Establishment of the Regulations for Doctoral Studies

Responsible department:

Research Administration Office

Doctoral studies

Established by Regulation No 2 of 25 February 2026 of
the Senate of Tallinn University of Technology (entry into force 27 February 2026)

In force from: 27.02.2026

ORIGINAL TEXT - FULL TEXT

Chapter 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
§ 1 Purpose

Chapter 2 DOCTORAL STUDIES
§ 2 General provisions
§ 3 Requirements for a supervisor
§ 4 Forms of doctoral studies
§ 5 Rights and obligations of the parties to doctoral studies

Chapter 3 REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION TO DOCTORAL STUDIES
§ 6 General provisions
§ 7 Applying for the establishment of a PhD position
§ 8 Establishment of a PhD position
§ 9 Applying for doctoral studies
§ 10 Activities related to admission and matriculation
§ 11 Appeal of admission decisions

Chapter 4 FUNDING OF DOCTORAL CANDIDATES
§ 12 Funding of doctoral candidates matriculated before the 2022/2023 academic year
§ 13 Funding of early stage researchers
§ 14 Funding of industrial Ph.D. students
§ 15 Funding of doctoral students

Chapter 5 SUBMITTING AN INDIVIDUAL STUDY PLAN AND PREPARING A DOCTORAL CANDIDATE’S ACTION PLAN
§ 16 Submitting an individual study plan
§ 17 A doctoral candidate’s action plan

Chapter 6 ATTESTATION
§ 18 General provisions
§ 19 Documents to be submitted for attestation
§ 20 Attestation committee
§ 21 Result of attestation

Chapter 7 REQUIREMENTS FOR A DOCTORAL THESIS
§ 22 Doctoral thesis
§ 23 Formal requirements for a doctoral thesis
§ 24 Publishing a doctoral thesis

Chapter 8 DEFENCE OF A DOCTORAL THESIS AND AWARD OF THE DOCTORAL DEGREE
§ 25 Organisation of the preliminary review and defence of a doctoral thesis
§ 26 Eligibility of a doctoral thesis for defence
§ 27 Requirements for opponents
§ 28 Defence of a doctoral thesis
§ 29 Award and conferral of the doctoral degree

Chapter 9 EXMATRICULATION
§ 30 Reasons for exmatriculation

Chapter 10 IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS
§ 31 Implementation of the Regulation
§ 32 Repeal of university legislation
§ 33 Entry into force of the Regulation
Annex 1 Roles of the parties in the organisation and conduct of doctoral studies

The Regulation is established based on subsection 3 (6) of the Higher Education Act and clause 5 (3) 1) of the Tallinn University of Technology Act.

Chapter 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS

§ 1. Purpose

(1) The Regulations for Doctoral Studies (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulations”) govern the organisation of doctoral studies (hereinafter referred to as “doctoral studies”), including the requirements and procedure for admission to doctoral studies, the conditions and procedure for the attestation of doctoral students, the requirements for doctoral theses, and the conditions and procedure for the defence of doctoral theses at Tallinn University of Technology (hereinafter referred to as the “university”).

(2) The provisions of the Academic Policies apply to matters concerning the general basis of the organisation of studies, studying and academic achievement, including the accreditation of prior and experiential learning, violations of good academic practice, the informing and counselling of students, and the contestation of decisions concerning studies.

Chapter 2
DOCTORAL STUDIES

§ 2. General provisions

(1) The nominal duration of doctoral studies is four years (48 months), corresponding to an estimated total study workload of 6,240 hours.

(2) As a rule, the nominal duration of a doctoral candidate’s studies corresponds to the nominal duration of the study programme and is calculated on a monthly basis from the month of matriculation.

(3) A doctoral candidate’s nominal duration of studies may be extended:
1) by up to four years if this is provided for by the doctoral candidate’s action plan;
2) by the period spent away from doctoral studies to care for a child under three years of age (in the case of doctoral candidates with an employment contract, by the period of maternity and/or parental leave);
3) by the period of leave for military or alternative service.

(4) The calculation of a doctoral student’s study period shall be suspended for the reasons specified in clauses (3) 2) and 3) on the basis of the doctoral student’s application. A doctoral candidate shall submit the application and supporting documentation in the study information system. The application shall be approved by the dean’s office.

(5) The university does not require the reimbursement of tuition fees for doctoral studies.

(6) The structure of doctoral study programmes is established in the Study Programme Statute.

(7) A doctoral candidate has the right to transfer to another study programme by submitting the corresponding application and, if necessary, an APEL application for the transfer of courses by the deadline specified in the academic calendar. A prerequisite for transferring to another study programme is the prior agreement of the supervisors and the relevant units, taking into account the requirements for supervisors and the conditions for the establishment of a PhD position set out in the Regulations. The dean decides on transfers between study programmes within the School, while the vice-rector responsible for the field decides on transfers between study programmes across Schools.

(8) A doctoral thesis may have up to three supervisors: a principal supervisor and co-supervisors. The principal supervisor must have a contractual relationship with the university, unless otherwise provided in cooperation agreements. As a rule, no more than two supervisors may be appointed from the same institution, including the university. In the case of an interdisciplinary doctoral thesis, all supervisors may be from the university; however, no more than two supervisors may be appointed from the same structural unit.

§ 3. Requirements for a supervisor

(1) A supervisor must have a PhD degree or an equivalent qualification. In justified cases, a doctoral thesis may be supervised by an internationally recognised creative practitioner holding the position of tenured professor who does not hold a doctoral degree.

(2) When applying for the establishment of a PhD position or for a change of supervisor, the principal supervisor’s compliance with the established threshold is assessed on the basis of the following criteria:
1) the number of publications authored by the supervisor during the preceding five years, as recorded in the Scopus database. The number of publications must meet the minimum requirements for supervisors set out in the university’s academic evaluation matrix. If the supervisor has been on maternity leave, parental leave, or compulsory military or alternative service during the preceding five years, publications from earlier years may be taken into account;
2) the citation rate of publications from the preceding five years, as recorded in the Scopus database. At least 50% of the publications must be cited; self-citations are not taken into account, and
3) prior supervisory effectiveness. At least 50% of the doctoral candidates supervised and exmatriculated by the relevant date have reached the defence stage (based on the study information system data). The number of doctoral candidates exmatriculated due to discontinuation of studies during the first year of doctoral studies is not taken into account.

(3) In case of a first-time supervisor, the data set out in clauses (2) 1) and 2) shall be taken into account.

§ 4. Forms of doctoral studies

(1) Doctoral studies may be completed at the university as an early stage researcher, an industrial PhD student, a doctoral student (hereinafter jointly referred to as “doctoral candidates”) or as an external student.

(2) An early stage researcher is a doctoral candidate enrolled at the university for whom an early stage researcher position has been established in the supervisor’s structural unit or, by agreement, in another structural unit of the university or in a positively evaluated research and development institution (hereinafter referred to as an “R&D institution”), and whose primary responsibility is to conduct research related to the topic of their doctoral thesis.

(3) An industrial or knowledge transfer PhD student is a doctoral candidate matriculated at the university who works in a private, public, or third-sector institution, or in another national or international organisation with which the university has cooperation in research and/or development activities (hereinafter also referred to as an “industrial partner or partner institution , and whose work at the partner institution is directly related to the topic of the doctoral thesis. An industrial PhD student shall be supervised by a university employee and by a person appointed by the institution who is responsible for achieving the organisation’s research and development objectives (a co-supervisor or consultant).

(4) A doctoral student shall complete a doctoral programme in the status of a student without having an employment relationship related to the doctoral thesis with the university or any other institution outside the university. A doctoral study agreement is concluded with a doctoral student upon matriculation.

(5) An external student is a person who defends a doctoral thesis without holding student status. To defend a doctoral thesis as an external student, a person must meet the admission requirements for doctoral studies and must have completed the doctoral study programme, except for the defence of the doctoral thesis. A doctoral degree shall be defended in accordance with §§ 24 – 25 of the Regulations. An external student’s supervisor must meet the requirements established in the Regulations.

§ 5. Rights and obligations of the parties to doctoral studies

(1) The main task of a doctoral candidate is to conduct high-quality research and development in a field related to the topic of the thesis in accordance with the doctoral candidate’s action plan and to participate actively in the academic community. The rights and obligations of doctoral candidates in the course of doctoral studies are set out in these Regulations and in other legislation of the university and the state.

(2) The roles of other parties involved in the organisation and conduct of doctoral studies are set out in Annex 1 to the Regulations.

Chapter 3
REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION TO DOCTORAL STUDIES

§ 6. General provisions

(1) Admission to doctoral studies takes place throughout the year, except for the admission of doctoral students, which takes place twice during the academic year: before the beginning of the autumn semester and the spring semester.

(2) Doctoral positions shall be filled by competition.

(3) Industrial PhD positions may be filled without announcing a public competition if all the conditions established for industrial PhD positions in these Regulations are met.

(4) The vice-rector responsible for the field may establish admission targets for early stage researcher positions in each speciality of doctoral study programmes if necessary in view of the university’s budget.

(5) The vice-rector responsible for the field shall establish admission limits for doctoral student positions by doctoral study programme for each academic year. The Research Administration Office monitors the fulfilment of the limits on an ongoing basis and, if necessary, the limits established for study programmes shall be increased or reduced by decision of the vice-rector responsible for the field.

(6) Extraordinary matters related to admission to doctoral studies shall be resolved by the vice-rector responsible for the field.

§ 7. Applying for the establishment of a PhD position

(1) To establish a PhD position, a supervisor who meets the requirements set out in § 3 of the Regulations shall submit an application, together with a description of the doctoral thesis topic in English, via the university’s Help Center. In the case of multiple topics, a separate application shall be submitted for each topic. If a topic has more than one supervisor, the application shall be submitted by the principal supervisor.

(2) A supervisor may submit applications on an ongoing basis. A programme director may set deadlines for the submission of applications, taking into account the admission targets and limits and ensuring their even distribution throughout the year.

(3) A prerequisite for the establishment of an early stage researcher position is that the supervisor and the supervisor’s structural unit (department) or, by agreement, another structural unit of the university or an external positively evaluated R&D institution undertake to establish the early stage researcher position upon the candidate’s admission and to ensure the funding necessary for carrying out research in accordance with the provisions of the Regulations.

(4) A prerequisite for the establishment of an industrial PhD position is the interest and willingness of the industrial partner to contribute to research and development in cooperation with the university, for which a corresponding agreement has been or will be concluded, or a joint project will be prepared.

(5) To apply for the establishment of an industrial PhD position, the supervisor shall submit the following via the Help Center together with the application and a description of the doctoral thesis topic:
1) a draft agreement for industrial doctoral studies or other research and development cooperation agreement;
2) confirmation from the industrial partner that the industrial PhD candidate has a valid employment contract or that an employment contract will be concluded with the candidate, and that the candidate’s work at the institution is directly related to the proposed doctoral thesis;
3) the application documents of the prospective Industrial PhD student specified in subsection 9 (6) of the Regulations.

(6) To apply for the establishment of a doctoral student position, the supervisor shall submit the following via the Help Center together with the application for the establishment of the doctoral student position:
1) a research plan prepared in cooperation with the applicant and a schedule for carrying out the research;
2) the applicant’s application documents as specified in subsection 9 (6) of the Regulations.

§ 8. Establishment of a PhD position

(1) Applications for the establishment of a PhD position shall be approved by the head of department (or, in the case of an R&D institution, by its representative). By approving the establishment of an early stage researcher position, the head of department confirms, inter alia, that the position will be established and that the funding required for the early stage researcher will be secured.

(2) The programme director shall verify that all required application documents have been submitted, that the supervisor meets the requirements established in § 3 of the Regulations, and that the topic of the doctoral thesis is topical, original, and consistent with the content and objectives of the doctoral study programme.

(3) Based on the terms of the application for establishing a PhD position, the supervisor’s compliance with the established threshold, and the established admission targets or limits, the programme director shall make one of the following decisions:
1) to approve the doctoral thesis topic and the supervisor and to open a PhD position for admission;
2) not to establish a PhD position, in which case the programme director shall provide the supervisor with a reasoned explanation or set out additional requirements for opening the position.

(4) If the supervisor applying for the establishment of a PhD position does not fully comply with the established threshold, the programme director may, with the approval of the head of the department, exercise discretion when deciding whether to open the position, taking into account circumstances relevant to the programme, the objectives set, and legitimate interests. The exercise of discretion shall result in one of the decisions listed in subsection (3).

§ 9. Applying for doctoral studies

(1) Persons who hold a master’s degree or an equivalent qualification have the right to apply for doctoral studies.

(2) A candidate from a foreign country applying for a PhD position must have a valid Estonian residence permit or right of residence and a permanent legal income in accordance with the Aliens Act, except in the case of a doctoral student studying under a joint supervision arrangement or other cooperation agreement.

(3) A public competition shall be announced for doctoral thesis topics for early stage researcher and industrial PhD positions where there is no designated candidate.

(4) Notices of the competitions by topic, including the names of the supervisors, shall be published on the university’s website, international websites, and in the online application environment for doctoral studies.

(5) Where a person applies for doctoral studies through a public competition, the university assesses the candidate’s application documents and qualifications and charges a one-time fee for this service. Candidates who have completed master’s studies at an Estonian higher education institution, as well as candidates who are Estonian or other European Union citizens or who hold a long-term residence permit in Estonia or a permanent right of residence, are exempt from the fee. The amount of the service fee shall be established by order of the vice-rector responsible for the field in accordance with the procedure set out in the Financial Regulations and shall be paid no later than the application deadline. The service fee shall not be refunded.

(6) The documents required for application are the following:
1) an application;
2) a curriculum vitae, incl. data on education and research and development activities;
3) a copy of an education certificate and a diploma supplement;
4) a copy of the passport, identity card or residence permit card:
5) a motivation letter in English;
6) other documents required by the supervisor to determine eligibility of the applicant. Additional documents may be requested during the competition period.

(7) Applicants who do not have Estonian citizenship, a long-term residence permit, or a permanent right of residence must demonstrate their English language proficiency at least at the B2 level by submitting an appropriate certificate.

(8) If an education certificate acquired in a foreign country is submitted, the university may request an assessment of compliance of the qualifications from the Estonian ENIC/NARIC Centre.

(9) If an applicant cannot submit an education certificate as proof of completion of the previous academic cycle, the applicant must provide evidence of their academic results. An admission decision may be made only after the education certificates have been duly submitted.

(10) Application documents shall be submitted electronically via the online application environment. If necessary, the applicant who has received the admission decision shall submit their education certificates in paper form to the Research Administration Office in accordance with the instructions provided by the Research Administration Office. The university may revoke the admission decision if the applicant fails to submit the required paper documents to the Research Administration Office. The university may also revoke the admission decision if, after the decision has been made, it becomes aware of facts giving rise to suspicion that the applicant, as an alien, may pose a threat to public order, national security, international relations, or public health.

(11) Documents shall be submitted in Estonian or English. An international applicant shall attach to documents in a language other than Estonian or English a translation into Estonian or English certified by the issuer, a sworn translator, or a notary.

§ 10. Activities related to admission and matriculation

(1) The supervisor shall evaluate the application documents and conduct an interview with the applicant. Based on the applicant’s academic abilities, previous performance, and motivation, the supervisor shall submit a proposal to the programme director regarding the applicant’s admission. The supervisor shall reject applications that do not meet the competition requirements.

(2) If several persons with similar qualifications have applied for one position through a public competition, the supervisor shall rank the applicants. An applicant who complies with the requirements set out in subsection 9 (1) of the Regulations and is ranked first shall be admitted. If the applicant ranked first declines the offered position, the applicant ranked second shall be admitted.

(3) Applicants admitted by decision of the director of the doctoral programme shall be sent a corresponding notice, together with the deadline for accepting the position, via the online application environment for doctoral studies.

(4) Applicants who meet the application requirements and have accepted the position by the required deadline shall be matriculated in doctoral studies by the vice-rector responsible for the field. Upon matriculation of a doctoral candidate, the vice-rector responsible for the field shall appoint a supervisor and, if necessary, up to two co-supervisors for the doctoral thesis. The vice-rector responsible for the field may replace the supervisor or co-supervisor(s) of the doctoral thesis on the proposal of the dean.

(5) Matriculation constitutes the basis for concluding an employment contract with an early stage researcher, an industrial PhD agreement with an industrial PhD student, or a doctoral study agreement with a doctoral student.

§ 11. Appeals against admission decisions

Decisions and acts related to admission may be contested by filing an appeal with the dean of the relevant School within three working days of notification of the decision or performance of the act. The applicant shall be notified of the decision on the appeal within three working days of the filing of the appeal.

Chapter 4
FUNDING OF DOCTORAL CANDIDATES

§ 12. Funding of doctoral candidates matriculated before the 2022/2023 academic year

(1) Granting and payment of doctoral allowance
1) A doctoral candidate matriculated before the 2022/2023 academic year is entitled to receive a doctoral allowance to encourage engagement in doctoral study and research and to cover expenses related to the acquisition of education, in accordance with the Study Allowances and Study Loans Act as in force at the time of matriculation.
2) A doctoral allowance shall be granted to a doctoral candidate who:

was matriculated before the 2022/2023 academic year and has not exceeded the nominal duration of the study programme;
is a citizen of the Republic of Estonia, resides in Estonia on the basis of a long-term or temporary residence permit, or holds a permanent or temporary right of residence; and
has passed attestation under the terms and conditions specified in the Regulations.

3) A doctoral candidate is not entitled to receive a doctoral allowance during the period in which they receive a study allowance from the government of a foreign country, an international or intergovernmental organisation, or a body administering a cooperation programme.
4) A doctoral allowance shall be granted, by order of the dean, to doctoral candidates who meet the requirements specified in clause 2) and have submitted the data required for granting the allowance, for twelve calendar months starting in September, or for a corresponding number of study months if the nominal duration of the doctoral candidate’s study programme ends in the middle of the calendar year.
5) A doctoral candidate matriculated in part-time doctoral study who meets the requirements set out in clause 2) shall be granted a doctoral allowance in the amount of 50 per cent of the national doctoral allowance.
6) The doctoral allowance shall be paid by the last day of each month to the bank account indicated by the doctoral candidate in the university’s study information system.
7) If a doctoral candidate goes on academic leave after having been granted a doctoral allowance, payment of the allowance shall be terminated in the following month.
8) If a doctoral allowance has been granted to a doctoral candidate by mistake, the university may terminate payment of the allowance upon discovery of the mistake.
9) If it becomes evident that a doctoral candidate has provided false information to the university, the university shall terminate payment of the allowance and may reclaim any unduly paid doctoral allowance.

(2) The structural unit of the principal supervisor or, by agreement, another structural unit of the university shall provide additional remuneration for each doctoral candidate who was matriculated in full-time doctoral study in the academic years 2016/2017 to 2021/2022 and who is not an industrial PhD student, so that the doctoral candidate’s monthly income is comparable to the rate specified in subsection 13 (1).

(3) Additional remuneration may be paid in one of the following forms:
1) a tax-free scholarship to support teaching and research in accordance with the Basis for Awarding and the Procedure for Payment of Scholarships established at the university;
2) a salary; or
3) a combination of a scholarship and salary.

§ 13. Funding of early stage researchers

(1) Early stage researchers matriculated in the 2022/2023 academic year shall be guaranteed a gross salary funded from the state budget (salary fund) and supplemented by funding from the structural unit.

(2) The rector shall establish the minimum gross salary of early stage researchers, the conditions for the use of the salary fund, the proportions for the distribution of costs between the salary fund and structural units, and any project-specific conditions.

(3) The salary fund shall cover an early stage researcher’s labour costs for the nominal period of study, up to a maximum of 48 months of full-time work.

§ 14. Funding of industrial PhD students

(1) The salary of an industrial PhD student shall be paid by the industrial partner with whom the PhD student has concluded an employment contract.

(2) Industrial PhD students matriculated before the 2022/2023 academic year shall also be granted a national doctoral allowance in accordance with subsection 12 (1) of the Regulations.

(3) An industrial PhD student may be paid tax-free scholarship from the funds of the supervisor’s structural unit to support teaching and research in compliance with the Basis for Awarding and the Procedure for Payment of Scholarships established at the university.

§ 15. Funding of doctoral students

A doctoral student may be paid a tax-free scholarship from the funds of the supervisor’s structural unit to support teaching and research in accordance with the Basis for Awarding and the Procedure for Payment of Scholarships established at the university.

Chapter 5
SUBMITTING AN INDIVIDUAL STUDY PLAN AND PREPARING A DOCTORAL CANDIDATE’S ACTION PLAN

§ 16. Submitting an individual study plan

(1) The general principles governing the individual study plan and its submission are laid down in the Academic Policies.

(2) A doctoral candidate shall submit an individual study plan if they wish to register for courses for the following semester.

(3) A doctoral candidate may select for their individual study plan any master’s or doctoral courses taught at the university. Courses not included in the study programme may be included in the professional proficiency module.

§ 17. A doctoral candidate’s action plan

(1) A doctoral candidate, in cooperation with their supervisor, shall draw up a doctoral candidate’s action plan (hereinafter the action plan) in the study information system.

(2) An action plan shall consist of the following parts:
1) main information on the doctoral thesis, including: the topic of the doctoral thesis in Estonian and English; the field and speciality classification according to the Common European Research Classification Scheme (CERCS); and an annotation of the doctoral thesis, in which the doctoral candidate provides a brief description of the topic, purpose, and expected results of the research;
2) a research plan covering the entire period of doctoral studies and an overview of the literature. The research plan shall include a description of how research data will be managed within the framework of the doctoral thesis, specifying the data to be collected and outlining the methods for storing and sharing the data;
3) a report on the implementation of the action plan, including the supervisor’s assessment of the report and the activities planned for the next period.

(3) A doctoral candidate shall enter the main information on their doctoral thesis within one month of the date of matriculation.

(4) A doctoral candidate shall submit the research plan and overview of the literature, on the basis of which the first attestation is conducted, no later than two weeks before the date of the first attestation.

(5) In the report on the implementation of the action plan, the doctoral candidate shall:
1) describe the research carried out during the reporting period and the activities planned for the next period;
2) submit a list of papers published or accepted for publication;
3) indicate any health or other justified reasons that formed the basis for the decision of the attestation committee to extend the doctoral candidate’s nominal duration of studies.

Chapter 6
ATTESTATION

§ 18. General provisions

(1) Attestation is the assessment of a doctoral candidate’s academic progress in studies and research by the attestation committee.

(2) Attestations shall take place twice in an academic year: before the beginning of the autumn semester and before the beginning of the spring semester, as follows:
1) first-year doctoral candidates shall be attested one semester after admission and two semesters after admission;
2) subsequent attestations shall, as a rule, take place once in an academic year by the deadline indicated in the academic calendar. An attestation may be conducted after a shorter period based on the results of a semester, upon a reasoned proposal by the doctoral candidate’s supervisor or the programme director, or by decision of the attestation committee.

(3) If doctoral studies have been suspended on the basis of a doctoral candidate’s application in the cases specified in clauses 2 (3) 2) and 3) of the Regulations, the doctoral candidate shall not be attested during that period.

(4) If necessary, a doctoral candidate shall undergo an extraordinary attestation in the case provided for in subsection 21 (5).

§ 19. Documents required for attestation

(1) At least two weeks before the date of attestation, the doctoral candidate shall submit a report on the implementation of the action plan in the appropriate form in the study information system.

(2) At least one week before the date of attestation, the principal supervisor shall provide an assessment of the report on the implementation of the doctoral candidate’s action plan in the study information system.

§ 20. Attestation committee

(1) An attestation committee shall be formed by the dean on the basis of the study programme or field of study. At least one member of the attestation committee shall be from outside the School and shall have experience in supervising doctoral candidates.

(2) The dean shall determine the date of the attestation by order at least one month before the planned attestation. The chair of the attestation committee shall establish the rules of procedure of the attestation committee.

(3) The participation of the doctoral candidate in the meeting of the attestation committee is mandatory. The chair of the attestation committee may, upon a reasoned request by the doctoral candidate, grant permission not to attend the meeting of the attestation committee.

(4) In the case of a study period corresponding to the nominal duration of the study programme, the committee assesses a doctoral candidate’s academic progress based on the following principles:
1) upon attestation of first-year doctoral candidates in the first semester, the candidate’s motivation and capability to carry out research shall be assessed alongside academic performance. It is important to assess cooperation between the doctoral candidate and the supervisor. The doctoral candidate shall have prepared a research plan and have an overview of the scientific literature in their field;
2) upon attestation of first-year doctoral candidates, the doctoral candidate shall present their vision of the research strategy and methodology applied in preparing the thesis. The research question and objectives shall be formulated, and the scientific novelty, methodology, and expected results shall be identified;
3) by the end of the second year, the volume of the doctoral candidate’s research shall be sufficient for the publication of at least one research paper complying with the requirements set out in subsection 22 (4). A doctoral candidate preparing a doctoral thesis as creative research shall submit a selection of creative work reflecting the research, demonstrate the ability to place the selected creative work in an international context by identifying similarities and differences in comparison with other authors and the innovative direction of their research, and analyse the selected creative work from the perspective of society and the user;
4) by the end of the third year, the doctoral candidate shall have completed at least 75 per cent of the research volume.
A doctoral candidate preparing a doctoral thesis based on research publications shall have published one research paper and submitted another for publication or have another paper accepted for publication. The volume of research shall be sufficient to prepare a third paper. The attestation committee may, after assessing the level of the published papers, make a reasoned proposal to the Vice-Rector for Research to permit the preparation of a doctoral thesis based on two research publications.
A doctoral candidate preparing a doctoral thesis as creative research shall have prepared a strategy and methodology for analysing their work and shall submit the preliminary results of the analyses, a draft structure of the analytical textual part, and an overview of the creative work related to and supporting the textual part.
The attestation committee shall assess whether graduation within the nominal duration of study is realistic and shall determine the expected date of defence;
5) a fourth-year doctoral candidate shall be attested if the conditions for defending the doctoral thesis are met: all publications on which the doctoral thesis is based have been published or accepted for publication; courses have been completed; and the manuscript of the doctoral thesis or, in the case of a doctoral thesis prepared as creative research, the manuscript of the textual part presenting and interpreting the relevant creative works has been submitted to the supervisor. The attestation committee shall determine the date of defence.

(5) The dean may establish additional assessment principles in compliance with subsection (4) of this section.

§ 21. Result of attestation

(1) The result of attestation shall be either positive (“passed”) or negative (“not passed”).

(2) A doctoral candidate who fails an attestation shall be exmatriculated on the grounds of inadequate academic performance.

(3) The attestation committee may give a positive assessment to a doctoral candidate who fails to meet the conditions specified in subsection 20 (4) of the Regulations, only once within a year exceeding the nominal duration of the study programme.

(4) If a doctoral candidate’s action plan provides for a study period longer than the nominal duration of the study programme, the attestation shall not be conducted on the basis of the principles set out in subsection 20 (4). In such a case, each attestation shall be based on the fulfilment of the individual action plan.

(5) The attestation committee may give a positive assessment to a doctoral candidate and grant an additional term of up to three months to improve the results and fulfil the doctoral candidate’s action plan. Upon expiry of that term, an extraordinary attestation shall be conducted in accordance with this chapter. The result of the extraordinary attestation shall be either positive or negative. If the result is negative, the doctoral candidate shall be exmatriculated on the grounds of failure to make adequate academic progress.

(6) The attestation decision shall be recorded as a decision of the attestation committee and entered in the study information system within two weeks after the meeting of the attestation committee.

Chapter 7
REQUIREMENTS FOR A DOCTORAL THESIS

§ 22. Doctoral thesis

(1) A doctoral thesis is an independent research work that presents a novel solution to a significant problem in the research field of the doctoral study programme, the results of which have been published in internationally distributed scholarly publications.

(2) A doctoral thesis shall be prepared in one of the following forms:
1) as a thesis based on research publications;
2) as a monograph; or
3) as creative research.

(3) As a rule, a doctoral thesis based on research publications shall consist of three publications, at least one of which shall be a journal article, and a summary integrating them into a coherent whole and structured as a research article. The doctoral candidate shall be the lead author of at least one of the research publications.

(4) A research publication means a peer-reviewed publication published in a journal indexed in the Scopus and/or Web of Science database(s).

(5) Research publications need not have been published in print; however, in such a case, official confirmation of their acceptance for publication shall be provided.

(6) On the proposal of the dean and on the basis of a reasoned decision of the vice-rector responsible for the field, a doctoral thesis prepared on the basis of research publications may consist of two research publications if the publications are internationally outstanding, i.e. if they have been published in Q1 or Q2 journals in the field and the doctoral candidate is the lead author of at least one of them. The quartile of a journal shall be determined on the basis of the metrics applicable in the year of publication of the research publication. If the journal metrics for the year of publication are not available, the metrics of the preceding year shall be used.

(7) Based on the dean’s decision, one research publication may be replaced by:
1) a patent granted in a country with a substantive examination system or under an international treaty;
2) a patent application accompanied by a favourable written opinion of the patent office that carried out the search regarding the patentability of the invention; or
3) another applied solution (e.g. an engineering or software solution) that has been positively reviewed by two independent internationally recognised experts holding a PhD degree and selected by the programme director of doctoral studies.

(8) A monograph is a scholarly research work that constitutes a systematic and comprehensive treatment of a clearly defined research topic or problem. A doctoral thesis prepared as a monograph shall be published by an internationally recognised publishing house. A monograph may also be published in the university’s dissertation series by decision of the vice-rector responsible for the field. In such a case, the doctoral candidate shall be the lead author of at least one research publication in the field of the doctoral thesis published or accepted for publication in a journal specified in subsection (4) of this section.

(9) A doctoral thesis prepared as creative research shall consist of an extensive creative project or a series of related creative projects and a descriptive analytical text explaining the projects. The published descriptive text of the thesis shall include the research question, objectives, scientific novelty, methodology, and findings related to the creative research. The creative research shall be peer-reviewed by two independent internationally recognised experts selected by the programme director of doctoral studies. The preparation of a doctoral thesis as creative research shall be agreed upon at the commencement of the doctoral thesis project. A doctoral thesis can be prepared as creative research in the field of Architecture and Building of the study programme of Engineering.

(10) In addition, a research publication that has not yet been accepted for publication may be included in the doctoral thesis.

§ 23. Formal requirements for a doctoral thesis

(1) A doctoral thesis shall be written in English. A thesis may also be written in another language in justified cases and by decision of the dean.

(2) A doctoral thesis prepared on the basis of research publications or as a monograph and published in the university’s dissertation series shall be prepared in accordance with the template available on the university intranet and on the library’s website, together with the relevant user manuals.

(3) The front and back covers shall be added by the university’s Press House (hereinafter the Press House).

(4) As a rule, the structure of a doctoral thesis shall be as follows:
1) title pages;
2) Contents;
3) List of Publications;
4) Author’s Contribution to the Publications;
5) Introduction;
6) if necessary, Abbreviations, Terms, Symbols;
7) body text of the thesis;
8) List of Figures (if applicable);
9) List of Tables (if applicable);
10) References;
11) Acknowledgements;
12) Abstract in Estonian and English;
13) Graphical Abstract (may be included at the author’s discretion)
14) Appendices (not required in the case of a monograph);
15) Curriculum vitae in English and Estonian.

(5) The order of the components of a doctoral thesis may be changed if justified, taking into account the traditions of the respective field of science.

(6) A doctoral thesis shall have two title pages. The first title page, together with the information on its reverse side, shall be in the language of the thesis. The second title page shall be in another language (in case the thesis is in a foreign language, the title page shall be in Estonian).

(7) The Press House shall indicate on the title page the serial number of the doctoral thesis defended at the university.

(8) In the case where a doctoral thesis:
1) has been written on the basis of an agreement or within a joint study programme at Tallinn University of Technology and another university, or in cooperation with a R&D institution, a reference to the other university or R&D institution shall be included in the author’s declaration on the reverse side of the title page, and the doctoral thesis shall be prepared in accordance with the agreement;
2) has been prepared or published using foreign or domestic funding measures, the logo of the funding body shall be printed on the reverse side of the title page.

(9) Two ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) and two ISBN (International Standard Book Number — an international standard number assigned to a concrete book; separate numbers shall be assigned to printed and electronic publications) numbers shall be indicated on the reverse side of the title page of a doctoral thesis. ISSN and ISBN numbers shall be issued by the Press House

§ 24. Publishing a doctoral thesis

(1) Unless otherwise provided in the Regulations, doctoral theses shall be published electronically in the library’s digital collection and, by agreement with the head of the department, in print.

(2) An author’s contract shall be concluded between the author of a doctoral thesis and the university for the use of the doctoral thesis (hereinafter referred to as the “author’s contract”). Under the author’s contract, the author grants the university the right to publish the doctoral thesis electronically and to print it at the request of the author if this has been agreed with the head of the department. The text of the author’s contract is available on the website of the library’s digital collection.

(3) Access to a doctoral thesis may be restricted if, under the terms and conditions of a contract concerning the doctoral thesis topic, the doctoral thesis contains a state secret, a trade secret, or any other classified information. The dean shall decide on restricting access to the doctoral thesis on the basis of a reasoned request from the author of the doctoral thesis. If a doctoral thesis contains a state secret, the person responsible for the protection of personal data and state secrets shall be involved in the decision-making process.

(4) The library shall preserve doctoral theses permanently. A doctoral thesis with restricted access (except a doctoral thesis containing a state secret classified as secret or top secret) shall be marked “For internal use only”. If a doctoral thesis with restricted access is also published in print, it shall be preserved in the closed storage facility of the library intended for that purpose and shall be subject to the provisions of the Procedure for the Classification of Information as Internal. Doctoral theses containing a state secret classified as secret or top secret shall not be preserved at the university.

(5) Not later than one month before the defence of a doctoral thesis, the author shall submit the manuscript of the doctoral thesis and the scientific publications to the Press House via the Help Center in separate files. If the doctoral thesis is to be printed, a written order signed by the head of the department shall also be submitted.

(6) After receipt of the documents listed in subsection (5) and editing of the manuscript of the doctoral thesis, the Press House shall send the author’s contract form to the doctoral student for signing, publish the electronic version of the doctoral thesis in the library’s digital collection, and enter the required metadata. In the case of a doctoral thesis with restricted access, only the abstract of the doctoral thesis shall be published electronically. A doctoral thesis containing a state secret classified as secret or top secret shall not be submitted to the library. If a doctoral thesis is printed, the Press House shall submit three copies to the library of Tallinn University of Technology and four copies to the National Library of Estonia in accordance with the Legal Deposit Copy Act.

(7) In order to publish information related to the defence of a doctoral thesis on the university’s websites, the doctoral candidate shall submit to the Research Administration Office a popular science summary of the doctoral thesis (in the form of research news) in plain Estonian, with a maximum length of 3,000 characters. The summary may be replaced by a three-minute science video. The Research Administration Office shall arrange the publication of information on the defence of the doctoral thesis on the university’s website with reference to the doctoral thesis or, in the case of a doctoral thesis with restricted access, to its abstract. If a doctoral thesis contains a state secret, the person responsible for the protection of personal data and state secrets shall decide on the publication of information related to the defence of that doctoral thesis on a case-by-case basis.

(8) If the defence of a doctoral thesis is cancelled, the structural unit organising the defence shall promptly notify the Press House and the Research Administration Office, and the dissemination of information on the doctoral thesis shall be terminated immediately.

(9) The library shall add a record of the doctoral thesis to the electronic catalogue ESTER and, after the successful defence of the doctoral thesis, shall add a link to the electronic version of the doctoral thesis in the record, unless otherwise provided in the Regulations.

Chapter 8
DEFENCE OF A DOCTORAL THESIS AND AWARD OF THE DOCTORAL DEGREE

§ 25. Organisation of the preliminary review and defence of a doctoral thesis

(1) Before submitting the defence application to the dean, the doctoral thesis shall undergo a preliminary review and a preliminary defence organised by the department of the doctoral candidate’s supervisor in accordance with the procedure established by the dean of the department corresponding to the study programme. The preliminary defence may take place in the form of a doctoral seminar.

(2) Based on the recommendation of the head of the department of the doctoral candidate’s supervisor or a person appointed by the head of the department, the dean shall appoint two independent preliminary reviewers for the doctoral thesis. The reviewers must hold a doctoral degree or an equivalent qualification in the field of the doctoral thesis. At least one reviewer must be from outside the university and preferably from outside the Republic of Estonia. The dean may appoint an additional preliminary reviewer if necessary.

(3) Within four weeks of their appointment, the preliminary reviewers shall provide a written assessment of whether the doctoral thesis meets the requirements for doctoral theses in force at the university, including:
1) whether the volume of work performed by the doctoral student is sufficient;
2) whether the work is complete and of sufficient quality to meet the requirements for comprehensive research;
3) whether the structure of the work is logical and its parts form a sufficiently coherent whole.

(4) The preliminary reviewers’ assessment shall include a clear recommendation as to whether:
1) the doctoral thesis should be submitted for defence in its current form;
2) the doctoral thesis should be submitted for defence after the introduction of changes proposed by the preliminary reviewers, the implementation of which shall be overseen by the main supervisor of the doctoral thesis; or
3) the doctoral thesis should not be submitted for defence, in which case it shall be returned to the doctoral candidate for further revision, after which it must be submitted for preliminary review again.

(5) Positive assessments by the preliminary reviewers are a prerequisite for admission to the defence.

§ 26. Eligibility of a doctoral thesis for defence

(1) A doctoral candidate shall submit to the dean a defence application approved by the supervisor, the doctoral thesis ready for publication, the positive assessments of two preliminary reviewers, and other documents required by the dean.

(2) The dean shall decide on the admission of a doctoral thesis that meets the requirements to defence no later than two weeks after the submission of the documents specified in subsection (1).

(3) Eligibility for defence shall be formalised not later than one month before the defence by order of the dean, by which the dean:
1) approves the time and place of the defence;
2) appoints, on the recommendation of the head of the department, at least two opponents for the doctoral thesis who meet the requirements established in the Regulations. Preliminary reviewers of the doctoral thesis may be appointed as opponents;
3) forms the defence committee on the proposal of the head of the department, which shall include at least five members holding a doctoral degree or an equivalent qualification. A defence committee may include the opponent(s), but not the supervisor(s). At least two members of the defence committee shall be from outside the university, and at least one of them from outside the Republic of Estonia.

§ 27. Requirements for opponents

(1) An opponent must hold a doctoral degree or an equivalent qualification and be an internationally recognised expert in the field of the doctoral thesis.

(2) All opponents shall be from outside the university, and at least one shall be from outside the Republic of Estonia.

(3) An opponent must not have a conflict of interest with the doctoral candidate or the supervisor. An opponent is deemed to have a conflict of interest if the opponent is related to the doctoral student or the supervisor within the meaning of the Anti-Corruption Act, has or has had a supervisor–supervisee relationship with them, or has co-authored or submitted joint publications with them within the last five years.

§ 28. Defence of a doctoral thesis

(1) The following shall be submitted to the defence committee in order to carry out the defence:
1) the doctoral thesis;
2) the opponents’ written opinions;
3) the principal supervisor’s written opinion.

(2) A doctoral thesis shall be defended at a public meeting of the defence committee. The work of the defence committee shall be organised by the chair of the committee. In justified cases, the chair of the defence committee may announce, on the basis of the dean’s decision, a closed meeting (with registered participants). The terms and conditions of a closed defence and any restrictions on access to the doctoral thesis shall be taken into account when publishing the doctoral thesis and when entering into contracts with the members of the defence committee.

(3) A doctoral thesis defence shall take place if the following persons participate in the defence:
1) the doctoral candidate;
2) at least five members of the defence committee, including the chair of the defence committee;
3) at least one opponent.

(4) By decision of the chair of the defence committee, members of the defence committee and opponents may participate in the defence of a doctoral thesis by means of real-time two-way video and audio communication.

(5) The defence process consists of the following main stages:
1) introduction of the documents submitted for defence;
2) presentation by the doctoral candidate;
3) an academic discussion between the doctoral candidate and the opponents;
4) answering questions from the members of the defence committee;
5) general discussion;
6) hearing the supervisor’s opinion;
7) making a decision and drawing up a defence record, whereto the opponents’ written opinions must be annexed.

§ 29. Award and conferral of the doctoral degree

(1) The defence committee shall decide on the award of the doctoral degree in a closed meeting by secret ballot or by electronic secret ballot.

(2) The doctoral degree awarded to a person who has defended the doctoral thesis is Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), to which the title of the study programme or speciality is added in brackets.

(3) A doctoral certificate shall be issued upon graduation and the conferral of the doctoral degree on the basis of an order of the vice-rector responsible for the field. The order shall be prepared by the dean’s office.

(4) The date of issue of the doctoral certificate shall be the date of the defence of the doctoral thesis.

(5) Doctoral certificates shall be conferred once a year at the university anniversary ceremony or, at the request of the doctoral candidate, at another time in the dean’s office.

Chapter 9
EXMATRICULATION

§ 30. Reasons for exmatriculation

(1) A doctoral candidate shall be exmatriculated in the same manner as other students:
1) upon completion of the study programme in full;
2) at the doctoral candidate’s request, on the basis of a written application;
3) at the initiative of the university.

(2) For exmatriculation at the doctoral candidate’s request, the candidate shall submit a corresponding application in the study information system.

(3) A doctoral candidate shall be exmatriculated at the initiative of the university in the following cases:
1) due to inadequate academic performance if the doctoral candidate has not passed attestation;
2) due to non-attendance if the doctoral candidate has not met the requirements set out in subsection 17 (3) of the Regulations;
3) upon termination of the early stage researcher’s employment contract, unless the vice-rector responsible for the field decides otherwise;
4) in the case of closure of the study programme if the doctoral candidate has not submitted an application for transfer to another study programme by the prescribed deadline;
5) due to contemptible behaviour or violation of the restrictions established to prevent the spread of an infectious disease, in which case the provisions of the Academic Policies shall apply;
6) due to death of the doctoral candidate.

(4) The doctoral candidate shall be notified of exmatriculation for the reasons specified in clauses (3) 1)-5) via the study information system.

Chapter 10
IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

§ 31. Implementation of the Regulation

(1) The nominal duration of studies and the workload of doctoral candidates matriculated before the 2022/2023 academic year shall be calculated as follows:
1) the semester limit (hereinafter referred to as “SEL”) allocated for the nominal duration of studies upon matriculation shall be reduced by one after each semester of participation in studies. The SEL shall not be reduced during academic leave.
2) A doctoral candidate shall be enrolled in either full-time or part-time studies. In full-time studies, a doctoral candidate is required to complete at least 75% of the study load prescribed in the doctoral study programme by the end of each academic year. In part-time studies, a doctoral candidate is required to complete 50–75% of the study load prescribed in the doctoral study programme by the end of each academic year. At the attestation carried out at the end of the academic year, the workload of the doctoral candidate for the next academic year shall be determined.

(2) Doctoral candidates matriculated before the 2022/2023 academic year may apply for academic leave in the cases and pursuant to the procedure provided in the Academic Policies. During academic leave, a doctoral candidate may complete the study programme without restrictions.

(3) Applications for the establishment of a doctoral position submitted before the entry into force of these Regulations but not yet decided upon shall be processed in accordance with the procedure in force at the time the application was submitted.

(4) Subsection 9(5) of the Regulations shall enter into force on 1 June 2026.

(5) Section 13 of the Regulations shall enter into force upon the entry into force of the relevant rector’s directive. Until that date, § 13 shall apply in the following wording:
1) Full-time early stage researchers matriculated in the 2022/2023 academic year or later shall be paid a gross monthly salary of at least 2,300 euros. When the average gross monthly salary in Estonia changes, the minimum salary rate shall be reviewed regularly and, if necessary, a new rate shall be established in the Regulations.
2) The gross salary costs shall be covered by the early stage researcher salary support fund, and at least 10% of the minimum rate specified in subsection (1) shall be covered from the own funds of the principal supervisor’s structural unit or, by agreement, another structural unit.
3) The salary costs shall be covered by the early stage researcher salary support fund only during the nominal duration of studies and for a maximum of 48 months of full-time work. After the end of the nominal duration of studies, the gross salary of an early stage researcher shall be covered in full from the funds of the structural unit.
4) The proportions of the minimum salary covered by the early stage researcher salary support fund and the structural unit shall be adhered to on a monthly basis.
5) In projects involving early stage researchers where the funding conditions require an own contribution, it may be partially or fully covered by the early stage researcher salary support fund. The share of the own contribution covered by the support fund shall be calculated on the basis of the minimum salary rate specified in subsection (1) of this section and the applicable principles set out in subsection (2) of this section.

(6) For doctoral candidates matriculated before 1 January 2026, subsection 22(3) of the Regulations shall apply in the following wording until 31 December 2030: “As a rule, a doctoral thesis based on research publications consists of three research publications and a summary that integrates the publications into a coherent whole and complies with the structure of a research paper. The doctoral candidate shall be the lead author of at least one of the research publications“.

(7) Section 25 of the Regulations shall enter into force on 1 January 2027.

(8) Section 26 of the Regulations shall enter into force on 1 January 2027. Until that date, § 26 shall apply in the following wording:
1) A doctoral candidate shall submit to the dean a defence application approved by the supervisor, the doctoral thesis ready for publication, and other documents required by the dean.
2) Within two months as of the submission of the doctoral thesis at the latest, the dean shall decide whether:

the doctoral thesis is eligible for defence;
the doctoral thesis shall be returned if it does not meet the requirements set out in the Regulations;
the doctoral candidate shall be required to supplement or rewrite the doctoral thesis.

3) Eligibility for defence shall be formalised not later than one month before the defence by order of the dean, by which the dean:

approves the time and place of the defence;
appoints at least two opponents for the doctoral thesis who hold a doctoral degree or an equivalent qualification and are from outside the university; at least one of the opponents shall come from outside the Republic of Estonia; and
forms the defence committee, which shall include at least five members holding a doctoral degree or an equivalent qualification. The defence committee may include the opponent(s), but not the supervisor(s). At least two members of the defence committee shall be from outside the university, and at least one of them shall be from outside the Republic of Estonia.

(9) The schools shall bring their procedures governing the defence process into line with these Regulations by 1 January 2027 at the latest.

§ 32. Repeal of a Regulation

Regulation No 3 of the Senate of Tallinn University of Technology of 20 April 2022 “Regulations of Tallinn University of Technology for Doctoral Studies” is repealed.

§ 33. Entry into force of the Regulation

The Regulation shall enter into force upon signature.

Annex 1
to Regulation No 2 of 25 February 2026 of the Senate of Tallinn University of Technology.

Roles of the parties in the organisation and conduct of doctoral studies

ROLE	ACTIVITIES
ROLE	ADMISSION Goal: to recruit the best candidates for doctoral studies from Estonia and abroad, from both the academic and private sectors, and to provide them with high-level academic supervision and the resources required for research.	CONDUCT OF DOCTORAL STUDIES Goal: to involve doctoral candidates in research groups that provide favourable conditions for conducting research and high-level supervision, enabling them to complete their doctoral studies within the nominal duration of studies.	GRADUATION FROM DOCTORAL STUDIES Goal: the doctoral theses defended at the university shall meet high internationally recognized standards
RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION OFFICE	Prepares the general requirements and procedure for admission.	Prepares the general legislation governing the organisation of doctoral studies.	Prepares the general requirements for graduation from doctoral studies.
	Is responsible for creating the support system: IT solutions supporting the processes, counselling of the academic support structure, provision of training.	Is responsible for creating a support system: IT solutions supporting the activities (e.g. monitoring and feedback systems), counselling of the academic support structure, provision of training.	Ensures that information on doctoral theses is published on the university’s website.
	Ensures the availability of information on doctoral admissions in both Estonian and English on the university’s website.	Ensures that information on the organisation of doctoral studies is available on the university’s website in both Estonian and English.
	Opens admission competitions in the application system.	Analyses indicators related to doctoral studies and makes recommendations for improvement.
	Verifies that applicants meet the qualification requirements for matriculation.	Organises training for supervisors in cooperation with the Schools and programme directors.
	Prepares matriculation orders.
SCHOOL	Ensures that information on the School’s doctoral study programmes is available on the School’s website in both Estonian and English.	If necessary, prepares detailed regulations for the organisation of doctoral studies in the School.	If necessary, prepares a detailed procedure for the defence of doctoral theses.
	Ensures that the topics of doctoral theses in the competition are announced on the School’s website in both Estonian and English and that the corresponding information is actively disseminated in Estonia and abroad.	Is responsible for the quality of the study programme and teaching	Admits doctoral theses that meet the requirements to defence.
	Prepares procedures for marketing and communication activities related to doctoral positions.		Appoints the preliminary reviewers and opponents of the doctoral thesis.
	Ensures counselling for programme directors, supervisors, and applicants.	Is responsible for organising the periodic attestation of doctoral candidates.	Forms the defence committee.
		Ensures that the School has the administrative support required for study programme management.	Ensures counselling of the programme directors, supervisors and doctoral candidates.
		Ensures counselling of the programme directors, supervisors and doctoral candidates.
PROGRAMME DIRECTOR	Is responsible for achieving the admission targets set for doctoral studies in the programme.	Leads the development of the study programme.	Ensures that the requirements established by the university and/or the School are complied with in the doctoral thesis defence process.
	Informs supervisors about the requirements, deadlines, and other matters related to admission.	In cooperation with the Department or the School, organises an introductory seminar for new doctoral candidates and regular doctoral seminars.
	Coordinates and contributes to marketing and communication activities.	Conducts attestations of doctoral candidates.
	Monitors compliance with admission targets and limits set for the programme.	Organises external and internal evaluations of the study programme.
	Approves the doctoral thesis topics to be opened for admission, ensuring that the supervisor’s scientific level and previous supervision performance meet the requirements established by the university and that the doctoral thesis topic is topical, original, and aligned with the content and objectives of the study programme.	Monitors the performance and graduation efficiency of doctoral candidates. Summarises and analyses indicators related to doctoral studies in the programme and makes recommendations for improvement.
	Approves the doctoral candidate selected by the supervisor, ensuring that the candidate meets all the terms and conditions of the competition.	Regularly collects and analyses feedback from all parties. If problems arise, ensures that the situation is resolved in an impartial manner involving all parties.
		Coordinates the work of the programme advisory board.
DEPARTMENT	Confirms that the supervisor is an active researcher and has the skills, competence, and financial resources required for supervision to ensure that the doctoral candidate can defend the doctoral thesis within the nominal duration of studies.	Provides the necessary academic and social environment and resources for research and ensures that the teaching staff are highly qualified.	Appoints the preliminary reviewers, members of the defence committee, and opponents of the doctoral thesis and submits them to the dean for approval.
	Provides the necessary academic and social environment for research.	Ensures that doctoral candidates have access to the data, equipment, and other resources required for research.	Organises preliminary defences and defences of doctoral theses in cooperation with the dean’s office
		Ensures that doctoral candidates are not overburdened with teaching or assigned tasks not related to the doctoral thesis.
		Ensures that doctoral candidates are members of research groups.
		Participates in the attestation of doctoral candidates.
SUPERVISOR	Uses all available opportunities to identify and recruit the best candidates in accordance with the procedures and best practices applied at the School.	Ensures that the doctoral candidate prepares an action plan for each attestation period, including (1) objectives and planned activities with deadlines and (2) an action plan report, and monitors the implementation of the action plan, achievement of objectives, and adherence to deadlines.	Ensures that the doctoral thesis submitted for defence meets all quality requirements and the terms and conditions established by the university and that any shortcomings or comments in the preliminary reviewers’ assessments have been addressed.
	Reviews the application documents of all applicants and provides reasoned feedback.	In cooperation with the doctoral candidate, prepares the individual study plan necessary for the candidate’s development. Recommends suitable courses where necessary.	Makes proposals to the head of the department regarding the preliminary reviewers of the doctoral thesis, the composition of the defence committee, and the opponents.
	Conducts interviews with selected candidates to assess their qualifications and motivation.	Ensures the availability of the infrastructure, materials, equipment, and financial resources required for preparing the doctoral thesis.
	Submits the selected candidate or the ranking of candidates to the programme director for approval.	If necessary, assists the doctoral candidate in finding a co-supervisor or involving experts in preparing research articles.
		Provides practical advice on applying for scholarships and research grants.
		Recommends relevant international conferences and seminars and suitable scientific journals for publication.
		Supervises the doctoral candidate regularly, taking into account the candidate’s academic development and long-term career plans.
		Evaluates the doctoral candidate’s progress in each assessment period by assigning grades and providing a descriptive assessment.
		Develops supervision skills and participates in training for supervisors.
		Encourages and assists the doctoral candidate in involving bachelor’s and master’s students in research activities.

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