Study programme structure
Study program Doctoral academic studies Bioengineering lasts three years (6 semesters) and it has a scope of 180 ECTS credits. It belongs to the field of interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary (IMT) sciences. Upon completion of this study programme, academic title “doctor of philosophy - Biomedical engineering” is awarded.
The study programme is defined according to internationally recognized contents which provide course-specific outcomes in line with European and world models. The study plan of doctoral academic studies Bioengineering is designed in accordance with the needs of modernisation and expansion of study programmes on doctoral academic studies at the University of Kragujevac, as well as with the research needs of this multidisciplinary field.
Study programme enrolment requirements are prescribed by the Rulebook on enrolment of students to the study programmes of the University of Kragujevac. Persons with completed bachelor and master academic studies and/or integrated academic studies and a minimum of 300 ECTS can be enrolled in the study programme. The order on the list of candidates for enrolment in doctoral academic studies is defined by the success achieved at the previous level of studies, the length of studying at the previous level of studies and the degree of equivalence of the previously completed level of academic studies.
Teaching is organized by joint action and resources of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Kragujevac and the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, with the help of visiting professors from foreign universities. Teaching is organized by semesters. Teaching of each course lasts one semester. Studies are conducted in Serbian or English, depending on the student's choice at enrolment, and are accredited for 20 students.
Enrolment requirements are prescribed by the Statute of the Faculty of Engineering in Kragujevac, the Rulebook on the joint study programme of doctoral academic studies - Bioengineering and the Rulebook on the enrolment of students in the study programmes of the University of Kragujevac.
The study programme prescribes elective and compulsory courses. Students of doctoral academic studies in Bioengineering take 1 compulsory and 8 elective courses. All courses are one-semester courses. Each course has a point value expressed in line with European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). A lot of courses from several narrow scientific areas are offered within two elective sets. By passing the exams, student acquires 90 ECTS.
By opting for 8 elective courses, students satisfy their personal interests for the field they are interested in, and they are obliged to choose at least 2 elective courses from both existing sets (set A and set B). In that way, students shall expand the existing and acquire new knowledge, which will increase their competencies and professional skills. Apart from that, the study plan and programme envisage work on the theoretical basis of the doctoral dissertation, then scientific-research work, preparation for the application of the topic of the doctoral dissertation, doctoral dissertation writing, as well as preparation for the defence and the defence of the doctoral dissertation.
Teaching methods depend on the type of teaching (1. active teaching, 2. independent student work, 3. doctoral dissertation writing, etc.). Active teaching is realized through lectures, scientific research work, consultations, mentoring. This teaching is realised via constant contact of students with teachers and dissertation mentor. Lectures and consultations are held every week in the semester, according to the schedule.
The study plan was formed with the objective that doctoral studies contain a larger number of elective courses from several narrow scientific fields. At this level of study, the emphasis is placed on the independent scientific research work of a student as well as on his/her personal involvement in the teaching process. The goal is also on a more intense orientation of teachers towards each individual student, as well as on continuous monitoring of the candidate's progress by mentor.
The lecture material is presented with the use of appropriate modern didactic-methodical resources as well as with the necessary explanations that contribute to better understanding of the subject matter. Student requirements may also include seminar papers, as well as scientifically oriented project assignments or publication of scientific papers, whereby each student activity during the teaching process is monitored and evaluated according to the existing adopted rules.
Consultations are conducted individually or with a small group of students. At consultations, the lecturer is available to students, depending on their needs and interests for: giving instructions on access to learning, giving additional explanations regarding the development of independent, project and practical assignments, with instruction regarding certain literature, etc.
Scientific research work includes all forms of teaching that are in the function of direct training of students to perform research and write scientific papers, and it is performed in the 5th and 6th semester. It is preceded by attending the compulsory course Methodology of scientific research in the 1st semester. The study programme also encourages entrepreneurship in the field of bioengineering through the studying of methodologies in solving real problems.
Mentoring is a form of active teaching in which a teacher - mentor is in the direct contact with a student regarding the work on a doctoral dissertation and the publication of the achieved results. The value of the doctoral dissertation expressed in ECTS points is 90 ECTS points.
Other most important elements of the study programme and study regime are also stipulated by the Statute of the Faculty of Engineering University of Kragujevac, Statute of the Faculty of Medical Sciences University of Kragujevac, the Rulebook on joint study programme of doctoral academic studies – Bioengineering and the Rulebook on the enrolment of students in the study programmes of the University of Kragujevac.
Study programme contents, rules of studying, rights and obligations of students and other issues of importance for the study programme conduction – are printed every year as a separate publication, available to the public in electronic form as well.
Purpose of the study programme
The purpose of the doctoral academic studies’ study programme Bioengineering is to educate students in the area of bioengineering that provides the acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary for: successful performance of professional bioengineering tasks within the framework of the world labour market at the level of doctoral academic studies, i.e. education of students who are trained to individually perform original and scientifically relevant research and development of new technologies and approaches which contribute to the general progress of society, as well to critically estimate research of others. Generally, the purpose of the doctoral studies’ study programme is the development of science and critical thinking.
Doctoral academic studies Bioengineering last three years, worth 180 ECTS, and provide student competence through knowledge acquisition from various disciplines, with their active interconnectedness, as well as professional skills necessary for engagement in practice and competencies for continuation of scientific research work.
The purpose of the study programme Bioengineering is high quality education of students for performing professional and academic jobs in the field of profession "doctor of philosophy - biomedical engineering", in accordance with the contemporary growing needs and objectives of the faculties of University of Kragujevac, quality standards of the educational system in Serbia and the requirements for integration into European educational system. The needs for experts with a high scientific and research level of competencies, knowledge and skills are significantly higher than before, both in the region as well as in entire Serbia, which is clearly visible given the necessary development of Serbian industry and medicine in the conditions of open global market.
The emphasis of this study programme is put on individual work, but also on cooperation in the field of engineering, medicine, chemistry, biology, physics, and computer science. Work in modern equipped laboratories, use of modern computer equipment, as well as the use of last generation computer resources, enables successful scientific research in the field of bioengineering.
The study programme Bioengineering is designed to ensure the acquisition of competencies that are socially justified and useful. Graduate doctors of philosophy will be competent, scientifically and professionally oriented and capable of involvement in various segments of bioengineering. Moreover, students will be introduced to and use the methods of scientific research, and will be involved in real research tasks, through scientific research and the preparation of a doctoral dissertation. Through independent scientific research and preparation of a doctoral dissertation (which field, topic and mentor is chosen by the candidate), which is publicly defended, students are given the opportunity to apply the acquired knowledge to solve a specific problem and give a unique and original scientific-research contribution. Education of such students, trained to critically evaluate the research work of others and to independently conduct original and scientifically relevant research, results in the opportunity to develop new technologies and approaches that contribute to the general social development and development of science in Serbia and its integration into world research and knowledge.
As a result, the purpose of the study programme is the education of students and their training for high quality and independent scientific research work, in accordance with the expressed and anticipated needs of society.
The purpose of the study programme is in accordance with the mission and vision of the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of Kragujevac.
Study programme objectives
The objectives of the doctoral academic studies study programme Bioengineering are aimed at acquiring academic skills and specific knowledge (competencies) in accordance with current world practice for bioengineering studies at the level of doctoral academic studies.
The objectives of this study programme are focused on the education of highly competent doctors of biomedical engineering. Their competence is reflected in the possession of necessary knowledge and intellectual skills in the multidisciplinary context of IMT studies. The success of education of doctors of biomedical engineering is reflected in their ability to integrate different subject disciplines, as well as to integrate theory and practice in solving specific problems.
The main objective is for doctors of biomedical engineering to master all the necessary knowledge in order to join the work of hospitals, scientific research organizations, academic institutions, private bioengineering companies, as well as software companies.
Taking into account the above-mentioned objectives, there is an evident need to establish a study programme of doctoral academic studies Bioengineering.
Some of the most important general objectives for which a student should be trained by attending this study programme of doctoral academic studies are:
- acquisition of professional competencies in the field of bioengineering;
- monitoring of rapid technological development in the field of bioengineering;
- practical, innovative work and solving of complex interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary problems;
- training for upgrading the knowledge acquired at the previous level of studies as well as acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills for further scientific research;
- ability to integrate into various production, development and research organizations.
Within the study programme Bioengineering, methods of monitoring and application of the highest standards will be developed similar to the standards applied in the leading educational institutions in Europe and the world..
The objectives of the study programme are in accordance with the mission and vision of the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of Kragujevac, which participate in the joint implementation of the study programme. One of the special objectives, which is in line with the objectives of educating experts in the study programme Bioengineering, is to develop students' awareness of the need for personal contribution to the development of society as a whole.
Graduate students’ competences
The study programme of doctoral academic studies Bioengineering enables students to obtain knowledge, skills, develop abilities and competencies to independently solve practical and theoretical problems in the field of bioengineering and to organise and realise developmental and scientific research. Graduates acquire the scientific title "Doctor of philosophy - Biomedical Engineering" and are trained for independent scientific research and have knowledge, skills, developed abilities, general and subject-specific competencies.
After completing doctoral academic studies in this study programme, students will have the following general competencies:
- ability of critical thinking and application of knowledge in the fields of bioengineering;
- ability of problem solving in a new or unknown environment within the narrow scientific-professional field;
- respect of principles of the code of ethics of good scientific practice;
- ability of integrating into clinical and research organisations, academic and educational institutions, software companies and private bioengineering companies;
- ability to be involved in teams for the implementation of projects in the field of bioengineering;
- ability of knowledge transfer and communication with the professional and wider scientific public in a clear and unambiguous manner;
- ability to successfully continue professional development;
- contribution to the development of new knowledge in a particular scientific discipline and science in general, which includes the development of new tools, instruments and devices relevant to the field of science and work.
Subject-specific competences of students involve:
- ability of knowledge application from different fields of medicine in the analysis and solving of specific problems in the fields of bioengineering, at several levels;
- application of acquired knowledge in modeling and analysis of the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, digestive and nervous systems;
- detailed knowledge of the use of biomaterials, nanomaterials and implants in bioengineering;
- detailed knowledge of biological and chemical phenomena in the fields of bioengineering, at several levels;
- use of new methodologies and technologies in tissue engineering, application of stem cells, biomedical images processing;
- biomedical signals processing, use of statistical methods, application of intelligent systems in bioengineering;
- ability of creating, developing and applying modern software for analysis and computer simulation of various systems in the field of bioengineering.
The competencies acquired after completing the study programme enable students further professional development in science, education, economy and the public sector. This means that after completing the studies, the candidate is able to independently evaluate contemporary results and achievements in order to improve existing and create new models, concepts, ideas and theories, while exhibiting innovativeness and scientific and professional integrity.
The outcomes of the study programme, which constitute a set of outcomes of individual courses at the study programme passed by the student, visible in the Book of Courses, include a trained expert in the field of bioengineering with knowledge and competencies defined by the national qualifications framework proposed by the National Council for Higher Education, and adopted by the Ministry.
Curriculum
The structure of the curriculum of the doctoral academic studies study programme Bioengineering is presented in the Book of Courses and includes course distribution by semesters, the scope of active teaching classes and the number of ECTS credits.
In the curriculum, in addition to the compulsory courses and elective courses divided into two elective sets and distributed by semesters, a programme of independent laboratory and scientific research work is defined, as well as a programme of activities related to writing and publishing of research results.
The curriculum defines compulsory and elective courses in terms of scope, content and manner of implementation. The curriculum includes lectures and examination in 9 courses (four in the first, three in the second, and two in the third semester). In the first semester, compulsory course is worth 3 ECTS, while elective courses (3 are chosen out of 8) are worth 9 ECTS and have 4 hours of lectures and 3 hours of study research per week per course, i.e. a total of 12 hours of lectures and 9 hours of study research work per week (a total of 30 ECTS in the first semester). In the second semester, elective courses (3 are chosen out of 13) are worth 10 ECTS (a total of 30 ECTS) and have 4 hours of lectures and 3 hours of study research work per week per course, i.e. a total of 12 hours of lectures and 9 hours of study research work per week. Elective courses in the third semester (2 are chosen out of 11) are worth 15 ECTS (a total of 30 ECTS) and have 5 hours of lectures and 5 hours of research work per week per course, i.e. a total of 10 hours of lectures and 10 hours of study research work per week. In this way, students gain a total of 90 ECTS in the first three semesters.
Remaining 90 ECTS are realised within the activities on the preparation of the doctoral dissertation (preparation for the application of the doctoral dissertation, scientific research work, research and publication, writing the doctoral dissertation and preparation of the doctoral dissertation defence).
The description of the course contains the name, type of course, year and semester of studies, number of ECTS credits, name of the teacher, course objective with expected outcomes (knowledge and abilities), prerequisites for attending the course, course content, recommended literature, teaching methods, assessment methods and other relevant data. A detailed description of the course is given in the Book of Courses.
The work on the doctoral dissertation together with the independent research work, preparation and defence equals 90 ECTS. By attending compulsory and elective courses from the offered list, the student prepares himself/herself for research that will be the topic of his doctoral dissertation.
According to the programme of doctoral studies, a total of nine courses is planned, of which 1 is compulsory and 8 elective, and are in the direct function of the realisation of the selected doctoral dissertation. The total number of ECTS credits for the courses students attend is 90 ECTS credits, which makes 1/2 of the total number of ECTS credits in the programme. The method of course selection and verification are defined in the Rulebook on the joint study programme of doctoral academic studies - Bioengineering. Also, the conditions related to the preparation of the doctoral dissertation are defined.
The curriculum specifies the requirements related to the preparation of the doctoral dissertation specific to the IMT field and Biomedical Engineering (Table 5.3). Requirements related to the preparation of the doctoral dissertation are specified in the table of courses Preparation for the application of the doctoral dissertation (within the Book of Courses), as well as in the Rulebook on doctoral academic studies of the Faculty of Engineering. The doctoral dissertation must have a defined subject of scientific discussion. Therefore, in the preparation phase, it is necessary to make a thorough review in the narrow field that determines the subject of the doctoral dissertation.
The doctoral dissertation is an independent original scientific work of a doctoral student.
The procedure for the application, preparation and defence of the doctoral dissertation is determined by the Rulebook on the joint study programme of doctoral academic studies - Bioengineering and the Rulebook on the application, preparation and defence of the doctoral dissertation of the University of Kragujevac.
The student acquires the right to apply for the topic of the doctoral dissertation after fulfilling the conditions set by the study programme. The candidate must submit a proof with published scientific and professional papers, in entirety, in the scientific field from which the topic of the doctoral dissertation is applied in accordance with the Law, the rules of the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medical Sciences and the University of Kragujevac (The procedure for application, preparation and defence of the doctoral dissertation is defined in the Rulebook on application, preparation and defence of doctoral dissertation, doctoral artistic project).
The topic of the doctoral dissertation is chosen from the scientific field of the study programme. The candidate submits the application for the topic of the doctoral dissertation together with the evidence of fulfilment of the conditions for application, determined by the study programme. The Council for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary fields of the University of Kragujevac, after obtaining the opinion of the Committee for preliminary issues of the University of Kragujevac, i.e. the Teaching-scientific Council of the Faculty, according to the procedure set by the Faculty statute, determines the committee for assessment of the scientific grounds of the topic and the fulfilment of the conditions of the candidate and mentor for the doctoral dissertation preparation.
The number of 90 ECTS credits for the doctoral dissertation is included in the total number of 180 ECTS credits required for the completion of doctoral studies.
According to the requirements of the standard, 1/2 ECTS planned for the implementation of the doctoral studies’ study programme encompasses doctoral dissertation.
The Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Medical Sciences have provided accreditation for scientific research work for the accreditation of doctoral studies with the appropriate accreditation body.
