Maritime industry is a complex system segmented into activities of various technical-technological, economic and legal characteristics and is a completely interdisciplinary scientific field. The role of maritime industry and transport in the country’s economic system should represent the basis for the development of the national economy and be the guiding principle in defining strategic objectives for successful integration into European and global traffic and economic flows. Doctoral program “Maritime Studies” at the Faculty of Maritime Studies at the University of Rijeka and affiliated scientific-research institutions enables the acquisition of more detailed and comprehensive knowledge necessary for research, development, and application in various fields of maritime industry and transport. Completion of the program creates university-educated experts who can creatively respond to the demands of maritime industry and transport development based on recent scientific and technical-technological achievements. The dynamics of maritime industry development and globalization of the world economy create growing needs for the mobility of people, goods, and information.
Through an interdisciplinary approach, scientific research and the introduction of new technologies, maritime science should provide appropriate scientific solutions aimed at increasing efficiency, rationality and safety in the entire maritime system. The study programme is implemented through seven modules: Nautical Sciences, Maritime Power and Engineering Systems, Marine Electrical Engineering, Maritime Logistics and Management, Transport System, Marine and Coastal Protection and Naval Systems. Doctoral students are accompanied by a mentor from the beginning of their studies, and there is an insistence on the earliest possible involvement of doctoral students in research projects. The selection of courses and research topics is tailored to the interests of the doctoral students according to the faculty’s available capacities. In order to achieve the highest possible quality of research, spending at least one semester at an external institution is encouraged. In addition to core and elective courses, doctoral students are offered a range of additional general, educational, scientific-research contents and activities during their studies.
Basic information
- name of study program: Doctoral program “Maritime Studies”
- program host: University of Rijeka, Faculty of Maritime Studies
- program executor: University of Rijeka, Faculty of Maritime Studies and collaborating institutions:
- University of Zadar, Maritime Department
- University of Dubrovnik, Maritime Department
- Hydrographic Institute of the Republic of Croatia, Split
- Croatian Military Academy “Dr. Franjo Tuđman”, Zagreb
- Croatian Navy, Split.
- duration / ECTS: 6 semesters / 180 ECTS credits
- enrollment quota: Depending on the mentoring capacity and other resources of the Faculty, enrollment quotas are proposed and adopted for each new study cycle.
Admission requirements
The admission to the doctoral programme is based on a public tender. Citizens of the Republic of Croatia, as well as foreign citizens and stateless persons under the same conditions, have the right to apply for enrollment if they:
- hold a university graduate degree in the scientific field of technical sciences (with 300 ECTS credits, including undergraduate studies), or exceptionally, hold a graduate or integrated studies degree in other scientific fields, with a prerequisite of passing supplemental courses.
- have obtained an academic degree of Master of Science on the basis of study programs started before the reform of higher education in 2005;
- have completed a university undergraduate studies in the field of traffic technology or transport on the basis of study programs started before the reform of higher education in 2005, or have completed an undergraduate study in other scientific fields, with a prerequisite of passing supplemental courses.
When applying for the enrollment, applicants, among other things, specify and justify their desired field of research and provide a signed consent of a potential mentor.
Enrollment dynamics/dates
Applications for the enrollment are open until the end of September. After the ranking list is determined, enrollment in the program takes place during October.
Tuition fee and payment method
The total cost of the program is 10,617.82 EUR. The study costs for the first and second year of study amount to 3,318.07 EUR, which the student can pay in two equal installments before the start of the odd (1st and 3rd) or even (2nd and 4th) semester. The study costs for the third year of study amount to 3,981.68 EUR, which the student can pay in two equal installments before the start of the 5th or 6th semester.
More information
Faculty of Maritime Studies
Doctoral program “Maritime Studies”
e-mail: doktorski@pfri.uniri.hr
Head of the program:
Assist. Prof. Sanjin Valčić, PhD
e-mail: sanjin.valcic@pfri.uniri.hr
Program secretary:
Assoc. Prof. Biserka Rukavina, PhD
e-mail: biserka.rukavina@pfri.uniri.hr
Program administrator:
Željka Vidmar, MSc (Econ.)
e-mail: zeljka.vidmar@pfri.uniri.hr
Program website:
https://www.pfri.uniri.hr/web/en/studij_pos_EN_about.php
Our doctoral students
| Year of obtaining a Ph.D. degree | Name and surname of the student/employer | Ph.D. thesis topic |
|---|---|---|
| 2022. | Matthew Sumner / Höegh LNG, Oslo, Norway | Dynamic collision avoidance of sea surface vehicles with a hidden Markov model |
| 2022. | Marija Jović / ISL – Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics, Bremen, Germany | Stakeholder digital transformation model in the maritime transport sector |
| 2020. | Mohamed Moustafa Abbas El Kola / Arab Maritime Academy, Cairo | Benchmarking the technical e&ciency of container ports against the port co-opetition concept in the East − West trade route |
| 2017. | Donald Schiozzi / Port Authority Rovinj | Models of development of county and local ports in relation to the complementarity of the spatial concept of the port and the city |
| 2014. | Jakov Karmelić / CMA CGM Croatia d.o.o. | Determining the competitive abilities of liner container service |
Research questions/hypotheses addressed in defended doctoral theses
| Research questions/hypotheses | Name and surname of the doctoral student |
|---|---|
| Is it possible to develop a model that describes, predicts, and enables adjustment of relevant operational parameters of a ship which lead to a more energy efficient transport of liquefied petroleum gas? | Aleksandar Vorkapić |
| Is it possible to develop a crew readiness model that takes into account dynamic changes of circumstances, crew structure and types of threats which lead to disorganization of the ship evacuation system? | Srđan Vujičić |
| What effect does volcanic activity have on the positioning accuracy of satellite navigation systems and is such an influence significant for maritime navigation or other maritime activities? | Ivan Toman |
| Is it possible to design risk-averse hazard avoidance system that can cooperate with equipped sea surface vehicles and avoid other intruding objects deemed dangerous by the model? | Matthew Sumner |
| Can the optimization of the shore charging power system for electric and hybrid ro-ro passenger ships increase the long-term profitability and ecological sustainability of ro-ro passenger traffic? | Ivan Panić |