The post-graduate study program Physics was adopted by the Senate of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics on 30 Sept. 2008 and by the Senate of the University of Maribor on 18 Nov. 2008. On the basis of Article 51 of the Law on Higher Education (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia 119/06-UPB3) and based on the Measures for the accreditation of higher education institutions and study programs (OG. RS 101/04), the Council for Higher Education at its 16th meeting of 30 Mar. 2009 gave its approval of the program. On 19 May 2009 the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology issued a decree no. 60392-139/2009/5 with which the study program was entered into the register of higher education institutions under the serial number 17. On 20 Oct. 2016, the Council of the National Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Quality Assurance in Higher Education extended the accreditation of the doctoral study program in Physics for seven years. On 28 Nov. 2017, the Senate of the University of Maribor approved the renewal of the doctoral study program in Physics according to the Doctoral School of the University of Maribor’s principles.

A student advances to the second study year if they collect at least 54 ECTS credits by completing 1st year obligations. A student who has been unable to fulfil the required obligations for justified reasons, as defined by the Statute of the University of Maribor, may exceptionally be granted enrolment in the second study year. It is not possible to advance to the second year without having completed "Individual Research Work I". A student advances to the third study year if they collect at least 54 ECTS credits by completing 2nd year obligations. A student who has been unable to fulfil the required obligations for justified reasons, as defined by the Statute of the University of Maribor, may exceptionally be granted enrolment in the third study year. It is not possible to advance to the second year without having completed "Individual Research Work III". A student advances to the fourth study year if they collect at least 57 ECTS credits by completing 3rd year obligations. Prior to enrolment in the fourth year, the student must have an approval of the dissertability of his/her thesis provided by the mentor and the Student Affairs Committee. During the course of their studies, students may repeat a study year one time, according to the conditions defined by the Statute of the University of Maribor. A student may advance to a higher study year faster, if he/she fulfils the conditions for such advancement as laid down in the Statute of the University of Maribor. A student may be enrolled in more than one study programme at the same time, under the conditions laid down in the Statute of the University of Maribor.

Postdoctoral study.

In view of the fundamental objectives of the program and the general and subject specific competences graduates employable in a wide range of expert and scientific activities. They can occupy most demanding working positions, with the ability to employ themselves and create jobs also for others. The concept of the PhD study in Physics is based on intensive student guidance to independent research work, which is the fundamental aspect of modern doctoral programs all over the world. The acquired skills enable employability not only in Slovenia, but also abroad. Graduates are employable particularly in developmental and scientific research centers, laboratories and institutions in the following areas: - companies, - private sector, - research institutions, - educational and research institutions, - educational institutions, - health institutions, - public administration, - the financial sector, - pharmaceutical industry, - the Slovenian army and the defense structure of future international connections, - the ministries, - the various European and international organizations.

The program consists of several modules in the field of Biophysics, Physics and Physics Education, under which the program can be individually adjusted according to its wishes and research orientation of the student. The summations provide the average values of hours to PhD study program Physics. Inconsistencies in the numbers are the result of choice of elective courses. Individual student work in the PhD study program Physics comprises 7095 hours.

The study program expects of the candidates that they, in the framework of their individual research work and time reserved for preparing their doctoral dissertation, prepare also a draft from the content of the dissertation to be published in a journal indexed in SCI, in which the doctoral candidate is the first and leading author.

Examination and assessment of student learning outcomes is performed in accordance with the criteria and methods defined in the Rules on the Examination and Assessment of Knowledge 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. Knowledge examination and assessment methods at the University of Maribor are regulated by the Statute of the University of Maribor and the Rules on Examinations and Grading of the University of Maribor, No. A4/2009-41AG (University of Maribor Journal, No. XXVII-6-2009); Amendments to the Rules on Examinations and Grading of the University of Maribor, No. A4/2009-41AG (University of Maribor Journal, No. XXVIII-7-2010); Amendments to the Rules on Examinations and Grading of the University of Maribor, No. A4/2009-41AG (University of Maribor Journal, No. XXX-2-2012); Amendments to the Rules on Examinations and Grading of the University of Maribor, No. A4/2009-41AG (University of Maribor Journal, No. XXXII-5-2014); Rules on Examinations and Grading of the University of Maribor – unofficial consolidated text (2015); Amendments to the Rules on Examinations and Grading of the University of Maribor, No. A4/2009-41AG (2019): https://www.um.si/univerza/dokumentni-center/akti/Dopolnitve2013/Pravilnik%20o%20preverjanju%20in%20ocenjevanju%20znanja%20na%20UM%20-%20NPB3,%20AVGUST%202019doc.pdf. Forms and methods of assessment are defined in Article 5 of the Rules on Examinations and Grading. Criteria and methods for knowledge assessment of individual subjects are part of the Subject Specification, and are publicly available on the faculty’s website: https://www.fnm.um.si/index.php/predstavitev-tudija/podiplomski-tudijski-programi/

- to provide students with in-depth knowledge of physics and to introduce them to the scope, role, importance and interdisciplinarity of physics; - provide them with the necessary organizational and professional knowledge of R&D in physics, applied physics and physics' education; - to introduce them to contemporary working methods and techniques in the field of physics and train them for an active use of these methods by following professional development trends in the field; - to train them in independent international competitive research work; to encourage them to autonomously develop a given subject area and effectively teach that area to their students; - to deepen their theoretical knowledge in the field of physics and to expand their methodological knowledge for solving complex technical, technological, organizational and developmental tasks and projects.

- autonomy in state-of-the-art research and scientific work, - thorough understanding of theoretical and methodological bases and mastery of cutting-edge research methods and processes, - autonomy in critical thinking in the field of science and the profession, - ability to synthesize knowledge and its application, - independence in developing new knowledge and solutions in solving most complex problems, - the ability to work in scientific research groups and do projects work, - international communication skills in top scientific and expert circles, - commitment to professional scientific and expert ethics, - ownership of the most demanding scientific and expert decisions, - independence and accountability in management and accountability to team work, - in-depth understanding of theoretical and methodological concepts , - the ability to mentor younger colleagues in institutes, universities, companies, etc.., - efficiency in exploitating the resources available: their own creative and intellectual capacity, available intellectual capital (staff) and other tangible and intangible resources (funds, equipment, space and time).

- solving concrete research problems in various fields of physics, - development of skills in the application of knowledge in a specific concrete research area of physics and related disciplines, - creating and implementing unique scientific solutions in given physical and interdisciplinary problems, - the use of standard and modern empirical scientific methods in physics, - independent development, evaluation and guidance in modern trends of physics education, - connecting expert-scientific, educational-scientific and educational institutions, - the ability of presentaing the obtained scientific results in the field ofphysics in the form of publications in international scientific journals, - in-depth understanding of theoretical and methodological concepts in physics - independent development of new knowledge in physics.

Candidates who completed the following may apply for the post-doctoral Study Programme Physics: - a 2nd Cycle Study Programme; - an undergraduate academic study programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004; - a 1st Cycle Higher Education Study Programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004, and a Specialization Study Programme, after having passed the following study obligations corresponding to 35 ECTS: Statistical Thermodynamics (8 ECTS), Modelling Physics (10 ECTS), Physics of Complex Systems (7 ECTS), and Introduction to Scientific Research (10 ECTS); - a study program educating for professions regulated by EU directives, or other Single Major 2nd cycle Study Programme ranked with 300 ECTS. Candidates who have completed equivalent education abroad also meet the conditions for enrollment. To increase the success of further studies, the Faculty especially recommends university-level prior education in the field of Physics (or at least non-formal prior knowledge of physics at university level).

In the event of limited enrolment, the Faculty shall publish the selection criteria in accordance with Article 41 of the Higher Education Act. In the selection procedure, candidates shall be ranked according to: grade point average (25%), the grade awarded for their MA thesis (25%), and the grade awarded for their elective exam "Overview of Classical and Modern Physics" (50%).

According to the Criteria for transitions, a transfer to the 3rd Cycle Study Programme Physics is possible for candidates enrolled in the study programmes from the fields of Physics, Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Technical Sciences, who ensure the acquisition of comparable competences at the end of their studies, and for whom at least half of the ECTS obligations from the first study programme are recognised according to the Criteria for recognition. The relevant Commission of the Member determines the missing obligations which the students have to fulfill if they want to graduate according to the new study program. To enrol into the 3rd cycle study programme of Physics, candidates must have completed one of the following successfully: - study programme leading to a Master of Science title, adopted prior to 11 June 2004; as a rule, 60 ECTS credits are recognised for such candidates. - a specialisation following an undergraduate study programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004; as a rule, 60 ECTS credits are recognised for such candidates.

Students of 3rd Cycle Study Programmes can obtain full recognition of the knowledge and skills acquired through various forms of formal education before enrolment, which the student demonstrates with relevant qualifications (certificates, degrees, diplomas and other documents). The recognition process shall take into account the following criteria: the assessment of the achieved knowledge and skills must be based on the educational goals of the study program; the relevant skills must be properly documented and at an appropriate level of complexity; the acquired knowledge and skills are recognized regardless of where and when the student acquired them. The process of identification, verification and recognition of knowledge and skills entails the submission of an application, amendments to the application, consideration of the application at the competent authority of the member faculty, the issuing of a decision, and the procedure for the appeal of a candidate against the issued decision. The faculty recognises the knowledge and skills of the candidates if, in terms of their scope, content and complexity, these correspond fully or partially to the general or subject-specific competences determined by the study programme in which the candidates wish to enrol or are enrolled. Recognition of knowledge and skills is defined in the RULES ON THE RECOGNITION OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IN THE STUDY PROGRAMMES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARIBOR No. 012/2019/2: 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.

A student completes his/her studies once they have completed all obligations laid down in the study programme, having collected at least 240 ECTS.