Description of the Doctoral Study Program – Dentistry

The Doctoral Study Program in Dentistry at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Prishtina, is structured as a three-year program with a total of 180 ECTS credits, in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework and European standards for higher education and scientific research. The program aims to prepare doctoral candidates for advanced academic, research, and professional work in contemporary fields of dentistry.

The structure of the program includes compulsory and elective courses, designed to build a strong theoretical, methodological, and ethical foundation in scientific research, while supporting the development of specialized competencies according to the doctoral candidate’s field of interest. The central component of the program is the doctoral dissertation, which represents an original and independent scientific contribution to the field of dentistry, based on rigorous, reproducible, and academically impactful research.

The doctoral program focuses on the development of students’ research, analytical, and critical thinking capacities, preparing them for an active role in the national and international scientific community, including publication in indexed scientific journals, presentation at scientific conferences, and engagement in interdisciplinary research projects.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of compulsory and elective courses and the doctoral dissertation, graduates of the Doctoral Study Program in Dentistry will be able to:

• understand and apply fundamental principles of academic and research ethics;
• identify and clearly define relevant research problems in the field of dentistry;
• identify key aspects of scientific research and analyze them critically;
• use physical and virtual libraries, as well as international scientific databases, in an advanced and effective manner;
• interpret and analyze scientific data using appropriate statistical and analytical methods;
• select and apply contemporary methods and techniques for conducting independent and structured scientific research;
• demonstrate skills in the effective use of scientific literature and documented evidence from peer-reviewed articles;
• classify, compare, and synthesize multiple scientific studies based on systematic literature review within the selected dental field;
• transfer knowledge and methods from theory into research practice;
• prepare competitive research project proposals;
• organize and deliver oral scientific presentations and communications at conferences and professional meetings;
• plan and lead scientific discussions in their fields of research interest;
• exercise judgment and demonstrate competence in the application of diverse research methods and techniques;
• develop critical thinking through analysis and debate of various studies in dentistry;
• design, prepare, and present scientific papers for publication in international scientific journals and academic platforms.