About

Our Interdisciplinary Doctoral School is an umbrella for various activities related to the third level education available at SWPS University. The School comprises three faculties: Warsaw Faculty of Psychology, Wrocław Faculty of Psychology, and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The interdisciplinarity character of the School stems from four disciplines, including: psychology, sociology, cultural studies and literature studies.

Our Interdisciplinary Doctoral School is currently undergoing an intense process of internationalization. We are developing new English modules and courses, in cooperation with numerous international institutions. Additionally, we participate in international tenders that provide funding for doctoral education, such as: H2020 International Training Networks, and the European Social Fund (through NCBiR).

Currently the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School offers two programs:

• Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program
• ICT & Psychology in cooperation with Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology (program in English)

Please go to the Doctoral Programs tab for detailed information about these programs.

A full doctoral program in English will be offered in 2019/2020 academic year, at the earliest.

Interdisciplinary Doctoral School - Education Model

General goals of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School at SWPS University include:
1. To establish international integrated and comprehensive doctoral programs at SWPS University
2. To align the doctoral programs with the Bologna Process, Salzburg II Recommendations, SWPS University policy and strategy 2017-2022 and into the general strategy for science set by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Alignment of SWPS Universtiy's International Doctoral School with the Salzburg II Recommendations:

• Doctoral training is the advancement of knowledge through original training, which has to meet the needs of the employment market wider than academia
  Approach of SWPS University: (1) to offer the advancement of knowledge through original training via own educational model; (2) to facilitate and navigate career understanding and development of and by young scholars within academia and beyond, with the help of a Mentoring Line; (3) to provide a supportive environment for the development of doctoral dissertations embedded in Research Centers & Labs of SWPS University.
• Embedding research in institutional strategies and policies
  Approach of SWPS University: (1) to embed doctoral education into ‘2017-2022 Strategy of SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities and into the developing academic brand of SWPS University Labs & Hubs; (2) to embed the program into the recent policy of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, which addresses the Salzburg II Recommendations.
• The importance of diversity through joint doctorates
  Approach of SWPS University: (1) to develop and strengthen joint doctorates not only within SWPS University Labs & Hubs and other research groups, but also with institutional partners, who are linked with the university through research consortia and other academic initiatives.
• Doctoral candidates as early stage researchers
  Approach of SWPS University: (1) to create horizontal, non-hierarchical opportunities for young scholars to develop their careers, predominantly through participation in SWPS University Research Centers & Labs; (2) to recognize the contribution of young scholars to the creation of new knowledge by commensurate acknowledgements in publications.
• The crucial role of supervision and assessment
  Approach of SWPS University: (1) to make transparent arrangements for supervision and assessment based on a framework of shared responsibilities between doctoral candidates, supervisor(s) and SWPS University; (2) to actively involve the Research Centers & Labs and other research groups in the supervision and assessment of doctoral candidates; (3) to create an Assessment Board.
• Context-sensitive and best practices of European universities
  Approach of SWPS University: (1) to make doctoral candidates aware of the Central and East European (CEE) context, where doctoral programs are conducted; (2) to provide courses to enhance mutual understanding of people from different cultures and from different backgrounds; (3) to create grass-root supportive environment through Research Centers & Labs; (4) to apply best practices developed by European universities that have long-standing traditions of running doctoral programs and to vernacularize their experience by adjusting it to the local conditions.
• Duration
  Approach of SWPS University: (1) to make an effective use of the standard 48-month doctoral program in Poland, across the five blocks of the educational model; (2) to adjust the composition of courses from each block to the level of doctoral studies, including: freshman, junior doctoral candidate, senior doctoral candidate, and young scholar.
• The promotion of innovative structures
  Approach of SWPS University: (1) to promote an innovative structure of the doctoral educational model of SWPS University, especially by embedding doctoral dissertations into Research Centers & Labs; (2) to effectively target students from various backgrounds, including the Polish Diaspora and international students from other continents.
• Increasing mobility
  Approach of SWPS University: (1) to offer a doctoral program that is interdisciplinary, intersectoral and inter-spacial (between campuses) in nature and works across Research Centers & Labs of SWPS University; (2) to promote and support research stays of doctoral students in other international universities.
• Funding
  Approach of SWPS University: (1) to secure diversified funding opportunities; (2) to enhance international joint supervision; (3) to enhance international revision procedures by establishing international doctoral committees.

Doctoral Programs

The Interdisciplinary Doctoral School offers three paths to Doctoral Degree:

1. Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program (Interdyscyplinarne Studia Doktoranckie)

The Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program (IDP) (in Polish: Interdyscyplinarne Studia Doktoranckie) is the core program of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School. The main language of instruction at the IDP is Polish (70 percent of courses) with some courses delivered in English (30 percent).

IDP offers doctoral studies in the following disciplines:

Starting in academic year 2018/2019 we will offer additional modules thought in English. The modules are funded by the European Social Fund (via the National Center for Research and Development):

Module 1. City & Diversity – delivered in cooperation with Erasmus University Rotterdam
Module 2. Qualitative Longitudinal Study – delivered in cooperation with University of Leeds
Module 3. EEG – delivered in cooperation with the Department of Neurosurgery at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and California Institute of Technology
Module 4. Winter School Academic Skills 2019 – delivered in cooperation with international trainers and scholars.

Register for Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program »

Contact: sdoktora@swps.edu.pl

2. ICT & Psychology

ICT & Psychology program is a new, entirely interdisciplinary doctoral program funded by the European Social Fund (via the National Center for Research and Development) that combines Information and Communication Technologies with Psychology. It is a joint program, conducted by the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology (PJAIT), the leader of the program, in close cooperation with SWPS University. The program is delivered entirely in English.

For more information, please go to the following websites:

3. Extramural Doctorates (in Polish: doktorat z wolnej stopy)
Under the auspices of SWPS University’s Faculties with the support of IDS

The so-called extramural doctorate (in Polish: doktorat z wolnej stopy) is a type of doctorate, which follows a different formal process than the traditional doctorate. Initially, this type of a doctorate is based on an informal relation with a supervisor and his/her agreement to supervise the student. This step usually takes three years and is followed by a legitimization of the doctorate, i.e. a formal upgrade procedure in front of the Faculty Council (in Polish: otwarcie przewodu doktorskiego). Once the Faculty Council votes on the proposal of the doctorate and accepts it, a formal contract is signed.

Extramural Doctorate Process

The prerequisite to the upgrade procedure is at least one publication in a peer-reviewed academic journal from the A, B, or C lists found on the academic journal register of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW).

Extramural doctorates are conducted under the auspices of SWPS University’s Faculties. However, doctoral students who choose the extramural doctorate path can enroll in paid courses (both general and dedicated) offered by the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School, such as: doctoral seminars, courses in methodology and statistics and other courses available through the in-house programs.

4. The Interdisciplinary Doctoral School is awaiting the formal approval to offer other forms of doctoral studies, including:

• Industrial European Doctorates (in Polish: doktorat wdrożeniowy) to be provided in cooperation with the Copernicus Science Center.
• International doctorates conducted within the framework of the Horizon 2020 Innovative Training Network, where the University of Maastricht will be the leading institution.

Team

International Lecture Series

Memberships & Collaborations

Member of Vitae

VITAE is a non-profit organization based in the UK that has been enhancing the skills of researchers and supporting transitions of doctoral students to industry, for over 45 years. It is also experienced in working with institutions as they strive for research excellence, innovation and impact.

Member of the European Council for Doctoral Education

The EUA Council for Doctoral Education (EUA-CDE) is the largest European network in this field, covering more than 30 countries and bringing together a community of academic leaders and professionals from over 230 universities awarding doctoral degrees and institutions working on issues related to doctoral education and research training.

Collaborating Research Centers & Labs

• Academic Center for Educational and Social Innovation (AKCES)
• CARE-BEH Center for Applied Research on Health Behavior and Health
• Center for Behavioral Economics
• Center for Innovation (SWPS University) »
• Consumer and Organizational Behavior Laboratory (CobLab)
• GamesLab
• Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Cognitive Studies
• Peripheral Psychophysiology Laboratory
• Sopot Social Cognition Lab
• StresLab 
• Youth Research Center (SWPS University) »