PhDr.

Professional Doctorate from Europe for Business Economists and Managers

In cooperation with our Slovak partner university, we offer business professionals holding a Master’s degree (Bologna Structure Cycle 2) the opportunity to obtain a traditional professional doctorate in Management through a rigorosum doctoral procedure and the completion of a dissertation:

• PhDr. (doctor philosophiae, Latin: philosophiae doctor) awarded by a Slovak university

Admission and Procedure

Eligible applicants are graduates of university or university of applied sciences Master’s programs in Business Administration or Management (e.g., MA, MSc, rer.soc.oec.), who wish to complete a professional doctorate in their field through a rigorosum thesis.

Graduates who have obtained a Master’s degree in a business-related field can take the rigorosum examination, which includes the defense of a rigorosum dissertation within their field of study. Upon successful completion, candidates are awarded the academic degree Doctor of Philosophy in Management (PhDr., in Slovak). In the Slovak Republic, doctoral education exists in two forms: as a professional doctorate in the same field as the Master’s degree (specifically: PhDr.), and as a research doctorate (PhD).

Requirements for the PhDr. Degree

Applicants must hold a Master’s degree (MA, MSc, or Mag.) in Business Administration or Management following successful completion of a university program (not a non-degree course). Further requirements include:

Writing a rigorosum thesis of 90 to 120 pages (text portion),

Successful defense of the thesis,

Passing an oral rigorosum examination

The candidate must complete the rigorosum examination to obtain the PhDr. The degree is conferred by the Slovak university based on its academic regulations, including subject-specific exams, the dissertation, and its defense. The PhDr. does not require any campus attendance or additional coursework. It requires a one-stop examination at the Slovak university, either in person or, upon approval, via an online exam. The subject-specific exam assesses knowledge in selected areas of business administration based on the dissertation submitted. After fulfilling all requirements and passing the examination, the Slovak university confers the PhDr. degree.

Study Duration

Depending on the candidate's pace in preparing the rigorosum thesis, the duration is typically between one and two semesters. The standard study duration in Slovakia is up to 12 months. This can be extended once for a maximum of 12 additional months; afterward, the admission expires.

Tuition and Fees

The total tuition fee for the entire doctoral procedure (rigorosum procedure – PhDr.) is EUR 8,850.

The full amount is due upon enrollment at the beginning of the doctoral procedure.

Application Process

Applications are submitted online through our institution. We forward the received documents to the university for preliminary evaluation. If the pre-evaluation is positive, the applicant will be notified and requested to send the required documents as notarized copies directly to the application office in Slovakia.

Once officially admitted based on the certified documents, the university will issue the invoice. The tuition fee must be paid in full within 14 days of receiving the invoice; otherwise, the admission will be withdrawn.