Admitere 2024

 

METHODOLOGY for admission to doctoral studies in 2024

 

I. General Considerations

 

Art. 1.

Admission to doctoral studies in ”Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați (hereinafter referred to as UDJG) is based on an examination process for each field, within the doctoral schools established by university senate decision no. 62/15.06.2017 and no. 140/07.10.2019.

Admission competition to doctoral studies complies with the following applicable regulations:

• National Education Law no. 199/2023, with subsequent amendments and additions;
• Law no. 441/2001 for approving Government’s Emergency Ordinance no. 133/2000 on fee-based state university and postgraduate education;
• Order of the Minister of Education no. 3020/08.01.2024, which approves the Methodology for doctoral studies, published in the Official Gazette, Part I no. 56/22.01.2024, entering into force on 23.01.2024;
• Order of the Minister of Education no. 3693/07.02.2024, which approves the Methodology for admission to Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral programmes as well as for the distribution of the number of (tuition-free and tuition-paying) study places for admission to higher education studies 2024-2025;
• Order of the Minister of Education no. 3236/2017, which approves the Methodology for the enrolment of foreign citizens to studies on state-funded study places on scholarship and on state-funded study places without scholarship in accredited state higher education institutions;
• Order of the Minister of Education no. 3473/2017, which approves the Methodology for admitting foreign citizens to studies starting with the academic year 2017-2018;
• Order of the Minister of Education no. 4151/2020, regarding the amendment of the Methodology for admitting foreign citizens to studies and schooling, approved by Order of the Minister of Education no. 3473/2017;
• Order of the Minister of Education no. 5736/2020, regarding the amendment of the Methodology for admitting foreign citizens to studies and schooling, starting with the school/academic year 2017-2018 and approved by Order of the Minister of Education no. 3473/2017;
• Order of the Minister of Education no. 3900/16.05.2017, regarding the approval of the Methodology for admitting Romanian ethnics living abroad (Romanians Everywhere) to state higher institutions in Romania on state-funded study places, on scholarship and on state-funded study places without scholarship, starting with the school/academic year 2017-2018;
• Order of the Minister of Education no. 5774/14.12.2021 on maintaining accreditation of ”Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați in order to organize doctoral programmes;
• Order of the Minister of Education no. 4292/22.07.2022 on accrediting - Marketing -doctoral field within the Doctoral School of Humanities and Social Sciences, organized by ”Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați;
• Order of the Minister of Education no. 4513/10.08.2022 on accrediting - Pharmacy - doctoral field within the Doctoral School of Biomedical Sciences, organized by ”Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați;
• Order of the Minister of Education no. 3934/05.04.2023 on accrediting - Law - doctoral field within the Doctoral School of Humanities and Social Sciences, organized by ”Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați.

 

Art. 2.

IOSUD - UDJG organizes admission to the doctoral degree programmes mentioned in Annex no. 1 for the academic year 2024-2025, which is in integral part of the present methodology.

 

Art. 3.

Admission to doctoral studies is based on the following principles:

1. high-quality professional training for doctoral students;
2. equal opportunities and non-discrimination principle;
3. admission transparency.

 

Art. 4.

(1) Doctoral studies are organized in the form of full-time or part-time education, state-funded (doctoral grants) or tuition-paying study places or other legally established sources.

(2) Admission to (tuition-free) state-funded study places can be done on the places allocated by the Minister of Education. The number of state-funded places is established by order of the Minister of Education and the number of tuition-paying study places is established by senate decision, approved by the Administrative Council of UDJG, upon the proposal of the Council for Doctoral Studies (hereinafter referred to as CDS)

(3) The distribution of state-funded and tuition-paying study places on doctoral schools/doctoral fields is subject to senate approval, after the endorsement of the Administrative Council of UDJG, at the proposal of the Council for Doctoral Studies. By exception, the distribution of the state-funded study places supplemented by the Minister of Education shall be endorsed only by the Administrative Council of UDJG, upon the proposal of the Council for Doctoral Studies.

(4) Doctoral studies can be conducted in Romanian, in a national minority language or in an international language, according to the doctoral studies agreement signed by the IOSUD, doctoral supervisor and doctoral student.

(5) Doctoral studies usually last 4 years.

 

Art. 5.

The present methodology establishes the assessment criteria, candidate selection and distributions as well as the allocation of state-funded places.

 

Art. 6.

The doctoral selection process takes place in two sessions, under identical conditions, before the start of the academic year but no later than September 30.

 

II. Admissions Requirements

 

Art. 7.

The available study places allocated for admission, distributed by Council for Doctoral Studies and approved by university senate for each doctoral school and doctoral field will be posted on the notice board of the doctoral school and on the university website.  

 

Art. 8.

The candidates eligible for the admission competition for doctoral studies can be graduates of academic studies with Master’s Degree diploma, Bachelor’s Degree diploma or with equivalent diploma, issued up to the year of graduation of the first generation of Bachelor’s Degree organized in compliance with the provisions of the Law no. 288/2004 on the organization of university studies with subsequent amendments and additions (long-term university studies).

Only graduates of academic studies who hold a Master’s degree, or with equivalent diploma, are eligible for admission in the doctoral school and the number of transferable study credits for Master’s degree and Bachelor’s Degree should be of at least 300.

 

Art 9.

The university study programmes (Master’s Degree and Bachelor’s Degree) completed by the candidates must have been accredited or provisionally authorized in accordance with the law, at the time of the candidates’ enrolment. 

 

Art. 10.

(1) Romanian ethnics living abroad can compete for admission to doctoral studies on state-funded study places allocated by order of the Minister of Education or on tuition-paying study places. The special conditions for registration and admission to doctoral studies for Romanian ethnics living abroad, high school and university graduates from Romania and from the country of origin can be found in Annex 2.

(2) Citizens of member states of the European Union, the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation or British citizens and their family members as beneficiaries of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy, 2019/C 384 I/01 can compete for admission to doctoral studies under the same conditions for Romanian citizens and they are expected to pay the same tuition fees. The special conditions for registration and admission to doctoral studies can be found in Annex 3.

(2)  Non-European Union, the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation citizens, graduates of Master’s Degree or  Bachelor’s Degree or with equivalent diploma of long-term university studies (4,5,6, years) compete for admission to doctoral studies. Recognition of studies completed outside Romania is done by the National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas of the Minister of Education. The special conditions for non-European Union citizens for registration and admission to doctoral studies can be found in Annex 4.

(3) For admission to doctoral studies conducted in Romanian, the citizens of European Union member states and third countries are required to prove that they are proficient in Romanian, according to the methodology for accepting to studies and schooling of foreign citizens.  

(4) Romanian citizens who completed studies outside Romania are required to present the certificate for recognition of studies, issued by the National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas of the Minister of Education, when registering for admission to doctoral studies.

 

Art. 11.

(1) A candidate cannot be enrolled and matriculated as doctoral student in no more than two doctoral programmes simultaneously, regardless of the programmes or educational institutions, which provide them. A successful candidate may receive state funding for only one doctoral programme, in compliance with the provisions of the law.  A candidate who is declared admitted to more doctoral programmes, chooses the one which receives public funding by submitting the original academic documents (diploma/degree or certificate) to that university.

(2) If the total period of state-funded education in accordance with the law is exceeded, the costs will be borne entirely by doctoral students.

(3) Candidates with disabilities as well as ethnic minority candidates (Roma) are entitled to apply for doctoral studies (state-funded or fee-paying) under the same conditions applicable to all candidates.

• Registration will be can be done in compliance with the Methodology for admission to doctoral studies for the academic year 2024, on the doctoral fields mentioned in Annex1, within the same common spaces intended for all candidates.
• Candidates with disabilities who are registering for admission to doctoral studies are required to provide the disability certificate and the level of impairment according to disability classification, in addition to the documents enlisted in art. no. 14.
• Candidates belonging to national minorities (Roma) are required to provide a written recommendation issued by one of the legally established Roma organizations, regardless of their field of activity, which shows that the candidate belongs to the Roma ethnic minority and not that he or she is a member of that organization. This written recommendation shall be subsequently endorsed by Roma Ethnic Minority Organization from Romania, represented by the Council of National Minorities. Declarations on one’s own responsibility on the affiliation on Roma ethnicity or any other notarized certificates or issued by other institutions shall not be accepted.
• The selection for admission to doctoral studies is conducted in compliance with the present methodology.
• Candidates with disabilities are, by law, exempt from paying the registration fee for doctoral admission and benefit from free accommodation in halls of residence.

 

Art. 12.

(1) Candidates who earned a Master’s degree in the academic year 2023-2024, shall present a graduation certificate statement in original issued by the educational institution, which certifies the completion of studies.  

(2) In order to enrol on the state-funded places, the candidates are under the obligation to submit to the Doctoral School Secretariat the Master’s Diploma in original or the graduation certificate for the graduates of 2023-2024 session, by the beginning of the academic year.

(3) Failure to submit the original Master’s Diploma or graduation certificate within the deadline set by the admission calendar, by the sole fault of the successful candidate, shall result in the forfeiture of the state-funded place.

 

Art. 13.

Enrolment for admission to doctoral studies can be done regardless of the field in which the candidate obtained the Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. The cumulative number of transferable study credits obtained for Bachelor’s or Master’s degree should of at least 300 (ECTS) for admission to doctoral studies.

 

Art. 14.

(1) The admission file must include the following documents:

• application form signed by the doctoral supervisor;
• application form, statement/ affidavit, consent for processing personal data;
• birth certificate (original and copy);
• marriage certificate or any other document proving name change, if applicable (original and copy);
• identity card (original and copy);
• language proficiency certificate valid at the time of the admission exam (taken within the last 2 years);
• high school graduation diploma (original and copy);
• Bachelor’s Degree (original and copy);
• Bachelor’s Degree supplement or transcript of records (original and copy);
• Master’s Degree (original and copy), if applicable;
• Master’s Degree supplement or transcript of records (original and copy);
• Europass curriculum vitae (signed on every page);
• list of scientific publications, if applicable, (signed on every page);
• copy of the admission fee receipt.

(2) Registration for admission to doctoral studies is based on identity card/passport and on the other documents required by the methodology for admission. All documents shall be submitted in scanned PDF copies to the secretariat of the doctoral school (e-mail:Această adresă de email este protejată contra spambots. Trebuie să activați JavaScript pentru a o vedea.) at least 5 days before the registration starts and after confirmation for compliance with legal requirements, in person, on behalf of the candidate by another person who was legally authorized or send via courier. 

The candidate who applies for doctoral studies shall file the documents personally to the secretariat of the doctoral school, in compliance with the admission calendar posted on university website at www.admitere.ugal.ro. The doctoral school secretariat submits the application file to the admission committee appointed for the chosen doctoral field.

(3) The admission committee who was appointed for the chosen doctoral field shall keep the application file throughout the admission process.

(4) Once the registration for admission is over, no changes are accepted on the options, their order, as well as on the information provided in the application forms.

(5) The amount of the registration for admission and file processing fees as well as tuition fees are approved annually by senate decision.

(6) In accordance with the law, the children of active or retired faculty members and staff are admission fee exempt and benefit from free accommodation in the halls of residence. Registration fee exemption is subject to submitting the supporting documents and is approved by the registration commission on IOSUD.

 

Art. 15.

The doctoral student must not be related as spouse, in-laws or any kind of relative up to and including third degree with the doctoral supervisor.

 

Art. 16.

Once the admission selection is over, the doctoral studies agreement is signed and the enrolment in the academic year 2024-2025 is completed, the candidate who is declared admitted becomes a doctoral student until the doctoral studies are completed. During the interruption the status of doctoral student is suspended.

 

Art. 17.

The doctoral supervisor establishes the research topic and the bibliography, which will be sent to the secretariat of the doctoral school and subsequently disseminated and posted on the notice board and university website, according to the admission calendar.  

 

III. Regulation on the admission to doctoral school and allocation of state-funded places

 

Art. 18.

State-funded places are allocated to doctoral schools of IOSUD-UDJG proportionally to the number of doctoral supervisors and are approved by the Council for Doctoral Studies. In view of distributing the number of state-funded places, the fulfilment and exceeding the minimum standards for habilitation for each field of the doctoral supervisors is assessed as well as their involvement in the activities carried out within the doctoral school.

The doctoral supervisors who:

1. did not submit self-assessments reports in due time for the last evaluated year or if the documents were incomplete or incorrect;
2. do not fulfil the minimum standards for awarding titles in higher education, minimum scientific performance standards for professional research and development, for becoming a doctoral supervisor and obtaining the habilitation certificate, standards which are set by the applicable law for evaluation and accreditation of doctoral schools;
3. did not get involved in the activities of assessing doctoral studies and doctoral schools;
4. more than 50% of the doctoral students they coordinated over the last 10 years did not complete their PhD dissertations within the 5 years since they started their doctoral studies;
5. were sanctioned in the previous academic year;

shall not be considered.

 

Art. 19.

The distribution of the state-funded places allocated by the Minister of Education is based on a quantitative algorithm applied by IOSUD to all doctoral schools, fields and subfields as follows:

• the total number of state-funded places is distributed proportionally to the number of eligible doctoral supervisors from each doctoral school, thus resulting in the number of places which are to be allocated to each doctoral school within the IOSUD-UDJG;
• the state-funded places which belong to each school are distributed proportionally to the number of eligible doctoral supervisors in each field, thus resulting in the number of places belonging to each field of the school;
• the state-funded places allocated to a doctoral field are distributed proportionally to the number of eligible doctoral supervisors in each subfield, thus resulting in the number of places allocated to each doctoral subfield.

 

Art. 20.

(1) The interview for admission to doctoral studies consists of:

• delivering an oral presentation on the candidate's research interests and literature review related to the research topic of the PhD dissertation which was established with the doctoral supervisor, followed by a Q&A session;
• evaluation of the candidate’s file for admission to doctoral studies.

Under certain circumstances, the first part of the interview for admission to doctoral studies can be conducted online (remotely), with the approval of the doctoral supervisor and the admission committee.

(2) Candidates shall be assessed by taking into account their educational background and knowledge in the field, the ability to address specific research problems, to formulate innovative solutions (theoretical and experimental) and the quantifiable results of their scientific research (published or delivered conference papers and participation in research projects). Moreover, they will be assessed considering their ability to argue the innovative character of the established research topic, considering the current state of research in the chosen field and the specialized bibliography, emphasizing the original contribution in approaching the doctoral research topic established with the doctoral supervisor.

 

Art. 21.

In order to conduct the interview for admission to doctoral studies, admission committees are assembled for each doctoral school, field or subfield, which are made up of a chairperson, at least two members and two substitute members, who can be doctoral supervisors, professors or associate professors. If there are doctoral supervisors from different faculties in the same doctoral field, two admission commissions can be appointed to conduct the admission examination (colloquium).

 

Art. 22.

The admission commissions are proposed by the Council for Doctoral Studies and approved by the Board of Administration and the UDJG Senate. The admission commissions are appointed by Rector's decision, at least 10 days before the start of the admission procedure.

 

Art. 23.

Each member of the admission commission assigns a grade from 1 to 10 to each candidate.  The final admission average is the average of all the grades given by the committee members, expressed to two decimal places, without rounding.

 

Art. 24.

The minimum admission average score for a candidate to be declared admitted is 7.00.

 

Art. 25.

The criteria for allocating state-funded places on doctoral fields and/or subfields in compliance with the provisions of art.19 are the following:

C.1.1. the state-funded place is awarded to the candidate who is ranked first for each eligible doctoral supervisor;

C.1.2. if the number of state-funded places is lower than the number of eligible doctoral supervisors, according to criterion C.1.1, the allocation of state-funded places shall be made by ranking of doctoral fields/subfields of doctoral schools, allocating one state-funded place per field/ doctoral subfield to the candidate who is ranked first in each field/subfield. The distribution of the available state-funded places after this initial distribution shall be based on the ranking of the candidates, according to their admission average and options;

C.1.3. if the number of state-funded places is higher than the number of those assigned in compliance with criterion C.1.1., the available state-funded places are redistributed within the subfield/field/doctoral school/IOSUD based on the candidates’ admission average, options and requests.

 

Art. 26.

In order to rank the candidates who have the same average scores, the criteria below shall be applied in the following order:

• the general average of the years of education, calculated by taking into account the years of study corresponding to Bachelor's and Master's study programmes;
• the average of the final exam of the last cycle of university studies;

 

Art. 27.

(1) Any appeals shall be submitted to the university registry and are resolved by the Appeals Committee appointed for each doctoral school. The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.

(2) No appeals are accepted for oral or sports performance assessments.

(3) No appeals are accepted based on the lack of knowledge about the admission methodology.

 

Art. 28.

The validation of the admission results to doctoral studies is done by the Doctoral School Council and the Council for Doctoral Studies.

 

IV. FINAL PROVISIONS

 

Art. 29.

The results of the selection for admission to doctoral studies on fields of study are disseminated on the IOSUD notice board and on the university website.

 

Art. 30.

(1) The display of the results obtained as a result of the selection for admission to doctoral studies is conducted in stages, generating at least two types of lists:

1. initial lists displaying candidate ranking after admission;
2. final lists displaying candidate ranking after the resolution of appeals, which include the definitive and indisputable results.

(2) These lists display the following categories of information:

1. candidates admitted for state-funded places, within the limit of allocated places, if applicable;
2. candidates admitted for fee-paying places, within the limit of allocated places, if applicable;
3. rejected candidates, if applicable.

 

Art. 31.

The candidates declared admitted are enrolled as doctoral students after completing the registration process.

 

Art. 32.

Doctoral students shall complete and sign the contract for doctoral studies, together with their doctoral supervisor.