Doctoral studies

Vilnius University publishes a competition for doctoral dissertation themes in accordance with the procedure established in the Admission Rules for 2026 entry to Doctoral Studies at Vilnius University.

• Dissertation themes for admission to the doctoral program in Physics
• Dissertation themes for admission to the doctoral program in Materials Engineering

Persons with a Master's degree or an equivalent higher education qualification may apply for state-funded and/or non-state-funded doctoral positions. The applicants who have already studied

for a full-time doctoral studies for more than half of the doctoral period are not eligible for a state-funded doctoral position. Admission to doctoral studies is conducted through an open competition.

Doctoral Admission Procedure:

• Payment of the entrance fee (50 EUR for citizens of Lithuania and EU countries; 100 EUR for citizens of other countries);
• Submission of applications and admission documents online by logging into the Vilnius University Admission Service System (ISAS) (address – https://is.vu.lt/pls/dokt/isas.login?p_kalba=en): March 3, 2026 - June 25, 2026 (until 12:00 p.m.).

Submission of applications and admission documents for applicants who have obtained a master's degree from a foreign higher education institution and who do not have a document confirming the recognition of their diploma in Lithuania: March 3, 2026 - May 18, 2026 (until 12:00 p.m.).

• Motivational interviews with the admissions committees.
• Conclusion of agreements with applicants invited to doctoral studies through the bank authentication: July 13 - 16, 2026 (until 2:00 p.m.); direct conclusion of contracts with those invited to doctoral studies (applies to persons who cannot identify themselves through a bank): July 13 - 17, 2026 (until 3:00 p.m.).

Information on the procedure for admission to doctoral studies is published on the University website https://www.vu.lt/en/admissions/doctoral-studies. Consultations are provided by the Office of Doctoral and Postdoctoral Studies on working days from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. by phone +370 5 268 7095, +370 5 268 7093, or by e-mail

The interview with the applicants for the doctoral studies in Physics (N 002) will take place on  29 June at 10 a.m. at the National Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, room B336 (3rd floor) (Saulėtekio av. 3, Vilnius).

The interview with the applicants for the doctoral studies in Materials Engineering (T 008) will take place on 30 June at 10 a.m. at the National Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, room B336 (3rd floor) (Saulėtekio av. 3, Vilnius).

Initiation grade is composed of the grade point average of:

• Master’s diploma supplement;
• Interview assessment (the assessment during the interview will focus on the applicant's scientific competence, methodological skills related to scientific work, motivation for selecting the thesis topic, and the alignment of their basic education with the chosen field of study);
• Evaluation of scientific experience and research papers, evaluated by points based on their quality and the applicant's contribution.

The competitive score is calculated by adding together the points from all three criteria. Using the selection criteria and the admissions committee's evaluation results, the committee prioritizes applicants for doctoral studies based on their competitive scores and decides whether to accept or reject them. The minimum required competitive score is 22.

Attention! One of the two recommendations that must be submitted upon application must be written by a potential supervisor.

If you have any questions, please contact the doctoral administrator Kristina Aponienė by e-mail .