Study programme

The "Civil Engineering" doctoral program has a duration of 3 years and encompasses a total of 180 ECTS credits, reflecting the overall workload for doctoral students.

A doctoral thesis is a public scientific work, subject to public scientific assessment. The doctoral thesis constitutes the dominant part of the Study, and includes research, preparation, and public defence. Prior to the defence of the doctoral thesis, and in the course of the Study, Doctoral Candidates must have at least one scientific paper that is published or accepted for publication, thematically related to the doctoral thesis, in which they are the first author, in a journal indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection and/or Scopus databases. One paper, with the exception of a case of extraordinary scientific achievements, can qualify only one Doctoral Candidate and cannot qualify for other mandatory or elective forms of work. A paper that is published or accepted for publication is awarded with 10 ECTS credits. In total, 115 ECTS credits are allocated for all dissertation-related activities.

The doctoral thesis may be written and defended in the Croatian or English language. The Study ends with a successful public defence of the doctoral thesis.

The forms of doctoral thesis include:

1) a monograph

• - The text of the doctoral thesis prepared in the form of a monograph must be original scientific work that contains at minimum the following chapters: a critical overview of the current state of knowledge in the field of research, the hypothesis and objectives of the work, a description of the methods used in the research, a description of the research with a presentation of the results, and a conclusion from which an undoubted original scientific contribution can be recognized. A doctoral thesis also contains a reference list.

• - The title, abstract and keywords of the doctoral thesis must be written in both Croatian and English. The abstract should enable understanding of the aim of the thesis, research methods, research results, and conclusion.

• 2) a set of published scientific papers (the so-called Scandinavian model)

• - The Scandinavian model of a doctoral thesis is basically a set of unified scientific papers.

• - Scientific papers that are unified and proposed as a doctoral thesis must form a new completed whole of at least three thematically related papers, published or accepted for publication in journals in the Web of Science and/or Scopus database after enrolment into the Study. The scientific paper mentioned previously as an obligation Prior to the defence of the doctoral thesis can be one of the three papers that make up a doctoral thesis according to the Scandinavian model.

• - The Doctoral Candidate must be the sole or first author of at least two papers, whereby both papers should be published in a journal belonging to the first (Q1) or second (Q2) quartile, at least one of which in a journal with an impact factor greater than the median impact factor of journals in the field of doctoral research, in accordance with the Journal Citation Report classification, i.e. the citation report, for the year in which the paper was published or for the last known year.

• - Combined papers must make a new scientific contribution compared to individual papers.

• - The doctoral thesis should contain at least the following chapters: a unified overview of relevant research, including the hypotheses and objectives of the thesis, a unified critical review of the results of the doctoral thesis that is considered within the framework of previous relevant research, a unified conclusion from which the undoubted original scientific contribution can be recognized, and a reference list. In the Annex section, papers that are published or accepted for publishing qualifying for the doctoral thesis are attached.

Doctoral Candidates must earn a minimum of 24 ECTS credits from instruction by passing elective courses.

A maximum of 36 ECTS credits may be obtained through instruction, by passing four elective courses that are worth 6 ECTS credits each, by passing the mandatory course Methodology of Scientific Research (6 ECTS credits), and exceptionally by passing one more elective course (6 ECTS credits).

In order to develop research work, adopt scientific methodology and critical thinking, and develop and acquire other general skills, mandatory forms of work such as Research Seminars and Discussion Groups are established.

• - The Research Seminar includes the preparation of a scientific paper and public presentation of a broader or narrower area of the topic of doctoral research, the course of preparation of the doctoral thesis, conducted research and research results by participation at the symposium organised by the Faculty within the Study. The Seminar is organised by the Head of Study, Heads of research branches and teachers. They are organised during all three years of the Study and the attendance at these seminars are worth 16 ECTS credits at the first year of studies, while 1 ECTS credit is gained in the second and third year of studies. During the first year, the Doctoral Candidate is obliged to prepare a paper and present it at a Research Seminar.

• - A Discussion Group is an activity in which Doctoral Candidates present and discuss with their Mentors or Study Advisors, as well as with the Heads of research branches, interested teachers and Doctoral Candidates, their research activities, achievements, results, problems, give an overview of the latest literature thematically related to the field of research, or discuss similar topics related to current and future research, etc. The Discussion Group is worth 1 ECTS credit in each year of the Study.

• - Elective forms of work include: publication of scientific papers, enrolment in an additional course, training at other scientific organisations, summer schools, or other appropriate workshops either at the University or at other scientific organisations. A minimum of 14 ECTS credits must be achieved through elective forms of work. The required ECTS credits must be earned from a minimum of two different activities. The conditions for the recognition of elective forms of work are defined in more detail in Table below.

The program's structure, including the aforementioned activities, is outlined in below. 

CONDITIONS FOR ENROLMENT TO HIGHER YEARS OF STUDIES

To enrol into the second year, Doctoral Candidates are required to pass three courses, one of which being Methodology of Scientific Research, obtain a minimum of 17 ECTS credits through mandatory forms of work and a positive report of the Study Advisor or Mentor for the first year of Study (form DR.-05), submit the report on their work for the first year of Study (form DR.-04), and the activity plan for the second year of Study.

To enrol into the third year, Doctoral Candidates are required to pass all course exams, obtain at least additional 2 ECTS credits through mandatory forms of work, initiate the procedure of Mentor appointment and doctoral thesis proposal, and have the Mentor's positive report on the second year of Study (form DR.-05), submit the report on their work for the second year of Study (form DR.-04), and the activity plan for the third year of Study.

During the third year of Study, Doctoral Candidates are required to obtain the remaining ECTS credits through mandatory and elective forms of work.