STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE PhD PROGRAM
Full-time program is entirely research oriented. It lasts 3 academic years and (if necessary) the fourth year can be used for the completion of doctoral dissertation. During the first and second year, the study is based on 30 modern and fully equipped laboratories, and elected supervisors (who have resources and laboratories for research, ongoing research projects, internationally recognized publications and previous record of successful supervision of PhD theses). If the supervisor has no previous experience in supervising and conducting PhD thesis research, he has to be a member of Section/Laboratory with previous record of successful PhD thesis research and publications in strictly refereed international journals.
For each student, a special three-members-committee will be appointed. The members of the committee cooperate with student and advise him until the completion of his/her PhD thesis; one of committee members has to be a head of the laboratory in which PhD thesis research will be conducted.
Student and supervisor have to define the topic of PhD thesis research by the end of the first academic year.
The organization is set in accordance with research activities: the student's obligation (for subjects beside the PhD research) encompasses 8 hours per week during 14 weeks per term. Thus, the student is able to devote about 80% of time to research. In case of part-time study program, that course load is in fact the enabling condition for successful completion of the program.
The whole doctoral program is divided into two directions and each of them is further subdivided into two subdirections.
The main directions are.
1. Translational Neuroscience
2. Developmental Neuroscience
Subdirections of theTranslational Neuroscience are:
1. Neurodegenerative diseases
2. Neurobiological basis of neurological and mental disorders
Subdirections of Developmental Neuroscience are:
1. Developmental neuroscience and brain plasticity
2. Developmental cognitive neuroscience
Some of the similar and topic-related courses within our doctoral program are integrated and students will take only one exam for these courses grouped into one. For this reason the organization as well as conducting of educational process is simplified and the number of exams which must be passed is reduced.
At the first year of the study doctoral student has to choose his or hers research topic. Organization of the study is entirely adapted to research (average is just 8 hours of classes per week). For each student, a special three-members-committee will be appointed. The members of the committee cooperate with student and advise him until the completion of his/her PhD thesis; one of committee members has to be a head of the laboratory in which PhD thesis research will be conducted.
Students also acquire competences from successfully completed lab rotations, participation on seminars and conferences, through guided tutorials and journal clubs.
GENERAL STRUCTURE OF COURSES AND ECTS POINTS PER YEAR
The first year
25 ECTS points for main subjects, 15 points for elective courses; course load is 4 hours per week over 14 weeks during the term. Methodological courses (max 10 ECTS points) and laboratory rotations (10 ECTS) yield 20 ECTS points with maximum load of 6 hours per week over 14 weeks during the term. The submitted PhD thesis proposal is required for admission into the second academic year.
The second year
The total of 20 ECTS points for elective courses in specific research areas (from molecular to clinical neuroscience). Direct course load represents just 20% of the entire study contents (there are max. 4 hours of lectures per course). The total load (including laboratory rotations) shall not exceed 8 hours per week over 14 weeks during the term. Mandatory public defense of proposal of Ph.D. thesis brings 20 ECTS points, and up to 20 ECTS points is to be replaced by research, if the efficiency of that research has been demonstrated by: a) one published paper in journals listed in «Current Contents» or b) two published papers in journals listed in other international indexes (or two internationally refereed abstracts – the abstract will be regarded as refereed if the author was competitively awarded as a meeting/school participant or member of the leading professional society). The above mentioned publications are also required for the submission of the completed PhD thesis.
The third year
20 ECTS points for elective courses, 20 ECTS points for other activities (methodological courses laboratory rotations, seminars, guided tutorials, Journal clubs) and 20 ECTS points for laboratory research related to the topic of PhD thesis, as demonstrated by one paper published in journal listed in «Current Contents».
The publication of papers can occur during the second as well as during the third academic year. In both cases, these publications represent a necessary requirement for the submission of the completed PhD thesis
The first year - It is possible to choose 30% of ECTS credits (7,5 ECTS credits for elective courses and 3 ECTS points for methodological courses) from a doctoral study program in Biomedicine and Health.
The second year - It is possible to choose 30% of ECTS credits (6 ECTS credits for elective courses) from a doctoral study program in Biomedicine and Health.
The third year - It is possible to choose 30% of ECTS credits (6 ECTS credits for elective courses and 3 ECTS points for methodological courses) from a doctoral study program in Biomedicine and Health
STUDY SCHEDULE AND STUDENT OBLIGATIONS
To complete the first year and enter the second, student has to have 25 ECTS points in main (obligatory) courses, accepted/defended the PhD thesis proposal and completed laboratory rotations. The tripartite committee shall determine the date of main course exams, depending on the PhD thesis topic and progress report.
During the second year, student has to attend elective courses and (by the end of the second year) submit one manuscript to the journal refereed in «Current Contents».
During the third year, student shall be engaged in completion of his/her PhD thesis, shall participate at, at least, one international neuroscience meeting (with refereed abstracts and presentations), and shall submit the completed PhD thesis during the third or (depending on circumstances) fourth year.
The requirements for submitting the completed PhD thesis are as follows: one manuscript accepted for publication in the journal listed in «Current Contents» (with impact factor 1 or more), two published abstracts and/or poster presentations at international neuroscience meetings (e.g. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, FENS Forum, IBRO World Congress, etc.).
