The name of the Programme: Bologna Doctoral Study Programme Organization and Management of Information Systems

The title obtained by the graduate: doktor znanosti, doktorica znanosti (Doctoral Degree, PhD in abridged form) 

Duration: The study takes 3 years (6 semesters).

 

The Objective of the Programme

The essential objective of the Organization and Management of Information Systems Doctoral Study Programme is to educate top-experts for information systems with a broad understanding of the functioning of business environments and systems as well as the understanding and management of analytical instruments.

During their studies, the students will acquire the analytical knowledge and abilities of critical thinking. Therefore, the students must:

• Be the problem solvers and critical thinkers,
• Use the system concepts in understanding and identification of problems,
• Be able to apply the traditional as well as also develop new concepts and knowledge,
• Understand that the system is composed of people, processes, hardware, software, and data.

The students should also present solid ethical principles and have the ability for a good interpersonal communication and the ability to work in a team.

The aim of the Doctoral Study is to train the student in a way that he/she can develop, design, and implement the solutions with the help of the Information Technology so as to improve the organization’s operation. Therefore, the graduate must be able to:

• Understand the legalities in the functioning of business and organizational systems,
• Understand and model the organizational processes and data, define and implement technical and process solutions, lead the projects, and integrate the systems,
• Master the techniques for the collection, conversion, transfer and storage of data and information,
• Apply the information technology to help the individuals, groups, and organizations in achieving their goals.

Informational activity in organizational systems operates internally and externally; however, it can also encompass the fundamental activity of the organization. The perspective of personal development in the mentioned fields are excellent, as the profession covers a broad professional field and is in constant contact with new knowledge and technologies.

Conditions for Promotion to the Next Year of Study

In order to progress from the first year of studies into the second year of studies, the students in their Third-Cycle of the Organization and Management of Information Systems Study Programme have to complete certain duties along the Study Programme to the extent of 45 ECTS points in their current year of studies, whereas it is mandatory to pass the exam from the subject “Scientific Research of Social Phenomenon” and duties deriving from the individual research work.  

When progressing from the second year of studies to the third year of studies in the Third-Cycle of the Study Programme, the students have to complete duties to the extent of 51 ECTS points of their current year of studies and all the duties deriving from the first year of studies.

A candidate who has not completed all study duties may, in accordance with the provisions of the University of Maribor and on the basis of a written application, request the Commission for Scientific and Research Affairs of the Senate of the Faculty of Organitational Sciences, University of Maribor for the enrolment in the next year of studies if the candidate submits documentation with justifiable reasons. The conditions for the repetition of a year, exceptional enrolment, and an extension of the student status are defined in:

• Statute of the University of Maribor,
• Criteria for assessing the students’ applications and justifiable reasons in accordance with Articles 85, 121, and 212 of the Statute of the University of Maribor .

The applications are considered by the Commission for Scientific and Research Affairs of the Senate of the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Maribor.

The students, who have not completed all the duties in order to progress to the next class of the same Study Programme, can repeat the year once in the Higher Education. Moreover, the student’s decision to change the Study Programme or the Course for failure to fulfil the study duties under the previous Programme or Course will also be regarded as a repetition of the year. The repetition of a year may be granted by the Commission for Scientific and Research Affairs in accordance with the conditions for repeating a year defined by the Statute of the University of Maribor.

Conditions for the Completion of the Study

Students complete their studies after having fulfilled all the duties envisaged under the Study Programme and written and defended the Doctoral Dissertation successfully and, thus, collected a total of at least 180 ECTS. 
In accordance with Rules And Regulations On Doctoral Studies At The University Of Maribor, students must publish research papers with the results of research in the field of doctoral dissertation prior to defending of the doctoral dissertation, in the internationally recognized scientific journals indexed in JCR in one of the world languages, as the first author.

Criteria regarding the required scientific activities of the PhD students before the promotion

Candidates for the promotion of doctors of science must meet the conditions set out in article 157 of the UM Statute, as well as the criteria, set out in article 30 of the Rules and Regulations on Doctora​l Studies at the University of Maribor.

Subject-specific competencies

A Doctor of Philosophy from the field of Information Systems is oriented primarily to creation, research, and management of information sub-systems of different organization systems. The Programme’s contents are designed in such a way that the acquired knowledge, in addition to the theoretical foundations, is directed also to practical use at various levels of organization and management of organization from the field of information activity. Thus, a Doctor of Philosophy is equipped also with knowledge needed for research work with technologies supporting the application of information systems in various genres of Industry, Finance, Insurance, State Administration, Health Care, Education, Science, and Research.

The subject competence is an action (skill) which is developed to the extent that it enables the individuals to perform the activity in the workflow to which it relates. The subject competence entails a direct application of the specialist knowledge. The subject competences acquired by the students are the following:

• Knowledge of more demanding methods of analysis of Information Systems operation and the capabilities to synthesise new methods of analysis,
• Management of more demanding methods of Information Systems design,
• Management of methods and techniques in the field of work in the research institution from the field of Information Systems,
• Acquisition of knowledge from the fields of Information Systems, Information Technologies, Programme Engineering, and Computing,
• Management of professional relationships – clients and internal and external developers of Information Systems,
• Ability to plan the demanding evaluation methods of Information Systems,
• Management of demanding methods of planning of Safety Information Systems.

The extensive theoretical basis, gained during the studies, allows a critical approach towards the problems and the ability to recognise the demands of the environment, time, and long-term effects. Due to the broad spectrum of knowledge, they are trained for the planning and development of strategic Information Systems (Management Information Systems, decision-support systems, etc.).

After the completed studies, the graduates are equipped with the tools necessary to solve the most complex scientific and practical problems, and are able to solve the problems in a broad field of work. In addition to that, the graduates also master the managerial skills needed for an effective management of the organization.