The Research-Based PhD program for international students has been approved at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

According to the public relations report of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, in the 38th meeting of the International Affairs Policy Council of the university held in January 2019, the admission guideline for the research-based PhD program, specifically for non-Iranian applicants, was approved.

Based on this, non-Iranian applicants can simultaneously with their application to Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, submit the initial version of their research proposal to the Office of International Scientific Cooperation and Non-Iranian Students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad for review. The files, after review by a joint committee consisting of representatives from the Vice President for Education, the Vice President for Research and Technology, the Office of International Cooperation, and two faculty members relevant to the subject, will be approved by the scientific committee

Admission Guidelines for the Research-Based Doctoral Program for Non-Iranian Applicants 

In order to achieve the university's macro goals, enhance its international standing, train specialized human resources, and address the needs of international communities, and considering the existing capacities and facilities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad may admit non-Iranian students at the doctoral level through the research-based method, subject to the following conditions:

Article 1 - Applicant Conditions

1-1 General Conditions:

1-1-1 Confirmation from the Student Affairs Organization of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology regarding the absence of legal prohibitions for studying at universities and higher education institutions in the country, in accordance with current laws and regulations.

1-1-2 General eligibility approval of the applicant by competent authorities.

1-1-3 Not holding citizenship of the Islamic Republic of Iran and possessing a valid foreign passport.

1-2. Specialized Conditions (A)

1-2-1 The applicant must be a graduate of a master's/professional doctoral degree from recognized foreign universities or top-tier Iranian universities (Level 1 or 2) and is required to submit academic credentials from previous degrees to the university.

Note: Graduates from universities that have a memorandum of understanding with Ferdowsi University of Mashhad are exempt from this rule.

1-2-2 Academic documents and transcripts issued by universities outside Iran must be approved by the embassy or representative offices of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the applicant's home country / the country where the degree was obtained, and must be submitted along with their Persian or English translation.

1-2-3 Possession of a minimum of 70% of the cumulative grade point average for the Master's/Professional Doctorate degree is mandatory for non-Iranian graduates from Iran, and a minimum of 50% of the cumulative grade point average for the Master's/Professional Doctorate degree is mandatory for graduates from outside the country.

1-2-4 Possessing sufficient proficiency in the Persian language or one of the valid international languages accepted by the host academic/research department (with the submission of a valid certificate) is mandatory.

1-3 Specialized Conditions (B)

1-3-1 The applicant must submit an initial version of the research proposal.

1-3-2 The field/specialization of the Master's/Professional Doctorate degree must be consistent with the field/specialization or subject of the initial research proposal.

Article 2 - Conditions and Capacity of the Supervisor(s)

2-1 The supervisor must have specific research themes, listed on their personal website in a relevant foreign language and in accordance with international standards.

2-2 The base teaching score (AHFA package) of the faculty member must be in the first to third quartiles of the academic/research group.

2-3 The supervisor must have at least 3 articles indexed in JCR in the fields of pure and experimental sciences, 1 article indexed in JCR/WOS in the fields of social sciences and psychology, 1 article indexed in SCOPUS or an authored book within the last three years.

(Note: In all articles, the member must be the main author (first author or corresponding author)).

2-4 A record of supervising at least two Master's students who have successfully graduated.

2-5 The capacity for supervising non-Iranian research-based doctoral students is not counted within the supervision capacity for Iranian students for faculty members. The maximum allocation of non-Iranian research-based students per supervisor is 50% of their capacity for supervising Iranian students.

2-6 The conditions for the supervisor/co-supervisor(s) will be in accordance with the regulations stipulated in the doctoral bylaw.

Article 3 - Admission Process

3-1 The responsibility for reviewing and approving the general conditions and specialized conditions (A) of applicants lies with the University's International Student Administration Office.

3-2 The admission committee for research-based doctoral students is composed of the Vice President for Education (committee secretary), the Vice President for Research, the Director of International Scientific Cooperation, and the relevant Department Head or their representatives. This committee is responsible for reviewing the specific conditions (B), the supervisor, and referring the applicant's file to the International Student Administration for discussion in the academic/research department, with priority given to research institutes (according to the resolution dated 09/22/2016 of the University's Board of Directors), in order to obtain acceptance from the department and appoint a supervisor.

After the department's approval, the final acceptance of the applicant will be issued by the University's International Student Administration.

Article 4 - Executive Process

4-1 After acceptance and final registration, the applicant will proceed to select the dissertation topic and supervisor.

4-2 During the course of study, the student, as determined by the supervisor and approved by the academic department, is required to complete 3 to 8 course units related to the dissertation topic from the curriculum of the accepted field of study (without the requirement of taking the comprehensive exam).

4-3 The tuition fee for non-Iranian students in the research-based doctoral program is equivalent to the tuition fee for non-Iranian students in the educational-research doctoral program.

4-4 Other executive regulations are based on the Comprehensive Educational Bylaws of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, approved in August 2018.

This directive was approved on December 24, 2018, by the International Policy Council of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.

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