Faculty for State and European Studies holds accredited National and European Studies "scientific" PhD study. According to the provisions of Higher Education Act the enrollment into this program is possible only until the study year 2008/09 thus the faculty which already has Public Administration Level 1 and 2 accredited university programs (three-year and two-year programs) wants to replace the existing PhD study with PhD study program compatible with the Level 3 Bologna study program. Namely, the continuation of study after the completion of the professional MA study from the field of public administration, resulting in acquisition of the title "Doctor of Science" in the field of "public administration" stated in the thesis (Article 11 of the Scientific Titles Act – edited and consolidated text, Official Gazette of Republic of Slovenia, no. 83/03).

The faculty already conducts the three-year Public Administration university undergraduate program and two-year MA studies in Public Administration and International State Studies. Within these studies the students are taught to acquire broad expert knowledge from the fields of public administration, administrative law and administrative sciences and are trained to work in certain administrative professions.

Doctoral program in Public Administration (PhD) study will enable the continuation of education at the faculty and at the same time present a completion and rounding off of the existing programs. Study programs at the Faculty for State and European Studies in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia will form a completed whole.

The most important goals of the PhD study are:

1. Students learn independent scientific work;
2. Extensive research in the narrow field of public administration and
3. Writing an original and extensive scientific work.

PhD study enables enhancement of students' knowledge in the special field of expertise, while they have to adequately use the standard methods of scientific work in the legal field. At the same time the PhD thesis represents a contribution to the original Slovenian legal science. As such it can also have a direct practical influence although this is not the required objective of the PhD study.

With the Public Administration PhD study program the faculty aims also to contribute to larger number of PhD students in the field of public administration who currently represent a scientific deficit. PhD study would also enable the faculty to contribute to development of Slovenian public administration discipline by encouraging and directing active research work of students and by encouraging inclusion within research projects and publishing the research proceedings in domestic and foreign scientific publications.

Content wise the faculty strives to set the completion of academic education with practical training or practice in branched out public administration and para-governmental public administration institutions as one of its basic aims. The nature of the administrative law presupposes close link between the law as a scientific discipline and legal practice within which the acquired theoretical knowledge is completed and enhanced by interdisciplinary knowledge which is very much needed for the functioning of public administration system bodies and organizations.

The proposed program ensures acquiring knowledge which enables the candidates for graduation to resolve complex public administration issues, resulting also in greater employment chances. Public administration PhD holders have grater chance of employment in professions that require above average knowledge of not only practical but predominantly theoretical knowledge and findings from the field of public administration and developmental aspirations of administrative systems.