Towards Transparent, Readable and Comparable Third Degree: Making Doctorate-level Engineering Education a Part of the Bologna Process

engineering education into a three-cycle study system. The curriculum requirements for the new programme, that combines course work and individual research work leading to a thesis, are defined using the credit point system. Another characteristic feature of our programme, quite unique for the system of doctorate-level education at Polish higher education institutions, is its partial integration with the second-cycle (Master) programme. This integration allows for more efficient usage of resources and for reduction of time it takes to receive the PhD degree. It also contributes to an improvement of education quality at the Master level. Through the flexibility of curriculum and special admission policy, which opens our programme to good candidates who graduated from non-engineering institutions, an opportunity is created for pursuing studies of interdisciplinary character. Our PhD students can complete a part of their education at universities or research centres abroad. This, combined with our alternative PhD programme taught in English, intended for both Polish and foreign students, creates a sound basis for the development of joint degree programmes at the doctorate level. Our new PhD programme appears suitable to the needs and expectations of candidates and students. Therefore, despite unattractive financial offer, the number of good candidates is quite large and the total number of our PhD students has exceeded 200. Also, the attrition rate has been relatively low; among the students admitted in academic years 2000/01 and 2001/02, the percentage of those who survived the most difficult first two years of study is about 70 %- the level that has never been reached before.