Faculty of Law
Materials added to the application for accreditation of the Doctoral study programme in Law (51381) to obtain a degree in Law (Dr.jur)
Riga - 2009
To
Ministry of Education and Science of Republic
of Latvia
Department of Higher Education of MES
Centre of Quality Assessment of Higher Education
On accreditation of study programme
Application for accreditation
Rīga Stradiņš University asks to do accreditation
For doctoral study programme “LAW ”
Legal address of the university: Dzirciema iela 16, Rīga, LV-1007
Telephone number: 67409232
Number of registration certificate
of the university: 3341202042
Name of study programme: Law
Code of study programme: 51381
Volume of study programme: 120 credit points
Length of studies : 3 or 4 years
Type and form of study programme: full-time and part time studies
Requirements on starting studies: Master’s degree in Law
Or a diploma corresponding to higher education. In exceptional cases the candidate who has got a higher education in a different speciality, has to take an examination in the theory of law and in the chosen specialization
Degree to be obtained: Dr. jur.
Venue of implementation of study programme: RSU Faculty of Law, Dzirciema ielā, 16, Rīga, LV-1007
Authorized person: RSU Faculty of Law acting manager. Dr. iur. Andrejs Vilks
RSU rector Jānis Gardovskis
A.Vilks 67409218
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. SELF-ASSESSMENT REPORT OF STUDY PROGRAMME 4
1.1. Aims and objectives of the study programme 4
1.2. Structure and organization of the doctoral study programme 5
1.3. Annotation of the study programme 5
1.4. Evaluation system 8
1.5. Practical implementation of the study programme 9
1.6. Doctoral students 11
1.6.1. Number of doctoral students 11
1.6.2. Questionnaires of graduates and the analysis 13
1.7.Academic and administrative staff engaged in the study programme
15
1.7.1. Information on qualification and professionalism of the academic staff 15
1.7.2. Research work of the academic staff 19
1.8. Financing of studies and the infrastructure
1.9.Foreign relations 25
1.9.1. Cooperation with the employers 25
1.9.2. Cooperation between higher schools in Latvia and abroad who are realizing similar study programmes 25
1.10. Development plan of the programme 26
2. Assessment of the doctoral study programme „Law‘‘ in the context of the national education policy 27
2.1. Perspective evaluation of the study programme from the point of view of Latvia’s interests 27
2.2.Comparison of the doctoral study programme to similar programmes in other universities 29
2.2.1.Comparison to the study programme „LAW“ in the Latvian Academy of Police (LPA) 29
2.2.2. Comparison with Latvia University Doctoral study programme…………………………………………………………….31
2.2.3. Comparison to foreign university programmes 31
2.2.2.1. Comparison to Oslo University doctoral study programme 31
2.2.2.2. Comparison to Tartu University doctoral study programme ...... 32
3. APPENDICES 34
3.1. Information, approving that at least 50% of the elected academic personnel work at the university and at least 50% of the elected academic personnel have the doctoral degree 35
3.2. Descriptions of study courses 36
3.3. CV (CURRICULUM VITAE)of lecturers’ engaged in the study programme 89
1. SELF-ASSESSMENT OF DOCTORAL STUDY
PROGRAMME IN LAW
classification code: Law – 51381.
1.1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE DOCTORAL STUDY PROGRAMME
Aim of the study programme:
The aim of the RSU doctoral study programme in Law is to train highly qualified scientists and lecturers, complying with the international norms in law, paying a special attention to specialization in social, medical, as well as international law.
The aim of the programme is to introduce the leading methodological approaches in law, the principles of the organization of research work and principles of management in the doctoral studies in the field of law, perfecting the pedagogical skills, in order to obtain an internationally compatible competence, and finally, an internationally recognized doctor’s degree in law.
Objectives of the study programme:
· to acquire the chosen study courses in the subbranch of law in the doctoral study programme at a more profound level;
· to get ready for the academic work in the university ( acquiring the lecturer’s, project supervisor’s work experience, by participating in the realization of Master’s study programme and research projects);
· to learn the latest research methods in the subbranch of law and the skills to apply them in practice;
· to acquire the latest information technologies and skills in planning of research, data processing and presentation;
· to learn the skills how to write the textbooks and prepare the teachning aids, study programmes and their updating;
· to work out and prepare for the defence of scientific qualification paper for obtaining the doctor’s degree; to provide the doctoral students with the possibility to acquire such knowledge, skills and attitude, that would allow them to do scientific studies more successfully in the field of law;
· to train highly qualified scientists in law, who would be able to compete in the local and international market of law sciences;
· to give a chance to graduates of the programme to undertake the work as qualified specialists in higher educational institutions in Latvia and abroad.
1.2. Structure and organization of doctoral study programme
Degree to be obtained –Doctor in Law (Dr. jur.).
Requirements for admission – Master’s degree in Law. Requirements for admission with a Master’s degree in a different branch is defined by RSU Council of Research in each specific case.
Entrance examinations – in correspondance with the Statutes on the Doctoral studies in RSU.
Length of studies – 3 or 4 years
Type of studies – full-time and part-time studies
A study year is made up by 48 study weeks and 4 vacation weeks. The doctoral student can be immatriculated in the doctoral programme for five calendar years. On completing the studies the doctoral student is issued a certificate. By successfully defending the promotion work, the doctoral student is awarded the Dr.Sc. degree in Law.
Study fee - physical or legal persons’ means or budget resources.
Taking into account the fact that Latvia lacks highly qualified specialists in law, who could carry out research and academic work at a good professional level also at an international field of law there is an objective necessity for Latvia, and RSU to train qualified specialists to do academic and research work with the competence corresponding to international standarts in law and with a Doctor’s degree in law.
Currently the doctoral study programme in social sciences, realized at RSU offers studies in one subbranch – sociology, giving a chance to doctoral students to specialize in a) theoretical and applied sociology; b) social, cultural and medical anthropology; c) cultural and mass communication in sociology; d) social policy and social work organization with a certain competence in separate medical branches ( public health, rehabilitation and other fields). At present it is necessary to train also higher qualification specialists – Doctors of sciences in Law.
The doctoral studies are organized by Doctoral study council, consisting of RSU rector, RSU pro-rector for acaqdemic work, RSU pro-rector for research work, director of RSU doctoral studies, director of RSU study programme in law, coordinator/scientific secretary of the doctoral studies, representative of promotion council, profesors in specialities and associated profesors.
1.3. Annotation of description of the Doctoral study programme
RSU Doctoral study programme;
Doctoral students’ individual programmes, which are worked out by subbranch/speciality professor or an associated profesor together with the director of doctoral studies, based on the requirements of RSU Doctoral study programme and research branch..
The study programme in Law is organized in three partss:
Compulsory part;
Compulsory elective part,
Free elective part.
The total volume of the Doctoral study programme is 120 credit points, of which – 94 cr.p. – compulsory part; compulsory elective part (according to the specialization direction chosen) – 20 cr.p.; free elective part – 6 cr.p.). By doing research work individually, one must get 59 credit points, 15 credit points for participation in the realization of the study programme.
Admission to the doctoral studies is carried out by open competition. The candidate must have an academic Master’s degree in law. To full-time studies are admitted candidates who have not studied in doctoral courses. In the application to the Doctoral studies the candidate has to point to the chosen subbranch of the study programme, the planned theme of the promotion work and the research supervisor (consultant), as well aso he/she must receive the agreement of the department or a provisional research supervisor (consultant) to supervise the studies.
The candidate has to defend the report (one author’s sheet), describing the topical problem of the subbranch ( if only there have not been publications in scientific issues in at least the volume of one author’s sheet).
If the candidate has no academic Master’s degree in law, but his/her background corresponds to the requirements of academic or Professional Master’s degree in law, then the Admission commission can issue extra requirements for starting the studies.
In the admission requirements for the current year, the university can determine to the candidates some other extra requirements for starting the studies.
The sequence of acquiring the study programme is determined by the study programme curriculum, study process time-table for the current study year and the doctoral student’s individual working plan.
Within the first study semester, Research Council confirms the theme of the work and the research supervisor (consultant) of the doctoral studies.
During each study year the doctoral student has to present a report at least once in a scientific conference or in a seminar with a publication of a report (thesis). During the study time the doctoral students have to have a necessary number of publications for the promotion.
The doctoral student must have good proficiency in foreign languages. In the first two study years the doctoral students have to take examination in a foreign language with the evaluation not lower than score 7.
Structure of the study programme
Compulsory part – 94 cr.p.:
¨ Methodology of scientific activity – 2 cr.p.
¨ Socially legal problems – 4 cr.p
¨ Legal policy – 2 cr.p.
¨ Legal ethics – 2 cr.p.
¨ Legal pedagogics – 2 cr.p.
¨ Foreign language (a promotion examination in a foreign language) – 8 cr.p.
¨ Participation in the realization of undergraduate programmes – 15 cr.p.
¨ individually prepared and guided practical lesson – 0,5 cr.p.
¨ individually prepared and delivered lecture – 2 cr.p.
¨supervised students’ scientific (Master, Bachelor) thesis – 3 cr.p.
¨ Individual research work – 59 cr.p.
¨ scientific publication in a reference issue – 15 cr.p.
¨ report/thesis on individually worked out scientific study in an international scientific conference or seminar – 3 cr.p.
¨ report/thesis on individually worked out scientific study at a local scientific conference or seminar – 2 cr.p.
¨ acquiring research work experience abroad – 3 cr.p. (for each month),
¨ a chapter in a scientific monograph – 10 cr.p. (for each chapter).
¨ a monograph (single author) – 50 cr.p.
¨ a promotion work, handed in for discussion – 20 cr.p.
Compulsory elective part in correspondance to the specialization direction in law (promotion examination in speciality) – 20 cr.p.
¨International law – 20 cr.p.
Problems of international public law – 10 cr.p;
Problems of international private law – 10 cr.p;
¨Civil law – 20 cr.p.
Problems of social law – 10 cr.p.
Problems of medical law – 10 cr.p.
¨ Criminal law - 20 cr.p.
Problems of criminal law – 10 cr.p.
International criminology - 10 cr.p.
(The doctoral student acquires study courses corresponding to the chosen research trend in the range of 20 credit points).
Free elective part – 6 cr.p.
¨Logic – 2 cr.p.
¨Sociology of law – 4 cr.p.
¨Philosophy of law – 4 cr.p.
¨Socially legal aspects of occupational health - 2 cr.p.
¨Legal informatics – 2 cr.p.
¨Legal psychology – 2 cr.p.
¨Legal axiology – 2 cr.p.
(The doctoral student acquires study courses corresponding to the chosen research trend in the range of 6 credit points.)
The doctoral student’s individual study programme with the compulsory part study courses and compulsory elective part study courses, as well as free elective part study courses are recorded in the Doctoral student’s book, on the page „Study programme description”. Learning of these parts are recorded in the Doctoral student’s book, in the current study year plan and are certified with a signature of the lecturer who is responsible for it.
1.4. Evaluation system
The evaluation system of studies in the Doctoral study programme „LAW” is based on three basic principles – positive evaluation of learning the study programme is compulsory; in all courses are used interim test forms (control work, presentations, essays, etc.) and one final examination form – an examination; in each subject student’s competences and skills which help students apply them in practice are tested.
The evaluation system in reference to each specific course is recorded in the course description. The doctoral students are acquainted with the evaluation criteria in each subject at the beginning of studies. Results are rated according to 10 point score, considering the score 4 (almost mediocre) to be the lowest positive evaluation. The final mark is made by the sum total of all marks which the doctoral students has received for various activities within the study time.
The learning of the material is rated by the following test forms:
1) attendance of lectures, seminars and practical classes;
2) participation and quality of answers in seminars;
3) writing and defence of a theoretical report and empirical studies;
4) examination.
The attendance during the course is checked by a signature. Since the proportion of contact lessons in the study process is comparatively small, the study programmes are designed in the way that the lecture themes would not double the themes of compulsory literature, while in the seminars and practical classes the doctoral students demonstrate not only their skills theoretically but also the possibility to apply them in practice. Thus, the attendance of lectures and seminars has to be considered as an important proof of the doctoral students’ attitude, knowledge and skills.
There are various interim test forms being very important study elements, as having been mentioned before. The programme directors and their implementators consider that the examination evaluation alone may be accidental, the evaluation of the performance during the whole course can render a greater objective view on the doctoral students’ achievement in the respective subject.