New · first edition 2026Legal PhD Programme · FLA UW

A space for
academic, expert
and scholarly growth

A three-year preparatory programme for candidates planning a doctoral dissertation in the extramural mode.

6

semesters

70+

permanent mentors

PQF 8

qualification level

2026

first edition

Academic mentoringResearch methodologyPQF 8Extramural modeFLA UW academic communityPractice × ScholarshipAcademic mentoringResearch methodologyPQF 8Extramural modeFLA UW academic communityPractice × ScholarshipAcademic mentoringResearch methodologyPQF 8Extramural modeFLA UW academic communityPractice × Scholarship
About the Programme

An individual pathway for preparing a doctoral dissertation

Library of FLA UW

A fee-based preparatory programme for candidates intending to prepare a doctoral dissertation in the extramural mode — addressed to professionally active candidates, in particular practising lawyers.

The Programme is not a doctoral school and does not replace the proceedings for the award of the doctoral degree. Its completion means the acquisition of qualifications at level 8 of the Polish Qualifications Framework — corresponding to advanced research competences and the autonomous conduct of academic work.

Who is the Programme for?

The Programme is intended for holders of a master’s degree or an equivalent qualification who plan to prepare a doctoral dissertation in the legal sciences outside a doctoral school. We particularly welcome professionally active candidates, including advocates, attorneys-at-law, trainees, law-firm lawyers, public-administration officials, members of non-governmental organisations and other individuals interested in academic development in the legal sciences.

What does the Programme offer?

The Programme offers individual mentoring, methodological classes, thematic workshops and the opportunity to present the progress of one’s research within the academic community. The key element is cooperation with the mentor, covering in particular support in refining the dissertation topic, developing the research concept, planning the academic work, selecting research methods, organising the structure of the dissertation and analysing source materials. The mentor provides consultations, comments on the materials submitted, indicates possible directions for further work and conducts periodic assessments of the participant’s progress.

Duration

Six semesters (three years) of regular, individual work with a person providing mentoring on one’s own doctoral project — from refining the topic to preparation for doctoral proceedings.

Outcome

Attainment of qualifications at PQF 8, a mature dissertation concept, a network of academic contacts and a tangible pathway of further development within the FLA UW community.

A space for research development

Academic mentoring
of the highest standard

The Programme creates conditions for considered and orderly academic development. Participants receive support in research methodology, academic writing, the presentation of research results and the building of their own research trajectory within the FLA UW academic community.

01

Mentoring

Each participant in the Programme is assigned a mentor. The assignment takes account of the subject matter of the planned dissertation, the mentor’s specialisation and the number of participants under their supervision. The mentor supports the participant in work on the doctoral project, monitors progress and provides substantive consultations. Meetings are held no less frequently than once every two months — in the form of individual consultations, seminars or presentations of research results within a unit of FLA UW.

02

Academic development

Participants gain access to the extensive library and academic resources of one of the foremost faculties of law in Poland. This entails the opportunity to work within an environment in which research is conducted and in which seminars, conferences, expert debates and events are organised with the participation of representatives of scholarship, legal practice, public institutions and foreign partners. Participation in the Programme is also an opportunity gradually to engage with the academic life of the Faculty and of the University of Warsaw — to become acquainted with the academic community, to present one’s own research interests and to develop contacts useful in subsequent academic and professional work.

03

Methodological classes

Participants take part in classes supporting work on the doctoral dissertation — developing their research toolkit, organising methods of academic work and preparing them to conduct legal research autonomously. The programme envisages, in particular, classes on academic writing technique, the methodology of the legal sciences, research in the legal sciences, copyright law in academic work and the comparative method — in the form of lectures, seminars or workshops. One general session is planned per semester; the most important element of the programme remains individual work with the mentor.

Organisational information

Fees, schedule,
rules for assigning the mentor

Admission process

First edition

  1. 01

    14.06.2026

    Opening of admission to the first edition of the Programme.

  2. 02

    18.10.2026

    Closure of the application period.

  3. 03

    01.11.2026

    Commencement of classes of the first edition.

Admission is conducted on a rolling basis. Candidates apply through the form available on the Programme’s website, providing basic personal data together with information on the planned area of research, prior professional or academic experience and their expectations regarding the programme.

Upon receipt of the application, the admissions committee carries out its assessment. Where appropriate, a person applying to the Programme may be invited to an admission interview. Notification of the admission decision is provided, as a rule, within 14 days of submission of the application.

Admission to the Programme is finalised following a positive assessment of the application, confirmation of the availability of mentoring and the signing of the participation agreement.

Mentor

Rules for the assignment of the mentor

In the application form, the candidate indicates the preferred method of mentor assignment. Three pathways are available. The final assignment takes place following a positive assessment of the application, confirmation of the availability of mentoring and agreement on the terms of participation in the Programme.

01

Selection from the list

The candidate reviews the profiles of the mentors, their specialisations and research areas, and then indicates the person with whom they would wish to work on the doctoral project.

02

Indication of a member of FLA UW staff

The candidate indicates a member of staff of FLA UW whose profile is not published on the Programme’s website. The Programme’s authorities contact the indicated person and ascertain whether they consent to providing mentoring.

03

Decision of the Programme’s authorities

A solution for those who have a defined area of interest but do not yet know who would be the best mentor. The Programme’s authorities propose the mentor best suited to the subject matter of the dissertation, the profile of the candidacy and staff availability.

Academic mentors

Discover the academic profiles of the mentors of the Programme

Discover the academic profiles of the mentors of the Programme — experienced scholars from a wide range of fields of law.

FAQ · 22 questions

Everything worth knowing before applying

A complete list of answers — grouped by theme, with a search function.

Have not found the answer? Write to the Secretariat.

05

No. The Programme is not a doctoral school within the meaning of the Act — Law on Higher Education and Science. It is a separate, fee-based form of education preparing participants to work on a doctoral dissertation and, where applicable, to apply for the award of the doctoral degree in the extramural mode. Thanks to this status, the curriculum can be more flexible and better suited to professionally active candidates.

No. Completion of the Programme does not automatically result in the award of the doctoral degree. The Programme is not a “doctorate-in-a-package”. It is, however, a structured pathway of support intended to help the participant develop the concept of the dissertation, refine their research methodology, work with a mentor and reach a stage at which the formal initiation of doctoral proceedings becomes a well-considered decision.

The full cycle of the Programme lasts six semesters, i.e. three years. This duration allows the participant to progress through successive stages of doctoral work: from refining the topic, through preparing the conceptual framework and outline of the dissertation, to developing selected parts of it and preparing for the formal initiation of doctoral proceedings.

Yes. Completion of the Legal PhD Programme at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw means the acquisition of qualifications at level 8 of the Polish Qualifications Framework (PQF 8). The PQF is a national system for describing qualifications. It organises qualifications across 8 levels and describes them through three categories: knowledge, skills and social competences. The PQF level therefore indicates how advanced the learning outcomes associated with a given qualification are. In practice, PQF 8 is the highest level in the system. It is associated with highly advanced research competences: the autonomous formulation of academic problems, the conduct of research, the critical analysis of sources, the development of original solutions and responsible participation in academic life. Within the higher education system, level 8 of the PQF is the level proper to doctoral qualifications. For the participant, this means that the Programme is not a routine continuing-education course. It is a pathway of work at the highest academic level, designed for those who wish to develop as autonomous and mature experts in their field of law. At the same time, it must be remembered that the completion of the Programme and the attainment of learning outcomes at PQF 8 are not equivalent to the award of the doctoral degree. The doctoral degree may be awarded solely through separate doctoral proceedings.

Yes — this is the fundamental purpose of the Programme. The award of the doctoral degree cannot be guaranteed, as it depends on the quality of the dissertation, the participant’s independent work and the outcome of separate doctoral proceedings. The Programme does, however, significantly increase the likelihood that work on the dissertation will be conducted in an orderly, methodologically conscious manner, with regular consultation with an experienced mentor.

Contact

Take the first step towards the doctorate

We are at your service during the opening hours of the Programme’s Secretariat.

FLA UW · PhD Programme

Collegium Iuridicum I

ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28

00-927 Warsaw

doktorat@wpia.uw.edu.pl

tel.: +48 22 552 43 88

Mon–Fri: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Maximum 1000 characters. Remaining: 1000

Upon receipt of the application, the admissions committee will carry out its assessment. Where appropriate, a person applying to the Programme may be invited to an admission interview.

Location

Where to find us

Seat of the Programme
Legal PhD Programme
Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Warsaw
Collegium Iuridicum I
ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28
00-927 Warsaw
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