The purpose of the PhD Program in Statistical Methods in Business and Economics is to train scholars who can independently and creatively conduct original statistical and econometric research in the fields of Economics and Business in accordance with high-level international standards and who will work on developing and improving the application of the state of  the art statistical and econometric methods in science (at universities and other higher education institutions), as well as in the public and private sectors. The ultimate goal of the studies is to create and develop independent research skills that are necessary for the students in this program to build careers in both the public and private sectors.

The PhD program in Statistical Methods in Business and Economics aims at developing advanced knowledge in Statistics and Econometrics and their application in economics and business. These studies are based on the principles of multidisciplinarity, availability of choice and the standards of the Bologna Declaration. The structure of the studies reflects the multidisciplinary nature of Statistics as a scientific discipline. The purpose of the opportunities to select is to enable scientific and research development for each student that is solely directed towards the individual. The institutional development of the studies within the Bologna Declaration should enable greater mobility of students and teachers between related study programs. In addition, it should also provide a framework for co-operation on scientific and research topics of common interest.

The PhD program in Statistical Methods for Business and Economics is organized in accordance with the rules of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and aims at developing a basis for independent conduct of original scientific research. By acquiring advanced theoretical and applied knowledge, students will be trained to perform complex economic analyzes and develop ideas for efficient solution to economic problems, either at the level of the economy as a whole, or at the level of individual economic sectors and/or individual companies. The Developed research capabilities of PhD students will contribute to building their further career in the business sector, non-financial and financial; state-governed institutions and and public enterprises; as well as the sector of academic institutions.

The contents of this third-cycle study program are designed to follow the contemporary contributions to theoretical and empirical economic analysis. This means using up-to-date editions of textbooks written by internationally renowned authors, as well as articles and research publications containing key theoretical and applied contributions to issues and problems that arise as a consequence of the current social processes and the dynamical changes in today’s economies. By doing so, the students will gain access to the latest scientific knowledge in the field of Statistical Methods in Business and Economics.

DURATION OF THE STUDY PROGRAM

The duration of the study program in Statistical Methods in Business and Economics is 3 years, i.e., 6 semesters.

ECTS CREDITS THAT THE STUDENT OBTAINS

By finishing the three-year PhD studies in Statistical Methods in Business and Economics the student obtains 180 ECTS credits.

FINANCING OF THE PROGRAM

The PhD studies are realized by self-financing of the candidates. The sources of self-financing can include stipends, company funds, as well as funds granted from other funds and international institutions. The amount, the method and the other financial conditions are regulated with the Rulebook for conditions, criteria and rules for enrollment and studying on the third cycle of studies at the “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje, as well as the acts of the Faculty of Economics and the Institute of Economics in Skopje.

CRITERIA FOR ENROLLMENT

The enrollment in the PhD studies is done on the basis of an admission call made by the University. The procedure for submitting and publishing the admission call is determined by the law and with the Rulebook for conditions, criteria and rules for enrollment and studying on the third cycle of studies at the “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje.

Persons who have completed appropriate study programs and who meet the following criteria are eligible for doctoral studies:

• Completed II cycle of studies aligned with the European Credit Transfer System
• Postgraduate studies in study programs prior to the introduction of the European Credit Transfer System, which are graded with 60 credits of research and educational training;
• acquired vocational training according to study programs for regulated professions, with at least 300 ECTS credits;
• achieved an average grade of at least 8.00 in all previous university courses;
• Knowledge of one of the world languages. Proof of world language proficiency can be a certificate from the Faculty of Philology “Blaze Koneski” or an international certificate or diploma for previously acquired education in the relevant world language.

STRUCTURE OF THE STUDY PROGRAM

The studies are organized in a period of 3 years according to the following regime:

• First year (Training for research and education) – 60 ECTS in which the PhD candidate gains generic and specific knowledge required for making a PhD dissertation. The first year is organized in 2 semesters.

– First semester – 30 ECTS:

– 12 credits from generic courses (Given in Table 2a)

– 18 credits from courses that are in the field of research (Table 7)

In the first semester the students take an exam in the two mandatory generic courses whose realization is done in the PhD School.

Mandatory courses are (Table 2a):

• Scientific and research ethics with applications and examples in economics – 4 credits.
• Methodology of scientific research with application and examples in economics – 4 credits.

Elective courses:

During the first semester the students takes an exam in:

– 1 elective course out of the list of elective courses from the third group of electives whose purpose is to gain generic knowledge and skills – university list for third cycle elective courses (4 ECTS credits)

– 3 courses out of the list of courses that are in the field of research. These should be chosen in agreement with the student’s PhD supervisor (Table 7). Each course is rated with 6 ECTS credits.

 – Second semester – 30 ECTS credits (Table 7)

 In the second semester the PhD candidate choses two courses out of the list of courses in the field of research, in agreement with his/her supervisor (Table 2).

Besides this, in the second semester the PhD candidate should also gain 18 credits by participating in a yearly conference with a presentation (4 credits) and conducting an individual research under the mentorship of his/her supervisor (14 credits).

The total workload of the student for acquiring 60 ECTS credits is 180 hours, out of which: 60 hours are direct contact hours of lessons and instructions, 60 hours are project and individual exercises, and the rest 60 hours are self-study.

Table 1: Overview of Activities and ECTS – First Year Credits of Third Cycle Studies in Economics

Table 2: List of elective courses for generic knowledge, adopted by the “Ss. Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje PhD School

Table 2а: Mandatory courses for acquiring generic knowledge:

• Second and third year – research and writing the PhD dissertation –

120 credits  (application, research, writing and defending the dissertation)

The application, writing and defense of the PhD dissertation are worth 120 ECTS credits and they should be realized in a period of 2 years, i.e. 4 semesters.

The activities in the third semester (Second year) include preparing an application for the PhD thesis and presenting the methodology, expected results and other relevant aspects of the research which the PhD candidate aims to fulfil. The structure of these activities and corresponding ECTS credits are given in Table 3.

 Table 3: Second and third year structure of the PhD studies

Table 4: Total ECTS credits in the three-year program

Conditions and dynamics of study

In order for the PhD candidate to submit an application for writing a PhD thesis, he/she muse first acquire a minimum of 60 ECTS credits, out of which 42 are from the elected courses in the first years of study, 4 from the yearly conferences and 14 from conducted research.

The application, writing and defense of the PhD dissertation provide 120 credits in total and they should be realized in a period of 2 years, i.e. 4 semesters.

The student acquires right to submit its PhD dissertation by fulfilling the following conditions:

• acquired 154 ECTS credits and,
• Published at least two articles in a referent scientific publication that is in agreement with the Law for high education, as a first author or as a corresponding author.

COURSE PROGRAMS WITH INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULEBOOK FOR COMPULSORY COMPONENTS

Table 7: List of elective courses in the Statistical Methods for Business and economics PhD program