REGULATORY DOCUMENTS

DOCTORAL STUDIES

Guide for doctoral students at the University of Bucharest: from admission to obtaining the title of Doctor

Regulation on the organisation and conduct of doctoral study programmes in the University of Bucharest

Regulation on the organisation and conduct of the admission contest for doctoral studies

Procedure for the completion of doctoral studies at the level of the University of Bucharest

ANNEXES tothe Procedure for the completion of doctoral studies CSUD 22.05.2025

Procedure on Preventive electronic control of doctoral theses (Annex included)

INFORMATION

The study programme based on advanced university studies

The study programme based on advanced university studies typically takes place during the first year of doctoral studies, in accordance with the curricula established by each doctoral school. In addition to the standard academic offer of the hosting doctoral schools, the programme includes courses, seminars, laboratories, and other activities focused on strengthening domain-specific professional competences.

With the approval of their doctoral supervisors and the recognition of transferable credits, doctoral students at the University of Bucharest may also attend courses offered by other doctoral schools within the institution, which provide them with complementary or additional skills. Starting from the 2013-2014 academic year, the Council for Doctoral Studies (CSUD) introduced a set of courses aimed at developing transferable skills, open to doctoral students from all doctoral schools.

Furthermore, doctoral students at the University of Bucharest can fully or partially complete their advanced studies programme by attending courses organised by the Francophone Doctoral School of Social Sciences, featuring guest professors from partner universities (École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris; Université Libre de Bruxelles; Université de Bordeaux; Université Laval; Université de Neuchâtel, etc.). For doctoral students in Law, the opportunity to attend courses within the Franco-Romanian College of Law, organised in cooperation with Université de Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, has been added. Similarly, international doctoral students with research topics focused on cultural diplomacy can benefit from an extended advanced studies programme, implemented under a cooperation agreement with the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin.

The Individual Scientific Research Programme

The individual scientific research programme of each doctoral student is established by their doctoral supervisor, in accordance with the rules established by the Council of the Doctoral School. As a rule, it includes several distinct scientific projects, completed by 2-4 research reports, as well as presentations of the state of research within progress reports submitted for analysis by the doctoral supervisor and the academic guidance and integrity committee. Documentation is an important component of the research activity within doctoral studies. From this point of view, the doctoral students of the University of Bucharest are privileged in relation to the doctoral students of other university centers – they benefit not only from the rich collections of books and periodical publications of the Central University Library and its branches within the various faculties, but also from the possibility of using the resources of other institutions in the capital city, such as the Library of the Romanian Academy, the National Library of Romania, the National Archives or the National Institute of Statistics. The development of the Internet provides faster and broader access to resources. The University of Bucharest has connected to these resources by participating in the Anelis Plus project, through which the University’s professors, researchers and students have access to large databases, such as Science Direct, Springerlink Journals, PROQUEST Central, IEEE All-Society, American Physical Society Journals, OXFORD Journals, Sage Journals HSS Collection, American Institute of Physics Journals, Thomson Web of Knowledge REUTERS, SCOPUS, Wiley Journals, Emerald Journals, MathSciNet, Taylor & Francis Journals, Cambridge Journals, American Chemical Society Journals, Institute of Physics Journals, REAXYS, JSTOR, EBRARY, EBSCO Host – Academic Search Complete, EBSCO Host – ART full-text, EBSCO Host – Business Source Complete, EBSCO Host – Humanities International Complete, EBSCO Host – Political Science Complete. The doctoral schools of the University of Bucharest also provide doctoral students with a series of research facilities specific to various doctoral fields. In this regard, the modern Research Platform in Biology and Systemic Ecology, inaugurated in 2015, stands out, as well as the opportunities offered by the national research and development institutes on the Magurele platform, with which for a long time the Doctoral School of Physics has developed particularly fertile forms of research cooperation for doctoral students of the University of Bucharest. Well-equipped laboratories are made available to doctoral students in the fields of exact and natural sciences, as well as students in the fields of social sciences benefit from the fact that the University of Bucharest manages (through the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work) the Romanian Archive of Social Data. In addition, the facilities offered by the University’s teaching and research stations, archaeological sites, archives, museums and cultural and religious institutions with which the doctoral schools of the University of Bucharest have developed cooperation relationships over time. Participing with presentations at scientific conferences is an essential form of training for doctoral students and a way to validate achievements made within the scientific research plan. In addition to the already traditional annual conferences organised by most doctoral schools of the University of Bucharest, as well as participation in scientific events organised within faculties and various research institutes, starting in 2014, the CSUD (Council for Doctoral Studies) operationalised, with the approval of the University of Bucharest management, a financial support programme for doctoral students participating with their own papers at international scientific events, through the procedure of accessing research funds from doctoral grants. The procedure for approving the use of research funds provided in the justification of doctoral grants stipulates that state-budget-funded doctoral students can request financial support for costs related to participating in international scientific events held in the country or abroad, based on an application approved by the doctoral supervisor, the doctoral school director, and the CSUD director, while the decision to approve these requests considers, on one hand, the relevance of the event for the doctoral student’s research programme and, on the other hand, the anticipated result regarding the scientific production of the doctoral school. The conclusion of international co-tutelle agreements has been an additional form of support for some of the doctoral students at the University of Bucharest, who can benefit not only from the supplementary guidance provided by the second scientific supervisor, but also from the research facilities offered by the Higher Education or Research Institution abroad.

Cotutelle – general information

Doctoral studies can be organised in national, as well as international cotutelle. The doctoral student in international co-supervision carries out his/her activity under the simultaneous guidance of a doctoral supervisor from Romania and a doctoral supervisor from another country, based on a written agreement between the organising institutions involved (IODS).

The agreement stipulates the requirements for the organisation and conduct of the doctorate in each of the two IODS, in accordance with the role each has in the co-supervision and in accordance with the specific legislation in each country.

In interdisciplinary scientific fields, the co-supervision doctorate can also be carried out under the guidance of two doctoral supervisors from the country. In this case, the above provisions shall be adapted accordingly.

The IODS that initially enrols the doctoral student and the doctoral supervisor belonging to this IODS will have the main role in the organisation and conduct of the doctoral study programme, and the IODS that participates in the cotutelle has a secondary role.

Representatives of the secondary or co-participating IODS may also be part of the examination committees.

The doctoral thesis will be submitted to the IODS at which it will be defended publicly, in accordance with the decision of the two doctoral supervisors.

The doctoral committee will include representatives of both IODS. The president of the committee is a representative of the IODS management who organises the public defense of the doctoral thesis.

Doctoral Study Programmes in International Cotutelle

- The application form (standard template), completed by the doctoral student and endorsed by the doctoral supervisor – having attached the report of the secretariat of the doctoral school and the acceptance in principle of the doctoral supervisor from the partner institution (the agreement can also be sent by e-mail) – shall be registered at the General Registry of the University of Bucharest and submitted to the International Relations Directorate and the SDAI (Doctorate, Habilitation and Integrity Service). If there is a framework agreement between the University of Bucharest and the partner institution, its provisions will be respected by the cotutelle agreement regarding the doctoral student.
- The International Relations Directorate will verify that the request meets the legal conditions regarding international agreements.
- The SDAI will verify whether the application meets the legal conditions from an academic point of view.
- The International Relations Directorate in collaboration with the partner institution will draw up the cotutelle agreement.
- The International Relations Directorate in collaboration with the partner institution ensures the signing of the agreement by all parties involved.
- When the international cotutelle agreement has all the necessary signatures, the International Relations Directorate sends a copy of the agreement to the secretariat of the doctoral school and a scanned form of it to the SDAI as soon as possible.
- The doctoral school shall record in the matriculation register that the doctoral student is pursuing their doctoral university studies under an international cotutelle agreement, specifying the institution and the doctoral supervisor.
- Any change in the conduct of doctoral studies in the international co-supervision of the doctoral student will lead to the drafting of additional documents. These addenda will be sent as soon as possible to the secretariat of the doctoral school and a scanned version thereof shall be forwarded to the SDAI.

Procedure regarding the use of the electronic system for verifying the degree of similarity by doctoral students, within the University of Bucharest

Art. 1. This procedure regulates the access of doctoral students of the University of Bucharest (hereinafter referred to as the „University”) to an electronic system for verifying the degree of similarity.

Art. 2. Any doctoral student of the University of Bucharest, regardless of the doctoral school in which he/she is enrolled, the year of study or any other criterion, has access to the electronic system for verifying the degree of similarity either as a result of an individual request or as part of a collective approach, under certain conditions.

Art. 3. The individual request for access to the similarity verification system must be thoroughly justified, with the aim of preventing and/or detecting post-factum violations of academic ethics.

Art. 4. The motivation is analysed by the doctoral supervisor, and if they give their consent for the use of the electronic system, the request is subject to the approval of the director of the doctoral school in which the doctoral student is enrolled.

Art. 5. If the doctoral student obtains the aforementioned approvals in accordance with art. 4, the director of the doctoral school shall electronically transmit the document to the person designated at the level of the doctoral school as responsible for managing the electronic system for verifying the degree of similarity, who will carry out the necessary technical steps in order to verify the document proposed by the doctoral student.

Art. 6. The opinions referred to in Article 4 shall be proved by completing the Annex no. 1 of this procedure. They can also be proven through electronic correspondence between the doctoral student and/or the doctoral supervisor, respectively the director of the doctoral school. Correspondence with the person who grants the doctoral student access to the platform can also be carried out electronically.

Art. 7. The doctoral student will receive within 7 days, the similarity ratio generated by the programme used. It will also be sent to the institutional email address of the doctoral supervisor.

Art. 8. The doctoral student can address the Council for University Doctoral Studies within the University, in case they do not benefit from the approvals provided for in art. 5. It may decide that the doctoral student benefits from the provisions of art. 2, in the absence of the above-mentioned approvals.

Art. 9. The request with the related approvals, the verified text, and the similarity report will be uploaded electronically by the person responsible at the doctoral school level in a space managed by the Doctoral Office.

Art. 10. In the case of a collective action, its purpose is to familiarize doctoral students with the functioning of electronic systems for checking the degree of similarity. Such a collective action is initiated by a group of at least 5 doctoral students, who submit to the CSUD secretariat a request accompanied by the contact details of the initiators.

Art. 11. Within a maximum of 2 weeks from the registration of the request provided for in art. 10, the CSUD secretariat notifies the initiators of two proposals for the date and place of the demonstration regarding the functioning of electronic systems for checking the degree of similarity. Neither date can be further than 45 days from the registration date of the collective action.

Art.12. In case the doctoral advisor/the person responsible at the doctoral school level uploads the doctoral thesis or parts of the thesis into the Turnitin Platform for a preliminary check, the Procedure regarding the preventive electronic control of doctoral theses will apply at the doctoral school level.

Programme for the Prevention of Withdrawal from Doctoral Studies

Preamble

The programme for the prevention of withdrawal from doctoral studies includes a set of measures arising from the Procedure on monitoring the academic path of students and preventing withdrawal from university study programmes, adopted by the Board of Directors of the University of Bucharest on June 6, 2018.

Introductory Considerations – Analysis and Motivation

The doctoral thesis is a tangible manifestation of original results stemming from the doctoral student’s study and research activities, conducted under the direct coordination of the doctoral supervisor and the academic guidance and integrity committee. Each thesis and each doctoral student possess specific characteristics and challenges, especially considering that research is often a winding path, whose final outcome only becomes visible as various obstacles are overcome.

The initial tension arising between the candidate’s expectations and the aforementioned realities can generate positive, motivational energy that drives the successful completion of the thesis. However, it can also lead to demoralisation, creating impasses and leading to withdrawal from doctoral studies. Therefore, it is crucial, from the very beginning of the admission procedure, to identify scientific risk factors and potential alternative solutions to prevent a standstill.

Maintaining a higher retention rate within doctoral studies is a strategic priority for the management of Doctoral Schools, Faculties, and Universities alike, given the social and even economic consequences. Recent studies in the United States conclude that 40% to 60% of doctoral students do not reach the stage of completing and defending their thesis (see Cochran, Campbell, Baker, & Leeds, 2014, p. 29). Furthermore, among the students who do defend their thesis, 41% graduate within 7 years, while 51% require up to 10 years (see Brill, Balcanoff, Land, Gogarty & Turner, 2014).

A study materialised into a doctoral dissertation, published at the University of North Texas by Eric D. Malberg, entitled ‘Retention and Attrition of Doctoral Candidates in Higher Education’, synthesises the personal, financial, and occupational factors that can affect progress in drafting the doctoral thesis, as shown in the diagrams below.

Undoubtedly, many of these factors remain effective in Romania as well. Therefore, it is useful to consider the actual personal, social, and economic difficulties encountered by doctoral students during the thesis drafting stage. A set of measures that has crystalised across numerous studies dedicated to this issue includes:

Concrete Measures

Developing an efficient mentoring system within doctoral studies

The mentor and the doctoral supervisor can play complementary roles in guiding the doctoral student towards the successful completion of the thesis.

The mentor and the doctoral supervisor can play complementary roles in guiding the doctoral student towards the successful completion of their thesis.

The aim is to establish permanent mentoring, through students and faculty members with skills and a strong dedication to this role. Thus, depending on the size of the student group, there may be one or more mentors for each academic year. These mentors will organise informal meetings, such as internal workshops or even lunches, whose primary objective is to develop and foster a sense of confidence and a certain cohesion—in short, a ‘peer/community spirit’. Discussions can be directed towards the specific challenges of each doctoral year and related issues, such as adaptation and maintaining motivation at an appropriate level. In special circumstances, a crisis mentoring framework can also be activated when more extensive action is required, potentially involving decision-makers at the Faculty and/or University level. The mentor can:

(1) encourage discussions among students regarding their research experiences and expectations, as well as disseminate information about internships, training courses, and conferences;
(2) motivate, support, and restore confidence in decision-making and taking initiatives, while encouraging the doctoral student to take responsibility for their own career development;
(3) monitor the professional progress of the student cohort and the successful completion of the various stages of the doctoral programme;
(4) be prepared to act in various situations to resolve arising challenges, while maintaining contact with the doctoral supervisor and the advisory committee;
(5) identify potential issues by reviewing student responses to written surveys.

Developing a system to monitor the progress of the doctoral programme and implementing efficient interventions to prevent withdrawal

Doctoral students who have exceeded 12 months in any of the following forms of extension to the duration of their doctoral studies—extension, grace period, or postponement of the public defense of the doctoral thesis—are automatically deemed to be at risk of withdrawal from doctoral studies and shall be recorded as such in the doctoral school’s registries.

These doctoral students shall be required to submit a progress report every six months to their doctoral supervisor and the academic guidance and integrity committee, who will analyse the situation and propose concrete support measures for the completion and submission of the doctoral thesis. These proposed measures shall be submitted to the Council of the Doctoral School, which may decide either to approve them under its remit or to endorse them and forward them for approval to the Faculty or University management, as appropriate.

Any subsequent request for an extension, or postponement of the public defense must be accompanied by a report from the doctoral supervisor, detailing the analysis results and the proposed measures, as well as the progress reports mentioned in the preceding paragraph.

III. Organising workshops on doctoral best practices

The purpose of this initiative is to ensure the transfer of best practices to and among doctoral students at the University of Bucharest.

(1) the workshops will include, on the one hand, presentations by doctoral supervisors on methodologies for drafting and writing the thesis/scientific papers or delivering oral presentations, and, on the other hand, discussions on time management for study and research, alongside an exchange of experiences among doctoral students regarding their progression through the doctoral programme;

(2) conducting these workshops in an informal manner and within a limited setting is desirable and could be facilitated by the following aspects: duration (one week), location (University of Bucharest facilities outside Bucharest), and the number of participants (either at the doctoral school level, with a rigorous schedule of all workshops across the University of Bucharest to avoid overlaps if only one facility is available, or by grouping schools according to their doctoral fields).

Creating more direct links between the University’s doctoral and Master’s programmes by highlighting the elements of continuity.

Integrating doctoral students into the research laboratories of the University’s Master’s programmes, to ensure better grounding in the scientific activity of the field and to foster their full accountability within the academic community.

(1) this approach aims to establish a student mentoring programme between the doctoral and Master’s levels within the University, supporting the continuation of studies and familiarising doctoral students with the responsibilities of research guidance;

(2) the initiative to launch a mentoring programme lies with the Master’s programme coordinators, the Councils of the Doctoral Schools, doctoral supervisors, doctoral students, or course coordinators;

(3) depending on the doctoral field and the field/profile of the Master’s programme and the Master’s student cohort, the participating doctoral students shall propose specific topics and themes for intervention within the Master’s research laboratories, or respond to proposals received from the Master’s programmes;

(4) within the mentoring framework, on a semester, annual, or multi-annual basis, the doctoral student coordinates the laboratory activity of one or more master’s students, under the supervision of a tenured faculty member; the student team thus formed may conduct studies, participate in scientific events, or propose presentations or projects for funding;

(5) the results of the mentoring activity carried out within the master’s research laboratories will be included in their course syllabus/evaluation sheet, as part of the achievements and progress recorded by the master’s students;

(6) the mentoring activity is monitored by the Master’s programme coordinators or by the course coordinators, is certified by documents, and is equated by the Doctoral Schools for doctoral students with a number of supplementary credits included in their individual training plans;

(7) the mentoring activity of doctoral students carried out for master’s students, recognized by the Doctoral School, will be mentioned in the doctoral supervisors’ reports at the defense of the doctoral theses, as a recognition of their involvement in the scientific life of the field within the respective institution.

Integration of doctoral students in the presentation and promotion of Master’s and doctoral programmes in their fields, as well as in the tutoring activity for interested candidates.

(1) the approach aims to familiarise doctoral students with institutional policies and strategies and to integrate them into the teams set up for the organisation of the field within the respective faculty;

(2) the initiative belongs to the coordinators of Master’s or doctoral programmes, the Councils of the Doctoral Schools, the doctoral supervisors, the doctoral students;

(3) the activity of doctoral students is carried out under the guidance of the coordinators of study programmes;

(4) the activity of doctoral students is certified by documents and is equated by the Doctoral Schools with a number of additional credits, included in the individual training plans;

(5) the activity of doctoral students carried out for the presentation and promotion of Master’s and doctoral programmes, recognised by the Doctoral Schools, will be mentioned in the report of doctoral supervisors when defending doctoral theses, as a recognition of their involvement in the life of the respective institution and of the development of the field.

Organizing social events and considering volunteering actions to support doctoral students in difficult situations.

It is envisaged to form an open volunteer group, whose composition may fluctuate based on student availability, which will meet in times when doctoral students need specific help.

A monthly social meeting can be organized for the doctoral students of the respective school to discuss research progress or other topics of interest, aiming for mutual acquaintance and building solidarity among doctoral students.

Setting up playgrounds for children in the spaces where teaching and research activities take place, with specialized hired or volunteer staff, is another way of support, especially during exam periods and thesis writing.

Methodology Regarding the Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Assurance of Doctoral Studies

Methodology for monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance of doctoral studies

Terminology

Art.1 The terms and expressions used have the following meanings:

a) doctoral studies – the higher cycle of university studies whose purpose consists in the development of the competent human resource in carrying out scientific research, capable of insertion into the highly qualified labor market. These consist of training through research for RDI (Research, Development and Innovation) and constitute a professional research experience, which is completed after defending the doctoral thesis, with the awarding the title of Doctor; b) doctoral student – the student enrolled in the doctoral study programme; c) doctoral supervisor – the professor or researcher, with experience in the field of scientific research, who coordinates the activity of the doctoral student following the acquisition of this right in accordance with the provisions of 166 of the National Education Law no. 1/2011; d) doctoral degree programme, hereinafter referred to as the doctoral programme – all the activities in which the doctoral student is involved, relevant from the point of view of doctoral studies; e) doctoral thesis – the original scientific work developed by a doctoral student during doctoral studies, legal condition for obtaining the title of Doctor; f) Institution Organising Doctoral Studies, hereinafter referred to as IODS – the institution that has the right to organise doctoral university programmes; g) doctoral school – an organisational and administrative structure established within IODS which provides the necessary support for the conduct of doctoral studies in a certain research theme or research thematic area or interdisciplinary thematic area
Scope of Application

Art. 2. This regulation applies within the University of Bucharest („the University”), in its capacity as an Institution Organising Doctoral Studies („IODS”), under the coordination of the Council for Doctoral University Studies („CSUD”), for the accredited or provisionally authorised doctoral schools within IODS and the doctoral university study fields within their structure.

Art. 3. Doctoral schools operate within the faculties of the University. By exception, a doctoral school may operate within the structure of two or more faculties or under the direct authority of CSUD.

Art. 4. The University organises scientific doctoral university studies through its doctoral schools. The doctoral university study programme is organised by the doctoral school, under the coordination of CSUD

III. Activities and responsibilities

Art. 5. The coordination of the monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance activity within the doctoral schools is the responsibility of the CSUD, which adopts the necessary measures to ensure the quality of doctoral studies, for the proper conduct of the periodic evaluations of the doctoral schools and doctoral supervisors and for the observance of the rules of ethics and deontology of the doctoral supervisors and doctoral students

Art.6. Ensuring the quality of teaching, learning, research processes carried out within a doctoral school is the responsibility of all members of the doctoral school.

Art.7. The activity carried out within the doctoral schools is permanently monitored by the Council of the Doctoral School, by the management of the faculty to which it belongs or by the CSUD in the case of doctoral schools that operate under its direct subordination.

Art.8. The annual report of the Quality Assurance and Evaluation Commission of the University of Bucharest provides data, information and analyses on the organisation and conduct of doctoral studies.

Art.9. Periodically, but no later than 5 years, CSUD conducts an internal evaluation at the level of all doctoral schools which ends with a report on the Activity of the University of Bucharest as IODS.

Art. 10. Each doctoral school prepares an internal evaluation report which is submitted to CSUD for approval and integration into the self-evaluation report of IOSUD.

Art. 11. The internal evaluation will assess, at the level of each doctoral school, at least the following aspects:

a. The own activity of the doctoral school council;
b. The human resource of the doctoral school and the coverage of subfields;
c. The analysis of the doctoral school’s capacity to attract candidates for doctoral studies, the number of admission candidates, and enrolled doctoral students;
d. The organisational method of doctoral studies;
e. The training programme based on advanced studies;
f. The individual research programme (including research facilities);
g. Scientific events & publications;
h. The contribution of the doctoral school to the research component of the University of Bucharest;
i. Institutional cooperation and cotutelles / joint supervisions (national, international, interdisciplinary);
j. Internationalisation;
k. Research projects and projects supporting doctoral training;
l. The ethical dimension and academic integrity;
m. The duration of doctoral studies;
n. The analysis of the proportion and causes of failures (expulsions, invalidated theses, etc.);
o. Defended doctoral theses;
p. Notable achievements of doctoral students and alumni of the doctoral school (e.g., publications, awards, prestigious postdoctoral research contracts).

Art. 12. The internal evaluation will also take into account the system of criteria, standards, and quality indicators used in the evaluation and accreditation of doctoral schools approved at the national level at the time the evaluation process is carried out.

Art. 13. The internal evaluation at the level of IODS, a doctoral school, or a doctoral university study field will be carried out whenever necessary to initiate external evaluation processes, if legislation or the University’s interests require it.

Art. 14. In the interval between two internal evaluations, CSUD may also request the evaluation of specific components of the doctoral schools’ activity, in accordance with the institutional interests of the University and the principles of quality assurance.

Art. 15. The reports of the doctoral schools and the Report on the Activity of the University of Bucharest as IODS will conclude with proposals for improving the activity at the doctoral school and IODS levels, respectively, each accompanied by an action plan for the subsequent period.

Art. 16. In the event of dysfunctions that jeopardize the quality assurance of doctoral university studies and/or the maintenance of the doctoral school’s accreditation, the Council of the Doctoral School may propose measures up to the withdrawal of a doctoral supervisor’s membership in the doctoral school. This proposal shall be communicated to the concerned doctoral supervisor, who has the right to submit a reasoned viewpoint to the doctoral school within one week from the communication date; if such a viewpoint is submitted, the doctoral school council shall invite the doctoral supervisor to a joint review and decide whether or not to maintain the proposal to withdraw the membership in the doctoral school. The proposal of the doctoral school council is then submitted for endorsement by the management of the faculty to which the doctoral school belongs, and for approval by CSUD.

Art. 17. Monitoring the implementation of the action plan at the IODS-UB level is the responsibility of the CSUD, and at the doctoral school level, of the councils of the doctoral schools.