• Conditions for progressing through studies, enrolling in the next semester or next year of study
• prerequisites for enrolling in a particular course or group of courses

According to the study program and implementation plan, the study is structured into six semesters: in the first two semesters, students attend classes in compulsory and elective subjects. From the first semester, the student begins scientific research, which continues continuously until the end of the study and the completion of the doctoral thesis. During the fourth and fifth semesters, the student, in addition to scientific work, participates in extracurricular activities. In the sixth semester, the student is dedicated to completing the doctoral thesis. Classes are conducted in the form of lectures, consultations, experimental exercises and research seminars.
To enroll in the third year, a student must achieve 90 ECTS points. To move on to the sixth semester, it is necessary to achieve 120 ECTS points. The part-time study form is intended for doctoral study applicants employed outside the system of science and higher education, while applicants who will study full-time are considered full-time students.
When enrolling in a study program that is conducted full -time, the student is required to obtain the academic degree of Doctor of Science within six years, or within eight years in part- time.

The system of advising and guidance throughout the study, the method of student selection, the obligations of study advisors and doctoral thesis supervisors, and doctoral candidates

The doctoral study in Molecular Biosciences is based on a mentoring system, and the Committee for Obtaining a Doctorate of Science in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Study of Molecular Biosciences appoints a study advisor (mentor) to each student at the beginning of the study with the aim of better connecting the student with the teachers. The study advisor may be a teacher with the scientific and teaching title of full, associate or assistant professor, or an equivalent scientific title. As a rule, the study advisor must be involved in the scientific and research project and participate in the teaching of the doctoral study. The study advisor's obligation is to monitor and guide the student, provide assistance in choosing elective courses, engaging in scientific and research work, and proposing and submitting a topic application and preparing the doctoral thesis. In addition to the study advisor, the student may be appointed a doctoral thesis mentor who does not have to participate in the teaching of the doctoral study.

List of courses and/or modules that students can choose from other doctoral university and specialist study programs

In agreement with the mentor, the student can choose (except for those offered) any course from the existing doctoral studies at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University, other Croatian universities, or other European universities whose programs are in line with the ECTS point system. Likewise, any course of the doctoral study in Molecular Biosciences can be enrolled by students of other related doctoral studies at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, as well as other Croatian and foreign universities.

List of subjects and/or modules that can be taught in a foreign language (with indication of the language)

All courses in the doctoral study program in Molecular Biosciences can also be taught in English.

Criteria and conditions for transferring ECTS credits – assigning credit value to courses that students can choose from other studies at the proposing university or other universities

The study is in accordance with the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) European Credit Transfer System, which means that the student can, in agreement with the mentor, choose (except for the offered) any subject from the existing doctoral studies from the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University, other Croatian universities, or other European universities whose programs are in accordance with the ECTS.
Also, all offered doctoral courses in Molecular Biosciences can be enrolled by students of other doctoral studies and specialist doctoral studies of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University as well as other domestic and foreign universities.

Method of completing studies and conditions for submitting a doctoral thesis topic

• Procedure and conditions for accepting a doctoral thesis topic
• Procedure and conditions for evaluating a doctoral thesis
• Conditions and method of defending a doctoral thesis

Procedure and conditions for accepting the topic of doctoral thesis
The doctoral study of Molecular Biosciences ends with the preparation and defense of the doctoral thesis. The application initiating the process of obtaining a Doctorate of Science must include: a proposal for the topic of the doctoral thesis, an explanation of the topic, the methodology of the paper, a list of literature and an indication of the expected scientific contribution. With the application of the topic, the student attaches a cv and a list of published papers. Also, the qualification papers of the mentor should be attached in the application. The application signed by the study advisor (and mentor) is submitted to the Secretariat of the Doctoral Study, and then the same is considered by the Committee for obtaining a Doctorate of Science at the interdisciplinary doctoral study of Molecular Biosciences, and the proposal to initiate the procedure of applying the topic is sent to the Council for Interdisciplinary Doctoral Studies.
The Council for Interdisciplinary Doctoral Studies , at the proposal of the Commission for obtaining a Doctorate of Science at the interdisciplinary doctoral study of Molecular Biosciences , appoints a mentor/mentor of the doctoral thesis and the Committee for acceptance of the topic of the doctoral thesis of at least three members, which within 90 days from the date of appointment submits a report with a proposal for acceptance or rejection of the topic of the doctoral thesis.

Procedure and conditions of evaluation of the doctoral thesis
The student submits to the Secretariat of the Doctoral Study doctoral thesis in electronic form (PDF) and an unrelated copy for evaluation after passing all the prescribed exams, fulfilling all the obligations established by the study program, settling all financial obligations and received the Decision of the Council for Interdisciplinary Doctoral Studies on accepting the topic of the doctoral thesis and appointing a mentor. The doctoral thesis must be linguistically, stylistically and technically correctly designed and aligned with modern procedures and technology of scientific papers. The Council for Interdisciplinary Doctoral Studies is appointed by the Committee for the Evaluation of the Doctoral Thesis at the proposal of the Commission for obtaining a Doctorate of Science at the interdisciplinary doctoral study of Molecular Biosciences. The Committee for the Evaluation of the Doctoral Thesis may propose in its report:

• to accept the doctoral thesis and allow the student access to the doctoral thesis defense,
• to return the doctoral thesis to the student for corrections,
• to have the doctoral thesis rejected.

If the Commission determines that the doctoral thesis has defects that can be eliminated, the student is obliged to make a correction within 90 days from the date of receipt of the Commission's comments, otherwise he will consider that the work has been rejected.
After the report of the Committee for the evaluation of the doctoral thesis and the acceptance of the positive assessment , the Council for Interdisciplinary Doctoral Studies , at the proposal of the Commission for obtaining a doctorate of science at the interdisciplinary doctoral study molecular biosciences , appoints the Committee for the Defense of the doctoral thesis with at least three members and at least one deputy and determines the date of defense of the doctoral thesis.

The defense of the doctoral thesis is public. The student defends the doctoral thesis before the Commission for the Defense of the Doctoral Thesis. A record of the defence shall be kept, signed by all members of the Commission. The minutes shall include the decision of the Commission on the defence of the doctoral thesis. The decision may be: defended by unanimous decision of the Commission, defended by a majority vote and did not defend.
A student who has not defended his doctoral thesis has the right to reapply the doctoral thesis after 90 days, but not with the same topic. A doctoral thesis that has not been defended within 10 years from the date of acceptance of the topic of the doctoral thesis is subject to a re-acceptance procedure.
The procedure for submitting the topic, approval of the topic, evaluation and defense of the doctoral thesis are determined by the Statute of the University and the Regulations on studying the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek.

Conditions under which students who have interrupted their studies or have lost the right to study in a study program can continue their studies

Students who have left the study for a justified reason will be recognized for the exams passed with the corresponding ETCS points. The Committee for Obtaining a Doctorate of Science in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Study of Molecular Biosciences will consider the request for continuation of the study and, in agreement with the mentor, make a decision.

Conditions under which a student acquires the right to a certificate of completion of the doctoral study program, as part of lifelong learning

The conditions under which a student acquires the right to a certificate of completion of the part of the study program of the doctoral study program in Molecular Biosciences are passing the exams in the first and second semesters, and completing a scientific paper totaling 90 ECTS, which is a condition for issuing a certificate of completion of part of the study program and a prerequisite for completing a doctoral thesis in the sixth semester.

Conditions and method of obtaining a doctorate of science by enrolling in a doctoral study program and writing a doctoral thesis without attending classes and taking exams.

Persons who have achieved scientific achievements that meet the requirements for election to scientific titles (research associate, senior research associate, scientific advisor), and based on the Decision of the competent council established by the University Statute on meeting the requirements for election to the aforementioned scientific titles, may enroll in doctoral studies, prepare and publicly defend a doctoral thesis, and, with the consent of the University Senate, obtain a doctorate of science.

Maximum length of period from start to finish of studies

The doctoral study program in Molecular Biosciences lasts six semesters in accordance with the Instructions for compiling a doctoral study program proposal and the Statute of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek. Classes are held during the first two semesters, and throughout the entire duration of the study, students are expected to participate in extracurricular activities and dedicate themselves to the preparation of a doctoral thesis. When enrolling in a study program that is carried out “ full -time”, the student is obliged to obtain the academic degree of Doctor of Science within five years, or “ part -time” within 10 years, in accordance with the Regulations on Doctoral Studies at the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek.