monograph and a more detailed project of the monograph, including a more detailed structure.

3rd year doctoral candidate

At the end of the third year of study, the research and studies of a learner in doctoral studies are assessed positively if the learner in doctoral studies has presented the results of his/her doctoral thesis to a wider audience at least once during the year of study, for example, at a research colloquium, an extended doctoral seminar, a scientific conference, etc., and has completed one of the following:

1. two relevant research articles qualifying for the defence of a doctoral thesis, at least one of which has been accepted for publication, and the second has been submitted to a journal or collection;
2. three relevant research articles qualifying for the defence of a doctoral thesis submitted to a journal or collection for publication;
3. at least ¾ of the monograph and one relevant research article qualifying for the defence of a doctoral thesis submitted for publication;
4. at least ⅔ of the monograph and one relevant research article qualifying for the defence of a doctoral thesis accepted for publication.

4th year doctoral candidate

At the end of the fourth year of study, the research and studies of a learner in doctoral studies are assessed positively if the learner in doctoral studies has presented the results of his/her doctoral thesis to a wider audience at least once during the year of study, for example, at a research colloquium, an extended doctoral seminar, a scientific conference, etc., and has completed the manuscript of the doctoral thesis to be submitted for defence.

Decisions of the progress review committee regarding learners in doctoral studies in doctoral programmes opened from the 2022/2023 academic year

The progress review committee makes one of the following decisions and provides reasons for that:

• To give the learner in doctoral studies a positive assessment.
• To give an additional period of up to three months, which the doctoral student is entitled to once during the period of study and which does not extend the standard period of study, to improve performance. The doctoral student must notify the committee of accepting the additional period within seven days of notification of the decision.
• To give the learner in doctoral studies a negative assessment. This will result in exmatriculation from the doctoral studies.
• Not to assess the learner in doctoral studies if the person did not submit the required documents by the deadline or was absent from the progress review meeting without the committee’s permission.

Decisions of the progress review committee regarding learners in doctoral studies in doctoral curricula opened before the 2022/2023 academic year

For learners in doctoral studies in doctoral curricula opened before the 2022/23 academic year, the committee assesses the research of the learner in doctoral studies in credit points.

The progress review committee makes one of the following decisions:

• To give the doctoral student a positive assessment if the student has fulfilled the requirements of at least part-time study or submitted the doctoral thesis for defence.
• To give the doctoral student a positive assessment after the first semester if the student has fulfilled at least 50% of the first semester’s period plan.
• To give the doctoral student a negative assessment if the student has not fulfilled the requirements of part-time study or if the volume of their studies and research in the progress review period falls short of 50% of the volume set out in the period plan.
• Not to assess the learner in doctoral studies if the person did not submit the required documents by the deadline or was absent from the progress review meeting without the committee’s permission.
• To give the external student a positive assessment if the student has fulfilled their period plan at least to the extent of 50% or submitted the doctoral thesis for defence.
• To give the external student a negative assessment if the student has completed less than 50% of the period plan.

In order to receive the doctoral allowance, the learner in doctoral studies must receive a positive assessment (has fulfilled the curriculum at least to the extent of 75%). Additional information here.

Performance-based stipend will be awarded based on the decision of the progress review committee for those learners in doctoral studies who, based on the progress review, have fulfilled their curriculum 100% cumulatively (fulfillment of the curriculum across all years in studies). More information here.