The József Cziráki Doctoral School of Wood Sciences and Technologies

The most important organization of the faculty's scientific activity is the József Cziráki Doctoral School of Wood Sciences and Technologies which has been continuously accredited since 2002 and works in the framework of seven programmes.

In addition to the institutes and departments of the Faculty of Wood Engineering and Creative Industries, two institutes of the Faculty of Forestry Engineering participate in the training. There are three forms of training: full-time, correspondence and individual training.

Characteristic of the doctoral training is that it aims to study the understanding, processing, utilization and recycling of tree, the wonderful product of the forest based on scientific basis. In doing so, the faculty set the objective of researching basic sciences, applied sciences and practical knowledge.

The faculty has a close relationship with forestry, wood production, technical sciences and wood processing, thus making complex researcher's thinking natural.

Personnel conditions of the Doctoral School are very good, as the education is carried out by wood scientists from all over the country. In addition to domestic tree researchers, many foreign professors assisted and still assist the education.

The Doctoral School’s work is directed toward pragmatism by the Innovation Centre operating at the Faculty of Wood Engineering and Creative Industries. Our full-time doctoral students are also constantly involved in the university’s educational work.

APPLICATION PROCESS →

For more information on the Doctoral School, feel free to contact our administrative assistant Vera Tolvaj.

Study Plan for PhD students at the Cziráki József Doctoral School

Working collaboratively with their doctoral supervisor, students admitted into the doctoral program shall prepare a detailed 48-month study and research plan and submit it to the doctoral council of their field of study for approval. Changes to the study and research plan can only be made with the agreement of their doctoral supervisor and the doctoral school leadership. Before the doctoral school leadership makes a decision concerning changes, it will consult the appropriate doctoral council.

The fulfilment of academic and research obligations for doctoral students is measured in credits. A doctoral student must earn at least 240 credits during their studies and training.

The most important components of the doctoral program are the research activity topics the doctoral school announces. Research activities are evaluated in two ways, both with corresponding credit values. The first is the fulfilment of individual scientific research; the second is through publication.

Doctoral students can also earn credit points by undertaking teaching duties.

With the consent of their doctoral supervisor, doctoral students can publish their research results if they have continuously fulfilled their duties according to the study and research plan. Within the framework of a doctoral conference, doctoral students report on the research they have completed at the end of Years 1 and 3. The report is public. Students take complex exams at the end of Year 2. The requirements of the complex exam include Operational Regulations.

To be eligible to take the complex exam, doctoral students must first obtain 90 credits in the "training and research stages" of the doctoral program (the first 4 semesters) AS WELL AS complete the required courses and earn all the credits as stated in their study and research plan.

The doctoral supervisor shall certify a doctoral student’s completion of independent scientific research each semester in the student’s registration book.

The minimum and maximum limits of obtainable credit points are listed in the table below.

Sample Curriculum

The basic principles of the doctoral program curriculum are the following:

a) The theoretical part of the complex exam at the end of Year 2 consists of exams completed in a main and elective subject. The main subject must be a six credit complex examination subject from the student’s doctoral program, while the elective subject can be freely chosen from the selection of elective subjects offered in the complex exam.

b) Course requirements are concentrated in the beginning of the course of study thereby providing doctoral students the opportunity to devote more time to research starting from the Semester 3 onward.

c) Research requirements in Semester 1 and 2 are moderate for independent scientific research, but a review of literature and bibliographical research are still mandatory. However, Semester 3 and 4 are more research centred. The doctoral supervisor verifies the completion of this in the student’s registration book each semester.

d) Education credits: one weekly 2 hour course each semester is worth 6 credits; independent laboratory work equals 4 credits; degree planning is 4 credits. Fulfilment of education requirements are confirmed by the institute director.

The doctoral seminar must be completed in the first 4 semesters; every semester the student must participate in five presentations, a comprehensive/complex exam, and a defence. Dr. Antal Kánnár certifies the completion of these requirements through his signature.

The attainable credit points for research results slated for publication until the publication date are shown in the table below:

Credit points listed in the table must be divided by the number of co-authors; the doctoral supervisor will not be counted when determining the number of co-authors. (Foreign co-authors will also not be counted during any division of credit points.)

Publication Requirements: Ph.D.

• Requirements for substantive publications:
• Minimum number of published scientific papers: 4
• Minimum number of foreign language papers published: 2
• The minimum number of published peer-reviewed papers: 2
• Minimum number of foreign-language peer-reviewed publications (which can be referred to through Scopus and Web of Science): 1
• Minimum number of published pieces in Hungarian for native Hungarian-speaking candidates: 1
• Minimum number of works appearing in foreign publications (journals or conference papers): 1

Thesis requirements: Peer-reviewed and formally approved (guaranteed date of publishing) papers should cover at least half of the thesis.

In cases of published pieces with many co-authors, the doctoral student’s contribution is divided by the number of co-authors; doctoral supervisors are excluded from this calculation.

Published conference papers fewer than 2 pages, abstracts, or posters do not count as acceptable published pieces in respect to earning a degree and will not be considered or evaluated.

Cziráki József Doctoral School for Wood Sciences and Technology

Study programs:

• F1 Wood Sciences
• F2 Wood Processing Technologies and Creative Design
• F3 Wooden Constructions
• F4 Fibre- and Nanotechnologies
• F5 Informatics in Material Sciences
• F6 Management in Wood Industry

List of courses:

The complex exam

1) The complex exam will take place in the 4th semester of the organized doctoral training, during the exam period following the given semester.

2) To be eligible to take the complex exam, doctoral students must first obtain 90 credits in the 'training and research stage' of the doctoral programme (the first 4 semesters) and obtain all the 'training credits' as stated in the study plan of the doctoral school (except for students preparing individual to doctoral degree whose student status is established by applying for the complex exam and its acceptance).

3) Application deadline: 15th April and 15th October. Application method: submission of application form and required annexes.

4) Application for the complex exam is approved by the Disciplinary Doctoral Council. Students must be informed in advance of the date of complex exam.

5) The complex examination is public, and is taken before a board. The examination board must consist of at least three members; at least one-third of the board members must not have any employment relationship with the institution of the doctoral school. The chairperson of the examination board shall be a university professor or a Professor Emeritus or an instructor or researcher holding the title of DSc. All members of the examination board shall possess a scholarly degree. The candidate’s doctoral supervisor cannot be a member of the examination board.

6) The complex exam consists of two components: one to assess the candidates' academic preparedness (“theoretical part”) and the other to allow candidates to give an account of their scientific progress (“dissertation part”). In the theoretical part of the complex examination, candidates are assessed in a main subject and a minor subject that are specified on the application form. The list of subjects is included in the study plan of the doctoral school.

7) In the second part of the complex exam, candidates will present their knowledge of the research literature, report their research results, outline the second phase of their doctoral re-search training plan, and describe the timing of their dissertation and the publication of results in a form of a 15 minute presentation. As part of the complex exam, a 5-10 pages research summary in A5 format must be submitted, which the Examination Board receives in advance and is evaluated during the examination. The supervisor should have the opportunity to assess the candidate in writing in advance and/or in the examination.

8) The examination board evaluates the theoretical and dissertation part of the exam separately. An examination protocol including a written evaluation is completed for the complex exam. Exam results will be published on the day of the oral exam. The complex exam is deemed successful if a majority of the committee members declares the two parts of the examination successful. Evaluation of the complex exam can have two qualifications, passed or failed. The candidate must obtain a passed qualification in the main subject, the minor subject and the dissertation. Passed qualification requires that the points earned on the five-grade scale reach two-thirds of the maximum score.

9) If the theoretical exam is unsuccessful, a candidate will be provided the opportunity to retake the failed subject(s) of the exam within the given exam period. A failed dissertation exam component cannot be retaken during the given exam period.

10) The percentage of the theoretical and practical part of the complex exam will be counted by the qualification of the doctoral degree.

11) Student status ceases if the doctoral student does not complete the complex exam, i.e.:

• does not apply for the exam at the end of the 4th semester or
• the exam qualification is 'failed’.
• There is no possibility for equity.

12) The doctoral dissertation must be submitted for public defence within three years of a successful complex examination.