Doctoral school identification data

Name of the doctoral school: Jozsef Cziraki Doctoral School of Wood Sciences and Technologies

The ID of the doctoral school: 238

Field of study: engineering

Field of study: material sciences

Place: Faculty of Wood Engineering and Creative Industries

Postal address: H-9400 Sopron, Bajcsy-Zs. str. 4. Hungary

Contacts

Phone: +36 99 518616

E-mail: fmk-doktori@uni-sopron.hu

Vera Tolvaj Doctoral Coordinator
Mobil: +36 99 618 616

Prof. Dr. László Bejó Head of Doctoral School
Mobil: +36 99 518 386

The purpose of doctoral education

Doctoral training is primarily the scientific preparation of future research and teaching professionals. In the training system, the acquisition of the knowledge and skills that are indispensable for the continuation of research activities at the international level is of particular importance. The training provides essential methodological and theoretical knowledge, enables the acquisition of comprehensive skills in a specialized field, and also includes individual research and the preparation of a dissertation.

The aim of the doctoral training is for the doctoral students to be able to plan and carry out primary and secondary research and analyze and synthesize the literature in order to continue their high-level scientific work. Another requirement is the acquisition and use of scientific methodological applications during research work, as well as publication in both Hungarian and foreign languages. The doctoral student must prove these skills and abilities by preparing and defending the dissertation.

The duration of the doctoral program is 4 years, which is divided into 2+2 years. In the first two years students have contact classes and they do research works. By the end of the fourth semester there is a comprehensive examination where students present their achievements and the future plans regarding the doctoral work. The last two years are about research work and the preparation of the dissertation (doctoral thesis). By the end of the fourth year the active student status will end. Within three years of the complex examination, the doctoral degree procedure must be initiated.

Further information is available in the study plan: https://fmk.uni-sopron.hu/en_GB/-doctoral-school/doctoral-school-study-plan

Core members

• Prof. Dr. Tibor Alpár Professor
• Prof. Dr. László Bejó Professor
• Dr. Sándor Fehér Associate Professor
• Prof. Dr. Endre Magoss Professor
• Prof. Dr. Róbert Németh Professor
• Prof. Dr. Zoltán Pásztory Professor
• Prof. Dr. László Tolvaj Professor Emeritus

Members of the Scientific Doctoral Committee

• Prof. Dr. László Bejó Professor
• Prof. Dr. Endre Magoss Professor
• Prof. Dr. László Tolvaj Professor Emeritus
• Dr. Lükő István External Member with Voting Rights
• Dr. Horváth Miklós External Member with Voting Rights
• Student representative: Astrid Ionescu PhD Student

Supervisors of the doctoral school

Information about the supervisors is available on the ODT data sheet of the Doctoral School.

About the Doctoral School

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.

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:

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

Only publications related to the subject area of the thesis can be considered as meaningful publications. Publications prior to the start of doctoral studies can only be considered if they are directly related to the research topic.

In the calculation, referred (Q3-Q4 rated) publications are considered with a multiplier of 1.5, Q1-Q2 rated publications with a multiplier of 2, and D1 rated publications with a multiplier of 3.

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.

If the doctoral candidate's contribution in a multi-author article is more significant than that of the other authors, the percentage of each author's contribution can be specified based on a joint statement from the authors (in the case of more than five co-authors, the corresponding author's responsible declaration). In this case, the performance is calculated by taking into account the specified percentages (the supervisor can be excluded from the calculation in this case as well).

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

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.

Admission Process

Forms of training

• organized full-time doctoral (PhD) training (with scholarships or self-funded),
• organized correspondence (part-time) doctoral (PhD) training (self-funded)

Who can apply?

All those who

• have a university degree of at least good quality, appropriate to the nature of the chosen field of study (discipline), or another university degree (MA/MSc) that provides the necessary foundational professional knowledge in the chosen discipline (doctoral school) can apply for doctoral training (doctoral school may waive the requirement of a diploma of at least good quality only in the light of extremely well-founded facts);
• have at least an intermediate (B2) complex, state-recognized English language exam, or equivalent language proficiency certification (university graduated in English);
• propose a research topic in their application that is worth pursuing and fits into the profile of the Doctoral School.

The admission procedure

The Admissions Committee decides on the admission of the applicant to the admission procedure based on the submitted documents,

The Admissions Committee examines the applicant's preparedness for scientific work based on an admissions interview. The examination covers the scientific researchability of the doctoral topic and the ideas aimed at solving the problems.

In the case of those with a non-specialized degree, the Admissions Committee also examines the applicant's proficiency in the scientific field of the chosen doctoral school. Based on this, it may also require the taking of additional specialized subjects or the passing of differential exams. Credit cannot be awarded for specialized subjects or differential exams that provide the required basic knowledge.

Documents required for application and required attachments, deadlines, how to apply informations:

https://international.uni-sopron.hu/admissions-1

PhD program tution fee: 3000  USD/semester

Application for Stipendium Hungaricum program: https://stipendiumhungaricum.hu/

The current topic announcements can be found on the data sheet of the National Doctoral Council. 

Point system for evaluating the admission procedure

The doctoral office 

Cziráki József Doctoral School for Wood Sciences and Technologies

Faculty of Wood Engineering and Creative Industries

9400 Sopron, Bajcsy-Zs. E. str. 4

Head of Doctoral School: Prof. Dr. László Bejó, professor

Doctoral coordinator: Tolvaj Vera

Phone: +36 99 518-616

E-mail: fmk-doktori@uni-sopron.hu