Field of Communication Sciences
The doctoral field of Communication Sciences within the Doctoral School of Philosophy, Sociology, and Political Science was established in 2023, by Decision No. 182/13.07.2023 of the ARACIS Council.
The doctoral program in Communication Sciences is both scientific and professional in nature, addressing graduates of second-cycle university studies, as well as graduates of long-term university studies (pre-Bologna system).
The program includes both domain-specific courses (Communication and Media, Professional Practices in Communication Sciences) and courses dedicated to advanced academic research (Research Methods in Communication Sciences, Data and Science Storytelling, Ethics and Academic Integrity). Courses may also be delivered in English.
Doctoral supervisors
Thematic areas of interest (2025)
Professor Ileana Cristina ROTARU, PhD
• Virtual communication. The impact of new media and the internet, media convergence in contemporary society
• Children/Youth and Media. Digital technologies and vulnerable groups
• Media education (pedagogy). Societal resilience to pathological communication challenges
• Digital citizenship, civic participation, and communication
• Strategic communication and political communication
Associate Professor Minodora SĂLCUDEAN, PhD
• Mass media / Journalism
• New media, social media
• Journalism and sustainability
• Communication for sustainable development
Lecturer Vasile SZABO, PhD
• History of the press and communication
• Theorizing and systematizing information-gathering practices in communication
• Challenges posed by new media and emerging technologies, concerns regarding new media ethics
• Media representations of the 1989 Revolution (with a focus on Timișoara) and threats to democracy in the post-communist era
Useful information
Proposed topics for admission (2025)
For the complete list of topics, please refer to the table (link).
The funding status of each topic (scholarship-based budget, budget without scholarship, or tuition fee) is determined based on the admission competition, in accordance with the UVT methodology.
Admission
The admission competition for this doctoral field consists of an interview during which the candidate presents the doctoral research project (see Annex 8 of the Admission Regulations of the Doctoral School of Philosophy, Sociology, and Political Science).
The main elements of this project are as follows:
- title of the scientific research project;
- project summary;
- content of the scientific research project;
- research objectives and activities within the project;
- plan for disseminating the results of the doctoral research;
- elements of the candidate’s previous scientific research activity (if applicable).
Candidates may choose to prepare and present the scientific research project in Romanian or in an internationally recognized language agreed upon by the examination committee.
Candidate evaluation during the admission exam will be based on the criteria and indicators included in the evaluation grid specific to the chosen doctoral field (see Annex 9 of the Admission Regulations of the Doctoral School of Philosophy, Sociology, and Political Science).
For more details regarding the application file, admission calendar, and the organization of the doctoral admission process within the Doctoral School of Philosophy, Sociology, and Political Science, please consult the Admission Regulations of the Doctoral School and the UVT Doctoral Admission Methodology.
Resources
Eugen Todoran Central University Library (B.C.U.) – ranked among the top four university libraries in Romania, B.C.U. “Eugen Todoran” offers doctoral students access to over 1,000,000 documents;
Through Anelis Plus, doctoral students have free access to all major databases (e.g., ScienceDirect, Wiley, Sage, Scopus, Springer, or Web of Science);
Curriculum
- Doctoral students admitted in the first year in 2024 (link)
- Doctoral students admitted in the first year in 2025 (link)
Courses
Completion of studies
For more details about the IOSUD-West University of Timișoara study completion procedure, please visit the Doctoral Studies > Completion of doctoral studies page (link).
For field-specific details, please consult the following:
- Order of the Ministry of Education and Research no. 3018/2025, dated January 13, 2025, on the approval of the minimum mandatory national standards required for awarding doctoral degrees, published in the Official Gazette no. 78 of January 29, 2025
(applicable to doctoral students admitted from 2025 onward) (link) - Order of the Ministry of National Education no. 5110/2018, dated September 17, 2018, regarding the approval of the minimum national standards for awarding doctoral degrees, published in the Official Gazette no. 817 of September 24, 2018 (link)
(applicable to doctoral students admitted before 2025) (link) - The National Guide for Writing Doctoral Theses related to the Field of Study (forthcoming publication)
- Sections concerning the graduation procedure in the Regulations of the Doctoral School to which you are affiliated