During its 17th regular session on 22 April 2009, the Council of the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education – NAKVIS officially accredited the single discipline postgraduate study programme "German Studies" (3rd Bologna cycle - PhD), implemented by the Faculty of Arts of the University of Maribor, Slomškov trg 15, SI-2000 Maribor, in accordance with Article 51h and chapter 2 of Article 23 of the Higher Education Act of the Republic of Slovenia (ZVis) (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 119/06 – official consolidated text, 59/07 – Scholarship Act of the Republic of Slovenia (ZŠtip), 15/08 -Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia: U-I-370/06-20 and 64/08), and with reference to Article 2 of the valid Rules of Procedure of the Accreditation Senate (Pravila o delu Senata za akreditacijo) and article 2 of the Criteria for the Accreditation and External Evaluation of Higher Education Institutions and Study Programmes (Merila za akreditacijo in zunanjo evalvacijo visokošolskih zavodov in študijskih programov – Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 101/04). During its 40th regular session on 29 January 2019, the Senate of the University of Maribor confirmed the change in the duration of studies from three to four years.

In order to enrol in the second year of the programme, the student must complete all study obligations in the amount of at least 54 ECTS, which they collect after completing all compulsory and elective study units from the curriculum. In no case can the student pass to the second year without completing the compulsory study units. To advance from the second to the third year, the student must complete all study obligations from the first year (60 ECTS) and study obligations from the second year in the amount of at least 54 ECTS, for the total of at least 114 ECTS, which they collect with the completed compulsory and elective study units from the curriculum. In no case can the student pass to the third year without completing the compulsory study units of the second year. To advance from the third to the fourth year, the student must complete all study obligations from the first (60 ECTS), second (60 ECTS), and third (60 ECTS) year, in the total amount of 180 ECTS, which they collect with the completed compulsory and elective study units from the curriculum. In addition, they must have an approved dissertation topic.

The study programme does not have any conditions for the completion of individual parts of the programme.

Graduates of the 3rd Bologna cycle – PhD study programme "German Studies" will acquire broad knowledge in the theory and methodology related and specific to German Studies. Their specialist skills and competences will qualify them for a professional career in many different areas and fields, both in the economic and the non-economic sector, but particularly in fields such as publishing, (new) media, intellectual entrepreneurship and project management. In addition to becoming proficient in working independently and autonomously and conducting academic research, graduates of this 3rd Bologna cycle – PhD study programme will become qualified to perform activities related and specific to the German language, literature, and cultures of the German-speaking realm as specialists and consultants collaborating with public and private cultural institutions (archives, museums, libraries, societies, associations), or as specialists and consultants working in fields such as: media, advertising, the service industry, public relations and foreign relations (with particular focus on the German-speaking realm). Furthermore, graduates of this 3rd Bologna cycle – PhD study programme will become qualified to work as education planers and as professional editors of literary, scientific and academic texts composed in German.

Individual subjects and modules included in the 3rd Bologna cycle – PhD study programme "German Studies" are oriented towards providing the students with sophisticated, horizontally-connected applied specialist knowledge, skills, and competences that will render them capable to conduct and complete complex specialist and academic tasks and thrive within a societal context determined by the German language and German-language literature. The horizontally connected fields, areas and contact points focused on within the scope of the 3rd Bologna cycle – PhD study programme "German Studies" are: science; cultural and educational institutions; publishing; (new) media; intellectual entrepreneurship; public governance; and project management in the fields of research, education and culture. Vertical connectedness is represented by the enhancement of the basic obligatory subjects with advanced elective courses, specific to the topic of the doctoral thesis. The students are free to select their elective courses and thus to a certain degree shape the specialist profile they desire to acquire. The elective courses feature courses implemented by the Department for German Studies at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Maribor as well as courses from other relevant 3rd Bologna cycle – PhD programmes, implemented by the Faculty of Arts of the University of Maribor and other relevant tertiary education partner institutions. During the summer semester of the 1st year of studies, the students focus on individual research work based on the particular specialist field, which will be the focus of their doctoral thesis. During the 1st year of studies, the students are obligated to complete individual research work (IRW) activities from their chosen specialist field and an obligatory exam from the field of their choice. The obligatory specialist exam will present the base for the students on which they will be required to methodologically, theoretically and applicatively devise their dissertation topic. The dissertation topic will then serve as the focus of the individual research work (IRW) activities conducted by the students throughout their 2nd and the 3rd year of studies. The students determine the specialist features of their PhD studies by selecting specific elective courses and by determining the topic of their doctoral thesis under the guidance of either a chosen or a designated mentor.

Criteria and methods for examining and grading student outcomes are made public and are implemented in accordance with the adopted curriculum, subject curricula and course information. The grading system is regulated with the Statute of the University of Maribor (https://www.um.si/univerza/dokumentni-center/akti/GlavniDokumenti2013/Statut%20Univerze%20v%20Mariboru%20(NPB%202).pdf) AND the Rules on Examination and Grading at the University of Maribor (https://www.um.si/univerza/dokumentni-center/akti/Dopolnitve2013/Pravilnik%20o%20preverjanju%20in%20ocenjevanju%20znanja%20na%20UM%20-%20NPB3,%20AVGUST%202019doc.pdf), that are published publicly. Learning outcomes are defined by curricula. These are published publicly and accessible to everyone. They are available in the catalog of Bologna subjects (https://aips.um.si/PredmetiBP5/main.asp) and on the website of the Faculty of Arts (http://ff.um.si/studenti/studijski-programi/). Each curriculum defines the method of grading and examining student obligations. Thus, on the basis of publicly published contents of curricula, the student can compare or check the contents and levels of knowledge of certain skills. University professors and other staff are encouraging students to work continuously, to check their knowledge throughout the study process, thus enabling students to monitor their own progress in their studies. At the beginning of the course, students are orally informed about the criteria and methods of grading. According to the analysis of the pedagogical work and the evaluation of the study programme, the curricula are supplemented accordingly. The success of students in fulfilling the obligations from the study programme is determined by examining and grading knowledge, which is the basis for obtaining grades and credit points for individual study units of the study programme and for students' progress and orientation in further studies, while giving students feedback about the level of their acquired knowledge. The results of the examinations are entered in the official electronic records of the Academic Information Subsystem (AIPS). The results are entered by the exam provider who has access to the registered students. After completing the entry of grades of study units of an individual exam, the exam provider submits a signed record of the exam to the Student Affairs Office, which is kept permanently and represents the official records of the institution. Students are acquainted with the grade of the exam immediately after entering it and confirming it by the exam provider, in their personal AIPS account, which they access with a username and password. The student has the right to look into their examination papers within 30 days from the date when the grade was published. The student's knowledge at exams, mid-terms, and other forms of examining and grading is assessed with positive and negative grades. Positive grades are excellent (10), very good (9 and 8), good (7), sufficient (6). Negative grades range from 1 to 5. The exam timeline is published in the public study calendar for each individual academic year (http://ff.um.si/studenti/urniki/). Lists of regular exam timelines for individual study units throughout the academic year are prepared by individual departments and published by the Student Service, no later than 15 November for the current academic year in the AIPS information system.

The main objective of the doctoral study programme German Studies is to educate and train highly-qualified experts in the fields of German linguistics and German literary research. In addition to in-depth subject-specific and research and methodological knowledge, the graduate acquires a broad humanistic knowledge, which is why they are qualified to understand complex linguistic or literary questions, problems, contents, and theoretical and methodological concepts. They are able to independently develop, create and publish new knowledge, develop critical thinking, morally and ethically responsible design of research and development activities in the selected subject area and competent implementation and management of scientific research and development project work. The programme is socially relevant and useful in relation to selected topics and methodologically oriented towards interdisciplinary research approaches, so it also provides education and training of experts for modern times, who have in-depth mastery of their narrow professional field, along with general, transferable abilities and skills to cope with the demands of a modern, constantly learning society. These are the highest professionally and scientifically qualified experts in the field of German studies, who are also qualified for interdisciplinary research cooperation. The basic objectives of the doctoral study programme German Studies are as follows: - deepen and upgrade the knowledge and skills acquired at previous levels of education, - upgrade the student's foreign language communication skills, especially the skill of argumentative written expression and oral presentation, - educate for independent, professionally critical and responsible work in the professional field, which requires top knowledge in the field of German linguistics and German literary science, - provide the necessary methodological knowledge and skills for independent, innovative, and creative research and development work in the selected field, - involve students in existing scientific research work in the field of German studies in the domestic and international environment, - acknowledge and upgrade the sense of fairness and ethics in professional work. The stated objectives are in line with the narrower content objectives of individual curricula and are the starting point for checking and measuring students' learning outcomes. Forms and methods of assessment are defined individually in the curricula; the provisions of the relevant legal acts of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Maribor and the University of Maribor shall be taken into account.

The general competencies acquired through the programme are as follows: - ability to have an in-depth understanding of theoretical and methodological concepts in the field of German linguistics and German literary studies, - ability to develop critical reflection and to independently and critically evaluate sources and literature, - ability to independently use theoretical and methodological knowledge in solving the most demanding problems, - ability to independently develop new knowledge and discover new solutions, - ability to design and manage the most demanding work processes and systems, - ability and competence to plan and manage scientific research and development projects in the domestic and international environments.

The subject-specific competencies acquired through the programme are as follows: The student will be able to deal in depth with selected linguistic topics: - contrastive, lexicographical, and language-teaching properties of German phraseology, - theoretical, typological, and methodological approaches in metalexicography and lexicographic practice, - characteristics and rules of language corpora and corpus lexicography and competence for corpora sourcing and analysis of language data, - theoretical and methodological aspects of cognitive stylistics and research of linguistic metaphors, - theoretical and methodological aspects of research into the social features of languages, in particular the social features of the modern German language and language contacts, - grammaticalization processes in the case of the German language, - factors and rules of natural language learning, - use of methodological procedures for empirical research of the process of learning and teaching a foreign language. The student will be able to deal in depth with selected literary topics: - theoretical concepts and methodological approaches in research on cultural transfers, intercultural impact, and media presentation of literary texts, - models and methods of contemporary literary theories useful in systematic and interdisciplinary research of literary works and literary systems, - the concept of transculturality in literature, especially in the literature from the German-speaking area - theoretical concepts and methodological approaches in research on cultural transfers, intercultural impact and media presentation of literary texts, - models and methods of modern literary theories, useful in systematic and interdisciplinary research of literary works and literary systems.

Candidates who completed the following may apply for the 3rd-cycle (doctoral) study programme in German Studies: - A 2nd-cycle (master’s) study programme. - An undergraduate academic study programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004. - A specialisation following an undergraduate professional study programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004. - A study programme educating students for professions regulated by EU directives or another unified (long-cycle) master’s study programme corresponding to 300 ECTS credits.

If enrolment will be restricted, the selection will be based on the following criteria: - average grade in the previous study (100%).

Transfers between programmes are possible in accordance with Articles 2 and 3 of the Criteria for Transfers between Study Programmes (UL RS 14/19). Applicants who meet conditions for enrolment in the proposed programme and the conditions for transfer between programmes will be told what year they may enrol in and what missing course units they must complete if they wish to conclude their studies under the new programme. Transfers are possible between programmes: – which guarantee the acquisition of comparable competences on completion and between which at least half the course units under the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) from the first study programme relating to compulsory units of the second study programme may be recognised under the criteria for recognising knowledge and skills acquired prior to enrolment in the programme.

Students in the process of education on the basis of the rules on the recognition of knowledge and skills in the study programs of the University of Maribor (https://www.um.si/univerza/dokumentni-center/akti/GlavniDokumenti2013/Pravilnik%20o%20priznavanju%20znanj%20in%20spretnosti%20v%20%C5%A1tudijskih%20programih%20UM%20%C5%A1t.% 20012-2019-2.pdf) recognize acquired knowledge, skills, or abilities through formal and non-formal education acquired prior to their enrolment in the programme. The basic criterion for the recognition is the comparability of knowledge acquired elsewhere with study units, skills and qualifications in the study programme. Applications for the recognition of knowledge and skills in various forms of formal and non-formal education acquired before enrolment in the program are considered by the Faculty of Arts in accordance with the regulations. The candidate submits an application for the recognition of knowledge and skills to the Commission for Academic Affairs of the Faculty of Arts. Knowledge/skills may be recognized in full, only in part, or not recognized. In case they are partially recognized, the student passes a certain exam in the contents determined by the course holder.

The students complete their studies when they complete all the obligations included in the programme and collect 240 ECTS, submit a doctoral dissertation and successfully defend it publicly. Before submitting the doctoral dissertation, the student must meet other conditions defined in the relevant provisions of the Rules on Doctoral Studies at the University of Maribor (Article 30 Submission requirements and the submission of the doctoral dissertation).