The Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Pécs established its International PhD Programme in Regional Development for professionals who have collected several years of experience in their field working at national, regional and local levels of decision-making or at think-tank organizations. The International PhD Programme in Regional Development belongs to the Doctoral School of Regional Policy and Economics and as such, it is a nationally accredited doctoral programme in Hungary.
The aim of the programme is to train high-quality professionals in the field of regional development. This aim is achieved by a well-structured program that provides strong theoretical base and at the same time supports independent research under expert supervision and by regular feedback. The international network of the School and its professors provides many more opportunities than lectures only; the best students can apply for travel grants to conferences and for abroad scholarships to our partner institutions or they can be involved in some of the international projects of the Faculty and its center of excellence, the Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research Centre.
The Programme is designed to help students acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for writing good quality doctoral dissertations. To serve this aim the Programme supports independent research by providing experienced faculty supervisors and professional feedback at dissertation seminars. From the very beginning, the Programme provides methodological and practical support for individual research.
The International PhD Programme in Regional Development combines the advantages of contact-based and distance-based education drawing on the contribution of its recognized national and international faculty. The educational period consists of four semesters. Though subjects are partly delivered in block teaching, there is a continuous consultation between the students and their supervisors that requires personal attendance throughout the semesters.
To complete the educational phase, PhD students have to acquire 240 credit points. In order to gain the PhD degree students need to
- accomplish all the required courses for a total of 72 coursework credits,
- collect 80 research credit points and 40 credits from publications and conference papers, collect 48 teaching credits,
- pass the Complex Examination,
- submit and defend their dissertation.