Applications for the Doctoral School at Wrocław University of Science and Technology are now open. Documents can be submitted until June 2, and 300 places have been prepared for candidates who wish to study at this elite unit of our university.

Attractive scholarships and financial support

The Wrocław Tech Doctoral School has been operating since October 1, 2019. Currently, 812 young scientists are studying there, including 117 foreigners. In this year's application process, 300 places await candidates. The largest number of spots was prepared in the following disciplines: Environmental Engineering, Mining, and Energy (38); Technical Informatics and Telecommunications (37); Mechanical Engineering (36); and Automation, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, and Space Technologies (33).

Additionally, application process is also being conducted for the "Industrial PhD" (Doktorat wdrożeniowy) program, for which our university can submit a maximum of 30 applications to the ministry.

Doctoral students can count on scholarship rates much higher than those set by law. Until the mid-term evaluation, the scholarship amount is PLN 4,171 net per month, and after receiving a positive mid-term evaluation, it increases to PLN 5,058 net. It is also possible to receive an additional scholarship for academic performance, research scholarships within projects, the Rector’s Award for organizational activity, or to become a laureate of the Primus Program, which rewards authors of high-quality publications.

Science without borders: research stays and international cooperation

Since 2024, a minigrant program has also been in operation. Doctoral students can receive up to PLN 20,000 for the implementation of their projects, and the money can be used, among other things, for the purchase of equipment, scientific trips, or training. A PhD at Wrocław Tech is also an opportunity for international cooperation. Our university belongs to the Unite! alliance of European universities, where we cooperate with eight partners from France, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Austria.

This means that doctoral students can go to international summer and winter schools, complete research stays at partner universities, participate in courses for doctoral students at other universities, and work on their doctorates under the supervision of a promoter from a partner university (so-called joint supervision).

Science at the intersection of disciplines

Among the current doctoral students is Arkadiusz Lipiecki, who is preparing his work in the discipline of Management and Quality Sciences. As part of his doctorate, he conducts interdisciplinary research on the border of social sciences, physics, and computer science. He seeks answers to how interactions between individuals and groups affect phenomena observed on a macro scale, such as opinion polarization.

– "My adventure with scientific work began during my engineering studies. It was then, at one of the departmental seminars, that I became fascinated by the topic of social simulations using models known from physics. I used to read about it in science fiction books, now I deal with it every day," says the doctoral student. In his opinion, studying at the Wrocław Tech Doctoral School gives freedom and the opportunity to develop in a chosen direction, and a key role is played by supervisors who are open to new ideas and provide substantive support at every stage of the work.

– "The commitment of supervisors and participation in grant projects conducted at Wrocław Tech allowed me to complete scientific visits to Oxford and Melbourne and to present the results of my work at many international conferences, including in Japan, the United States, and Australia," emphasizes Arkadiusz Lipiecki.

International research stays and work-life balance

On the other hand, Dominika Kunc, who is preparing her doctoral thesis in the discipline of Technical Informatics and Telecommunications, admits that after defending her Master's degree, she needed a break and was initially not convinced about a PhD.

– "The passion for research did not leave me alone, and I finally decided. Especially since I could participate in a program that involved trips to top scientific centers. And it was a good decision," she notes. – "I am implementing a unique and demanding scientific project, I take advantage of many opportunities offered by the Doctoral School and our department, I have completed research stays in Los Angeles and Singapore, I conduct classes with students, but despite everything, I manage to maintain a balance. In fact, I live in Kudowa on a daily basis and have arranged everything so that I come to Wrocław on selected days and work remotely on others," she adds.

As part of her doctorate, she uses, among other things, machine learning techniques to recognize emotions in everyday life from physiological signals. In her research, she combines computer science and psychology, which – as she admits herself – is very demanding. – "I am constantly learning new things, looking for a common language for engineers and psychologists, exploring new paths. I feel like I'm creating something completely new. And on top of that, the scientific community is very interested in my research and the data set I have collected. This is motivating," the doctoral student emphasizes.

Interdisciplinary program in 13 disciplines

Education at the Doctoral School lasts eight semesters and takes place in thirteen scientific disciplines. These are:

• Architecture and Urban Planning,
• Automation, Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Space Technologies,
• Technical Informatics and Telecommunications,
• Biomedical Engineering,
• Chemical Engineering,
• Civil Engineering, Geodesy and Transport,
• Materials Engineering,
• Mechanical Engineering,
• Environmental Engineering, Mining and Energy,
• Mathematics,
• Chemical Sciences,
• Physical Sciences,
• Management and Quality Sciences.

The language of instruction at the Doctoral School is English. The study programs are prepared in such a way that doctoral students have the opportunity to educate themselves in their disciplines, but above all, to acquire skills for conducting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of two or more disciplines. One can therefore choose from a wide range of classes, and thanks to the great flexibility of course dates, most of them can be completed in the first two years of the doctorate. Among the elective courses are those related to grant preparation, modern teaching techniques, using AI, or popularizing science.

Application process consists of several stages. Documents can be submitted until June 2, interviews with candidates will be conducted from June 25 to July 10, and from July 24, candidates will be able to find out their results. Enrollment in the list of doctoral students will take place from September 21.

Those interested in the details of studying at the Wrocław Tech Doctoral School are invited to watch the report from the Open Day. You can learn about the application process rules, the form of the interview, and the course of a typical doctoral student's day.