Doctoral School
Interdisciplinary doctoral schools are part of the doctoral training programme introduced in the academic year 2019/2020 by the reform of science and higher education. They replaced the previous doctoral (third-degree) studies.
Studies at the Doctoral School aim at teaching students how to obtain a degree of doktor. Students develop a broad range of competence including scientific skills, enabling them to conduct their own scientific research, work as teachers, and conduct expert activities. Doctoral School is a space for master-student relationship at the highest professional level. There is also a space for creative exchange of thoughts as well as scientific and artistic experiences between doctoral students and academic community. The School realizes the mission of the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków, which is “Per Academiam ad astra”.
Doctoral School Regulations
EN_Resolution No. 9/2025 of the AMKP Senate of 20 March 2025 on the adoption of the AMKP Doctoral School Regulations (applicable from October 1st, 2025).
Main aims of teaching
Main teaching aims of the Doctoral School are:
- artistic and scientific development of doctoral students, in the spirit of pursuit for good and beauty;
- support in obtaining and developing knowledge, skills and social competences of a student as a future artist, researcher or academic teacher, corresponding to the characteristics of level 8 of the Polish Qualifications Framework;
- enabling preparations of the doctoral thesis, under the professional scientific guidance;
After graduating from the Doctoral School the graduate may proceed to defend the doctoral dissertation in order to obtain a degree of doktor in the field musical arts in the artistic discipline of musical arts.
Study programme
The study programme at the AMKP Doctoral School, effective from the 2025/2026 academic year, is specified in the Resolution No. 10/2025 of the AMKP Senate.
The study programme at the AMKP Doctoral School, which will come into effect from the 2026/2027 academic year, is specified in the Resolution No. 3/2026 of the AMKP Senate.
The Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków runs a Doctoral School in the field of the arts, artistic discipline: musical arts, within the following fields of study (since 2025/2026 academic year):
for education lasting 6 semesters:
- Artistic education in the field of music
- Church music
- Composition
- Conducting
- Instrumental studies
- Jazz
- Rhythmics
- Vocal studies
for education lasting 8 semesters:
- Music theory
Classes are held in Polish, once a month on Saturdays and Sundays on site, with a possibility of a remote mode.
Regular meetings between the School’s director and doctoral students, ongoing communication within the School community and with external parties, as well as visits from specialists representing various fields of science and professional practice, all contribute to the development and maintenance of best practices at the Doctoral School. Doctoral students also actively participate in bodies representing doctoral education units and take part in regulatory procedures, which increases the transparency of activities and promotes academic engagement.
In the 2025/2026 academic year, the AMKP Doctoral School is supervising 16 doctoral students in the following fields: Instrumental studies – 11, music theory – 3, vocal studies – 1, composition – 1.
The information on the rules of admission to the Doctoral School is available in the “Admissions” tab.