PhD studies at WNE?

 

Are you smart, ambitious, hard-working, and proficient in English? Still don’t know what type of career to choose after you graduate? Or perhaps you have already graduated and are looking for a way to gain an advantage? Consider PhD studies at WNE.

 

Why?

Obtaining a doctoral degree does not necessarily mean tying your future to academia (at UW, in Poland or abroad), although this is certainly possible. Obtaining a PhD, specialized knowledge and practical skills in the area of your interest allows you to enter the scientific (universities, research institutes, consultancies, and freelance advising) or business markets in a very different manner than a graduate of a Bachelor or Master’s program.

 

What do PhD studies look like?

There are many ways one can attend a doctoral program at WNE; we offer regular, full-time studies, part-time studies, and individual studies. These different avenues are largely determined by one’s reason for undertaking PhD studies – whether to obtain a degree and use it for career purposes or to specialize in a specific field and become an expert who provides new empirical, theoretical or methodological contributions. Preparing a PhD includes designing research, collecting data, analysis and finally, preparing scientific articles. If the research is important, interesting and robust and the papers are well-written, a doctoral student could have papers published in internationally renowned journals and have an ‘impact’ (be noticed by others, used, or cited). This collection of articles becomes part of the process of becoming a PhD. An additional requirement is teaching (a minimum of 90 hours of teaching experience) and completing a few compulsory and self-selected advanced courses. Generally, PhD studies differ significantly, from minimalistic, where a student can study and concurrently work full-time, to maximalist, where a student wants to be fully devoted to an academic career.

 

What about the money?

Being a PhD student does not necessarily mean living off of ramen noodles. An academic career in Poland is very much like being an entrepreneur. Being a scientist, independent consultant, team leader or a businessman are not all that different; the salary depends on resourcefulness and the amount of work one wished to devote to their work. In addition to the base scholarship (approximately 3000 zł per month) and remuneration for teaching (110 zł per academic hour above ‘pensum’), there are many other possibilities, including scholarships for the top 30% PhD students each year, scholarships for the best students (usually those who publish the best articles) offered by e.g., the Foundation for Polish Science, additional funds for research and scholarships offered by successfully applying for a PhD research grant (Narodowe Centrum Nauki – Preludium) and other grants (e.g., working on faculty members’ research projects). Additionally, it is possible to obtain extra funding for research (hardware, conferences, and office materials) from the department. Not all these sources are available from the beginning of one’s studies, and not all of these resources are available to all students; however, … if you plan to focus on scientific endeavors, you will do well.

How much do adjunct, associate and full professors make? More. As expected, effective salaries at WNE are very heterogeneous and depend on each individual’s entrepreneurship, efficiency (if acquiring grants) and work ethic (and whether they devote themselves solely to science or have other forms of activity). In the UW Rector’s report you can learn about the mean salary of different positions (page 73). ‘PITy’ (income tax reports) of WNE employees are generally 6-digit, and they begin with various digits. Considering the perks of the job (e.g., independence), we believe that it can be the dream job J. After obtaining a doctoral degree, a graduate can find employment at universities or research institutions abroad. The annual salary of a professor in the US is approximately $100,000-300,000.

 

How do I choose a chair and doctoral advisor?

Choosing a suitable advisor is crucial for one’s PhD. Do your research! I suggest considering the following:

  • Do your research interests and the methods you prefer align with those of your potential advisor? Browse through his or her publications and … schedule a talk (there might be new possibilities).
  • Is your advisor active in the field of scientific research? Search for someone who can help you, e.g., get you involved in their own research, publications, consulting, etc.

The Chair of Microeconomics is one of the most productive chairs at WNE and in Poland. The best indicators for this include:

Please review our achievements by searching for our faculty members in Google Scholar or in RePEc, which rank economics departments and researchers. In addition, please compare our accomplishments against other Chairs at WNE; our works bring nearly 50% of the total scientific output of the entire WNE, in regards to publications in international scientific journals.

 

If you think we might have common interests (or want me to show you other opportunities) – write to me, let’s meet and talk (more about me; more about the Chair of Microeconomics). If you think that you may be interested in research, you can contact me in advance, even during your Bachelor’s studies or at the beginning of your Master’s studies. Perhaps you can be involved in some of our research projects as an assistant or start pursuing your own ideas in advance.

Details regarding recruitment are available here.