The doctoral study programme Kinesiology lasts for four years, totals 240 credit points (CP) and according to the Bologna scheme, it represents the third-degree programme. The study requirements are in accordance with Articles 36 and 37 of the Higher Education Act and Criteria for Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions and Study Programmes adopted by the Council of the Republic of Slovenia for Higher Education and evaluated in accordance with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). This gives a basis for the international student exchange in countries that use the same or comparable credit system.

The study programme consists of the organized part of study totalling 60 CP, while the remaining 120 credit points are intended for research work necessary for a PhD dissertation. An individual year totals 60 CP and an individual semester 30 CP.

Kinesiology_Curriculum_2024_25.pdf

Key:

• B: basic,
• P: professional,
• E: elective,
• C: compulsory,
• M: mobility

Year 1: (organized form of study 15 CP)

Year 2: (organized forms of study 25 CP)

Year 3: (organized forms of study 20 CP)

Year 4: (organized forms of study 20 CP)

Basic courses

Elective courses

Each year the 5-6 elective courses are offered upon the decision of THE COMMISSION ON SCIENTIFIC, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WORK AND DOCTORAL STUDIES.

Organization of study

The organized forms of study comprise: professional courses, basic courses, seminar and work on the PhD dissertation. Two basic courses are compulsory, whereas the others are elective. Together with his/her supervisor, the student chooses three professional courses which he/she takes in the 3rd semester. The seminar in the 1st semester is compulsory and should be attended by all PhD students of Kinesiology. This is how the breadth of the study programme and the interaction among the PhD students are guaranteed. The organized forms of study are also the presentation of the topic of the PhD dissertation (in the 4th semester) and the PhD dissertation with defence (in the 8th semester).

Supervision

The student must choose his/her supervisor before or at the enrolment on the basis of his/her own judgement and on the basis of his/her research orientation. The task of the supervisor is to direct the student in the course of the study (selection of the courses, seminars, outline and preparation of the dissertation) and to make sure that the student can work on research equipment, as a rule in the supervisor’s laboratory. The student has the right to change the supervisor but not later than the beginning of the third semester of the study. The student must inform the previous supervisor and the vice-dean for scientific and research work in writing about the change of the supervisor and the new supervisor must agree with this. After the beginning of the third semester, the Committee for the Postgraduate Study discusses the change of the supervisor on the basis of a well founded request submitted by the student. The co-supervision is recommended in cases of interdisciplinarity or multi-institutional research. The Committee for the Postgraduate Study decides if co-supervision is needed.

Professional courses

The Faculty of Sport of the University of Ljubljana offers a wide range of professional courses that are rich in contents. As regards contents, they are prepared by chairs. Together with his/her supervisor, the student chooses two to four courses out of the professional courses offered. The courses supplement the student’s research work. Each course totals 5 CP.

Seminars

The seminars are led by the supervisors. There is only one seminar which is evaluated by 5 CP and it is compulsory. At the seminars, the PhD student reports on the results of his/her research work and is acquainted with the research results of other students. The student presents the results of his/her work in written and oral forms. At the seminar, the student must be present when other students give presentations and must take part in discussions. This is how the study can widen beyond the narrow field of the student’s PhD dissertation and the interaction among the PhD students is guaranteed.

At the seminar, the PhD student reports on the progress in the preparation of the topic of the PhD dissertation. This is how additional time control and an early approach to the planning of the outline of the PhD dissertation are guaranteed. The student analyses the outline, justifies it and supports it with initial results by the end of the second year.

Electiveness

Among the organized forms of study, 1/3 (33.33 %) totalling 20 CP are elective courses. One basic course (5 CP), one seminar (5 CP), the preparation of the topic of the PhD dissertation (10 CP) and PhD dissertation (20 CP), totalling 40 CP, are compulsory.

Together with the supervisor, the PhD student chooses courses from a given list totalling 20 CP (33.33 %). The student chooses one module (5 CP) within the elective courses offered and three courses (at least 15 CP – 25 %) out of the elective professional courses offered. The professional courses are chosen depending on the research field of the PhD dissertation. Courses up to 10 CP can  also be chosen from the curricula of the comparable programmes of domestic and foreign universities that have the programmes evaluated according to the ECTS or other systems that enable an evaluation comparison.

Mobility

In agreement with their supervisors, PhD students can choose courses offered by other programmes of the University of Ljubljana and comparable programmes offered by other universities totalling up to 10 CP (16.67 %). In the course of the study, the student can study at some other university (up to 60 CP) for a maximum of two semesters, which means that he/she can fulfil up to 1/3 (33.33 %) of his/her study obligations elsewhere.

Research work needed to prepare for the PhD dissertation

Research work is aimed at preparing and writing the PhD dissertation totalling 120 CP. This is an individual scientific and research work directed by the supervisor. Within the framework of research work, the student is expected to take an active part in domestic and international conferences. The student has to publish an article as the first author in a journal with the impact factor.

The final stage is the PhD dissertation which represents an original contribution to science and must be prepared in accordance with the university rules and regulations concerning the preparation of the PhD dissertation. Other limitations regarding the registration of the topic of the PhD dissertation are determined by the Rules and Regulations Concerning PhD Dissertations of the University of Ljubljana.

PhD dissertation

The PhD dissertation consists of research work (120 CP) and work on the PhD dissertation (30 CP). The preparation and presentation of the topic of the PhD dissertation totalling 10 CP (4th semester) and the work on the dissertation and its public defence (6th semester) totalling 20 CP belong to the organized forms of the study within the framework of the work on the PhD dissertation. The PhD dissertation is an original contribution to science that must be written in accordance with the rules of the Statute of the University of Ljubljana and the rules concerning the PhD study.