The following information has been obtained from the Slovak Ministry of Education (interview with Mgr. E. Páleníková, in April 2002, tel.: +421-2-59374379, E-mail epalenik@education.gov.sk), from the Universities Act and from the public notice of the Slovak Ministry of Education regulating the Process of Awarding Scholarships for full-time Doctoral Students (Statute).

The doctoral study is the highest form of university education in Slovakia. According to the Universities Act no. 131/2002, the internal (full-time) Ph.D. study lasts at the minimum three and at the maximum four years while the external (part-time) Ph.D. study lasts five years. Both forms of the study are recognized as accomplished after a successful defense of a thesis and after awarding a PhD., an ArtD. or a ThDr. title.

The aim of the study is to “obtain knowledge on the basis of current state of scientific and artistic research and mainly on basis of own contribution of the particular student to the research”. The study therefore consists of two parts – study and research - and can be combined by pedagogical activities. Passing a sc. dissertation exam and a successful defense of a thesis is a precondition for the accomplishment of the Ph.D. study.

Nowadays it is possible to accomplish a Ph.D. study in Slovakia at one of 16 universities, at the Slovak Academy of Science or at one of seven scientific institutions, e.g. at the Slovak Post-graduate Medicine Institute. According to the information from the Slovak Ministry of Education, there were 1860 internal (full-time) and 5994 external Ph.D. students in Slovakia in 2001. This number has been increasing for about 500-1000 students every year. In Slovakia, there exists also a sc. “small doctorate” which takes about one year to accomplish. According to the Universities Act no. 131/2002, students with a Master's degree can pass “a rigid exam” and defend “a rigid paper” in their line of study. On basis of a successful defense, they will be awarded a RNDr., PharmDr., PhDr., JUDr.., PaedDr. or ThDr. title.

Note: PhD. researchers have been statistically divided into full-time and part-time just since 1999

Source: Institute for information and prognosis on education: http://www.uips.sk/statis/index.html

Before approval of a new public notice a full-time doctoral student had to submit his/her thesis for a defense in maximum 6 years after passing a dissertation exam (public notice from the year 1997). According to the new public notice, a full-time doctoral student has to accomplish the study in 3-5 years. The change in legal conditions is the reason why it is not possible to find out how many students have left their studies before completion.

Rights and duties of a a full-time doctoral student have been defined by the Universities Act no. 131/2002, § 54 (doctoral program of study). The criteria for the process of accreditation of the Ph.D. study have been defined in § 81 and 82 of this law. A new public notice no. 204 was approved in 2002. It defines the amount of scholarship for full-time doctoral students. All the legal norms relevant to this issue can be found at http://www.zbierka.sk. Please use the key word “doktorandi” (doctoral students) respectively “vysoké školy” (universities) in the search form.