Graduate´s Profile and Goals of Education

The graduate of the PhD study programme TECHNICAL MATERIALS in the framework of the study specialisation MECHANICAL ENGINEERING:

• Possesses broad professional knowledge of several areas of the specialisation MECHANICAL ENGINEERING that serve him/her as a basis for realising research and development and creating new knowledge in the area of the mechanical engineering technologies and materials with an emphasis on
• The methods of development and assessment of both the metallic and non-metallic materials used in mechanical engineering (e.g. the nano-materials, materials for high temperatures, for long-term load in the radiation and corrosive environment, for high-speed machining, the ultra-light materials, etc.);
• Defining the interconnections between the composition, structure and properties of the materials;
• The knowledge about new materials, technologies of their production and processing and the methods assessing and also influencing their properties;
• The metallurgical area; the progressive methods of the chipless and chip forming machining of the metals; automation of the technological processes and possibilities of their implementation in the machinery companies taking into account the qualitative, technical and economic and ecological aspects;
• He/she is able to select the particular scientific methods of the basic and applied research for studying and assessing materials and their ultimate states;
• He/she is able to formulate new hypotheses and strategies for further research and development of the study specialisation;
• He/she implements his/her own findings of the theoretical analysis and his/her complex scientific research for solving problems in the mechanical engineering area. Based on his/her outputs and detections he/she is able to design, verify and implement new research and working procedures;
• He/she masters the selected research methods and utilises them for developing new materials and technologies , technical details and important interactive system connections. With a computer support he/she can also realise research operations, analyses, modelling, measurements, collection and processing data;
• He/she is typical by an independent, critical and analytical way of thinking that he/she implements in the changing conditions. He/she presents independently his/her results of research and development for the professional community in Slovakia and abroad. He takes into account the social, scientific and ethical aspects for formulating the research aims and interpretation of the research results. He/she is able to define the orientation of the research and to coordinate a team  in the particular scientific specialisation.  

The graduates´ employment rate of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS in the industrial practice is 100 %. (source: Rozpis dotácií zo štátneho rozpočtu VVŠ na r. 2021 -  List of Funding Public University Education for 2021 (www.minedu.sk - https://www.minedu.sk/rozpis-dotacii-zo-statneho-rozpoctu-verejnym-vysokym-skolam-na-rok-2021/ Table 2 - graduate´s employment rate).

GOALS OF EDUCATION

The goals in the study programme TECHNICAL MATERIALS are achieved through measurable educational outputs in individual subjects of the study programme and correspond with the level of the Qualification Framework in the European university education, i.e.:

• the implementation of the acquired knowledge about preparing, processing, assessing, about the properties and usage of the progressive construction materials with an emphasis on the steel (construction, tool, high-strength and fine-grain steels, the steels of the type TRIP, TWIP, CP, IF, the steels resistant against creep, against corrosion, the heatproof and fireproof steels); cast irons; alloys of the non-ferrous metals ( Al, Mg, Zn, Ti, Ni, Co and CU); the polymer materials; ceramics; composites and biomaterials; the ability to realise research and development in a complex way and to solve the problems from practice independently.

OUTPUTS OF EDUCATION

The graduates of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS will acquire the following knowledge, skills and competences (in connection with the profile subjects):

KNOWLEDGE                                                                                    

A graduate of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS:

• He/she understands the scientific problem in the specialisation, he/she is able to formulate a scientific hypothesis and scientific issues. He/she has mastered the methods of the theoretical and empirical research aiming at the machinery area and specialisation Parts and Mechanisms of Machines (Scientific Work 1 to 4, Dissertation Project 1 to 4, Dissertation Thesis).
• He/she knows the highest level of development and knowledge in the area of materials (steels, cast iron, alloys of non-ferrous metals; polymer materials; ceramics; composites; bio-materials) that serves as the basis for innovations and originality in practice or in research; for designing research and development or development of the professional practice (Ultimate States of the Materials; Progressive Design Materials; Surface Treatment and Thin Layers; Degradation Processes);
• He/she knows the specifics of the academic language from the vocabulary, grammar to reading professional texts, listening, speaking and professional language in writing; both in Slovak and English (Dissertation Project 1 to 4; Scientific Work 1 to 4; English for PhD Students 1 and 2);
• He/she has theoretical knowledge about the processes that take place in the design materials under the mechanical stress, temperature, environment, external influences and energy fields; about the phase changes and their utilisation for designing the materials and technologies for their processing (Theory of Phase Changes; Physical Metallurgy; Physical Chemistry);
• He/she has practical experience with implementing the latest experimental and diagnostic methods for studying and assessing the materials (Experimental Assessment of Structure and Properties of Materials; Surface Treatment and Thin Layers; Microfractography and Rupture of Materials);
• He/she has the capability of an independent analysis and synthesis of the knowledge and the experimentally acquired results (Experimental Assessment of Structure and Properties of Materials; Dissertation Project 1 to 4);
• He/she is able to think and assess the developed materials and relevant technologies regarding to ensuring sustainable development independently (Dissertation Project 1 to 4; Scientific Work 1 to 4; Dissertation Exam and Dissertation Thesis);

SKILLS

A graduate of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS:

• Formulates and processes his/her results of research in writing, presents them for the expert public at conferences and scientific events and by publishing articles in the scientific magazines (Scientific Work 1 to 4).
• Is able to implement own findings resulting from the theoretical analysis and own scientific research of a complex and/also interdisciplinary character in the area of the materials engineering (Dissertation Project 1 to 4, Scientific Work 1 to 4, Dissertation Exam and Dissertation Thesis).
• Based on the analysis he/she is able to design, verify and implement new research and experimental approaches, to design own solutions of complicated scientific and research tasks, to verify the experimental procedures and design correction of the experimental programmes (Experimental Assessment of Structure and Properties of Materials; Surface Treatment and Thin Layers; Physical Chemistry;  Scientific Work 1 to 4, Dissertation Exam and Dissertation Thesis). 
• He/she is able to analyse the scientific literature independently and to deduce own critical conclusions of the acquired knowledge (Scientific Work 1 to 4, Dissertation Exam and Dissertation Thesis).
• He/she is able to analyse the scientific literature and deduce own critical conclusions of the acquired knowledge (Methodology of Scientific Work; Scientific Work 1 to 4; Dissertation Exam and Dissertation Thesis).
• He/she masters independent procedures on modern lab devices and equipment determined for the material research (Dissertation Project 1 to 4; Scientific Work 1 to 4, Dissertation Exam and Dissertation Thesis);
• He/she is able to process the results of his/her work in the form of the research reports and PPT presentations and to present them for the Professional community at least in one world language (English for PhD Students 1 and 2; Methodology of Scientific Work; Dissertation Project 1 to 4; Scientific Work 1 to 4, Dissertation Exam and Dissertation Thesis);
• He/she is able to implement the available software for support of research and development in the given area for studying and verifying the acquired results (Dissertation Project 1 to 4; Scientific Work 1 to 4, Dissertation Exam and Dissertation Thesis);
• He/she possesses sufficient managerial knowledge to lead creative teams and is able to lead research and development in the framework of usual ethical and legal Directive No.s and standards (Methodology of Scientific Work; Dissertation Project 1 to 4; Scientific Work 1 to 4, Dissertation Exam and Dissertation Thesis);
• He/she teaches at universities that realise the study programmes in the area of the specialisation MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.

COMPETENCES

A graduate of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS is typical by:

• A critical, independent and analytical way of thinking in the unforeseen, changing conditions and by synergy of knowledge leading to innovative thinking.
• Planning his/her development and development of the society in the context of the scientific and technical progress.
• Responsibility for fulfilling his/her tasks and duties.
• The ability to present the results of research and development for the expert community at the international professional and scientific forums.
• The ability to support the scientific processes and implement his/her skills in further progress of the study specialisation.
• The strategic and conceptual way of thinking.

The study programme TECHNICAL MATERIALS belongs (on the framework of the specialisation MECHANICAL ENGINEERING under the scientific specialisation Mechanical Engineering Technologies and Materials. The Mechanical Engineering Technologies and Materials have the total assessment of 91 points out of 100 and it means it belongs to 9 % of the most promising university specialisation in Slovakia. Compared with other specialisations it is expressed by higher salaries, the average monthly salary was at the level of 2.131 EUR in the first half of 2020 (according to the portal: https://www.trendyprace.sk/sk/absolventi/moje-trendy/top?is_university=1&categories[]=technicke-vedy&region_id=0)

Fig. 1 Assessment of the Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology and Materials (www.trendyprace.sk)

The graduates of the PhD study of SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS can be utilised in practice in the following positions:

• Head of technical and production departments of the manufacturing enterprises;
• Employees and leaders in the research and development centres or departments of the manufacturing enterprises in the area of producing the technical materials, their technological processing to the form of semi-products and products as well as in the area of the quality control, purchase and sales, service and maintenance;
• Leading employees of the production departments with a sophisticated production technology;
• Employees and leading employees in research (institutes of Academy of Sciences, university research teams);
• Employees of consultancy companies and organisations where technical education of higher level is required.

  The following occupations were identified for the graduates of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS (According to SK ISCO-08_2020: ŠTATISTICKÁ KLASIFIKÁCIA ZAMESTNANÍ - STATISTICAL CLASSIFICATION OF OCCUPATIONS https://www.slov-lex.sk/pravne-predpisy/prilohy/SK/ZZ/2020/449/20210101_5289809-2.pdf):

Leading employee (manager) in the area of research and development (1223);

• Leading employee in a research institution (1223001);
• Leading employee (manager) of research, development and technical development in production (1223002);
• Leading employee (manager) in the metallurgical production (1321011);
• Leading employee (manager) in the mechanical engineering production (1321012);
• Specialist in the area of research and science;
• Machinery specialist in research and development (2144001);
• Metalography specialist (2146016);
• University teachers (2310);

 The potential of the SP from the point of view of finding a job - the currently free positions at www.profesia.sk in 01-03/2022 (the required education - the third university degree):

• Production manager;
• Automotive programme manager;
• Test automation engineer;
• Consultant for innovations, research and development;
• Researcher (research and development employee);
• Coordinator Quality System Engineer (head of the quality control dpt.);
• Quality engineer / Head of system quality engineers
• Product Engineer / SQA Engineer / Process and Project Engineer/

The study programme does not prepare the students for jobs requiring the standpoint to compliance of the acquired qualification with the sector- specific requirements on the occupation. 

The web site CVTI presents the unemployment rate of the university graduates in 2020 as follows: https://www.cvtisr.sk/buxus/docs//VS/nezamestnanost/Nezamestnanost_abs_SK_VS_2020_final.pdf

The unemployment rate of the technical university graduates is 5.2 % (summarisingly) - it is the second lowest unemployment rate (the lowest one is in the area of healthcare).

The graduates´ employment rate of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS in the industrial practice is 100 %. (source: Rozpis dotácií zo štátneho rozpočtu VVŠ na r. 2021 -  List of Funding Public University Education for 2021 (www.minedu.sk - https://www.minedu.sk/rozpis-dotacii-zo-statneho-rozpoctu-verejnym-vysokym-skolam-na-rok-2021/ Table 2 - graduate´s employment rate).

The results of the questionnaire research realised in March 2022 with the PhD study graduates show that 70 % of the graduates work directly in the area of the SP specialisation and 30 % in an area partially connected with the SP (17 graduates took part in the research). The questionnaire form can be found at: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=S_8kg8gU9UuwfqBxMXnzfg0sNN22pyVDlcQXoP_sUzlUNko0UlJGMElBT004UzY4VVlDOFdQTDQ0Si4u

The names and positions of the selected questionnaire participants:

• Ing. Filip Pastorek, PhD.  - research worker IIa, Director of VC UNIZA;
• prof. Ing. Branislav Hadzima, PhD. - coordinator of science and research UNIZA, research worker IIa, Director of VC and UVP UNIZA;
• doc. Ing. Stanislava Fintová, PhD. - head of lab for preparation and analysis of materials, scientific employee - Group of High-Cycle Fatigue, Institute of Physics of Materials, Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic;
• Ing. Michal Bukovina, PhD. - Ececutive Director, Pramet Slovakia, a.s.;
• Ing. Marián Činčala, PhD. - Volkswagen Slovakia, head of the lab Inspection of Heat Treatment;
• Mgr. inž. Pawel Szataniak, PhD. - Wielton, PL, company chairman;
• prof. nzw. dr hab. inż Robert Ulewicz, PhD. - Czestochowa University of Technology, head of department;
• prof. nzw. dr hab. inż. Jacek Selejdak, PhD. - Czestochowa University of Technology, head of department;
• dr inż. Magdalena Mazur, PhD. - Czestochowa University of Technology, university teacher;
• Ing. Piotr Bojanowicz, PhD. - Multimetal, Poland, company chairman;
• Ing. Milan Kiš, PhD. - SCHAEFFLER s.r.o., Quality Assurance of Products WP/IWK-P2Q2;
• Ing. Marta Činčalová, PhD. née Panušková - SCHAEFFLER s.r.o., Quality Assurance of Products WP/IWK-P2Q2;
• Ing. Rastislav Mintách, PhD. - SCHAEFFLER s.r.o., head of material lab;
• Ing. Jakub Porubčan, PhD. - Vodohospodárska výstavba, š. p. Bratislava,  head of lab for non-destructive testing;
• Ing. Martin Kasenčák, PhD. - Prvá zváračská, a. s. Bratislava;
• Ing. Viktor Škorík, PhD. - Pragolab s.r.o., Sales Manager - Optical Microscopy;
• Ing. Rastislav Poliak, PhD. - DONGHE Slovakia s.r.o., Strečno, Acquisition Management
• Ing. Denisa Závodská, PhD. - R&D Chassis Engineer, Škoda auto a. s., Mladá Boleslav, ČR ;
• Ing. Libor Trško, PhD. - Danfoss Power Solution, a. s. Považská Bystrica, material engineer, VC UNIZA (finalist of ESET Science Award 2020 in category Exceptional Young Scientist to 35 years) https://www.esetscienceaward.sk/sk/finalisti/libor-trsko
• Ing. Ján Lago, PhD. - LAGO Nástrojáreň s.r.o., Technológ, co-executive director
• Ing. Kamil Borko, PhD. - Continental AG, Dolné Vestenice, process engineer;
• Ing. Daniel Kajánek, PhD. - head of division for research of materils for transoirt, VC UNIZA;
• Ing. Michal Jambor, PhD. - research worker, Institute of Physics of materials, Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic;
• Ing. Andrea Škulavíková (née Soviarová), PhD. - Prvá zváračská, a. s. Bratislava, research worker;
• Ing. Adrián Bača, PhD. - research worker, Institute of Physics of materials, Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
• Ing. Martin Frkáň, PhD. - Staton, s.r.o. Martin;
• Ing. Zuzana Slováková (née Dresslerová), PhD. - Danfoss Power Solution, a. s. Považská Bystrica, material engineer;
• Ing. Monika Karneková (née Oravcová), PhD. - Danfoss Power Solution, a. s. Považská Bystrica, material engineer (currently at maternity leave);
• Ing. Ivana Švecová, PhD. - radiology - CT, USG, RTG Martin - CT technician;

This data was worked out from the publicly available sources: Linkedin and Facebook.  

From the statements of the employers (see feedback):

The description of the study programme TECHNICAL MATERIALS was created as part of the proposal for harmonising the current accredited study programme with the SAAVŠ (Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education) and the standards of the internal system of the quality management at the University of Žilina (further only VSK UNIZA). This is not a draft of a new study programme. In the framework of harmonisation with the VSK UNIZA formalised processes this programme was worked out and submitted in compliance with the Directive No. 222, article 16, items 4, 5 and 9. According to the Directive No. 204 it is subordinated to the SAAVŠ standards from the study programme (part 4) - articles 10 and 11.

In the whole process the persons assessing and approving the study programme (an authority from practice, Scientific Council of Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and UNIZA Accreditation Council) are not the same as those preparing the study programme proposal for harmonisation. The nomination of the members to individual structures is recorded in the minutes from meetings from the Dean´s Collegium a individual members were appointed by the Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. The lists of the members of the individual structures are known and accessible at: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/akreditacia/studijne-programy/phd  (in Slovak) and  https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/en/education/studies/study-programs-ph-d

At the university level the Directive No. 222 defines the policies, structures and processes connected with the complex internal quality management system regarding to the fulfilment of the missions and aims of UNIZA and the achievement of the missions and aims of UNIZA and creating harmony with the VSK UNIZA with the SAAVŠ standards. The internal quality management system at UNIZA - https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-222-en.pdf  is as follows:

• The policies: Directive No. 222, article 7;
• The structures: Directive No. 222, article 10; Directive No. 210 - Statute of UNIZA Accreditation Council; Directive No. 214 - Structures of Internal Quality Management;
• The processes: Directive No. 222, article 16.

Except for the aforementioned Directive No. 222 the following Directive No.s define further procedures connected with the proposal of the new study programme or proposal of adaptation of the study programme:

• Directive No.  203 - Rules for the Creation of Recommended Study Plans for UNIZA Study Programmes: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-203-en.pdf
• Directive No.   204 - Rules for creating, adapting, approving and cancelling the SPs of UNIZA: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-204-en.pdf
• Directive No.  205 - Rules for assigning teachers for ensuring the SPs at UNIZA: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-205-en.pdf
• Directive No.  212 - Rules for the Definition of the Workload of Creative Employees of the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-212-en.pdf
• Directive No.  217 - Resources to Support Educational, Creative and Other Related Activities of the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-217-en.pdf
• Directive No.  218 -  On the Collection, Processing, Analysis and Evaluation of Information to Support the Management of Study Programmes: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-218-en.pdf
• Directive No.  220 - Evaluation of the Creative Activity of Employees in Relation to Quality Assurance of Education at the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-220-en.pdf
• Directive No. 221 - Cooperation of the University of Žilina in Žilina with External Partners from Practice: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-221-en.pdf

The study programme TECHNICAL MATERIALS takes into account the mission but also the goals defined by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Žilina in the area of science and research (from page 17 of the Long-Term Aim of the UNIZA Faculty of Mechanical Engineering) and especially in the field of education (from page 11 of the Long-Term Aim of the UNIZA Faculty of Mechanical Engineering). https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/en/faculty/about-faculty/faculty-profile

The study programme was created/innovated in compliance with the trends at the universities in Europe and worldwide with similar orientation - e.g. the US universities: Auburn University, University of Tennessee, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Georgia; University of Montana Tech., Univeristy of California Santa Barbara; in Canada: University of Calgary; University of Alberta;  University of British Columbia; in Europe: ZČU Plzeň, VŠB Ostrava; ČVUT Praha; VUT Brno; TU Liberec; Kaunas University of Technology; University of Trento; Politecnico di Milano; University of degli study Parma etc. But at the same time, it was created in compliance with the requirements of practice and therefore one of the main aspects during forming the profile subjects was how the knowledge and competences can be implemented in the real practice.

According to the goals (page 11 of the Long-Term Aim of the UNIZA Faculty of Mechanical Engineering) the study programme TECHNICAL MATERIALS and its study plan was created for the students to be involved actively to the problem solving of the science and research at the UNIZA Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (e.g. the projects VEGA, APVV, UNIZA Grant System, etc.) for the independence, autonomy and responsibility of the students for their education to be supported. It was also important to respect the diversity of the students and their needs and to give the students a chance to spend part of their study abroad during their study in this study programme (e.g. in the framework of the programmes ERASMUS+, National Study Programme, International Visegrad Fund, etc.). The department ensuring the study programme and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering have rich experience in this area and a broad network of the partner universities. 

The study programme TECHNICAL MATERIALS is a modern study programme enabling to acquire knowledge based on the current state of the scientific cognition in the area of mechanical engineering technologies and materials. The research of new materials and technologies, testing modern advanced methods determined for implementation in the transportation industry with the goal to utilise the ultimate properties of the materials in all areas of their applications; development, research and modelling the utility properties of the materials and new assessment methods of the material resistance  against the mechanical, physical and chemical stress is one of the most important direction  of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. 

The study programme TECHNICAL MATERIALS  is a modern study programme enabling to acquire knowledge based on the current state of the scientific cognition in the area of Mechanical Engineering Technologies and Materials. The research of new materials and technologies, testing modern advanced methods determined for implementatuío in the transportation industry with the goal to utilise the ultimate properties of the materials in all areas of their applications; development, research and modeling utility properties of the materials and new assessment methods of the material resistance  against the mechanical, physical and chemical stress is one of the most important direction  of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. 

The scientific centre of the basic and applied research and international scientific cooperation for the study programme TECHNICAL MATERIALS  is the Department of Material Engineering that has achieved a lot of research successes during its existence. In the area of investigating the crystallisation of the cast irons it applied and verified the cast iron with the worm-like graphite for the castings of the combustion motors, for the glass-making forms and machinery products of the means of transport. Professor Ing. Anton Puškár, DrSC. invented an original procedure complexly dealing with the accumulation of damaging and disrupting materials at high-frequency cyclic loads. In the area of the research of reducing the failure rate of the parts of the railway vehicles the department employees worked out procedures of utilising new types of steels, implemented new renovation methods and designed new methods of the heat treatment.

The following awards confirm the results of the goal-directed activities of the department employees in the area of science and research:

• The prize of the Minister of Education for science and technique for 2004 in the category - Prestigious Organisation of Research and Development - for an original research of the degradation and corrosive mechanisms of the magnesium alloys, bearing steels ADI (Austempered Ductile Iron) at static and dynamic load in the area of gigacycle regimes of load;
• The prize of the Minister of Education for science and technique for 2004 in the category - Scientist of the Year - for Associate Professor Ing. Branislav Hadzima, PhD.;
• The prize of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education of the Slovak Republic for science and technique for 2009 in the category Long-Life Merits in the Area of Science and Technique for Professor Ing. Otakar Bokůvka, PhD. for creating a scientific direction of international significance in the area of material engineering ultimate states of the materials, especially the fatigue disruptions of the construction materials experimentally detected at the high-frequency loads in the area of the high and ultrasound number of cycles;
• The international scientific prize - Honorary Award of the Professor Fryderyk Staub Golden Owl for 2013 for Professor Ing. Peter Palček, PhD. in 2013;
• The international scientific prize - AMME World Academy - Medal of the 65 Years of the Tradition of Materials Science and Engineering in Silesia, for prof. Ing. Peter Palček, PhD. v r. 2010 awarded by the President of the World Academy of Materials and Manufacturing Engineering; 
• Issuing the scientific magazine MATERIALS ENGINEERING - ISSN 1335-083 (since 1994) that publishes the original scientific works in the area of assessing the properties of the metallic and non-metallic materials, material innovations and technologies. The magazine was included to the system Issue Digital Publishing Platform and is involved in the databases Index Copernicus, Directory of Open Access Journal, EBSCO Publishing Open J-Gate, etc.
• The membership of Professor Ing. Otakar Bokůvka, PhD. in the editorial board of the magazine Transaction of FAMENA, Croatia registered in the databases SCOPUS, WoS,IF´0,500;
• The membership of Professor Ing. Otakar Bokůvka, PhD. in the editorial board of the magazine Communications/Scientific Letters of the University of Žilina, SK (involved in the database SCOPUS) until 2012 a member, in the years 2012 - 2017 the editor in chief;
• The membership of Professor Ing. Eva Tillová, PhD. in the editorial board of the magazine Communications/Scientific Letters of the University of Žilina, SK (involved in the database SCOPUS) - a member since 2017;
• The membership of Professor Ing. Otakar Bokůvka, PhD. in the editorial board of the magazine Annals of Faculty Engineering Hunedoara/International Journal of Engineering, Romania;
• The membership of Professor Ing. Eva Tillová, PhD. and Professor Ing. Otakar Bokůvka, PhD. in the editorial board of the magazine Quality Production Improvement, PL, since 2015;
• The membership of Professor Ing. Otakar Bokůvka, PhD. and Professor Ing. Peter Palček, PhD. in the programme committee of the world congress Danubia-Adria Symposium on Advances in Experimental Mechanics - since 2016;
• The membership of Professor Ing. Eva Tillová, PhD. and Professor Ing. František Nový, PhD. in the programme committee of the world congress Danubia-Adria Symposium on Advances in Experimental Mechanics - since 2016;

The responsible institutions carry out an uninterrupted activity in the area of the study specialisation at the national and international level, as evidenced by the list of of projects solved in 2014 - 2021 (https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/akreditacia/SP-Technicke-materialy_Riesene-projekty_2014_2021.pdf ) and the funding received per 1 creative worker of the department (Fig. 1):

Fig. 1 The funding raised per 1 creative worker

From the point of view of the output transformation both the pedagogical and scientific and research area it is necessary to mention here also the cooperating institutions - e.g. Universita degli studi di Parma, Politechnico di Milano, HTW Dresden, TU Clausthal, BUTE Budapešť, TU Wien, Universitet Zielonogórski, Politechnika Czestochowska, Politechnika Slaska, Politechnika Swietokrzyska, UK Praha, VUT Brno, TU VŠB Ostrava, TU Pardubice, ZČU Plzeň, ÚFM ČAV Brno, etc. At these institutions the PhD students in the study programme  Materials acquire practical knowledge and take part in the study stays in the framework of the programmes ERAZMUS+, ERAZMUS+ stay, NŠP - National Study Programme, Visegrad Fund, etc.

In the framework of cooperation with the above-mentioned foreign departments, not only exchange internships of staff and PhD students are carried out, but also joint book publications are published. Publications, scientific and professional articles, international projects are being implemented and prepared, projects within the framework of bilateral scientific-research cooperation are being solved. Together with the HTW Dresden, TU Pardubice, BUTE Budapešť, Universitet Zielonogórski and Politechnika Czestochowska we annually organise (since 1983) the international colloquium ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND REPAIR TECHNOLOGIES IN VEHICLE INDUSTRY and the international seminar of the PhD students (since 1995) - SEMDOK,  where the PhD students of the scientific education present their knowledge, experience and results of the experimental works in English. SEMDOK is a meeting of the PhD students. The supervisors of the PhD study and other university employees, employees of the research institutes and industry not only from Slovakia but also from Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Poland and the Czech Republic. The goal of the international seminar SEMDOK is also the improvement of the mutual scientific and professional contacts of young talented people from universities, research institutes and industry.  

PhD. students publish the results of their dissertations mainly in indexed foreign scientific journals. The most significant outputs are for completed students are listed in the table below:

In the SP Technical Materials the following students received the award for excellent study results or for a well prepared dissertation:

• Ing. Patrícia Hanusová, PhD. (12.11.2021) - UNIZA Rector's Award for Excellent Study Results;
• Ing. Michal Jambor, PhD. - 1st place in the Category. In the competition for the best dissertation thesis defended in 2019 within the universities associated in the PROGRES 3 consortium in Category 5: Competitive Engineering and Materials Research. More at http://progres3.vsb.cz/en/news   (17.3.2019);
• Ing. Patrícia Hanusová - 25.02.2020 - first place in the evaluation of her grant project entitled "Design and construction of a device for the detection of fatigue characteristics of rotary instruments in dentistry" at UNIZA;
• Ing. Michal Jambor, PhD - Rector's Award for the best dissertation (2019);
• Ing. Daniel Kajánek, PhD. - Rector's prize for the best dissertation thesis (2019);
• Ing. Martin Frkáň PhD. - Rector's Award for the best dissertation thesis (2019);
• Ing. Denisa Závodská, PhD. - 1st place in the Category. In the competition for the best dissertation defended in 2018 within the universities associated in the PROGRES consortium 3. (8.3.2019);
• Ing. Ján Lago, PhD. - prize of the Rector of the University of Žilina - Dr.h.c. prof. Ing. Tatiana Čorejová, PhD. for outstanding publication activity in 2017;
• Ing. Katarína Miková, PhD. - award in the competition for the best dissertation defended in 2013 in the category "Competitive Engineering. Materials Research" - thesis on "High-cycle fatigue of fine-grained steel after surface hardening by blasting";

The education in the PhD study programmes is realised on the basis of a PhD student´s individual study plan led by a supervisor (the list of the supervisors in the SP Technical Materials - https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/odborova-komisia/skolitelia_DDP_Strojarstvo_TM.pdf

The education is based on acquiring knowledge at the level of the current knowledge and the PhD student´s contribution to his knowledge. It is the result of the scientific investigation and the creative activity of the student. The quality of the 3^rd degree of the university study depends on the quality of the scientific and research work and therefore it is inevitable for the individual study plans  of the PhD students to be bound with the scientific and research activities of the supervisors and the educational institutions realised especially through solving the research projects. 

The SP is created in the framework of the defined rules and in compliance with the study order for the 3^rd degree of the university study at UNIZA (Directive No. 110) by the supervisor in cooperation with the student.  The PhD study plan is worked out as an individual study plan. The content and structure of the individual study plans reflect the activities, knowledge and skills formulated in the accreditation document of the study programme. To ensure their fulfilment, the study plan defines the requirements and criteria that are regularly checked.

The PhD student´s study plan consists of the study part that is completed by the dissertation exam and the scientific part and defence of the dissertation thesis.

• The study part of the PhD student´s SP consists especially of his/her participation in the lectures. Seminars and individual study of the professional literature during individual study years according to the aim of the dissertation thesis - the supervisor assigns credits in compliance with the study credit system. The individual study plan of the PhD student contains the list of subjects including the foreign language aimed at the technical area (two semesters) that the PhD student is to pass, the list of subjects of the dissertation thesis selected from the list approved by the expert commission or the working team and the list of the compulsory and recommended bibliography the PhD student is to study in the framework of the individual preparation for the dissertation exam. The PhD student´s study plan contains also the deadlines which state when he/she is to pass the individual subjects and dissertation exam.
• The scientific part of the PhD student´s SP consists of the individual or team scientific activities of the PhD student that is connected with the topic of the dissertation thesis. The supervisor guarantees the scientific part of the PhD student´s SP. An inseparable part of the PhD student´s activities (defined in the study plan) is an active participation in the international conferences especially indexed in the international databases (WOS, SCOPUS) and publishing articles in the scientific magazines. As a rule, an inseparable part of the PhD student´s activities in the daily study defined in the study plan is an active participation in a stay abroad at a partner institution of the student´s supervisor.

In compliance with the Dublin Descriptors and according to the national qualification framework of the graduates of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS, the graduates will achieve the 8^th qualification level (SKKR 8). 

The rules for creating the study plans  of the SP are thoroughly desribed in the Directive No.  203 - Rules for the Creation of Recommended Study Plans for UNIZA Study Programmes: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-203-en.pdf

The study programme TECHNICAL MATERIALS: The recommended study plan and standard duration of the study are defined according to the law about universities. The study programme - in compliance with the Faculty study programme - fulfils the rules of the European transfer system and collecting the credits and workload of the student per the academic year. It fulfils the defined workload of the student expressed by the amount of lessons of the contact lectures together with all activities necessary for preparing and passing any subject. The amount of the credits for individual subjects were stated for them to take into account  the demandingness of the subject from the point of view of the specific area of the teaching material and the way how the subject is completed. The subjects in the framework of the recommended SP enable to achieve the defined outputs of education.  

Note: Compulsory electives are chosen by the student in agreement with the supervisor based on the specific focus of the dissertation.

The structure of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS fulfils then requirements resulting from the description of the specialisation Mechanical Engineering from the viewpoint of the content and the amount of the credits achieved. The representation and structure of the suggested compulsory and compulsory optional subjects creates conditions for a deeper specialisation of the PhD graduates (the third degree of the study).

The subjects of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS can be divided to two basic groups as follows:

• The subjects creating the theoretical scientific basis of the specialisation (Physical Metallurgy, Theory of Plasticity, Physical Chemistry, Experimental Assessment of Structure and Properties of Materials, Progressive Design Materials, Ultimate States of Materials, Microfractography and Rupture of Materials, Surface Treatment and Thin Layers, Degradation Processes, Theory of Phase Changes, Applied Mathematics, Methodology of Scientific Work, Dissertation Exam, Dissertation Thesis) - this is the study part;
• The project-oriented subjects aimed at investigating the current scientific problem in the area of the machinery technologies and material with an emphasis on an actual area in dependence on the topic of the dissertation these; in the link research-development-production-usage (Dissertation Project 1 to 4, Scientific Work 1 to 4) - this is the scientific part.

The study plan also includes the subjects English for PhD Students 1 and 2 aimed at the presentation abilities, technical terminology and publishing the results of solving the dissertation theses for the expert community. The goal is to improve the language skills and to support the stays abroad.

The ratio between the study and scientific part is 1:2. Both groups of the subjects are represented in the core of the knowledge that is specified by the description of the study specialisation MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. The subject presented in the core of the study programme have an extent of 1/3 in the study part and 2/3 in the scientific part. In the case of this submitted SP, the core subjects create 170 credits out of 180 - this represents a 94 % share.

The syllabi of the subjects with thorough information are presented in the information letters of the individual subjects - https://vzdelavanie.uniza.sk/vzdelavanie/plany.php

In the Information Letters of the Subjects we can find  the educational outputs and connected criteria  and rules of their assessment for all educational goals of the study programme TECHNICAL MATERIALS. Each educational part of the study plan/subject states the utilised educational activities (lecture, seminar, exercise, final thesis, lab exercise, expert practice, excursion, state exam, etc.) that are suitable for achieving the educational outputs and are presented in the Information Letters of the Subjects as well as the prerequisites and recommendations for creating the study plan. The method used for realising the educational activity (presentation, distance, combined); the syllabi of the subject; the student´s workload (the “extent” for individual subjects and educational activities independently); the credits assigned to every activity on the basis of the achieved outputs of the education and connected workload; the persons ensuring the subject (the so called guarantors of the subject) with the contact information; the subject teachers and the venue of the subject are presented in the Information Letters of the Subjects.

The regular completion of the study is defined by the Directive No. 110 - STUDY ORDER FOR 3RD DEGREE OF UNIVERSITY STUDY AT UNIZA:   https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_110.pdf

The regular completion of the study requires achieving 180 credits for the whole study. A condition for a regular completion of the PhD study is the passing of the dissertation exam that belongs to the state exams and the defence of the dissertation thesis. The dissertation thesis is the final work. The university certificate, certificate about the state exam and appendix to the diploma are the documents about graduating from the PhD study. 

The basic means of inspection during the study according to Directive No. 110 includes:

• The annual assessment of the PhD student (article 8 of the Directive No. 110): The supervisor until 31^st August (at the latest) of the academic year submits the annual assessment of fulfilling the study programme of the PhD student to the Dean and states if he/she recommends continuing the student´s study. The supervisor assesses the state and fulfilment of the PhD student´s SP, fulfilling the deadlines, he/she assigns the credits and if necessary he/she submits a proposal to adapt the student’s individual study programme. Based on the annual assessment of the PhD student the Dean decides if the PhD student is able to continue the study and if necessary, about the possible changes of his/her study programme.
• The dissertation exam (article 8 of the Directive No. 110): The dissertation exam belongs to the state exams and is public. As a rule, the PhD student of the daily PhD study registers for the dissertation exam within 12 months but at the latest within 18 months from the date of enrolment to the study, the external PhD student at the latest 36 months from the date of the enrolment. The PhD student is obliged to submit (together with the registration form for the dissertation exam) also the written work worked out for the dissertation exam. The failing of fulfilling the conditions for registering for the dissertation exam or failing to submit the written work in the stated deadline without previous consent of the supervising institution causes his/her exclusion from the study. The written work to the dissertation exam is created by a project of the dissertation thesis containing an overview of the current state of the knowledge about the given topic, an outline of the theoretical basics of the future solution and an analysis of the methodological approach to solving the given area. One opponent works out an assessment of the written work to the dissertation exam.
• The defence of the dissertation thesis: The dissertation thesis together with its defence creates one subject. The defence of the dissertation thesis is a state exam and in the framework of the standard duration of the study it has to be realised at the latest during the last month of the last academic year of the standard study duration. The defence of the dissertation thesis has to be realised at the latest within two years from expiring the standard study duration. During this time period the PhD student has no right for the scholarship, he/she continues fulfilling his/her working duties and pays the fees for the extra duration of the study. The rules for assigning, processing, external examination, defence and assessments of the final works are defined by the Directive No. 110 - STUDY ORDER FOR THE THIRD DEGREE OF THE UNIVERSITY STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ŽILINA (articles 10 to 15) and the Directive No.  215 - On Final, Rigorous and Habilitation Theses in the Conditions of the University of Žilina https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-215-en.pdf ).

Interruption and finishing the PhD study

The PhD student can (both during the standard and extra duration) ask for an interruption of the PhD study (also repeatedly) due to the maternity leave, the health reasons, the study stay abroad that is not part of the individual study plan or other serious reasons. During the interruption the PhD student loses the rights and duties of the student. The supervisor gives his/her attitude to the application of the PhD student for interrupting the study.

The interruption of the study is approved by the Dean. The PhD student who registered with a topic of the dissertation thesis announced by an external educational institution will do it only after a positive declaration of the statutory of the external educational institution. 

The total time of interrupting the PhD study usually does not exceed 18 months. In specific and justified cases, e.g. in the case of a longer maternity leave the Dean can decide about interrupting the study for a longer time, however, the upper limit is 36 months.

The PhD study is completed by the defence of the dissertation thesis or leaving the study, failing to complete the study in the stated deadline, exclusion from the study, cancelling the study programme in the study specialisation, death of then student.

At the university level the processes, procedures and structures for verifying the outputs of education and assessment of the students and the possibility of corrective procedures against this assessment are defined by the Directive No. 110 - STUDY ORDER FOR 3^RD DEGREE OF UNIVERSITY STUDY AT UNIZA https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_110.pdf

Directive No.  216 - Quality Assurance of the Doctoral Degree Studies at the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-216-en.pdf

PhD Study Credit System and Assessment of Study Results

The credit system is valid in both forms of the PhD study in compliance with the approved Faculty credit system. The credits are numerical values assigned to the subjects expressing the amount of work necessary for achieving the defined education results. The standard workload of the student for the whole academic year in the external form of the study is expressed by maximally 48 credits in dependence on the standard duration of the corresponding study programme and the number of the credits necessary for regular completion of the study.

The PhD student during his/her study acquires the credit for the following activities

• Participation in specialised PhD lectures and seminars according to the PhD student´s study plan,
• Dissertation exam with successful results,
• Reaching activity in the daily form of the study - extent 4 lessons a week; on the external form the obligation to present selected lectures and fulfilment another professional activity,
• Independent activity in the scientific, research and pedagogical area (publishing with an emphasis on the outputs in the impact magazines ranked in the international indexed databases, participation in solving scientific tasks etc., leading the scientific activities of the undergraduates, leading the final theses of the BA study, etc.), submitting the dissertation thesis for defence.

The Faculty credit system determines the amount of the credits the PhD student is obliged to achieve for:

• Promoting to the next year of study,
• Registering for the dissertation exam,
• Submitting the application to defend the dissertation thesis,
• Realising other activities according to the individual study plan of the PhD student.

If the PhD student realised part of his/her study somewhere else than at the determined educational institution (e.g. abroad), the credits achieved at this institution are valid in full extent if he/she had been sent to this institution in the framework of fulfilling his/her study plan and if the credit system of the sending organisation and the other institution are compatible or they are defined in advance (the transfer credits).

If the study programme of the study specialisation is changed, the until that time achieved credits can be acknowledged if it is in compliance with his/her new study plan. The Dean decides about the transfer or acknowledgement of the credits. The supervisor includes/writes the achieved credits to the student transcript and the electronic UNIZA information system at the latest until the end of the corresponding academic year and includes them also to the annual assessment of the PhD student.

Individual study plan:

The PhD student´s study plan is worked out as an individual study plan in compliance with ensuring the required quality of the scientific work and education of the PhD students. The PhD student´s supervisor is responsible for the quality and level of the study and the individual study plan and the PhD student actively participates in its creation. The expert team or working group and the guarantor of the study programme approve the individual study plan.

The content and structure of the individual study plans reflect the activities, knowledge and skills formulated in the accreditation document of the study programme. To ensure their fulfilment the study plan defines the requirements and criteria whose fulfilment is regularly checked. The study consists of the study, educational and scientific parts whose contents and mutual ratio from the point of view of the credits are defined by the UNIZA internal regulations. The organisation of realising the PhD study programmes at UNIZA is managed by the provisions of the Directive No. 110 - STUDY ORDER FOR THE THIRD DEGREE OF THE UNIVERSITY STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ŽILINA.

The PhD student is assigned credits for individual activities and it is necessary to acquire 180 credits for a successful completion of this study. The credits are acquired for the dissertation exam subjects,, the foreign language, dissertation exam and defence of the dissertation thesis. From the point of view of the scientific and research activity the PhD students gets points for the dissertation projects, publication outputs, utility patterns, citations, active presentations at the conferences and seminars, see Appendix 2 of the Directive No. 216.

In the case of the study programmes that assign credits for the individual and team scientific work, the points are calculated, see Appendix 2, according to the study plans for the given PhD study programme. The points /credits are assigned only for publications connected with the topic of the dissertation thesis and the number of the points/credits is calculated according to the percentage share of the PhD student.

The study of a foreign language is an inseparable part of the PhD study - the duration is two semesters and the goal is to learn the technical vocabulary of the given specialisation in the foreign language. The creation and writing the scientific works and outputs in the form of articles for magazines and papers at conferences in the foreign language, preparation of presentations and active presentations at the conferences are parts of this activity. Every individual study plan involves the subjects of the dissertation exam with a defined amount of the credits. 

Assessing the quality of the study and outputs of the PhD student:

The PhD study is assessed according to the principles of the credit system in compliance with the regulation of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic 614/2002 Coll., about the credit system of the study as amended, paragraph 54, section 2  of the Law about Universities and the principles presented in this article. The quality of the PhD study is assessed during its whole duration and then after its completion. A successfully completed study is when all the required criteria are fulfilled and the PhD student published the results of his/her work in the form of the defined outputs that are involved in the individual study plan. The facts connected with fulfilling the content of the individual study plan of the PhD student are assessed during realising the study plan. The assessment is carried out once a year at the end of the academic year by the supervisor and is approved by the guarantor of the given study programme and subsequently by the Dean, in the case of the university-wide study programmes by the Rector. 

The decisive activities are the dissertation exam and defence of the dissertation thesis. The PhD student who did not fulfil all the duties and lacks the credits cannot register for the dissertation exam and ask for the defence of the dissertation thesis.

The quality of the PhD study is assessed by the Scientific Council of the Faculty or the UNIZA Scientific Council once a year in the framework of assessing the level of the public university in the area of the educational activity and science, technique or art.

A high-quality publication and artistic activity is part of the PhD study. The fulfilment of the defined requirements in the area of the publication outputs of the PhD student in the individual study plan and the minimal criteria of the PhD study outputs in individual study specialisations and UNIZA programmes necessary for a successful completion of the PhD study are required for a successful finish of the PhD study and create the Appendix 1 of the Directive No. 216. 

The supervisor (in the framework of the annual assessment) regularly assesses the quality of the outputs of the PhD student and his/her presentations at the conferences, seminars or in magazines, the supervisors then submits the results to the guarantor, Dean or Rector. The commission and external examiners assess the quality of all publication outputs, patents, utility patterns or other achieved results in the framework of the dissertation thesis defence. They check their international level and contribution for the development of the study specialisation and the originality of the achieved results also in connection with the plagiarism checker. The Rector´s Collegium deals with and assesses the output quality especially of the last year PhD students.

The Directive No. 110 - STUDY ORDER FOR THE THIRD DEGREE OF THE UNIVERSITY STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ŽILINA: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_110.pdf  and the Directive No. 216 - Quality Assurance of  PhD Study at the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-216-en.pdf

The supervisor (at the latest until 31^st August of the given year) submits the annual assessment of the PhD student to the Dean and defines if he/she recommends if the student is/is not to continue the study. The supervisor evaluates the state and level of fulfilling the study programme, fulfilling the deadlines, he/she assigns the credits and if necessary, he/she submits a proposal to adapt the individual study plan of the student. Based on the PhD student´s annual assessment the Dean decides if the PhD student can continue his/her study and also about the changes of his/her study programme, if necessary.

As a rule, an inseparable part of the PhD student´s activities in the daily form defined in the study plan is the participation of the PhD student in a study abroad at a partner institution of the PhD student´s department. It is recommended the PhD student to spend a stay abroad that takes at least two months or one semester. The passing of part of the study at another university is given by an application for the exchange study and by confirmation about acceptation by the partner institution, an agreement between individual partner institutions about the study (in the case of UNIZA with another partner institution that has an accredited programme in the given study specialisation at the partner institution or a similar study specialisation at the partner institution abroad and that has a certified/accredited internal quality management system of the university education or in compliance with ESG 2015, an agreement between individual partner institutions about a common study programme that is commonly accredited as a common study programme in compliance with the internal quality management system of the university education at UNIZA, by a statement of the study results. The credits achieved at this institution are included in full extent on the basis of the partner´s confirmation about passing the study stay. The student can acquire credits for passing a particular subject only once during the study. If the study programme of the study specialisation is changed, it is possible to acknowledge the credits acquired until that time if it complies with the PhD student´s study plan. The Dean decides about transferring or acknowledging the credits - in the case of the university-wide study programmes the Rector. The supervisor writes in the acquired credits to the statement of studies and to the UNIZA information system at the latest until the end of the given academic year and he/she also presents them in the annual assessment of the PhD student.     

The Faculty coordinator who is usually the Vice-dean with the competence of the international relations (at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering UNIZA it is Dr. Ing. Ivan Kuric, PhD.) is appointed the chief coordinator for ensuring the mobility of the students as well as the study in compliance with the conditions defined in the study order. The task of the coordinator is to organise the partner (usually international) cooperation in the educational area. The solution of the tasks connected with sending a accepting the students and providing the advisory services are ensured at the Faculty by Mgr. Renáta Janovčíková.

In the case of the mobilities and stays abroad the Directive No. 219 - Mobility Programmes of UNIZA Students and Staff Abroad: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-219-en.pdf  defines the processes, procedures and structures of the conditions for acknowledging the study.

Rules for prolonging the study are included in the study order. The PhD student can (both during the standard and extra duration) ask for an interruption of the PhD study (also repeatedly) due to the maternity leave, the health reasons, the study stay abroad that is not part of the individual study plan or other serious reasons. The interruption of the study is approved by the Dean. The total time of interrupting the PhD study usually does not exceed 18 months. In specific and justified cases, e.g. in the case of a longer maternity leave the Dean can decide about interrupting the study for a longer time, however, the upper limit is 36 months.

The basic university document - Directive No. 110 - STUDY ORDER FOR THE THIRD DEGREE OF THE UNIVERSITY STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ŽILINA also defines the procedures and corrective means against the results of the assessment given to the student duting his/her examination:

Subjects:

• If the PhD student fails to pass the exam, he/she can repeat it once more (article 9/section 4);

 Dissertation exam:

• The PhD student who fails to pass the exam can repeat it only once more, at the latest after three months from the day of unsuccessful dissertation exam - the date is given by the chairman of the examination commission. A repeated failure is the reason for exclusion from the PhD study (article 9/section 11);

Dissertation thesis:                                                                      

• If the commission for defence suggests not to award the academic title to the PhD student on the basis of the results of the defence or for his/her unexcused absence at the procedure, the Dean/in the case of the university-wide study programmes the Rector determines the resit for the dissertation thesis defence in the same study programme. The defence of the dissertation thesis can be repeated only once, at the latest within two years from ending the standard study duration (article 15/sections 13, 14).    

The PhD final theses are documented at (since 2010): http://kmi2.uniza.sk/?page_id=4229

The years 2015 to 2021 are documented in the following table:  https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/akreditacia/SP-Technicke-materialy_PhD_zoznam-vedenych-zaverecnych-prac.pdf

full-time study

External Study

The rules for assigning, working out, defending and assessing the final theses are in the Directive No. 110 - STUDY ORDER FOR THE THIRD DEGREE OF THE UNIVERSITY STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ŽILINA: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_110.pdf  and the Directive No.  215 - On Final, Rigorous and Habilitation Theses in the Conditions of the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-215-en.pdf

The final work verifies the knowledge, skills and competences the student acquired during the study and his/her capability to use them for solving tasks and particular problems connected with the study specialisation. The final work at the third university degree is understood the dissertation thesis.

The student´s dissertation thesis of the third degree demonstrates the capability and preparedness of the student for an independent scientific and creative activity in the area of research or development or an independent theoretical and creative artistic activity. The thesis presents the results of the scientific investigation and implementation of the research results to practice. The result of the dissertation thesis should bring an achievement of new knowledge in the given area. The scientific research is a process of acquiring new scientific knowledge and extending the cognitive boundaries of the mankind. The student has to prove deep systematic understanding of the study specialisation, he/she has to show skills in the research work and implement the methods of the scientific research. The student is to prove that he/she realised a substantial part of the research by himself/herself, that he/she outlined, designed, realised and optimised it in an ethically clear way.    

Assigning the dissertation theses

The Faculty Dean announces the topics of the dissertation theses the students can apply for in the framework of the admission procedure at the latest two months before the last day determined for submitting the applications. The Dean approves the topics of the dissertation theses according to the proposal of the supervisor and after the previous consent of the chairman of the expert commission or the chief of the working team. If it is a topic announced by an external educational institution, the name of this institution has to be presented. Each announced topic involves the name of the study programme, the name of the supervisor, the form of study (daily, external), the deadline for submitting the applications and the date of the admission procedure. The topics of the dissertation theses together with all prerequisites are published on an official board and are presented massively according to a special Directive No.

The applicants register for the selected topic of the dissertation thesis in the framework of submitting the application for the PhD study.
https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/prijimacky_doktorandi/Strojarstvo_Technicke-materialy_Temy-DDP_2021.pdf

https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/en/education/studies/study-programs-ph-d

Leading and working out the dissertation thesis

The supervisor leads the PhD student during the study, manages and professionally guarantees the PhD student´s study and scientific programme, determines the aim of the project of the dissertation thesis and specifies (with the PhD student) its content, leads the PhD student during solving the dissertation thesis and works out the assessment of the dissertation thesis and the working characteristics of the given PhD student.

The function of the supervisor for the given study specialisation at the Faculty where the PhD study takes place can be carried on by a university teacher and another expert from an institution outside the university after the Scientific Council approves it. The supervisor function for the dissertation theses issued by an external educational institution can realise the supervisors approved by this institution.

https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/odborova-komisia/skolitelia_DDP_Strojarstvo_TM.pdf

The Directive No. 215 -  On Final, Rigorous and Habilitation Theses in the Conditions of the University of Žilina defines the procedure and details of working out the dissertation thesis. The principles of working out the final theses, formal prerequisites and the method of plagiarism check are based on the valid Methodological Directive No. of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic about prerequisites of the final theses, their bibliographical registration, storing and making accessible.

In compliance with the provisions of the Law about Universities the student has to send the final work in electronic form to the Central Register of Final, PhD and Habilitation Theses and based on the information from this institution  the rate of originality of the PhD and habilitation theses will be verified. The student submits the final work at  the latest on the day determined by the Faculty universal academic calendar. 

Application for permission to defend the dissertation thesis

The PhD student submits an application for permission to defend the dissertation thesis to the Dean in compliance with the study schedule if he/she acquired the determined amount of the credits. In a special case the Dean determines (in a written form) a supplementary date for submitting the application for permission to defend the dissertation thesis but the duration of the study is not to exceed the standard duration determined by the accredited study programme in the study specialisation  by more than 2 years.

The PhD student submits the dissertation thesis in Slovak. With a written consent of the Dean he/she can submit it in a foreign language. The PhD student can submit as a dissertation thesis also his/her own publications or published works that deal with the area of the dissertation thesis topic and correspond with the theses of the project. If the PhD student submits a file of his/her own publications, he/she completes it by a detail introduction that will clarify the current state of the given area, the goals of the dissertation thesis and conclusions arisen after solving the topic of the dissertation thesis. If the attached publications are from several authors, the PhD student encloses declaration of the authors about his/her author share. The dissertation thesis prerequisites are defined by the article 11 of the Directive No. 110 and articles 7 and 8 of the Directive No. 215.

External examination of the dissertation thesis

The Dean appoints the external examiners on the basis of the proposal of the chairman of the expert commission or the chairman of the working team. The external examiners are chosen from the experts in the framework of the solved area. Each external examiner has to be from a different organisation. One external examiner can come from the Faculty/university-wide institution the PhD student works for.

The dissertation thesis is assessed at least by two external examiners. At least one external examiner has to have the university degree Professor or Associate Professor and has to carry out the professor function or he/she has to possess the degree Doctor of Sciences or he/she has to be a research worker with an acknowledged qualification degree I. or IIa. The other external examiners have to be scientific and pedagogical experts at the function of visiting professors, employees with the academic title PhD (or its older equivalent), foremost experts from practice with the academic title PhD (or its older equivalent). The external examiner must not belong to the PhD student´s family, must not be his/her chief or subordinate at work or a similar working relation and also the supervisor. The rules and procedures for external examination of the dissertation thesis are defined in the article 14 of the Directive No. 110.

The external examiner´s assessment contains an objective and critical analysis of pluses and minuses of the submitted dissertation thesis; it is brief and does not repeat the content. The external examiner expresses his opinion especially to:

• The up-to-dateness of the selected topic
• The fulfilment of then stated goals of the dissertation thesis,
• The chosen methods of processing,
• The achieved results, it is to present which new knowledge the dissertation thesis is bringing and where it was published,
• The contribution for further progress of science, technique or art and for practice.

In the conclusion he/she unambiguously states if he/she based on the submitted dissertation thesis suggests or does not suggest awarding the title PhD in the corresponding study programme of the study specialisation. 

Defence and assessment of the dissertation thesis

The dissertation thesis and its defence create one subject. The defence of the dissertation thesis is a state exam and in the standard duration of the study the PhD student has to pass it during the last month of the last academic year of his/her standard duration of the study. The defence of the dissertation thesis of an above standard duration of the study has to be realised at the latest within two years from ending of the standard duration of the study. During this time period the PhD student of the daily form of the PhD study has no right for a scholarship and he/she fulfils the duties of his/her job and pays fees for the above standard duration of the study.

The defence of the dissertation thesis is public, in exceptional cases the Dean can announce it as non-public - in such a case when the public defence could threaten a secret protected by a special law. The defence of the dissertation thesis is realised in the form of a scientific discussion. The PhD student presents the content of his/her dissertation thesis, results and benefits. The external examiners present their assessments and the PhD student expresses his/her point of view to them. The discussion verifies the correctness, feasibility and scientific originality of the knowledge included in the dissertation thesis.

The rules and procedures of the defence of the dissertation thesis are defined in article 15 of the Directive No. 110.

The defence procedure is documented by the minutes. This document is then signed by the Commission Chairman for the defence, the commission members who are at the procedure and external examiners. The Commission Chairman for the defence announces the result of the vote to the PhD student and other participants who are present at the defence during a public meeting. The Commission Chairman for the defence submits the proposal for awarding/rejecting the academic title to the PhD student together with minutes and documentation material of the PhD student.

The Dean determines (in writing) the date of the second examination for the defence of the dissertation thesis in the same study programme to that  PhD student who failed to obtain the academic title due to the result of the defence of the dissertation thesis or for his/her unexcused absence at the procedure. The defence procedure can be repeated only once, at the latest within two years from ending the standard duration of the study.

The Dean after the positive assessment of the proposal of the Commission for Defence of the dissertation thesis to award the PhD student the academic title “doctor” or “doctor of art” submits the Rector the documents about graduating from the study.

The students of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of UNIZA can take part in the international mobility programmes of the EU - CEEPUS and Erasmus+ where the applications and rules for acknowledging of this education are managed by the rules of the given programmes. The list of the participating institutions is regularly updated. The instructions are published in the Faculty web site. In the framework of the scientific activities or the supervisor´s projects, the students are sent to the partner universities and research institutions not only in Europe but also worldwide. They can utilise also the bilateral international mobility projects, e.g. through the Slovak Academic Information Agency (SAIA) and the National Scholarship Fund (NSP).

The binding contractual partnerships enable the participation of the interested parties and their representatives in the procedure of designing, approving, realising and assessing the study programme. The agreements with the partners concretise the conditions for participation of the the partner´s employees in realising the study programme and conditions for providing the premises, material and information sources and ensuring the study quality realised in the partner´s premises including the final works.

The UNIZA has the possibility to send the students abroad in the framework of its partnerships to 56 universities. There are even broader possibilities covering practically the whole world and are involved in other schemes especially in the framework of Erasmus+ and activities of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic realised through SAIA. They are especially CEEPUS, NSP, the Action Austria - Slovakia, Visegrad Fund, etc. Except for the Erasmus+ the Faculty has a contractual cooperation with the AGH University of Science and Technology (Kraków, Poland), Technical University of Varna (Bulgaria), International Visegrad Fund.

The processes, procedures and structures of the students´ participation in the mobilities are defined by the Directive No. 219 - Mobility Programmes of UNIZA Students and Staff Abroad   https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-219-en.pdf

The possibilities of participating in the student mobilities are published at the UNIZA web site in section possibilities of study: https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/studenti/vseobecne-informacie/erasmus https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/en/erasmus/application-procedure

and in the section - study abroad: https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/studenti/vseobecne-informacie/studium-v-zahranici at the Faculty web site in the section international cooperation: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/medzinarodna-spolupraca/podpora/erazmus and on the section general information - study abroad:  https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/studenti/vseobecne-informacie/studium-v-zahranici

The procedures of the students´ participation in the mobilities are defined by the Directive No. 219 - Directive No. 219 - Mobility Programmes of UNIZA Students and Staff Abroad - PART 2: UNIZA STUDENTS´ MOBILITY ABROAD AND CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATING IN STUDY STAYS ABROAD.

The attendance of part of the study at a university abroad is specified by:

• The application for the exchange study and confirmation about acceptation by the partner institution (mobility or stay abroad),
• The agreement between individual partner institutions about the study (in the case of the UNIZA cooperation with another partner institution that has an accredited study programme in the study specialisation at the partner institution or similar study specialisation at the partner institution abroad and that has a certified/accredited internal management of the university education or ESG 2015),
• The agreement between individual partner institutions about a common study programme that is, at the same time, commonly accredited as a common study programme in compliance with the internal quality system of the university education at UNIZA.

For studying at a university abroad we conclude an agreement between the student, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering UNIZA and the partner institution providing the study. The details are defined by the Directive No. of the Ministry of Education about the credit system of the study. The agreement is concluded before the student starts studying at the university abroad.

Participation in mobilities - procedure:

The basic obligations of the student sent for a study stay are defined by the articles 6 and 7 of the Directive No. 219. The student who was approved by the Selection Commission:

• Submits the document about approval for the stay abroad or the contractual basis for spending part of his/her study at a university abroad,
• Creates a study plan from the offer of the subjects at the foreign university in the extent of the standard load of the student (the conditions for creating a study plan are specified in the articles 3 to 5 of the Directive No. 219),
• Before sending for the stay abroad he/she fills in the Agreement about Study/Stay (Learning Agreement) and information about the planned study stay,
• Notifies the Head of Department and the department that organises of his/her study stay
• Informs the relevant teacher about the subject whose equivalent he/she will study at the foreign university or whose subject he/she will not study at UNIZA due to his/her stay abroad
• At the latest within 30 days (in justified cases 45 days) from the day of completion the study stay abroad he/she submits all documents confirming the participation in the study stay abroad to the Vice-Dean with the competence for the international cooperation of the Faculty

The subjects the student passed at the university abroad are acknowledged by the guarantor of the study programme and at the Faculty by the Vice-Dean for education or the Vice-Dean whose competence is the international cooperation. The student submits an application that contains the statement of the study results from the foreign university at the end of his/her study as well as the information sheets or syllabi of the subjects passed. The office for education includes the assessment of the subject to the AIS. The application and the whole documentation becomes part of the study documentation of the student at the Office for Education.

Full-time students of the SP Technical Materials carried out their stays, for example, at the following foreign workplaces:

Ing. Patrícia Hanusová (graduated in 2020/2021):

• Institute of Technical Materials and Biomaterials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland, 10 months, 2019, (Visegrad Scholarship Programme);
• Institute of Technical Materials and Biomaterials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland, 5 months, 2020, (Visegrad Scholarship Programme);

Ing. Tatiana Oršulová (graduated in 2018/2019):

• Institute of Technical Materials and Biomaterials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poľsko, 10 months, 2017, (Visegrad Scholarship Programme);
• Institute of Technical Materials and Biomaterials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland, 5 months, 2018, (Visegrad Scholarship Programme);

Ing. Daniel Kajánek (graduated in 2018/2019):

• Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 15th September 2017 - 15th December 2017, 3 months (ERAZMUS+);
• Malta, 1st May 2018 - 30th June 2018, 2 months (NŠP);
• ÚFM, AV Brno, 5 months, 2019, (Visegrad Scholarship Programme);

Ing. Michal Jambor (graduated in 2018/2019):     

• Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 15th Septemebr 2017 - 15th December 2017, 3 months (ERAZMUS+);
• Ústav fyziky materiálu, AV Brno, Czech Republic, 1st September 2018 - 31st December 2018, 4 months (ERAZMUS stay);
• Ústav fyziky materiálu, AV Brno, Czech Republic, 1st February 2019 - 30th June 2019, 5 months, ERAZMUS stay);

Ing. Martin Frkáň (graduated in 2018/2019):

• Universita Degli Studi di Parma, Italy, 4th September 2017 - 3rd Decemebr 2017, 3 months (ERAZMUS+);
• Ústav fyziky materiálu, AV Brno, Czech Republic, 5 months, 2019 (Visegrad Scholarship Programme);

Ing. Kamil  Borko (graduated in 2017/2018):

• Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2nd November 2015 - 30th November 2015, 1 month (EU project);
• TU Clausthal, Germany, 12th September 2016 - 30th November 2016, 2.5 months (LLP ERAZMUS stay);
• Institute of Technical Materials and Biomaterials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland, 2017, 5 months (Visegrad Scholarship Programme);

Ing. Denisa  Zavodská (graduated in 2017/2018):

• Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2nd November 2015 - 30th November 2015, 1 month (EU project);
• Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 1st October 2016 - 30th November 2016, 2 months (LLP ERAZMUS - stay);
• Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 1st December 2016 - 28th February 2017, 3 months (NŠP);
• Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 19th October 2018 - 20th February 2019, 4 months (LLP ERAZMUS);

Ing. Ján Lago (graduated in 2016/2015):

• Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 1st June 2015 - 1st July 2015, 1 month (EU project);
• Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 14th September 2015 - 14th October 2015, 1 month (EU project);
• Politecnico di Miláno and Universita degli studi di Parma, Italy, 13th November 2015 - 30th November 2015, 3 weeks (EU project);

Ing. Monika Oravcová (graduated in 2016/2015):

• Msida, Malta, 7th October 2015 - 17th October 2015, 2 weeks (EU project);
• Politechnika Slaska, Gliwice, 2nd May 2016 - 2nd July 2016, 2 months (LLP ERAZMUS);
• TU Clausthal , 12th September 2016 - 30th November 2016, 2.5 months (LLP ERAZMUS stay);

Ing. Andrej Bača (graduated in 2015/2016):

• Universita degli studi di Parma, Italy, 15th September 2014 - 17th December 2015, 3 months (LLP ERAZMUS);
• Universita degli studi di Parma, Italy, 15th June 2015 - 13th July 2015, 1 month (EU project);
• Politecnico di Milano, Taliansko, 2nd November 2015 - 30th November 2015, 1 month (EU project);

Ing. Zuzana Dresslerová (graduated in 2015/2016):               

• Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, 2x 2 weeks, 2015 (EU project);
• Msida, Malta, 7th October 2015 - 17th October 2015, 2 weeks (EU project);

Ing. Miroslav Omasta (graduated in 2015/2016):

• Italy, 1st February 2015 - 30th April 2015, 3 months (NŠP);
• Msida, Malta, 21st June 2015 - 12th July 2015, 1 month (EU project);
• Msida, Malta, 23rd Septemebr 2015 - 7th October 2015, 2 weeks (EU project);

Ing. Martin Lovíšek (graduated in 2015/2016):

• Msida, Malta, 21st June 2015 - 1th July 2015, 1 month (EU project);

Ing. Andrea Soviarová (graduated in 2014/2015):

• VŠB TU Ostrava, Czech Republic, 9th September 2013 - 8th December 2014, 3 months (LLP ERAZMUS);
• Switzerland, 2014, 4 months (NŠP);
• Msida, Malta, 7th October 2015 - 17th October 2015, 2 weeks (EU project).

Rules for Observance the Academic Ethics and Concluding Consequences are stated by the Disciplinary Order for the Students of the University of Žilina, Disciplinary Commission of the UNIZA Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ethical Code, Ethical Commission of UNIZA, Directive No.  226 - On Copyright Ethics and the Elimination of Plagiarism in the Conditions of the University of Žilina and the Directive No.  215 - On Final, Rigorous and Habilitation Theses in the Conditions of the University of Žilina.

• Disciplinary order of UNIZA - https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/fstroj/pdf/Predpisy/02092021_S-201-2021-Disciplinarny-poriadok-pre-studentov-UNIZA.pdf
• Disciplinary Commission of the UNIZA Faculty of Mechanical Engineering - https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/studenti/vseobecne-informacie/disciplinarna-komisia
• Rule of procedure of the UNIZA disciplinary commissions - https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/uradna-tabula/smernice-predpisy/2021/09072021_S-167-2018-Rokovaci-poriadok-disciplinarnych-komisii-UNIZA.pdf
• Ethical codex expresses the basic, moral and ethical requirements on the academia and other university employees according the the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, with the law 131/2002 Coll., about universities as amended, the Statute of the University and other regulations https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/university/general-information/ethical-codex
• Directive No. 226 - On Copyright Ethics and the Elimination of Plagiarism in the Conditions of the University of Žilina https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-226-en.pdf
• Directive No. 215 - On Final, Rigorous and Habilitation Theses in the Conditions of the University of Žilina  https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-215-en.pdf

The Ethical Code of the University of Žilina defines the ethical principles in the following areas:

• The general ethical principles valid for all persons employed or studying at the university (Directive No. 207, article 2)
• The relation to the university and general public (Directive No. 207, article 3)
• The principles for the pedagogical activities (Directive No. 207, article)
• The principles of the scientific and research activities (Directive No. 207, article 5)
• The principles of the research practice at UNIZA and unacceptable practices of the research (Directive No. 207, article 6)  
• The principles for the university students (Directive No. 207, article 7)

The Ethical Code binds all employees and students of the university to behave in compliance with its requirements. Any breach and subsequent measure is solved by the Ethical Commission of the university appointed by the Rector (the current members of the commission: https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/univerzita/vseobecne-informacie/eticky-kodex

In connection with observing the Ethical Code every academia member and university employee has the right to initiate a procedure of the Ethical Commission. Such an incentive can be submitted by any UNIZA employee, Faculty employee UNIZA student or any other person that learned about the behaviour of an UNIZA student or employee having the signs of breaching the Ethical Code through submitting it to Chairman of the Ethical Commission in writing and own signature or in the electronic form with an authorised electronic signature. If the document sent electronically is not authorised and is sent from an unidentifiable address, the submitting person has to complete the letter by his/her own signature or authorised electronic signature within three days, otherwise the document is not accepted. The initiation has to contain minimally the name and surname of the submitting person, his/her signature, a brief description of the situation, the provision of the Ethical Code that was breached or was not applied. If the document is anonymous, it is registered; however, it will not be taken into account.

The Ethical Commission is obliged to discuss an appropriately submitted initiation at the latest within one month from its receipt or to pass it to the chief of the section according to the articles 6, section 7 of this Directive No.. When the initiation is solved there is a necessity to emphasise the coaction of all participating parties and maintaining the highest possible privacy.

In the case of detecting a breach the statement of the Ethical Commission will contain recommendations or suggestion of corrective measures for the further steps of the bodies authorised to make decisions - the Rector, the Dean, Chief of the UNIZA department in compliance with the Organisational Order of UNIZA. All participating parties have to be informed about the Commission recommendations in writing. The employee touched by the statement of the Ethical Commission has the right (within 7 days) from the receipt of the statement to ask for correction against the statement of the Ethical Commission in the form of an application for correction and explanation to the Rector, the Dean or another leading UNIZA employees in compliance with the Organisational Order of UNIZA and the asked person will consider the situation for defining the corrective measures.  

The result of the discussion of the Ethical Commission can be also a recommendation for the next procedure according to the paragraph 108f of the law 131/2002 Coll. about universities as amended.

If a disciplinary offense was detected, it is passed to the Disciplinary Commission of UNIZA or the Disciplinary Commission of the Faculty. The procedure is defined by the Directive No. 201 - Disciplinary Order for UNIZA Students: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_201.pdf

The basic rules of the author ethics as an unwritten law involving the moral principles that the author, employee or student are to respect during writing the professional and university publications and the stance of UNIZA to respecting the legal and moral requirements of the authors and the principles of a correct publication practice are defined in the Directive No.  226 - On Copyright Ethics and the Elimination of Plagiarism in the Conditions of the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-226-en.pdf

The rules of the author ethics are closely connected with the framework principles of good behaviour in research, the European Code of Ethics and Integrity of Research and support improving the scientific and research standards of the UNIZA academia according to the Directive No. 207 - Ethical Code of the University of Žilina. In the long term UNIZA aims at increasing the consciousness  about the importance of fulfilling the rules of the author ethics of its employees and students and principally refuses any unauthorised takeover of the author texts and ideas without any reference to its author and in this way it tries to eliminate the possible plagiarism. It carefully checks the originality of the outputs of the intellectual or industrial ownership of the students and employees and in the case of any doubt about the authorship of the presented work or breaching the rights of the intellectual or industrial ownership, it principally rejects them, see articles 1 section2 of the Directive No. 209 - Study Order for the First and Second Degree of the University Study; the Directive No. 110 - Study Order for the Third Degree of the University Study at the University of Žilina as well as the article 6, section 2 and article 11 section 11 of the Ethical Code of UNIZA.  

To eliminate plagiarism, UNIZA has begun to check the originality of not only the final, PhD and habilitation works in the conditions of the University of Žilina through the Central Register of Final Works but also to check the originality of all types of scientific and professional outputs (publications) of the employees and students, the semester works of the students or outputs of a similar character.                                        

The failure to observe the author ethics and behaviour according to the article 3 of this Directive No. is considered a breach of the working duties of the UNIZA employees and if the students breach it, these facts are qualified as a breach of the Directive No. 209 -  Study Order for the First and Second Degree of the University Study; the Directive No. 110 - STUDY ORDER FOR THE THIRD DEGREE OF THE UNIVERSITY STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ŽILINA of the Directive No. 201 - Disciplinary Order. In the case of detecting a breach of the Disciplinary Order of the University of Žilina it will be handed over to the Disciplinary Commission of UNIZA or Disciplinary Commission of the Faculty.

The procedures applicable for the students with special needs are described at UNIZA web site - https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/general-information/applicants-with-special-needs

The Centre of Support for Students with Special Needs is working at UNIZA. The centre provides information, consultancy, supporting services and educational activities for applicants and students with special needs, teachers and general public. At the Faculty there is a coordinator for supporting the students with specific needs who assesses the possibilities/restrictions and the risk rate of studying the given study programme for the students with specific needs. He/she suggests adequate adaptations and supporting services determined for a student with specific needs and realises the consultancy and mediatory activity. He/she participates in creating a system of hybrid education and support for the students with special needs.

The conditions for the applicants for study with special needs during the admission procedure and during the study at UNIZA are described by the Directive No. 198 - Support of Applicant for Study and Students with Specific Needs at UNIZA: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_198.pdf

UNIZA also provides services of the Centre for psychological support: https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/practical-informations/centre-for-psychological-support

The workplace was established by joining the consultancy services in the Centre of the Psychological Support, Social Consultancy and the newly created career consultancy. The advisory centre with complex services will ensure that the students will have a simple access to the consultancy and other services corresponding with their needs. Its mission is to help the students cope with their study, prepare their entrance to the labour market, support their relationship with the university and create links between the university ground and employers.

The CCC UNIZA provides a complex advisory service to the students and employees of the university (further only “clients”). The main objective of the CCC UNIZA is to provide the psychological, career, social consultancy and intervention oriented on the development of the clients´ personality and support for solving the problems of the intrapersonal character (the problems connected with the university study, the area of the social problems, the orientation in the area of personal and career targets) and the interpersonal character (the adaptation to the study and working group and also the group of people of the same age, starting and maintaining full-fledged personal and working relations). The task of the CCC UNIZA is a) to provide the clients with the possibility of individual consultations in the framework of solving their difficulties and problems and developing the personality potential; b) to provide the clients with the possibility of the group sessions of the educational and advisory character; c) to help utilise the knowledge from the area of psychology, career advisory, pedagogical and social work for self-education and self-control; d) to support the development or recovery of the psychical health, to orient on other healthcare institutions to ensure the adequate professional aid and therapy; e) to participate in implementing the inclusive approach to education with the goal to ensure the equality of opportunities, respect to individual educational needs and the active involvement to the educational process of each student.

The procedures of submitting initiations and appeals of the student:

The student freely expresses his/her professional opinions, respects freedom of speech and critical thinking, free exchange of opinions and information. He/she turns with confidence to his/her teachers, academic officials and the members of the Academic Senate in the case of solving the problems concerning the teaching process and organisation of their life at UNIZA.

At the Faculty the students can (except for the aforementioned possibilities) address their initiations to the study advisor (the study advisors are appointed by the Dean at the beginning of the school year), they can turn to the representatives of the students´ support (a group created for the purposes of communication and advisory activities), the Head of Department, the SP guarantor or the Chairman of the Trade Union Council or directly to the Dean. 

In dependence on the essence of such an initiation it is solved by a person responsible for the given area (the Dean, Vice-Deans, guarantors, Heads of Department) or an established commission (disciplinary, ethical).

At the university level the processes, procedures and structures are defined by the Directive No. 110 - STUDY ORDER FOR THE THIRD DEGREE OF THE UNIVERSITY STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ŽILINA.

At the same time all student of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering have the possibility to ask the Dean freely and anonymously at the platform - Questions for the Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php?option=com_sppagebuilder&view=page&id=272

The timetable for the current academic year is available on the Faculty's website: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/en/education/calendar/academic-calendar 

Studies in the third cycle of higher education are carried out according to an individual study plan.

prof. Ing. Eva Tillová, PhD. 

https://www.portalvs.sk/regzam/detail/9724

Head of the Department of Materials Engineering, Vice-Dean for Scientific and Research Activities at the Faculty of Science of UNIZA

e-mail: eva.tillova@fstroj.uniza.sk

Contents is generated from Study plans.

Contents is generated from Study plans.

The list of supervisors in the SP Technical Materials with the assignment to the thesis topics is given in the table for both full-time and external studies.

Full-time study

External study

Ing. Ján Sovík     jan.sovik@fstroj.uniza.sk

The student is a member of the SP Council, he defenced succeesfully the diploma work at the department and has experience with representing the students´ interests in the SP.

Study Advisors: 

prof. Ing. Otakar Bokůvka, PhD.: otakar.bokuvka@fstroj.uniza.sk

He provides consultancies (mobility, publishing opportunities) in the room BC 212 on Wednesdays from 9:00 - 10:00 or through the e-mail communication or MS TEAMS.

RNDr. Viera Zatkaliková, PhD.: viera.zatkalikova@fstroj.uniza.sk

She provides the consultancies (organisation of studies, examinations) in the room BB 216 on Wednesdays from 9:00 - 10:00 (or at another time according to the agreement) or through the e-mail communication or MS TEAMS.

Study Official for the 3rd Degree:

Ing. Eva-Carmen Gavlas            tel.: 041/513 27 05      e-mail: carmen.gavlas@fstroj.uniza.sk

At the UNIZA Faculty of Mechanical Engineering the Department of Science and Research is in charge of the PhD study that provides adequate activities in the area of HR, technical and financial activities. It is methodologically managed by the Vice-Dean for Scientific and Research Activities: prof. Ing. Eva Tillová, PhD. The supporting staff of the department and their competence and number corresponds with the needs and number of the students at the 3^rd degree in connection with the educational goals and outputs, it ensures the tutorial, consultancy, administrative and other supporting services and activities for the PhD students of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

The Department for Foreign Relations provides the administrative support of the mobilities abroad at the Faculty - Mgr. Renáta Janovčíková, e-mail: renata.janovcikova@fstroj.uniza.sk (https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/medzinarodna-spolupraca/podpora/erazmus ). This department also deals with advisory activities in the area of the exchange stays of the students and with promotion of the mobilities abroad.

The Department for International Relations and Marketing working at the UNIZA Rector´s Office is in charge of the Erasmus+ activities - the responsible person is Mgr. Lenka Kuzmová - lenka.kuzmova@rekt.uniza.sk who manages all activities of the programme at UNIZA.

The students of SP utilise the UNIZA dormitories with the supporting administrative and technical staff: https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/practical-informations/accommodation  or: https://vd.internaty.sk

https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/studenti/prakticke-informacie/ubytovanie                         

https://www.iklub.sk/index.php?q=ubytko&PHPSESSID=6f1f816fca3dfceea64f3d777752d6e9

The Consultancy and Career Centre of UNIZA helps the students solve the problems of the study, partner and family problems, emotional problems, communication problems, identification of  a job for the career,...

https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/studenti/prakticke-informacie/poradenske-a-karierne-centrum-uniza

The Coordinator of the Psychological Consultancy of CCC - PhDr. Miroslava Bruncková, PhD. (room: AA022, tel.: +421 41 513 5073, mob.: +421 918 513 952, e-mail: miroslava.brunckova@uniza.sk / pkc@uniza.sk) is also available for the students.

The students can also make use of the consultancy of the university team of psychological support: https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/practical-informations/centre-for-psychological-support

 Consultancy psychologist, psychoterapist, professional coach: Mgr. Peter Seemann, PhD. (room: BF339, tel.: +421 41 513 3226, e-mail: seemann@fpedas.uniza.sk

• Consultancy psychologist: Mgr. PhDr. Eva Škorvagová, PhD. (room: AC211, tel.: +421 41 513 6398, e-mail: skorvagova@fhv.uniza.sk
• Professional consultant of the first contact: PhDr. Katarína Gažová (room: AA016, tel.: +421 41 513 5038, e-mail: gazova@uniza.sk)
• Psychological consultant: PhDr. Miroslava Bruncková, PhD. (room: AA022; tel.: +421 41 513 5073; mob.: +421 918 513 952; e-mail: miroslava.brunckova@uniza.sk / pkc@uniza.sk
• Professional advisor: Mgr. Valéria Moricová, PhD. (room: MA412; tel.: +421 41 513 6731; e-mail: moricova@fbi.uniza.sk

Information for students with special needs: https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/general-information/applicants-with-special-needs

Coordinator for fees: Jana Závodská, jana.zavodska@uniza.sk

Information about fees: https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/general-information/application-to-study

Staff of the University Library: http://ukzu.uniza.sk/en/elementor-171/

Advisors for e-education: Ing. Peter Fraňo, frano@uniza.sk  Ing. Peter Malacký, peter.malacky@uniza.sk; https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/practical-informations/student-id

The premises of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering are in the compound of the University of Žilina (UNIZA) with a good access by the city means of transport.

The list and characteristics of the classrooms at the UNIZA Faculty of MechanicaL Engineering, the classroom of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS and their technical outfit with attached educational outputs can be found at:

• https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/akreditacia/laboratoria/zoznam-lab
• https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/uradna-tabula/brozura2018_en_WEB.pdf

The 3D gallery shows the rooms - classrooms, labs for individual SPs where the sessions take place: 

• https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/akreditacia/laboratoria/prehliadka
• https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/en/faculty/other-information/virtual-tour

The students of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS realise their experimental activities in the unique research labs of the UNIZA Research Centre (VC0.06, VC0.15, VC1.15 a VC1.20 - https://vyskumnecentrum.sk/zariadenia . Their equipment serves not only for the scientific activities but also as an important educational illustrative tool for the needs of the students of the 2nd and 3rd university degree. 

The operation and availability of the material, technical and information resources are ensured from the funds, from the entrepreneurial activity and the means of the publicly available grant schemes.

The Institute of Physical Training ensures the sports activity for the UNIZA students. The subject physical training takes place in the extent of 2 lessons a week as an optional subject. After the student successfully passes the lessons of the selected type of sport, he/she can get 2 credits in each semester. Further credits can be obtained at the BA and MA degree for the summer and winter training camps. The goal of the Institute of Physical Training is to offer the student possibilities to choose from a wide range of the sport specialisations. The specialisation is to strengthen the attitude to a certain type of sport, to improve it and actively improve the physical conditions and performance of the student. The current level of mastering the given sport is not important but the interest in this sport.

The UNIZA Institute of Physical Training offers the UNIZA student a broad range of the sport specialisations:

https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/en/erasmus/accommodation-catering-sport

https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/practical-informations/leisure-activities

• The fitness centre, aerobic hall, squash playground, multi-purpose playground, regeneration facility, gym for the martial arts, climbing wall and sauna are available at the Fit-Club at the housing estate Hliny.
• The fitness centre, multi-purpose hall, ricochet playground, gym T1 Veľký Diel, gym Májová street, tennis courts, football grass playground, athletic track are available at the Fit-Club Veľký diel.

For those who are interested in the high performance sport the teams of the sports club ACADEMIC UNIZA are available. The Institute of Physical Training regularly organises the sport courses of rafting lasting one or several days (Soča, Salza, Váh, Hron, Belá), biking stays connected with hiking but also winter ski courses (the Low Tartras, the Alps, etc.)  

The Directive No. 217 - Resources to Support Educational, Creative and Other Related Activities of the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-217-en.pdf

Access to Internet:

The IT classrooms and labs of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS are connected to the university network that enables the students to have an unlimited access to the Internet (total of 47 PC). Seven terminals placed in front of the the Study Department of the Faculty offer the possibilities to connect to the network. UNIZA operates its own wi-fi network. The students can connect to the university wi-fi network (available in all university premises) and have a free access to the UNIZA web sites and an unlimited access to Internet after activating the student account. The university wi-fi network supports EDUROAM.

The software packet Microsoft Office 365 is available for the students. https://ikt.uniza.sk/uniza-wiki/office-365-na-uniza/  The student licence enables utilising the web and desktop applications of the packet Office 365 during their whole study.

The University of Žilina is the owner of the licence Total Academic Headcount (TAH) for MATLAB & Simulink - https://ikt.uniza.sk/uniza-wiki/category/software/matlab/ . In the framework of the TAH licence at UNIZA the students obtain the access e.g. to Matlab, Simulink, all main toolboxes - Matlab Online, Matlab Drive and Matlab Mobile. Except for these services the students can take part in the courses Matlab Online Training Suite. The licence enables to utilise Matlab for all teachers and students for the purposes of teaching, research and educations. Matlab can be installed on all university equipment and private computers.     

The University of Žilina is the owner of the licence for the engineering and simulation software from the company Ansys - https://ikt.uniza.sk/uniza-wiki/ansys-2/ . The individual software from the programme package ANSYS enables to solve the physical problems for the following types of the fields: deformation fields in flexible bodies, flow of fluids, temperature fields, high-frequency electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic fields, optics. It is possible to solve also tasks from the area of the mixed fields and a lot of other technical problems in the areas of mechanical engineering, electrotechnical engineering, building industry, security engineering, medicine, transport, optics, 3D print, etc. The algorithms and computational models are based mainly on the FEM that is the most universal method for solving the partial differential equations and variation tasks for searching for extreme.

Electronic information system:

The Academic Information and Educational System (in Slovak the abbreviation AIVS) is the basic information system for the educational and teaching process. AIVS is available for the students at the university domain and also on Internet. It also covers the detached university workplaces. Currently AIVS covers by its services the whole life cycle of the university student from submitting the application to the final exams and activities connected with completing the study at the university. The system AIVS is created by the following subsystems:

The subsystem “Admission Procedure” provides the processing of the application (electronic/classical), results and their assessment, communication with the applicant and processing statistics for the Ministry of Education.

The subsystem “Education” - https://vzdelavanie.uniza.sk/vzdelavanie/ - created by the modules: students´ register, enrolment, schedule of lectures and administration of resources, development of the study, registering the study results, preliminary assessment of the study results, study stays (mobilities.

The subsystem “Completion of Study” created by the modules “Final Work” and “State Exams”.    

AIVS is integrated with other information systems that belong to the university intranet - the university library, emitting the student ID and administration of the student IDs, the access system, the list of users (identity management), the time and attendance system of the PhD students. AIVS is linked with the system of the university e-mail addresses of the students and with the application for the digital certificate and electronic signature in the selected services of AIVS. The application UniApps enables to access the data and AIVS services from the mobiles with OS Android in compliance with the university concept of implementing the mobile technologies. UniApps enables access to information independently of the place and time with the usage of the mobile device for the daily students of the 1^st to 3^rd degree. 

The Directive No. 217 - Resources to Support Educational, Creative and Other Related Activities of the University of Žilina

https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-217-en.pdf

Access to Internet:

The IT classrooms and labs of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS are connected to the university network that enables the students to have an unlimited access to the Internet (total of 47 PC). Seven terminals placed in front of the the Study Department of the Faculty offer the possibilities to connect to the network. UNIZA operates its own wi-fi network. The students can connect to the university wi-fi network (available in all university premises) and have a free access to the UNIZA web sites and an unlimited access to Internet after activating the student account. The university wi-fi network supports EDUROAM.

The software packet Microsoft Office 365 is available for the students. https://ikt.uniza.sk/uniza-wiki/office-365-na-uniza/  The student licence enables utilising the web and desktop applications of the packet Office 365 during their whole study.

The University of Žilina is the owner of the licence Total Academic Headcount (TAH) for MATLAB & Simulink - https://ikt.uniza.sk/uniza-wiki/category/software/matlab/ . In the framework of the TAH licence at UNIZA the students obtain the access e.g. to Matlab, Simulink, all main toolboxes - Matlab Online, Matlab Drive and Matlab Mobile. Except for these services the students can take part in the courses Matlab Online Training Suite. The licence enables to utilise Matlab for all teachers and students for the purposes of teaching, research and educations. Matlab can be installed on all university equipment and private computers.     

The University of Žilina is the owner of the licence for the engineering and simulation software from the company Ansys - https://ikt.uniza.sk/uniza-wiki/ansys-2/ . The individual software from the programme package ANSYS enables to solve the physical problems for the following types of the fields: deformation fields in flexible bodies, flow of fluids, temperature fields, high-frequency electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic fields, optics. It is possible to solve also tasks from the area of the mixed fields and a lot of other technical problems in the areas of mechanical engineering, electrotechnical engineering, building industry, security engineering, medicine, transport, optics, 3D print, etc. The algorithms and computational models are based mainly on the FEM that is the most universal method for solving the partial differential equations and variation tasks for searching for extreme.

Electronic information system:

The Academic Information and Educational System (in Slovak the abbreviation AIVS) is the basic information system for the educational and teaching process. AIVS is available for the students at the university domain and also on Internet. It also covers the detached university workplaces. Currently AIVS covers by its services the whole life cycle of the university student from submitting the application to the final exams and activities connected with completing the study at the university. The system AIVS is created by the following subsystems:

The subsystem “Admission Procedure” provides the processing of the application (electronic/classical), results and their assessment, communication with the applicant and processing statistics for the Ministry of Education.

The subsystem “Education” - https://vzdelavanie.uniza.sk/vzdelavanie/ - created by the modules: students´ register, enrolment, schedule of lectures and administration of resources, development of the study, registering the study results, preliminary assessment of the study results, study stays (mobilities.

The subsystem “Completion of Study” created by the modules “Final Work” and “State Exams”.    

AIVS is integrated with other information systems that belong to the university intranet - the university library, emitting the student ID and administration of the student IDs, the access system, the list of users (identity management), the time and attendance system of the PhD students. AIVS is linked with the system of the university e-mail addresses of the students and with the application for the digital certificate and electronic signature in the selected services of AIVS. The application UniApps enables to access the data and AIVS services from the mobiles with OS Android in compliance with the university concept of implementing the mobile technologies. UniApps enables access to information independently of the place and time with the usage of the mobile device for the daily students of the 1^st to 3^rd degree. 

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering UNIZA that utilises more than 700 PCs in the pedagogical and scientific and research process is connected with AIVS (the students of the 1^st to 3^rd degree of study utilise 363 PCs) and with the programmes MatLab® & Simulink® in the framework of the university licence Total Academic Headcount (TAH), LabVIEW, ME´scopeVES 5.0 (Vibrant Technology), ANSYS, ADINA, MSC.MARC, MSC.AUTOFORGE, MSC.FATIGUE, MSC.ADAMS, Mathematica, SYSWELD, ABAQUS, Axio Vision 4 with the package  Materials Package, , the module for analysing the phases, analysing alloys and module for topography, Witness Horizon 21 - software for modelling and optimising the manufacturing and maintenance processes, TechOptimizer 2.5 - for innovations, IQ-RM PRO 6.5 - FMEA a FMECA, Catia, Simpack, AMR-WinControl, Pro/ENGINEER, AutoCAD, VisiLogic, CodeVision AVR Evaluation, simulation programmes for industrial robots (TriVariant v9.exe, HEXAPOD prototype simulation v1.0.exe, RoboSim.exe ) and mobile robots (MobilnyRobot.exe), DELMIA Dasault Systemes, Siemes Tecnomatix for PLM containing Tecnomatix Jack, Tecnomatix Process Simulate, Tecnomatix Plant Simulation, Tecnomatix Robcad, Tecnomatix Facory Cad a Factory Flow, a complex software package Siemes Teamcenter for data administration, etc.

UNIZA is the member of the project SIVVP - Slovak Infrastructure for High-Performance Computers - approved in March 2009. The project was realised in 2012. The high-performance computing (HPC) or High-Performance Computers (VVP) means using supercomputers and computer clusters for solving the numerically or data demanding tasks in various branches of the science and technique, e.g. medicine, physics, chemistry and economics. The students can utilise the software ANSYS, COMSOL, COMSOL - cluster computing, Genome Trax, Mathematica 11.1, Matlab - licence for GRID, Matlab - TAH licence and SIMPACK.

Access to the study literature:

The University Library of the University of Žilina (UK UNIZA http://ukzu.uniza.sk/ ) is a central workplace ensuring the complex library and information activities in the framework of the UNIZA activities, its individual study specialisations and subjects, relevantly according the current needs and changed requirements in the form of acquisition, professional processing and making the monographs, textbooks, standards, journals, legislative documents, periodical literature, statistical overviews and almanacs, language and professional dictionaries, encyclopaedias, electronic carriers of information, electronic information sources, electronic books available. The information about acquiring the study and other professional literature are published first of all for the UNIZA users but also the general public through the electronic online catalogue. All provided services are ensured automatically including the book loan, the inter-library and international book loan, the research activity, providing the DDS services and the electronic reference services.

The students have an access to a lot of paid fulltexts and databases - WOS, SCOPUS, Science Direct, Springer Online, Wileys, Oxford Publishing, etc.

The UNIZA Library has three study rooms for its users (92 places - http://ukzu.uniza.sk/sluzby-kniznice/) - its area is 540 m². The studies and workplaces for borrowing books are equipped with PCs with a direct Internet connection (46 PCs). In the study rooms there are available 11,292 books for the reference study (the basic study literature, electronic and audio-visual documents, final and qualification works, standards, etc.) and periodicals. At the study rooms (and also through other UNIZA IP addresses) there are available electronic databases complying with the subject specialisation of the university - 35 databases making mostly fulltext sources available. A study and relax zone, a silent box and the so called “brain relaxation room” are also available.

Except for the library collection accessible directly in the Library premises, the departments have their own “partial libraries” (109 partial libraries) where the students can also borrow publications. The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering is doing its best to bring the students as much information as possible and therefore part of the study literature (the textbooks, articles, presentations, aids for exercises, etc.)  is issued electronically.  They are published by their authors at the Internet sites of the departments and in the university system of e-learning. The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering issues its own study texts (monographs, university textbooks) mostly in the publishing house EDIS that is part of UNIZA. UNIZA issues also scientific magazines - https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/scientists-and-partners/uniza-provide/scientific-journals

The study is realised in the face-to-face form but the teachers are able to transfer immediately to the distance form of teaching if a situation similar to the current COVID-19 pandemic occurs. In this case the teaching process will be realised through the systems Moodle and MS Teams.

Thanks to the package MS Office 365 - https://ikt.uniza.sk/uniza-wiki/office-365-na-uniza/ used by UNIZA it is possible to share large files, carry out online classes as well as testing in a reliable regime with a continuous transfer of data files at the same time. The on-line classes and testing in the framework of this package are realised through Teams and Forms.   The Dean of the Faculty informs the students about the transfer from the face-to-face study to the distance one by a mass electronic e-mail. If there is only a short-term transfer in the framework of a certain subject the students are informed in advance by the responsible teacher. The students are informed about the conditions of passing a subject during the transfer from the face-to-face form to the distance one at the beginning of the semester.

The standard part of the teaching process is to provide the study materials to the students. There are several approaches how to do it. The basic information about the subject´s content is published in the information sheet of the subject that also contains the description of the relevant sources of literature inevitable for gaining knowledge determined by the subject content. The Faculty is doing its best to ensure the necessary study literature through the university library and department libraries. The next method is to publish the presentations and other study materials at the Faculty web site for the given subjects in the framework of individual departments in compliance with the copy right. A new and more sophisticated method is to publish the study materials through the system Moodle and various e-learning tools that enable the students to use the study materials in the form of presentations, videos, tests and enable a direct communication with the teacher in the form of lectures, seminars, exercises and consultations.

The individual subjects of the study programme are ensured by the necessary teaching texts (textbooks, etc.) that are regularly innovated in the framework of the plan of the editorial activity at UNIZA. 

Except for the University Library UNIZA has also a shop for selling the literature - EDIS https://edis.uniza.sk/ponuka/1/Studijna-literatura/ and EDIS shop: https://www.edis.uniza.sk/  

The responsible workplace carries out an uninterrupted research activities in the SP area at both the national and international level. From the point of view of the output transformation - both in the pedagogical and scientific areas we can mention the following cooperation institutions - Universita degli studi di Parma, Politechnico di Milano, HTW Dresden, TU Clausthal, BUTE Budapešť, TU Wien, Universitet Zielonogórski, Politechnika Czestochowska, Politechnika Slaska, Politechnika Swietokrzyska, UK Praha, VUT Brno, TU VŠB Ostrava, TU Pardubice, ZČU Plzeň, Tu Liberec, ÚFM AV Brno, etc.

The employees of these partner workplaces participate in realising the final works; they are external examiners and external commission members during the state exams. These organisations are also important employers of the graduates who aimed at research, etc.

In the cooperation network we realise the exchange stays of the employees, students and PhD students, publish common publications, scientific and professional articles, realise and prepare international projects, solve projects in the framework of the bilateral scientific and research cooperation (e.g. Visegrad Fund). Together with HTW Dresden, TU Pardubice, BUTE Budapešť, Universitet Zielonogórski and Politechnika Czestochowska we organise (since 1983) an international colloquium ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND REPAIR TECHNOLOGIES IN VEHICLE INDUSTRY.

The cooperation of the providing workplace with industrial practice is also important. A list of the main partners and the characteristics of the collaboration are given below:

• Schaeffler Slovensko, spol. s r.o., Kysucké Nové Mesto (participation in the formulation of scientific problems solved within the framework of dissertation theses, consulting activities for dissertation thesis);
• Continental Matador Rubber, s.r.o., Púchov (participation in the formulation of scientific problems solved within the framework of dissertation theses, consulting activities for dissertation theses);
• Welding First a.s. Bratislava (consulting activities for dissertations, joint projects);
• Volkswagen Slovakia, a.s., Martin (consulting activities for dissertation theses, experimental measurements);
• Danfoss Power Solutions, a.s., Považská Bystrica (consultancy activities for dissertations, experimental measurements);
• TN Slovakia, s.r.o. Kysucké N. mesto (consulting activities for dissertations);
• ZVL Slovakia,a.s. Žilina (consulting activities for dissertation theses);
• Lago Tool Factory, Veľké Rovné (production of experimental samples, joint projects);

The Directive No. 217, articles 17, 18 and 19 describe the possibilities of the social, sports, cultural and spiritual activities at the University of Žilina - Resources to Support Educational, Creative and Other Related Activities of the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-217-en.pdf

The web site of the University of Žilina presents the possibilities of the social, sports, cultural and intellectual activities – in Slovak: https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/studenti/studentsky-zivot/volny-cas

Or in English https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/practical-informations/leisure-activities

Catering for students is provided by the UNIZA Catering Facility: 

• https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/practical-informations/catering
• https://menza.uniza.sk/

 Accommodation for UNIZA students is provided by accommodation facilities:

• https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/practical-informations/accommodation
• https://vd.internaty.sk/
• http://hliny.internaty.sk/

The sports activities at UNIZA are ensured by the UNIZA Institute of Physical Training that offers the basic opportunities of the sports activities: https://utv.uniza.sk/

The following institutions offer the cultural and artistic activities in Žilina:

• Stanica Žilina-Záriečie (https://www.stanica.sk/)
• Dom umenia Fatra (http://www.skozilina.sk/)
• Považská galéria umenia (https://www.pgu.sk/)
• Nová synagóga (https://www.novasynagoga.sk/)
• Mestské divadlo Žilina (https://www.divadlozilina.eu/)
• Bábkové divadlo (http://www.bdz.sk/

The University Pastoral Centre ensures the religious activities for the students - https://upc.uniza.sk/

 Several organisations at the university offer common activities for the students: https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/practical-informations/student-organizations

The students of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS can participate in the international mobility programmes of the EU e.g. CEEPUS and Erasmus+ - the application and rules of acknowledging of this education are managed by the rules of the given programmes. The list of the participating institutions is updated regularly. The instructions are published at the Faculty web site. In the framework of the scientific activities on their own projects or the supervisor´s projects, the students are sent to the partner universities and research institutions not only in Europe but also worldwide. They can also utilise the bilateral international mobility projects, e.g. through the Slovak Academic Information Agency - SAAIA and the National Scholarship Fund.

The binding contractual partnerships enable participating of the interested parties and their representatives on designing, approving, realising and assessing the study programme. The agreements with the partners concretise the conditions for participation of the partner´s employees to realise the study programme and conditions for providing the premises and material and information resources and ensuring the quality of the study realised in the partner´s premises including the final works.  

UNIZA has the possibility to send the students to the foreign countries for the study stays in the framework of the partnerships to 56 universities abroad. Other schemes covering practically the whole world offer even broader possibilities, especially in the framework of Erasmus+ and activities of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic realised through SAIA. They are: CEEPUS, National Scholarship Fund, the action Austria - Slovakia, Visegrad Fund, etc. Except fot Erasmus+ the Faculty has further contractual cooperation with AGH University of Science and Technology (Kraków, Poland), Technical University of Varna (Bulgaria), International Visegrad Fund.

The Erasmus+ coordinators at the Faculty help create a precise study plan for the applicants for studying at a university abroad that is a condition for acknowledging the study abroad at the Faculty. The annual reports of the Faculty provide thorough information about participation of the students in the mobilities abroad during the individual years - https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/fakulta/vseobecne-informacie/uradna-tabula

The Directive No. 219 - Mobility Programmes of UNIZA Students and Staff Abroad - PART 2: UNIZA STUDENTS´ MOBILITY ABROAD AND CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATING IN STUDY STAYS ABROAD, https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-219-en.pdf describes the possibilities and conditions of the students´ participation in the mobilities and stays, the application instructions, the rules for acknowledging this education.

Background information on Erasmus+ mobility:

Selection criteria for mobility: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/erasmus/StrategiaVyberuUNIZAPridelovaniegrantov.pdf

Link to the Erasmus+ website: https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/en/study/study-options/erasmus

CEEPUS mobility background information: https://www.saia.sk/en/

Contact persons: 

Name and surname: prof. Ing. Ivan Kuric, Dr. (Vice Dean, Faculty Erasmus+ Coordinator, CEEPUS Coordinator); E-mail: ivan.kuric@fstroj.uniza.sk   Tel.: +421 41 513 2800

Name and surname: Mgr. Mgr. Renáta Janovčíková (Erasmus+ mobility coordinator, Faculty of Arts); E-mail: renata.janovcikova@fstroj.uniza.sk  Tel.: +421 41 513 2518 

Contact persons at UNIZA level:

Name, surname, titles: prof. Ing. Jozef Ristvej, PhD.

Area of responsibility/competence: vice-rector for international relations and marketing, institutional Erasmus+ coordinator

Contact (e-mail, tel.): jozef.ristvej@uniza.sk

Tel: +421 41 513 5130

Name, surname, titles: Mgr. Mgr. Lenka Kuzmová

Area of responsibility/competence: coordination of activities of Erasmus+ projects KA103, Erasmus+ cooperation agreements, coordination of study stays and internships of students

Contact (e-mail, tel.): lenka.kuzmova@uniza.sk

Tel: +421 41 513 5133

Name, surname, titles: Anna Súkeníková

Area of responsibility/competence: coordination of Erasmus+ mobility of teachers

Contact (e-mail, tel.): anna.sukenikova@uniza.sk

Tel.: +421 41 513 5132

Name, surname, titles: Ing. Jana Andrlová

Area of responsibility / competence: coordination of Erasmus mobility of KA103 staff and KA107 teachers 

Contact (e-mail, tel.): jana.andrlova@uniza.sk

Tel.: +421 41 513 5139

Name, surname, titles: Ing. Jana Stranianková

Area of responsibility/competence: coordination of Erasmus+ incoming students, accommodation of students

Contact (e-mail, tel.): jana.straniankova@uniza.sk

Tel: +421 41 513 5149 

The document Principles and Rules for Admission Procedure for the Third Degree of University Study at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Žilina https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php?option=com_sppagebuilder&view=page&id=219 defines the principles and rules for the admission procedure for the study of the PhD study programmes (the third degree of the university study) ensured by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Žilina. The rules are worked out according to the Directive No. 206 - Principles and Rules of Admission Procedure for Study at Unibersity of Žilina -   https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_206.pdf annually approved by the Academic Senate of the Faculty. 

All information concerning the admission procedure (admission conditions, deadlines, accredited study programmes and the planned numbers of the accepted students) are published on the Faculty web site and the portal of the universities on the determined day:

• https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/uchadzaci/moznosti-studia/prijimacie-konanie
• https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php?option=com_sppagebuilder&view=page&id=219
• https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/fstroj/pdf/Studijne/SJF_PHD_2022.pdf
• https://www.portalvs.sk/sk/

It is assumed that the applicant has capabilities for an independent creative activity in the specialisation Mechanical Engineering and a high level of knowledge from the subjects of the 2^nd degree study programme connected with the selected PhD SP and chosen topic of the dissertation work. 

The admission procedures take place for all accredited programmes of the UNIZA Faculty of Mechanical Engineering that respects and implements these principles and guarantees that:

• The admission procedure is just, transparent and reliable;
• The conditions of the admission procedure are inclusive and guarantee the same opportunities for every applicant who demonstrates the necessary assumptions for graduating for the study;
• The selection of the applicants is based on appropriate methods of assessing their capability for the study;
• The criteria and requirements of the applicants are published in advance and are easily accessible.

Basic conditions for admission:

The basic condition for admission for the PhD study (the study programme of the third degree) is to acquire the academic title at the second degree of the university study (Law 131/2002 Coll., about universities as amended - further only “law”).

The applicant who does not submit the confirmation about completing the second degree at the time of the admission commission meeting, can be accepted conditionally; but at the latest on the date determined for enrolment he/she will submit this document.

For those applicants who acquired the education necessary for fulfilling the basic admission condition at an acknowledged educational institution outside Slovakia (it does not concern the Czech Republic) it is necessary that the document about the acquired education is equal with the document about education issued by an acknowledged educational institution in Slovakia (acknowledging the documents about education for the purpose of continuing the study according to the law 422/2015 Coll., about acknowledging the documents about education and about acknowledging professional qualifications, as amended). Thorough information see - https://www.uniza.sk/index.php/uchadzaci/vseobecne-informacie/uznavanie-dokladov

The study of the SPs at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering requires the knowledge of the Slovak or Czech language orally and in writing at an adequate level (minimally the level B1), the UNIZA offers the language courses. The knowledge of at least one world language at an adequate level is also necessary (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Russian).  The study programmes taught in English require the knowledge of English minimally at the B1 level.

Admission of foreign students:

The foreign students have the same admission conditions as the applicants from the Slovak Republic. The foreign students who study in another language than Slovak, pay the fees according to § 92 section 8 of the law about universities. The fee is stated by the UNIZA Directive No. and published at the university web site for the given year. The foreign students studying in Slovak do not pay the fees. The applicants from the Czech Republic can use the application form valid in the Czech Republic. The applicants who do not speak Slovak or Czech are required to pass the language training (it is also possible at UNIZA). For those foreign students who are accepted on the basis of the international agreements, bilateral treaties or are the scholarship holders of the Slovak government the conditions of the given documents are valid.  

The Directive No. 206 - Principles and Rules of Admission Procedure for Study at University of Žilina -   https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_206.pdf defines the processes, procedures and structures at the UNIZA level.

The further conditions of admitting the applicants for the PhD programmes at the Faculty are defined according to § 57 of the law. The admission procedure is realised in the form of a selection procedure with the goal to ensure that the applicants who are to start the study have the necessary capabilities and assumptions. All applicants pass a selection procedure.

The selection procedure for the PhD study is realised in the form of an interview separately with each applicant with the admission commission. One of the main activities of the PhD study is the scientific and research and artistic creative activity of the PhD student that is a substantial part of the PhD study (see the information of the current PhD students - https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php?option=com_sppagebuilder&view=page&id=229

The goal of the admission exam for the PhD study at the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS is to verify the applicant´s assumptions to study at the selected SP and to find out his/her capabilities for an independent creative activity. The admission procedure verifies these facts with the goal to ensure the high educational level and achievement of the internationally accepted results as follows:

• The assumptions of the applicant for the independent creative activity in the area of the materials engineering (e.g. by participating in the UNIZA Grant System for the student of the second degree according to the Directive No. 180 - Grant System of University of Žilina),
• The level of the professional knowledge from the second degree SP subjects connected with the PhD study and the selected topic of the dissertation thesis,
• The ability to create publication outputs of the results of the creative activities and their publishing in the magazine and anthologies,
• The ability to present the results of his/her work at the conferences and competitions in Slovakia and abroad,
• The ability to utilise the available scientific and professional sources especially from the international indexed databases,
• The knowledge at least of one foreign language at an adequate level.

We expect from the PhD student and verify his/her motivation for the study, the professional capability, assumptions for the creative and independent work, an active approach to fulfilling the tasks and personal responsibility.

The admission exam is realised before an admission commission consisting of at least four members - it is created by the chairman and at least two members, the next member is the supervisor for the given topic. An order of the applicants is then created according to:

• The admission exam results,
• The results achieved at the second degree of the university study,
• The assessment of the diploma thesis defence,
• The participation in the student scientific conferences,
• The applicant´s publication activity.

A report is written about the results of the admission exam. The applicants are accepted for the study on the basis of the order of the admission exam. The final decision about the result of the admission procedure is made by the Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering based on the recommendation of the admission commission. In the case when the conditions for admission are fulfilled by more applicants than planned, the Dean of the Faculty can decide about admission of a higher number of these applicants. The decisions about the admission / non-admission for the study will be delivered by the registered mail to the hands of the applicant in the deadline according to the law. The decision about admission also contains the enrolment procedure for the study.

The applicants with specific needs based on their request and on the assessment of the specific needs are given the form of the admission exam and the method of its realisation taking into account his/her specific needs in compliance with the Directive No. - Support of Applicants for Study and Students with Specific Needs at the University of Žilina.

The topics of the dissertation theses the applicant can ask for in the framework of the admission procedure for studying the PhD PSs are published at the Faculty web site together with the names of the supervisors - https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/index.php/component/sppagebuilder/?view=page&id=196

The topics of the dissertation theses of the SP TECHNICAL MATERIALS can be found at:  https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/prijimacky_doktorandi/Strojarstvo_Technicke-materialy_Temy-DDP_2021.pdf

The topics are published at the latest two days before the last day determined for submitting the applications. The applicant registers for one or several topics, presents the name of the study programme and the form of study he/she is interested in. The applicants fill in the form - Application for Study - 3^rd Degree or use the electronic form. The filled in form is to be sent to: https://vzdelavanie.uniza.sk/prijimacky/index.php.

The applicant can follow the whole procedure from registering until completing the procedure in the information system. The university portal https://prihlaskavs.sk/sk/ can be used too. All the required appendixes can be inserted electronically as scanned documents. Also in the case of the electronic application it is necessary to print the application form, to sign it, attach the required appendixes and the document about paying the fee and to send it by post to the Faculty address until 31^st May 2022. The incomplete application or an application sent after the deadline will not be accepted. In the case of absence or if the students fails during the admission procedure, the Faculty does not return the fee for the admission procedure. If the applicant wants to participate in several admission procedures at the UNIZA faculties, the application is to be submitted separately to each faculty and the fees have to be paid for each application. 

The applicant for the study of the third degree attaches to the application the following documents:

• CV,
• The confirmation about paying the fee for admission procedure,
• The scan of the application signed by the applicant (in the case of electronic application),
• The copies of the documents about achieved education, the accepted applicant is obliged  to submit the verified copies of the documents about the achieved education at the latest on the day of the enrolment (the UNIZA graduates are not obliged to attach a verified copy),
• A brief idea of solving the selected topic of the dissertation thesis (the motivation letter).

If they are available, the applicant can attach the following documents that he/she delivers to the Faculty at the latest on the day of the admission exam:

• A list of his/her published and non-published works, articles or the expert assessments of these works,
• A list of awards acquired,
• The copies of documents about participations and placements at the student scientific conferences,
• The copies of the documents about other significant results of his/her professional and scientific activity. 

UNIZA archives the documentation from the admission procedure, about the enrolment and enrolments for other parts of the study, statements of the study results, copies of the documents about graduating from the study and other documents at least 25 years from the day of graduating from the study.

Study programme TECHNICAL MATERIAL:

The Directive No. 218 - Collecting, Processing, Analysing and Assessing Information for Supporting the Study Programmes https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_218.pdf states the rules, procedures and responsibilities concerning systematic collecting, processing, analysing and assessing the information for managing the educational activity and creative activities.

The feedback is acquired at various levels and phases of the student´s life cycle - from the applicant through the BA, MA and PhD degree. The acquisition of the feedback is realised by a regular investigation that takes place every year, in the case of the graduates every three years. The investigations are realised in the electronic form in the time period that is determined in advance and the acquired answers are assessed by the statistic methods.               

At the third degree the investigation of the graduates is realised by a questionnaire form for individual SPs:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=S_8kg8gU9UuwfqBxMXnzfg0sNN22pyVDlcQXoP_sUzlUNko0UlJGMElBT004UzY4VVlDOFdQTDQ0Si4u                                                                          

The results of the assessments of the SP TECHNICAL Materials´ graduates are available at:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/AnalysisPage.aspx?id=S_8kg8gU9UuwfqBxMXnzfg0sNN22pyVDlcQXoP_sUzlUNko0UlJGMElBT004UzY4VVlDOFdQTDQ0Si4u&AnalyzerToken=cqcbgBHq9VaVFW10YmGvNBKUGeNJjJ32

Based on the research and analysis of the detected facts the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering realises measures that it implements to the educational process and all concerned areas. After implementing the results we realise monitoring of effectiveness of the adopted measures that follow the change of the students´ satisfaction who are in the individual phases of the student´s life cycle.

The Faculty is implementing procedures for monitoring and assessing the students´ opinions concerning the quality of the study programme. This process is defined by the Directive No. FME-SM02 Assessment of Customers´ Satisfaction presented in the register of documentation and records of the Faculty:  https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/Kvalita/SjF_REGISTER_DOKUMENTACIE_A_ZAZNAMOV-2.pdf

The department responsible for science and research ensures the measurement and assessment of the customers´ satisfaction once for the given academic year during the summer semester.  

Feedback from students of doctoral studies at SJF UNIZA for the purpose of improving the quality of the study programme was carried out through the MS TEAMS form:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=S_8kg8gU9UuwfqBxMXnzfg0sNN22pyVDlcQXoP_sUzlUMVQyTkgzMTlVVlNXR0MxWkRDMk1VQ0VIWS4u

46 full-time doctoral students out of 55 doctoral students enrolled in the academic year 2021/2022, i.e. 83% of students, participated in the anonymous survey. The results are documented at: https://forms.office.com/Pages/AnalysisPage.aspx?id=S_8kg8gU9UuwfqBxMXnzfg0sNN22pyVDlcQXoP_sUzlUMVQyTkgzMTlVVlNXR0MxWkRDMk1VQ0VIWS4u&AnalyzerToken=SyUXj01xKHDmQcjRbjfrSHC2EUhhCqU0

The results show that:

• 84% of the students are satisfied with the content of the study;
• 82% of students are satisfied with the scientific level of study;
• 65% of students had the opportunity to consult or carry out experiments abroad (note: mobility abroad is usually undertaken by students in their 2nd or 3rd year of study);
• 73% of students are satisfied with the attitude of the supervisor and 76% with the attitude of the other lecturers at the training site;
• 84% of students expressed satisfaction with the possibility of mobility abroad;
• 15% of students would like more help, training in the provision of teaching activities;
• 84% of students are satisfied with the access and availability of information at the relevant 3rd level HE study department (Science and Research Department);
• 78% of students are satisfied with the provision of literature or access to scientific databases at the training department;
• 73% of students are satisfied with the study programme overall and would definitely recommend it to other students (8% of students are dissatisfied);

Study programme guarantors and SJF management (Dean's College) analyse data from feedback received, identify opportunities and suggestions to strengthen strengths, use potential opportunities for improvement and elimination of identified weaknesses and potential threats.
The results of the feedback on the learning undertaken and the identified opportunities for improvement will then be analysed, evaluated by the Curriculum Board and are the basis for the production of the Curriculum Assessment Report as part of the Curriculum Council's periodic evaluation of the curriculum.

Feedback from the graduates of the SP for the purpose of improving the quality of the study programme was carried out through a survey via MS FORMS, which was sent to the provided e-mail addresses of the SP graduates.
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=S_8kg8gU9UuwfqBxMXnzfg0sNN22pyVDlcQXoP_sUzlUNko0UlJGMElBT004UzY4VVlDOFdQTDQ0Si4u

The results of the evaluation of the SP Technical Materials by the alumni / 17 alumni responded/ are available at:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/AnalysisPage.aspx?id=S_8kg8gU9UuwfqBxMXnzfg0sNN22pyVDlcQXoP_sUzlUNko0UlJGMElBT004UzY4VVlDOFdQTDQ0Si4u&AnalyzerToken=cqcbgBHq9VaVFW10YmGvNBKUGeNJjJ32

The results show that:

• All graduates who participated in the SP evaluation are engaged in an occupation that is related to the Technical Materials SP;
• 60% of the graduates work in a managerial position, 30% in an executive position;
• 100% were employed within 3 months of graduation (50% during their studies and 40% within 1 month);
• 88% of graduates apply more than 60% of the knowledge acquired during their studies in their work;
• 94% of graduates are rather or very satisfied with the knowledge, competences and skills acquired during their studies;
• 64% would welcome more practical experience;
• 95% would study the same SP again;

The programme sponsor analyses the data from the feedback received, identifies opportunities and suggestions for strengthening strengths, eliminating identified weaknesses and potential threats.
The results of the feedback on the training provided and the identified opportunities for improvement are subsequently analysed, evaluated by the Study Programme Board and will be the basis for the production of the Programme Evaluation Report as part of the periodic evaluation of the programme of study by the Programme Board. 

• Directive No. 108  - Scholarship Order: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/uradna-tabula/smernice-predpisy/2021/01042021_SM108-stipendijny-poriadok-UNIZA-D1-az-D4.pdf
• Directive No. 110 - STUDY ORDER FOR 3^RD DEGREE OF UNIVERSITY STUDY AT UNIZA: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_110.pdf
• Directive No. 113 - Internal System of Quality Assurance of Education at UNIZA + Appendixes: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/03122019_Smernica-113-2013-v-zneni-Dodatku-1-2-a-3-23042019.pdf
• Directive No. 198 - Support of Applicant for Study and Students with Specific Needs at UNIZA: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_198.pdf
• Directive No. 200 - Principles of Selection Procedure for Filling the Working Positions of University Teachers, Research Workers, the Positions of Associate Professors and Professors: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_200.pdf
• Directive No. 201 - Disciplinary Order for UNIZA Students: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_201.pdf
• Directive No. 202 - Criterions for appointing the posts of professors and associate professors and rules for appointing to hosting professors: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-202-en.pdf
• Directive No.  203 - Rules for the Creation of Recommended Study Plans for UNIZA Study Programmes: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-203-en.pdf
• Directive No.   204 - Rules for creating, adapting, approving and cancelling the SPs of UNIZA: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-204-en.pdf
• Directive No.  205 - Rules for assigning teachers for ensuring the SPs at UNIZA: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-205-en.pdf
• Directive No.  206 - Principles and Rules of Admission Procedure for Study at UNIZA: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_206.pdf
• Directive No.  207 - Ethical Code of UNIZA: https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/pdf/smernice/S_207.pdf
• Directive No. 208 - Rules for the Acquisition of Rights, Harmonization of Rights, Regulation and Cancellation of Rights to Habilitation and Inauguration Proceedings at the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-208-en.pdf
• Directive No.  210 - Statute of the Accreditation Board of the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-210-en.pdf
• Directive No.  211 - Procedure for Obtaining the Scientific-Pedagogical Titles and Artistic-Pedagogical Titles Associate Professor and Professor at the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-211-en.pdf
• Directive No.  212 - Rules for the Definition of the Workload of Creative Employees of the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-212-en.pdf
• Directive No.  213 - Quality Assurance Policies at the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-213-en.pdf
• Directive No.  214 - Structures of the Internal Quality Assurance System for the Creation, Modification, Approval and Cancellation of Study Programmes at the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-214-en.pdf
• Directive No.  215 - On Final, Rigorous and Habilitation Theses in the Conditions of the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-215-en.pdf
• Directive No.  216 - Quality Assurance of the Doctoral Degree Studies at the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-216-en.pdf
• Directive No.  217 - Resources to Support Educational, Creative and Other Related Activities of the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-217-en.pdf
• Directive No.  218 -  On the Collection, Processing, Analysis and Evaluation of Information to Support the Management of Study Programmes: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-218-en.pdf
• Directive No.  219 - Mobility Programmes of UNIZA Students and Staff Abroad: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-219-en.pdf
• Directive No.  220 - Evaluation of the Creative Activity of Employees in Relation to Quality Assurance of Education at the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-220-en.pdf
• Directive No. 221 - Cooperation of the University of Žilina in Žilina with External Partners from Practice: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-221-en.pdf
• Directive No.  222 - Internal system of quality assurance at UNIZA: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-222-en.pdf
• Directive No.  223 - Monitoring and Periodic Review of the Study Programmes: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-223-en.pdf
• Directive No.  226 - On Copyright Ethics and the Elimination of Plagiarism in the Conditions of the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-226-en.pdf
• Directive No. 227 - Rules for the Creation, Modification, Approval and Cancellation of the Joint Study Programmes at the University of Žilina
• https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-227-en.pdf
• Directive No.  228 - Professional Development of the UNIZA University Teachers: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-228-en.pdf
• Directive No. 229 - Procedures for the Recognition of Learning Outcomes, Issuing and Recognition of Diplomas and Certificates of Study: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/EN/smernica-UNIZA-c-229-en.pdf
• Directive 231: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/kvalita/2022/smernica-UNIZA-c-231-en.pdf
• Long-term objective of Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FME): https://www.fstroj.uniza.sk/images/fstroj/pdf/DlhodobyZamer/DZ_SjF_UNIZA_2021_2027.pdf
• Long-term Plan of the University of Žilina: https://www.uniza.sk/images/pdf/Profile-UNIZA-EN/Dlhodoby-zamer-UNIZA-2021-2027-EN.pdf