Study programme: Agrifood Value Chain

The “Agri-Food Value Chain” Doctoral Academic Study Program

The “Agri-Food Value Chain” is a multidisciplinary PhD program comprising of different aspects of agronomy, food science and technology, and agricultural economics. The main objective of this program is to offer a unique doctoral education to prospective students interested in exploring various aspects within the entire food value chain. It enables students to receive both hard and soft skills related to the research of their PhD and pave the way for their further advancement in developing their scientific skills. The main outcome is a skilled PhD graduate capable of performing research at the highest scientific level.

The PhD program lasts three years (six semesters) and awards 180 ECTS credits upon completion.

The program is self-financed, and students are required to obtain sufficient financial resources for tuition and living expenses in Serbia. The tuition fee is 4.800,00 EUR per academic year.

Graduates are awarded with a diploma and the title Doctor of Biotechnical Sciences.

Curriculum

The “Agri-Food Value Chain” doctoral academic study program consists of four groups of courses:

Research Design is a mandatory course. Students, under the supervision of their mentor(s), develop the framework and design for their PhD research project.
Soft skills courses are three mandatory courses essential for an early-career scientist - Writing scientific papers and research dissemination, Intellectual property and patents and Communication and presentation skills.
Elective methodological courses cover different fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry and biochemistry, and sensory analysis. These courses are in the first semester, creating a research basis for the student. Student chooses three methodological courses.
Elective topic-specific courses are directly related to the topic of the doctoral thesis. Students select two out of more than 40 available courses. The portfolio of courses enables the students to focus their research on different segments of the food value chain, from the farm to the fork.

The second and third years of program are dedicated to research.

More information on the curriculum, as well as a list of offered courses are available at https://www.agrif.bg.ac.rs/en/studies/doctoral-studies/study-programme-agrifood-value-chain/curriculum

Before applying, candidates need to review the list of available PhD research proposals and contact potential supervisors to confirm eligibility. The list of proposals is updated annually and available at link.

General requirements:

Candidates for enrollment in doctoral studies at the University of Belgrade must meet the following requirements:

Have completed undergraduate and master academic studies, or integrated academic studies, with a minimum of 300 ECTS credits.
Have an overall average grade of at least 8,00 (or equivalent as outlined in the recognition of foreign qualifications) in undergraduate and master academic studies, or integrated academic studies.
Candidate with an overall average grade bellow 8,00 in undergraduate and master academic studies, or integrated academic studies, must have published scientific papers in journals recognized by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation prior to enrollment.
Fluency in English.

How to apply:

Review the list of available PhD research projects and contact potential supervisors to confirm eligibility.
Recognition of Foreign Qualifications: If a candidate completed undergraduate and/or master academic studies (or integrated studies) abroad, it is necessary to initiate the procedure of recognition of documents for enrollment in doctoral academic studies at the University of Belgrade, no later than 15 days before the application deadline. Detailed information on the recognition procedure and required documents is available at: https://www.bg.ac.rs/recognition/
Application Submission to the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade

Submit the following documents in person:Completed application form (link)

Confirmation from supervisor(s) of eligibility for a specific PhD research proposal
Confirmation that the recognition process at the University of Belgrade has begun
Diploma and diploma supplements of the first and second degree of studies (photocopies)
Proof related to the published scientific papers (photocopies of published papers, journal confirmation with DOI number, etc.), if applicable
Proof of English language proficiency (Certificate of English knowledge of B2 level or higher according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF), Cambridge Advance Certificate in English (CAE), International English Language Testing System Certificate (IELTS), finished previous level(s) of studies or high school in English)
Proof of payment of the application fee (5.900,00 RSD)
Signed statement authorizing the Faculty and the University to use personal data of the candidates for the purpose of the application processing and enrollment (to enter data into an electronic database, to generate the necessary statistical data, to submit the requested data to the Ministry of Education). All data are considered confidential and will not be available to any unauthorizes persons).

Candidates who acquire the right to enroll submit the following documents:

Certificated photocopies of diploma and diploma supplements of the first and second degree of studies, and original documents for verification
Decision of the recognition of a foreign higher education document from the University of Belgrade
Birth certificate
Health insurance policy
Completed SV-20 form (electronically filled)
Two photos 4.5x3.5 cm, not older than 1 year
Proof of payment of the fee for the registration costs (5.800,00 RSD)
Proof of payment of the tuition fee (4.800,00 EUR in RSD)
Proof of payment of the fee for the Career Development Center (100,00 RSD).

Timeline

Beginning of May 2025 – Call for enrolment of students in doctoral academic studies at the faculties of the University of Belgrade available online on the website

May 2025 – July 2025 – Communication with potential supervisors and positive response from supervisor(s) of eligibility for a specific PhD research proposal

September 2^nd - October 17^th 2025 – Application at the Faculty of Agriculture

No later than October 25^th 2025 – Final ranking lists published

No later than October 30^th 2025 – Enrolment at the Faculty of Agriculture

Contact:

For additional information, assistance with the application process, or specific inquires related to the PhD program, please contact:

Vanja Kovačević

Associate for International Cooperation and Public Relations

vanja.kovacevic@agrif.bg.ac.rs