Postgraduate Studies

General Information

General information about the programme

Type of programme and level of education: 3rd cycle doctoral study programme Business Science
Duration: 3 years (180 KT)
Academic title: doktor/doktorica znanosti
Location: Celje, Ljubljana


Tracks of study
  • Commerce
  • Tourism
  • Business Informatics

Aims of the programme

The 3rd cycle doctoral study programme Business Science is a continuation of 2nd cycle postgraduate studies. It is intended for students who completed 2nd cycle study programmes at the Faculty of Commercial and Business Science or other relevant faculties. It builds on the 2nd cycle study programmes and presents, together with previous programmes, a complete 8-year study course leading to the academic title of doktor znanosti.

The basic aim of the doctoral degree studies is to educate knowledgeable scientists who will have a thorough insight into science, who will be able to evaluate the significance of science for the welfare of the country and society or its subjects, and to place business sciences in the framework of science in general. The knowledge they acquire will, on the one hand, provide them the insight into the broader development of science, the significance of researching social and economic phenomena and enable them to expand their knowledge and skills of critical thinking about theoretical solutions and their application. On the other hand, they will have the opportunity to analyse the effects of activities in a particular company on the economic position of society as a whole. Another aim of the programme is to enable students to get acquainted with the theory of science and grasp the importance of science in a developing society and the significance of macroeconomic theories, their history, influences and impact on the operations of organisations in particular periods and environments. Special emphasis will be given to the contemporary macroeconomic theories, which have developed in global business operations. As science cannot exist without analytic and statistical tools, the goal of the doctoral studies is also to provide students with general analytical knowledge and knowledge from the field of statistical analysis for the purposes of scientific research work and for preparation of the doctoral dissertation.

Seminars are a special form of doctoral studies and are conducted by internationally acclaimed experts from specific fields. Students will use the knowledge they gained in general theoretical courses and apply the theory in practice. The doctoral degree programme is based on the fact that no theory exists without praxis and vice versa. Therefore, the doctoral degree programme aims to offer students a combination of theory and praxis. The goal of the doctoral studies is to educate knowledgeable doctors, who will have sufficient research experience – obtained through research seminars in Slovenia or abroad and supported by theoretical knowledge – to conduct basic and applicative researches. They will also be able to further develop science and apply the already developed science in praxis.
The programme takes into account the basic assumptions that doctors of science should be competent to work both in research institutions and in other organizational systems (banks, companies and public sector organisations) and solve demanding economic problems mainly in the field of commerce, tourism and information science.

Assessment of knowledge
Students’ knowledge for each course is assessed by one of the course teachers to the extent defined by the curriculum. Examinations may include various obligations in research projects, as defined by the course teachers.

Students can start fulfilling their study obligations for individual research work only after they have fulfilled the study obligations for courses from the 1st (prior to the submission of the disposition) and 2nd year (prior to public presentation of the disposition). In accordance with the syllabus, students fulfil the study obligation for individual research work by preparing the disposition, when the potential mentor approves the outline of the disposition for the doctoral dissertation.


Recognition of knowledge and skills acquired prior to enrolment in the programme

The faculty may recognize the knowledge and skills acquired prior to enrolment in the 3rd cycle postgraduate study programme in accordance with Criteria on Accreditation of higher education institutions and study programmes, the Statute and other internal general acts. The acquired knowledge may be recognized in whole or in part, depending on the extent to which it corresponds to subject-specific competences and contents of the proposed programmes. Recognized may be knowledge or skills acquired by formal, informal or experiential learning. The basis for recognition is a written application accompanied by official certificates and outlines of the completed programme or other written certificates specifying the level of the acquired knowledge. The level of recognition of study obligations is approved on the proposal of the head of the doctoral study programme by the Commission for scientific research work and doctoral studies, which evaluates the recognized knowledge and skills with ECTS credits.

The acquired knowledge and skills are recognised based on the following documents: certificates and other documents proving the acquired knowledge and its contents; published articles in revised scientific journals or at conferences, if they correspond to the contents of the study programme; reports on applicative research and counselling projects, if they correspond to the contents of the study programme. The adequacy of the recognized knowledge and skills acquired prior to enrolment in the programme is assessed by the Commission for scientific research work and doctoral studies after it has acquired the opinion of the head of the doctoral studies.