Veterinary

Within the discipline of veterinary medicine at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, research is conducted that contributes significantly to the advancement of science, both on the national and international level. The best academic staff, modern infrastructure and research equipment enable the continuous and fast development of the discipline.

Basic research concerns mammalian and avian morphology with elements of clinical anatomy, cytogenetics, embryology, and ultrastructure of organogenesis, biological basis of animal growth and development and maintenance of animal health, stem cell biology, immuno-oncology, and applications of nanotechnology in biomedical research. In the area of pre-clinical sciences, research focuses on pathomechanisms of infectious and invasive diseases, including infectious agent-host relationships, mechanisms of pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance of selected bacteria, mechanisms of virus-cell interactions. Another area of the research is the use of alternative methods to assess the effects of xenobiotics and feedstuffs on animal health.

In the units dealing with public health, research is carried out on microbiological hazards in food of animal origin, including alternative methods of food preservation, predictive microbiology and the genomic basis of milk production regulation, the incidence of tuberculosis and parasitic diseases in free-living and farm animals, taking into account interspecies transmission and zoonotic potential.

In the field of pathology and diagnostics of selected infectious and non-infectious animal diseases, the research primarily concerns detection, molecular biology and control of swine viruses, diagnostics and monitoring of canine and feline heart diseases, diagnostics of metabolic disorders in cattle, pathophysiology and pathomorphology of neoplastic diseases and diagnostics of functional disorders during effort in animals, prevalence and course of diseases of wild and farm pollinators, as well as diagnostics, pathology and prevention of selected diseases of birds, exotic animals and fish.

Research in the area of clinical sciences includes diagnostics and improvement of conservative and surgical methods of disease treatment in small animals, including epidemiology and diagnostics of infectious myocarditis and endocarditis, improvement of surgical methods of treatment, development of modern methods of diagnostics and treatment of pathological conditions of the reproductive system in small animals, and nanooncological experimental studies in selected canine and feline cancers. Scientific research carried out in the units dealing with diseases of large animals focuses on modern solutions in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the reproductive system and the mammary gland, livestock and equine diseases, including the evaluation of equine exercise, improved methods of treatment of orthopedic diseases and other diseases requiring surgical treatment, and new methods of monitoring during general anesthesia.

Epidemiology of infectious and parasitic diseases in farm, companion and non-domestic animals in Poland is also an important research field within the veterinary medicine discipline.

Recruitment

Recruitment schedule 2025/2026

The following dates are adopted in the recruitment process:

1) 28 July-11 August 2025 – registration in IRK system – submission of an application for admission to the Doctoral School and other required documents

2) 20-22 August 2025 – submission of copies of documents (originals must be available for review) by candidates qualified for the second stage of recruitment (place of submission – Doctoral School office)*

3) by 28 August 2025 – publication of the recruitment interview schedule

4) 2-8 September 2025 – recruitment interviews conducted by recruitment committees appointed for each discipline

5) by 18 September 2025 – announcement of the list of those admitted to the Doctoral School

Start of PhD education – 1 October 2025

The recruitment schedule may change and is always published in the Doctoral School tab on the Warsaw University of Life Sciences website.

*Candidates staying out of Poland, admitted to the Doctoral School, submit the original documents for inspection upon arrival in Poland

Recruitment fee

The Doctoral School charges a fee for the recruitment process. The amount of the recruitment fee for the WULS-SGGW Doctoral School in the academic year 2025/2026 is:

 ·         PLN 300 if the payment is made to an account in PLN

 (account number for PLN payments - 68 1240 6003 1111 0011 3480 4676)

 ·         or EUR 80 if the fee is paid to an account in EUR

 (account number for EUR payments - 73 1240 6003 1978 0011 3480 4692).

[Transfer title: Name and Surname - SD recruitment fee]

Form of the qualification procedure

The Doctoral School recruitment shall be carried out in the form of an open competition, and it shall consist of three stages:

a) the first recruitment stage consists in formal verification of the documents submitted. Only those candidates who successfully complete verification of the documents shall be admitted to the second stage;

b) the second recruitment stage consists in substantive assessment of the documents by the recruitment committee;

c) the third recruitment stage consists in an interview with the candidate and assessment of the doctoral dissertation concept.

The maximum score that may be obtained by a candidate in the qualification procedure is 60 points. The minimum score necessary for admission to the Doctoral School is 31 points. The minimum score does not guarantee admission to the Doctoral School.

Language of the qualification procedure, including the interview

The interview may be carried out  in Polish language.

Candidates for learning pathway with English language of instruction shall be interviewed in English.

A candidate to the Doctoral School shall submit the following documents:

• application for admission to the Doctoral School;
• Data for the personal questionnaire
• CV;
• a copy of the uniform long-cycle magister degree studies completion diploma together with a supplement (or 1st cycle and 2nd cycle studies completion diplomas with supplements) or a certificate of having passed the magister examination;
• preliminary concept of the doctoral dissertation containing the working title of the dissertation, purpose of research, proposed research methods, short review of literature with the bibliography (maximum 3 -5 pages);
• the consent from the future supervisor of the candidate’s choice to accept to exercise supervision over the candidate with regard to the proposed concept of the doctoral dissertation; if the future supervisor of the candidate’s choice is not an SGGW employee, the candidate shall attach the consent of the second supervisor or auxiliary supervisor who must be an SGGW employee;
• 1 photograph – complying with the requirements applicable for ID cards;
• documents confirming knowledge of a modern foreign language at least at the proficiency level of B2 according to the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (originals must be available for review); if the candidate holds a diploma of completion of studies with a supplement, the document confirming knowledge of the foreign language at the B2 level is the diploma supplement;
• list of publications and other scientific and research accomplishments, along with copies of documents confirming such accomplishments (originals must be available for review);
•  documents evidencing additional qualifications that are important from the point of view of the planned doctoral dissertation (originals to be presented for inspection);

• scans of documents confirming the secured financing of doctoral research as part of the implemented project (if applicable).

A candidate who has obtained a graduation diploma from studies abroad that are equivalent to master’s studies, shall additionally submit:

• original diploma;
• translation of the diploma into Polish or English, authenticated by competent persons or institutions;
• document confirming recognition of the diploma or a certificate releasing from the recognition procedure, if required;
• document confirming knowledge of the English language at B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (applicable to candidates for the learning pathway with the English language of instruction);
• document confirming knowledge of the Polish language at B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (applicable to candidates for the learning pathway with the Polish language of instruction).

 The qualification procedure is initiated at the above-mentioned application for admission to the Doctoral School, submitted by a candidate who registered in the IRK system and paid the recruitment fee.

Assessment criteria

Requirements for admission to the school - obtaining at least 31 points throughout the entire qualification process.