Recruitment 2024/2025

General informationScheduleDocumentsAssessment criteriaLimits of placesQualification teamsRanking lists and interview scheduleScholarshipTrainingsLegal acts

Recruitment to the SDNH UW is a two-stage process. In its first stage, the qualification team assesses the candidates’ research projects and scientific activity (based on the documents submitted in the IRK system). In the second stage, qualification teams invite candidates who obtain at least 50% of the points possible in the first stage of recruitment to participate in qualification interviews. A ranking list is then created for every discipline, taking into account the place limits.

Discipline list:

1) archaeology;
2) ethnology and cultural anthropology;
3) philosophy;
4) history;
5) linguistics;
6) literary studies;
7) culture and religion studies;
8) arts studies.

Registration in Internet Recruitment for Candidates System (Online Application System; in Polish: Internetowa Rejestracja Kandydatów, IRK); submission of application for admission to the Doctoral School of Humanities via the IRK: 29 April – 4 June 2024;
Admission procedure:
a) 1st stage of the admissions procedure: 18 June – 25 June 2024,
b) results announcement: until 28 June 2024,
c) publication of the interview schedule (2nd stage): until 28 June 2024,
d) 2nd stage of the admissions procedure: 8 – 18 July 2024,
e) announcement of the ranking list: until 25 July 2024,
f) submission of documents by the candidates recommended for admission: 1 August – 18 September 2024,
g) announcement of the admitted candidates: until 20 September 2024.

Candidates to SDNH UW shall upload the following documents (solely) into the IRK system. The School does not require submitting them in writing during the first and second stages of the recruitment.

Indication of the selected discipline in which the candidate plans to pursue education

Candidates select the discipline via a declaration in the registration form in the IRK system. Recruitment 2024/2025 includes eight disciplines: archaeology, ethnology and cultural anthropology, philosophy, history, linguistics, literary studies, cultural and religious studies, and art studies.

Scan of diploma entitling to undertake doctoral studies

It is a scan of the graduation diploma of long-cycle Master’s degree or postgraduate studies or an equivalent diploma obtained under separate regulations.

Description of the preliminary research project proposal with a title and a summary

The research project is the most essential component of recruitment to the School. In it, candidates primarily indicate the subject of their research, its relevance, and their research methods. A total of 40 points can be obtained for the description of the preliminary research proposal (out of 100 obtainable for the entire recruitment process). In addition, the second stage of recruitment, i.e., the interview, for which a total of 40 points can also be obtained, refers largely to the research project.

The research project must have at most 6,000 characters, including spaces (the bibliography does not count towards the character limit). Its abstract may be up to 1,000 characters, including spaces.

When evaluating research project, consideration is given to:
1) research objective (0-10 points);
2) novelty and originality of the research project (0-10 points);
3) methodology appropriate for the objective pursued, consistency of argumentation, transparency of reasoning (0-10 points);
4) description of the current status of research with references relevant for the research objective (0-10 points).

Resume or CV outlining the candidate’s scientific activity

The purpose of the above documents is to indicate the candidate’s most crucial scientific activity to date. It may refer only to activities in the five calendar years preceding the application submission in the IRK system. If a candidate becomes a parent during this time, this period is extended by two years for each child.

Scientific activities may include:

a) publications,
b) research and organizational work at student research groups,
c) participation in scientific conferences,
d) participation in research projects,
e) awards and honourable mentions,
f) research internships,
g) research skills training programs completed,
h) activities promoting science,
i) activity in science movement representative bodies,
j) average of their university grades,
k) professionalcareer,
l) level of proficiency in foreign languages.

Scans of materials evidencing scientific activity mentioned in the CV or resume

Every scientific activity shall be evidenced by a scan that the candidate uploads to the IRK system (e.g., a scan of a language certificate or a scan of a diploma entitling the candidate to study at the school). In the case of scientific publications, the candidate should upload up to two full scans of their articles or sections in collective works deemed the most important. The remaining candidate’s publications shall be confirmed with scans of title pages.

Qualification teams does not take into account a candidate’s information on scientific activity not evidenced by material uploaded to the IRK system.

Declaration of the level of proficiency in English allowing the participation in the teaching process at the School

It is a declaration in the form of a ‘yes’/’no’ answer in the registration form in the IRK system. Despite this, the declaration is relevant for further education and should correspond to an English language proficiency of at least B2.

During classes at the School, most lecturers use scientific articles in English. In addition, some subjects are taught entirely in English. The declaration can be supplemented by uploading relevant language certificates in the IRK system.

Scan of a declaration by the planned supervisor confirming their agreement to undertake the duties of a supervisor

Submitting this document in the IRK system is one of the formal conditions that a candidate shall meet in the first stage of recruitment (link to supervisor search engine). The dissertation supervisor can be a person with a degree of doktor habilitowany or the title of professor. In addition, at least one of the supervisors has to be:
1) an employee of the University,
2) an employee of the institution co-managing the School,
3) or a person having the status of a retired professor of the University.

In addition to the main supervisor, upon admission to the School, a PhD student may apply for an appointment of a selected academic as an additional or assistant supervisor.

Form for planned supervisor: file.

Photograph of a candidate’s face that allows for their identification

Please take due diligence in this regard. Once you are qualified for the School, the photograph uploaded into the IRK system will be, i.a., your photo on your doctoral ID card.

Doctoral status declaration (if applies)

The declaration shall indicate whether the candidate was or is a doctoral student or a participant of doctoral studies or whether they have initiated a doctoral dissertation process or whether proceedings to award them a doctoral degree have been initiated – and if yes, the title of their doctoral dissertation or the research project prepared by a candidate, including the name and last name of the candidate’s tutor or supervisor.

Declaration confirming that they have reviewed the Resolution and Articles 40 and 41 of the Code of Administrative Procedure

A candidate can obtain 100 points for the recruitment procedure, including 60 points for the first stage and 40 points for the second stage. To qualify for the second stage, a candidate must obtain at least 50% of the points for the first stage. To qualify as a ” candidate recommended for admission,” receiving at least 50% of the points in the second stage is necessary. This status is changed to “accepted” after all required documents have been delivered and signed after the second stage (information will be available in the IRK system after qualification).

First stage:

1) Preliminary description of the research project (40 points):

1) research objective (0-10 points);
2) novelty and originality of the research project (0-10 points);
3) methodology appropriate for the objective pursued, consistency of argumentation, transparency of reasoning (0-10 points);
4) description of the current status of research with references relevant for the research objective (0-10 points).

2) Scientific activity confirmed by scanned documents (20 points):

1) scientific publications, including scientific articles, sections in multi-author monographs, single-author monographs, publications in peer-reviewed international conferences materials (0-8 points);
2) presentations at national and international scientific conferences with an approved paper (0-8 points);
3) other elements of the evaluation of the candidate’s experience and scientific achievements, including awards, honourable mentions, certificates, professional experience, teaching experience, activity in an academic scientific movement, training, promotion of science, etc. (0–4 points).

Second stage: interview (40 points):

1) candidate’s competence important from the perspective of the research conducted, including the relevant knowledge, e.g. most important publications on a given matter (0-20 points);
2) ability to present the need for planned research and language competence, including in particular a good command of the scientific language appropriate to the discipline of the research.

This year’s enrolment to the SDNH UW has a limit of 100 places, distributed by discipline as follows:

a) archaeology – 9 places,
b) ethnology and cultural anthropology – 2 places,
c) philosophy – 9 places,
d) history – 17 places,
e) linguistics – 22 places,
f) literary studies – 26 places,
g) culture and religion studies – 10 places,
h) arts studies – 5 places.

Legal basis: link.

In consultation with the Rector, the School’s Director forms qualification teams for all disciplines and appoints their members. The teams’ composition will be announced shortly.

The qualification team consists of academic staff with at least the degree of doctor and one representative of doctoral students. A qualification team member must maintain integrity, impartiality and objectivity in assessing the School candidates.

A qualification team member may be excluded from assessing a candidate if:

1) they were the supervisor of the candidate’s Master’s thesis;
2) they are the candidate’s manager or have a different employment relationship with them;
3) the candidate is or was their spouse, next of kin or relative by affinity up to the second degree or remains or remained in cohabitation with them;
4) the candidate is or was a person related to them through adoption, custody or guardianship;
5) they participated in disciplinary proceedings in which the candidate or their planned supervisor were accused;
6) there are other objective circumstances that could cause reasonable doubts as to the professional attitude, impartiality or objectivity during the candidate’s assessment.

Archaeology:
1) Dr hab. Aldona Mueller-Bieniek, prof. ucz.; Faculty of Archaeology – Chairperson;
2) Dr hab. Krzysztof Jakubiak, prof ucz.; Faculty of Archaeology – Vice-Chairperson;
3) Dr Agata Deptuła; Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology;
4) Dr Sylwia Domaradzka; Faculty of Archaeology;
5) Dr Mikalai Plavinski; Faculty of Archaeology;
6) Mgr Adam Budziszewski; Doctoral Union.

Ordinance on the appointment of a qualification team: link.