European Studies and Politics (PhD.)

The European Studies and Policies programme is aimed at providing a comprehensive framework of knowledge, skills and competences in the field of national and European politics at an adequate level of the third cycle of higher education. The present study programme responds in its content and complementary activities (see below) to the needs of modern practice, which increasingly requires the comprehensive training of graduate doctors in European public policy-making. The study programme is therefore developed also on the basis of communication with practitioners and employers and complemented by activities for the overall development and training of national and European leaders. For this reason, the real outcomes of the educational process focus on the preparation of PhD-level graduates with comprehensive skills and competences with a practical focus, who are prepared for independent analytical, scientific and research work. The prerequisite for the acquisition of such transferable competences is that PhD students possess a set of knowledge, skills and competences in the field of political science and European studies, i.e. a sufficient body of knowledge to analyse the political, social, economic and international aspects of different forms of governance and individual policies or political actors. Students in the European Studies and Politics programme acquire these skills and competences thanks to its interdisciplinary nature, focusing on a complex body of knowledge in the fields of the functioning of the state and its parts, the European Union, international relations, gender and security, complemented by highly specialised knowledge related to the political and social processes taking place at different levels of governance.

Graduates of the third cycle of the European Studies and Politics degree programme thus acquire a high level of expertise in the educational process, but in addition, they use the wide range of theoretical knowledge acquired in the educational process, which enables them to navigate national and supranational policy processes, to carry out specialised education and training as well as to work in science and research. Thanks to his research practice, he is able to apply the various international political theories to analyse selected processes taking place within or outside the state. Within the framework of their studies as well as the experience gained in the workplace, PhD students can link the knowledge acquired with practice, also thanks to the opportunity to gain practical experience for their future career already during their studies. The theoretical knowledge and acquired skills can be directly applied by the student during individual learning activities (see below), as well as applied in several professional practice opportunities at home and abroad, thus verifying and deepening them into practical competences.

Graduates of the 3rd cycle of higher education studies (PhD) of the European Studies and Politics programme deepen their initial knowledge and knowledge from their previous Master's studies in the scientific basis of political science, to the extent and level appropriate to the degree of study according to the Qualifications Framework in the European Higher Education Area. This scope provides the graduate with readiness for analytical tasks in the agenda of state and international organisations. The graduate has an expanded and deepened professional and scientific basis necessary for solving independent tasks and, thanks to practically oriented teaching and practice, is able to contribute to and participate in the development of various sectoral policies of a European nature.

As the study programme also includes participation in a number of professional student events, debates and workshops, the graduate is able to communicate in national and international fora. The graduate will deepen his/her mastery of the professional and scientific language, skills and competences necessary for European policy making and implementation, and how to apply them in the design of new policies, so as to demonstrate an understanding of the context and implications of the problem and of the alternative choices in proposing solutions. Furthermore, the graduate has the in-depth knowledge and competences relevant for comparing the functioning of policies in an international framework, especially in the European Union, and thus being able to design procedures and tools to solve particular practical problems. The graduate is able to actively characterise existing socio-political problems on the basis of data and previous research and to name the attributes associated with them, being able to apply the acquired skills oriented to the decomposition of a phenomenon, as the acquisition of this skill is transferable to any other research/research. In his/her research work, the graduate of this degree programme, thanks to the practice acquired in his/her research and publication activities, is able to obtain relevant and correct data with respect to his/her own previous operationalisation of the constructs. From the overall perspective, the graduate of the doctoral programme is able to act in practical professional life as an expert who approaches current socio-political phenomena and phenomena with critical thinking, with the ability to identify, name, analyse a scientific problem, and then, on the basis of relevant data and in the light of current knowledge, to carry out research/research on a given phenomenon.

Thanks to the setting of the study and the work activities during it, the graduate is able to organize work in working groups, to cooperate in the preparation of public policy at European, national and local level, to analyze needs, to identify and name problems, to design, create, implement, monitor and evaluate policies, to conduct empirical research and interpret its results and to apply research recommendations in practice.

The graduate is prepared to understand the interdisciplinary contexts of the functioning of modern political systems and regimes. And since the European dimension of policy-making is based on synergy and convergence, graduates are prepared to seek solutions for modern Europe, which is served by a number of practice-oriented activities carried out directly in the learning process.

The PhD will prepare graduates for a wide range of jobs not only in academia, but also outside academia, politics and other professional spheres. Graduates will acquire a broad set of skills that can be applied in a variety of situations and jobs. Although it is generally assumed that doctoral graduates will pursue academic/research careers, the skills acquired by a doctoral student are not presented in an exclusively academic context. However, they are still applicable to a wide range of jobs and roles in politics, European institutions, local government or the non-governmental sector.

The breadth of knowledge will enable graduates to enter practical life or pursue academic and research careers. Graduates of the European Studies and Policies degree programme will find employment in public administration, local government, public sector bodies, research and teaching institutions, multinational institutions, think tanks, as well as in the private or voluntary sector in a variety of positions.

The package of knowledge, skills and competences covers a number of areas, such as teamwork, time management, research skills within a given programme of study, working with professional sources and relevant information, skills in the preparation of a professional text and related presentation skills. They have a high level of communication skills and the ability to conduct a high-quality professional discussion when presenting the results of their research at various national and international events.

Time management is cobbled together during the course of study, as the study itself is split between a number of time-limited (e.g. to complete a research or dissertation project) projects with varying deadlines, so time management is an important skill for the graduate's future practice. During their studies, students develop their skills in both academic writing and grant writing, giving them the necessary skills for future practice. As PhD students work independently (under the supervision of their supervisors and senior colleagues) on independent scientific and grant assignments, the study also brings about the development of skills and competences in data analysis, independent decision-making, problem solving and finding answers. Senior PhD students are involved in a mentoring programme for BA/MA students, which also develops their leadership skills.

This programme joins the efforts to create European policy experts who will focus on achieving qualitative results based on in-depth quantitative studies.  As the present SP deals with the solution of problems of human society today, the content of the individual courses therefore reflects current events. For this reason, students are motivated and challenged during their studies through a number of activities to address issues in crisis situations in society, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, i.e., such as government policies aimed at achieving economic stability and growth, managing environmental quality, or ongoing social and political change. Thus, in general, the aim of the PhD degree of a given SP is to prepare the graduate to deal with these problems systematically, while at the same time raising broader theoretical contexts.

Graduates and their abilities to compare and work with different European policies and political discourses are deepened and they have the competences to collaborate on background and database studies that will determine societal priorities. Graduates are thus equipped to become impartial professionals in the field of policy analysis, European studies and processes, who could find employment in analytical units or similar departments in ministries or European institutions.

The qualifications for students, which mark the completion of the third cycle of the European Higher Education Area Qualifications Framework (level 8), are as follows: The student demonstrates knowledge at the highest level in the field of work or field of study concerned, as well as at the boundary between fields/fields;

• The student demonstrates the broadest and most specialised skills and techniques, including synthesis and evaluation skills, required to address fundamental problems of research and/or innovation and to extend and redefine existing knowledge or professional practices;

• In doing so, the student demonstrates the ability to conceive, construct, implement and modify substantial research with scientific integrity and in accordance with academic ethics;

• The student demonstrates the ability to exhibit sufficient authority, innovation, independence, scholarly and professional integrity, and sustained commitment to develop new ideas or practices that are at the forefront of a given work or learning environment, including research;

• The student is able to adequately share the information he/she has gathered, his/her ideas and suggestions for solving problems, both professionally and with the general public;

• In general, the graduate student demonstrates a systematic understanding of the field of study and has mastered the skills and methods of scientific research associated with the field appropriate to the current state of knowledge in the field;

• Thanks to the above developed skills and competences, the PhD student is fully competent to contribute his/her original research to the development of current scientific knowledge, through realized publication and conference activities at home and abroad, coupled with appropriate publication outputs at least at the level of peer-reviewed/indexed outputs;

• The student possesses a comprehensive framework of knowledge, personal and educational skills (including soft-skills) as well as competences necessary to enter professional life or pursue a further academic career.

 

In accordance with the wording of the European Qualifications Framework, competence means that the student has demonstrated the ability to apply the acquired knowledge, skills or other competences in learning or later in work situations and in his/her further professional or personal development. The competences listed in this Annex are a set of generic and specific (subject-specific) competences, the development of which is the subject of the learning process and the study programme. The learning outcomes, in accordance with the wording of the European Qualifications Framework, thus express the level of competence achieved by the student as verified by an assessment that is verifiable and uniform throughout the study.