Information Society
From the study year 2022/2023 also virtual access to lectures and tutorials.
The study programme educates doctoral students for research work and the creation of new knowledge in areas related to the information society. During their studies, students acquire a demanding research methodology and become acquainted with the latest results and open research questions in selected areas of the information society.
ATTENTION! Possibility of co-financing doctoral studies
Doctoral students are able to:
- Work in areas related to the information society (information and communication technology (ICT), inter-organizational operations, the use of ICT in political and administrative systems, social phenomena of the use of ICT);
- Apply a demanding research methodology to open research questions in selected areas of the information society;
- Prepare individual research work, which they defend and publish their main results in professional journals from the selected research field.
Scientific title: doctor of science with the abbreviation dr., which is placed before the name and surname. The following is entered in the doctoral diploma as the scientific field from which the title was obtained: in the field of information society.
The study programme is carried out as a full-time mode of study.

Curriculum
1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year | Elective courses |
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Selected topics from Scientific Methodology | Preparation of doctoral dissertation 1 | Dissertation Seminar | Modelling and Simulation of Logistics Systems |
Elective theoretical course | Preparation of doctoral dissertation 2 | Data analysis with machine learning | |
Dissertation Proposal Seminar | Network Theory | ||
Preparation of doctoral dissertation disposition | Centrality Measures and Network Models | ||
Interorganizational Business | |||
New Paradigms of Information Society | |||
Information Systems | |||
Contemporary Theories in Economic Sociology | |||
Intellectual property in information society |
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Enrolment conditions
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Conditions for advancing
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Conditions for the completion
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Competences
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Co-financing doctoral studies
Enrolment into the first year
The following individuals can be enrolled in the first year of the doctoral study programme Information Society:
- Who has completed a second-level study programme or achieved a total of at least 300 ECTS in a single master’s degree programme;
- Who has completed the study programme for obtaining a university education, adopted before 11. 06. 2004;
- Who has completed the study programme for obtaining a specialization and previously completed a study programme for obtaining a higher professional education, adopted before 11. 06. 2004, whereby they had to complete a total of at least five years of study. Before enrolling in the second year of the doctoral study programme, they must complete additional study obligations in the total amount of 30 to 40 ECTS from the study programme of the second level Informatics in Contemporary society (master’s), prescribed by the competent FIS authority based on the candidate’s previous study path.
Enrolment into the second year
According to the criteria for transitions, a candidate who has completed the following can enrol in the second year of the doctoral study programme Information Society:
- A study programme for the acquisition of a master’s degree in science, adopted before 11. 06. 2004, and 60 ECTS are recognized upon enrolment;
- A study programme for obtaining a university education, adopted before 11. 06. 2004, and a study programme for obtaining a specialization, and 60 ECTS are recognized upon enrolment. They must, however, submit the disposition of their doctoral dissertation by the end of the first semester of the second year.
Enrolment into the third year
In accordance with Article 39 of the Higher Education Act and the Criteria for Transitions between Study Programmes, it is possible to transfer to a third level study programme from study programmes of the same level. Applications for transitions are processed individually in accordance with the rules of the faculty. The obligations that the student has already performed are compared with the required obligations at FIS both in terms of content and scope of in the form ECTS, and can be recognized as obligations performed in the new programme. Additional obligations are prescribed to the student for missing contents. This is decided by the competent authority of FIS.
To advance from the first to the second year, the doctoral student must acquire at least 30 ECTS from the first year, have an approved doctoral dissertation topic and must submit the disposition of the doctoral dissertation, which is proven by the mentor’s signature on the form OBR-FIŠ-034.
The condition for advancing from the second to the third year is the completion of all obligations of the first year in the amount of 60 ECTS, including a confirmed disposition and the completion of individual research work of the second year in the amount of 60 ETCS. Individual research work is proven for each year separately by the mentor’s signature on the OBR-FIŠ-047 Assessment of the Individual Work of the Doctoral Student form. The individual research work for each year corresponds with the appropriate numbers of ECTS and also refers to the preparation of the disposition and dissertation.
The faculty may allow the student to advance to a higher year, even if the required conditions are not met, in the following circumstances: maternity, prolonged illness, exceptional family or social circumstances, participation in top cultural, sports or professional events. In this case, the student must provide appropriate evidence.
A student who does not meet the conditions for enrolling in a higher year may repeat a year once during their studies or change their study programme or course due to non-fulfilment of obligations in the previous study programme or course.
In accordance with the applicable legislation, a student’s student status may be extended for a maximum of one year if the student:
- Does not enrol in a higher year for justified reasons;
- Does not graduate within 12 months after the end of the last semester for justified reasons;
- Gives birth during their studies.
Depending on their academic achievements, the student may complete the study in a shorter period of time (but no less than four semesters) as provided for in the study programme, provided that they fulfil all the prescribed obligations.
The conditions for completing the study are:
- Successfully completed study obligations prescribed by the programme;
- Publication or acceptance for publication of one scientific article in a journal abstracted in SCI or SSCI / SCIE or A & HCI or SCOPUS, or two scientific articles in international scientific journals abstracted in IBSS, CSA, Sociological Abstract, CSA Worldwide Political Science Abstract, CSA PAIS International, International Political Science Abstract; LISA, STMA, COMPENDEX or in other equivalent international databases that are important for the fields developed by the faculty, namely in the field of the doctoral dissertation’s topic;
- Preparation and successful defence of the doctoral dissertation.
Students of the doctoral postgraduate programme Information Society will obtain the following competences:
General competences:
- The ability to identify, analyze and construct solution for a given research problem.
- The creation of new knowledge and contribution to the development of science.
- Mastery of standard methods, approaches and processes of scientific research in various scientific fields.
- Ability of independent research and development work and management of research group.
- Mastery of scientific quality and effort towards the quality of professional work through independence, self-criticism, self-reflection and self-evaluation.
- Respect for scientific ethics.
Subject specific competences:
- Skills and abilities for solving concrete research problems in various fields of social and other sciences.
- Development of skills and abilities in usage of knowledge in doctoral research.
- Ability of innovative combined usage of various research methodologies.
- The ability to extract, select, evaluate and insert new knowledges and the compentence of interpretation in the context of social and other sciences.
- Ability of designing and implementing novel scientific solutions for given social problems.
- Ability of complex systemic perspective on the society and interdisciplinary approach, which demonstrates the understanding of general structure of social sciences and links among their disciplines and sub-disciplines.
- Ability to present the obtained scientific findings in form of publications in international scientific journals.
In accordance with the Decree on Co-Financing Doctoral Studies (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 22/17) and the amendment to the Higher Education Act, doctoral studies at the Faculty of Information Studies in Novo mesto are co-financed from the 2017/18 academic year onwards.
An important novelty is that candidates do not apply for the co-financing call, as co-financing will be available to all doctoral students who meet the following conditions:
- Students enrolled in the first year or directly in the second year of doctoral studies will be co-financed if they have an average grade of completed education of at least 8.00 (the grade at the previous level of study is taken into account) and do not repeat the year.
- Students enrolled in the second year of doctoral studies will be co-financed if they have regularly advanced from the first to the second year of doctoral studies. An extension of the status for justified reasons in accordance with the law governing higher education and the Statute of the Faculty of Information Studies is also considered as regular advancement.
- Students enrolled in the third year of doctoral studies will be co-financed in the event that they have regularly advanced to all the years of doctoral studies. An extension of the status for justified reasons in accordance with the law governing higher education and the Statute of the Faculty of Information Studies is also considered as regular advancement.
- In the event that doctoral students have already obtained a level of education corresponding to the level of education obtained in the doctoral study programmes of the third level, they will not be eligible for co-financing. Furthermore, in the event that they have or have already had publicly co-financed study under study programmes for obtaining a
doctorate, even if they have not completed their studies, they will not be eligible for co-financing. - Parallel studies are not co-financed, nor are students enrolled in an additional year (absolventski staž) eligible for co-financing.
The amount of co-financing for an individual student depends on the number of enrolled students and the amount of funds that the Faculty of Information Studies in Novo mesto will receive each year for this purpose.
Co-financing is not excluded by regular employment. The same applies to registration in the register of unemployed persons at the Employment Service of Slovenia.
There is no age limit for co-financing.
Interested candidates should register at referat@fis.unm.si.
The program lasts 3 years and is divided into 6 semesters. After the publication of relevant scientific articles, the program ends with the preparation of the doctoral thesis. The program is structured in such a way that organized work is based on three types of learning units:
- Compulsory methodological course, which offers extremely in-depth methodological knowledge, especially in the direction of finding innovative methods and innovative use and combining existing qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Elective theoretical course chosen by the student based on the thematic orientation of his doctoral dissertation.
- Compulsory seminars directly related to the preparation of the doctoral dissertation (Dissertation Proposal Seminar and Dissertation Seminar) and individual work for the doctoral dissertation. In the 2nd semester, the doctoral student prepares a disposition, which he develops into a doctoral dissertation in the 2nd and 3rd year with the help of a mentor and a possible co-mentor.
Selected topics from Scientific Methodology
The aim of the course is to endow the students with the methodological basis for preparation of their doctoral thesis. Within the course students will learn a number of quantitative and qualitative research methods, which will enable them to confidently start their doctoral research.
Elective theoretical course
ECTS: 15
Dissertation Proposal Seminar
The goal of this course is a well written publicly presented and officially submitted dissertation proposal. This document is intended for the student to determine and present the doctoral research plan to be confirmed by the faculty. Doctoral work is highly creative and innovative project, and it must contribute as an independent contribution to the current scientific knowledge, and not be a mere (re)combination of existing knowledge. For this reason, before actually undertaking the writing of dissertation proposal, the student will acquire knowledge and skills needed for scientific writing. This also includes searching and reviewing the scientific literature, as a general basics of any scientific research work. At the same time, the student during this course choses a mentor for hisdoctoral thesis, and in collaboration with him clearly defines the theme of the doctoral dissertation and establishes the research plan.
Preparation of doctoral dissertation disposition
ECTS: 15
Preparation of doctoral dissertation 1
ECTS: 60
Dissertation Seminar
LINK TO the course syllabus
ECTS: 15
Preparation of doctoral dissertation 2
ECTS: 45
Modelling and Simulation of Logistics Systems
The course is geared towards advanced knowledge and research for development of simulation models of systems in modern society through the use of information technology.
Data analysis with machine learning
The course is focused on upgrading the existing methodology knowledge with basic principles of machine learning. In addition to the presentation of theoretical principles, individual student research work with practical application of different data mining techniques will be reqiured (laboratory and individual seminar work).
Network Theory
The student becomes familiar and with moderm network analysis; learns methods and algorithms for analysis and modeling of large social and information networks, and learns how to use the existing tools and software packages; is informed with teoretical bases and practical views of statistical methods in the field of large network analysis; is informed with methods of theoretical and statistical physics in the context of large networks.
Centrality Measures and Network Models
The course is dedicated to mathematical approach to the study and understanding of large networks. It is comprised of several parts: I. Graph basics: basic graph invariants, directed graphs, graph spectra, probabilistic method. Graph algorithms. II. General about networks: social networks, computer networks, biological networks, network analysis. III. Centrality measures: vertex degree, Estrada centrality, closeness centrality, eccentricity, graphlets, eigenvalue centrality, Katz centrality. Betweenness centrality and its variations. Google’s PageRank. Graph algorithms for evaluating some of these centralities. IV. Models and properties of large networks: the probabilistic Erdos-Reny and treshold functions, the giant component, exponential random graphs, various deterministic constructions of small worlds, their diameter and average distance networks, scale-free networks and degree distributions, self-similar networks, Web graph and its bow-tie shape. V. Additional applications of spectra and probabilistic methods in networks.
Interorganizational Business
In this course students will study and in selected organizations test the topics discussed: analysis of the circumstances for the introduction of e-commerce to interorganizational system to increase competitiveness; interorganizational and intraorganizational processes; open innovation as a starting point for defining interorganizational systems; design and merits of e commerce; the types of e-commerce; e-services; lean organization and its importance to society; defining common problem as a starting point the construction of interorganizational system; information technology and ebusiness processes; standardization in the field of ebusiness and processes: business, economic, organizational, technological and legal point of view of developing interorganizational systems.
New Paradigms of Information Society
The course deals with the relationship between information technology and contemporary social change. In this regard, particularly the following topics will be
underlined: information technology as a factor of change in a contemporary society – from technology as a support to various processes to the factor of societal change; the connectedness of information technology with the new forms of social and political participation; information technologies as a factor of reproduction and a factor of overcoming of social inequalities: from the digital gap to the opening of new opportunities; the formation and reproduction of virtual communities and their effects to individual and group identity; the connectedness between information technology and various processes of individualisation and the development of reflexivity; the connectedness between information technology and different aspects of globalisation; the connectedness of information technologies with various aspects of freedom, risks and security; the changed relationships between society, personality and body under the impact of information technologies; other recent and relevant topics related to the connectedness between ICT and the shifts in contemporary societies.
Information Systems
The course is focused on contemporary knowledge and research for the purpose of developing the field of informatics in contemporary society. Course contains the following themes: Information technology as a component of information systems: the objectives of organizations using information systems, strategic components, types of information systems, the role of developing, managing complexity, models of information systems and their impact on the organization; Information systems and quality: quality of information, information systems and their quality, requirements, working path, information metrics, and events; Implementation of decisions: characteristics of information systems, models for the implementation of decisions, personal goals and decisions, cognitive processes; Planning and development of IS: development and management, project management methodology development IS the planning and management of information systems development project.
Contemporary Theories in Economic Sociology
The course is focused on development of economic sociology as a specific sub-discipline and its importance in information society; Classical and contemporary theories of economic sociology and their key authors; The main research approaches in the analysis of economic organizations, processes and actors in the information society; Links with socioeconomics, political economy and institutional economics; Economic actions, social structure and the concept of embeddedness in the network society; Non-economic factors of economic development in the information societies.
Intellectual property in information society
The course deals with intellectual property theories (natural law; utilitarian and economic theories; management theories; innovation theories; distributive and social justice) and intellectual property rights (patents (computer patents); trademarks; models; copyright; business secrets; other intellectual property rights ). Students become acquainted with innovation policies, technology transfers, intellectual property as a public good, and the management of intellectual property in the digital age.