ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Any graduate of a Polish or foreign higher education institution with the degree of magisterium or its equivalent may apply to doctoral studies at the Graduate School for Social Research (GSSR). Students who have not yet been awarded the magisterium degree or equivalent may be conditionally accepted to the programme. The Director of the School will specify the maximum period for which a student may enjoy conditional status before presenting proof of award of the necessary degree.

Admission to the GSSR depends only on the applicants' academic qualifications, research skills, and their command of English or Polish (for Polish candidates of English). However admission is not determined by the subject background of the candidate.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-POLISH CANDIDATES

Knowledge of English (or Polish) language is one of the basic conditions for admission to the doctoral studies at GSSR. During the individual interviews each candidate has to display a level of knowledge of the English (or Polish) language allowing them to conduct research and take part in classes held in one of those languages.

LANGUAGE TESTS AND EXCEPTIONS (ONLY FOR POLISH CANDIDATES)

Polish candidates have to pass a test of language abilities in English. The tests of language abilities for Polish candidates will take place in the Staszic Palace at Nowy Świat 72. Polish candidates who have a degree in English or who deliver at least one of the certificates listed below are exempt from the language examination:

HOW TO APPLY

Please read carefully the list and forms of documents required to complete the application (check list of required documents). The completed applications should be sent by post or delivered personally to the following address:

SZKOŁA NAUK SPOŁECZNYCH (GSSR)
Nowy Świat 72, p. 247
00-330 Warsaw, Poland

Please note that the applications should be sent in advance to reach the GSSR no later than on the day of the deadlines listed below. Those who plan to deliver the application personally should take into consideration that the GSSR office is open Mondays - Fridays between 09:00 AM and 04:00 PM.

DEADLINES:

Recruitment for PhD Programme: submission of complete application packages:
- by international candidates: April 16th, 2010;
- Polish candidates: May 28th - June 16th, 2010.

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS CHECKLIST

Applicants are required to submit the following documents:

• Completed application form (for non-Polish applicants: appform2010_v2.pdf, for Polish applicants: wniosek2010_v1.pdf)
• Master's Degree diploma or an equivalent certificate of graduation
• Letter of recommendation from the applicant's masters' thesis supervisor or from a person who is familiar with academic or professional abilities of the applicant (the authors of the letters should estimate the position of the student in class ranking e.g. "in top 5 out of 45 students")
• Curriculum Vitae
• Outline of the applicant's research project (no more than two pages). Advice on how to write a research proposal is available from a variety of sources e.g. here.
• Official transcript or record of the applicant's university work (the transcript is defined as an official document issued by your university, which lists all courses completed and grades received during your studies).
• Personal data form: perform_v2.pdf
• Photocopy of passport (in case of Polish applicants: photocopy of ID card)
• Confirmation of payment of the application fee (200 PLN or equivalent in USD or EUR). The fee is waived for candidates from non-EU countries.

PLEASE NOTE:

Incomplete documents will not be accepted.

We accept photocopies of diplomas and transcripts - originals should be presented at the school in order to confirm that the copies are true copies.

Documents of applicants not accepted are not returned to the applicant. They are kept in the School's archive.

To convert the currencies, students may refer to currency converter sites on the Internet (for example http://www.xe.com/ucc/) or inquire with a local bank or travel agency.

All payments must be free of charge for the beneficiary, so that the GSSR receives the full amount established.

The description of the payment must specify the candidate's full name and the reason for the payment.

THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS

The admissions procedure for non-Polish candidates comprises:

Stage One: evaluation of application documents

Stage Two: interviews with selected candidates

Stage Three: final evaluation

Stage Four: notification of acceptance or rejection

Stage Five: accepted candidates from eligible countries (for the list of those countries click here) apply for GSGP grants (for details click here)

The admission procedure for Polish candidates comprises in addition a test of language abilities.

ATTENTION:

A list of applicants accepted to the GSSR is published on our website as soon as the admissions committee has reached its decision.

Applicants who fail to attend the appointed interview (or test of language abilities if applicable) will be considered to have withdrawn their applications.