Doctoral Study Program Humanities

Enrollment in the study programme Humanities 2020/21

The four-year study programme Humanities offering an international academic environment and an individual study approach is based on three main research areas: literary studies (including digital humanities), history, migration and intercultural relations.

Among other fields of research, it also supports research based on the rich cultural heritage of the region between Italy and Slovenia (e. g. cross-border literature).

All the students who, due to health, administrative (visa-related) or other reasons (the Covid-19 measures), will be unable to be physically present at UNG in the academic year 2020/21, will be provided with the opportunity to follow the lectures in a distant mode.

Programme description

The doctoral study program Humanities is based on intellectual exchange of foreign and Slovenian teaching staff, researchers, and students in the humanities and social sciences. The program combines some traditional, classic knowledge and approaches with interdisciplinary and comparative approaches, thus enhancing historical, social, and political contextualization of relevant issues. The program transcends the limits of conventional disciplines and cultural boundaries, and promotes critical analysis of contemporary global issues.

Different study modules

The doctoral study program Humanities consists of three modules, Literary Studies, Migrations and Intercultural Relations and History.

The Senate of the University of Nova Gorica at its 75th session held on 18 January 2017 approved the extension of the IIIrd level study program Humanities from the current three years (180 ECTS) to four years (240 ECTS).

The four-year doctoral programme has started in the academic year 2017/2018.

Students who are currently enrolled in the three-year study programme will complete studies at the three-year programme.

Supervisors

Admission requirements

To qualify for entry into the doctoral study program Humanities, applicants must satisfy the following admission requirements:

• have completed a 2nd cycle master’s study preogramme;
• have completed at least a four-year academic undergraduate programme accredited with 240 ECTS credits;
• have completed a uniform five year master’s study programme accredited with 300 ECTS credits;
• have completed a specialization after previously finished professional study programme, and had passed additional study obligations within 30 to 60 ECTS credit points;
• have completed an equivalent program abroad;

If the number of applicants exceeds the 20 available slots, they are selected based on previous academic achievement.

Educational and professional goals

The doctoral study programme Humanities concentrates on three scientific fields: Literary studies, History and Migration and intercultural relations. Studying literary sciences allows students to acquire up-to-date expertise in methodology and theory, indispensable in the research of literature as well as of social phenomena reflected in literary works, taking into account also the context of new media. The students› research topics can therefore concentrate on one of the following areas of literary sciences: new communication media and literature, literatures in contacts, imagology in literary studies, translation as a means of transcultural communication, literature and cultural nationalism in Europe, literary journalism as a transnational and transgeneric discourse, gender and literature, identity and languages.
PhD program in history is based on modern conceptual and methodological backgrounds in historical science to train the students for research work, for the understanding and historical contextualization of the development of societies in a comparative perspective. The study program focuses on a comprehensive critical analysis of "different historical realities" and phenomena in the field of cultural, social, economic and political development. This enables the understanding and interpretation of the modern world from the historical point of view.
Studying migration and intercultural relations equips students with contemporary methodological and theoretical knowledge, enabling them to understand the phenomenon of migration, to confront the present migratory processes and phenomena, and to understand the identification processes (and the related choice of language) in a multilingual environment.

PhD Graduates of the doctoral study programme Humanities are fully competent to perform further, independent professional and scientific-research tasks and may pursue careers in domestic and foreign institutions or organisations seeking experts in the field of humanities.

Assessment

Each course has three exam dates set at the beginning of the year. The rules of the exam process depend on the content and course’s specific characteristics; the exam may thus consist of either exam papers or projects, and particular attention is paid to oral exams. This encourages a more active and creative approach, focusing on developing speaking skills and coherent argumentation in a discussion. Individual research work is assessed in regular interim reports; the final assessment is given by the Research Council, based on the final report presented by the student before supervisors and students. The exact rules concerning exam procedures are given in each course description. Ten days after the student passes the exam and no later than 30 September of the academic year, the instructor must submit a written statement to the Graduate Studies Administrator stating whether a student passed the exam or not. The program is completed when the PhD qualifying exam is taken before a three-member committee.

Once enrolled, the student chooses a supervisor in a relevant field and selects course units for a total of 18 credits (6 credits of required courses and 12 credits of elective course units); this selection must be approved by the supervisor. These courses can be also selected from other institutions’ programs. In the first year, in agreement with the supervisor, the student prepares an extensive term paper related to his or her doctoral dissertation, consisting of a relevant literature review and presentation of the state of the art in the field. The presentation and defense of the assignment must be completed in the first year. Presentation of this assignment and at least 75% participation in a research seminar is worth 26 credits, and an additional 16 credits may be acquired by conducting research defined in agreement with the supervisor at the beginning of the year. Before proceeding to second year, the student must:

• Pass an exam in a required course unit
• Fulfill research seminar requirements a (term paper and 75% course participation)
• Conduct independent research

In order to enter the second year, the student must have earned at least 48 of 60 credits. Before proceeding to the third year, the student must:

• Pass all first- and second-year exams
• Satisfy research seminar requirements (75% participation)
• Conduct independent research

In order to enter the third year, the student must have 120 credits. Once in the third year, the student is required to do research leading to a dissertation.

Doctoral degree candidates must complete lectures, practicals, individual research work and public presentation, argumentation and defence of doctoral dissertation and successful defence of the doctoral dissertation (30 ECTS), for which a student receives 180 ECTS or 240 ECTS (4 year programme).