2027: which regime applies to you?
From 1 January 2027, nine procedures in the award of academic degrees are abolished. Whether the old regime or the new one applies to you is decided by two conditions, and both must hold.
Did OAK issue the announcement of your defence before 1 January 2027?
Procedures abolished from 1 January 2027
Sitting the qualifying examination in a foreign language
Independent researchers are excepted — they continue to sit the examination.
Registering the dissertation topic with OAK and publishing the defence announcement
Discussion of the dissertation at a leading organisation
Publishing a monograph on the results of a DSc dissertation in the social sciences and humanities
Printing the dissertation abstract
Obtaining a conclusion that the scientific result was implemented in practice
Scientific review by OAK's branch expert council
OAK confirmation of the council's decision
Nostrification of a foreign citizen's foreign degree documents
Changes in force from 1 September 2026
These apply to state-budget-funded tayanch doktorantura and doktorantura.
- Admission to specialties in priority directions is made on the basis of a research-work presentation instead of an entrance examination. Each institution sets the requirements for that presentation itself.
- At least 60 per cent of the total admission quota goes to specialties in priority directions.
- Those admitted to a priority specialty are paid a stipend at 1.7 times the base rate.
- The first academic year of tayanch doktorantura now includes classes in research methodology, academic writing, and statistics and data analysis.
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