School of Education and Humanities
School of Information Technologies and Applied Sciences
School of Social Sciences, Business and Law
Admission Rules
For citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, information about applying for Doctoral (PhD) programs—on both grant and paid bases—is available on the official website of the National Testing Center (NTC).
Duration of PhD studies: 3 years
Step 1. TAKE THE ADMISSION EXAMS
Applications for admission to doctoral programs are accepted through the NTC website:
👉https://app.testcenter.kz/auth
Step 2. ACHIEVE THE MINIMUM REQUIRED SCORE
To be eligible for admission, applicants must score at least 75 points in total.
Exam Component | Maximum Score |
Interview conducted by the university’s examination board | 30 |
Essay | 20 |
Exam questions based on the educational program profile | 50 |
Total | 100 |
Interview – Duration: 20 minutes
- The interview evaluates the applicant’s professional and personal qualities, as well as their potential to conduct scientific or experimental research.
- Conducted in offline format.
- Documented according to official protocol, signed by the chair, members, and secretary of the examination board. In case of disagreement with the result, an appeal can be filed.
- If the applicant does not attend the interview, 0 points are assigned. This is also recorded in the protocol with required signatures.
Interview Evaluation Criteria for Admission to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program
Criteria | Descriptors | Points |
1. Motivation | Argumentation of motives for pursuing doctoral studies in the chosen educational program and applying to SDU University. Vision of professional and personal development prospects after graduation. | 5 |
2. Research Competence | Possession of research skills and experience necessary for conducting scientific research in a specific subject area. | 10 |
3. Creativity | Non-standard thinking, creative and alternative approaches to solving problems and situational tasks. | 10 |
4. Communication | Ability to express one's point of view concisely, representatively, logically, and with clear argumentation; ability to make generalizations and conclusions. Language proficiency. | 5 |
Maximum Score | 30 | |
Types and Evaluation Criteria of Essays
Types of Essay | Description | Essay Length |
Motivational | Argumentation of the applicant's inner motivation for research activities (research statement) | At least 250 words |
Scientific-Analytical | Justification of the relevance and methodology of the proposed research (research proposal) | |
Problem-Thematic | Presentation of the author’s position on relevant aspects of subject knowledge |
Evaluation Criteria of Essays
Criteria | Descriptors | Points |
Depth of Topic Coverage | The topic is discussed at a theoretical level, with correct use of scientific terms and concepts; information from various sources is used | 4 |
The author’s personal viewpoint (position, attitude) is presented | 4 | |
Argumentation and Evidence | Presence of arguments, identification of cause-and-effect relationships, ability to reason from specific to general and vice versa | 4 |
Structural Integrity and Logic | Structural coherence, logical connection between sections of the essay, presence of conclusions and generalizations | 4 |
Academic Writing Style | Demonstration of advanced academic writing skills (vocabulary, scientific terminology, grammar, style) | 4 |
Maximum Score | 20 | |
The Exam Ticket Includes 3 Questions:
Sections | Points |
Question 1 | 10 |
Question 2 | 20 |
Question 3 | 20 |
Maximum Score | 50 |
Required documents to be submitted to the university:
- Original Master’s diploma with transcript
- Official certificate of passing the state language exam – KAZTEST (issued by NTC)
- International certificate proving foreign language proficiency:
- IELTS (minimum score: 5.0)
- TOEFL: PBT (417), IBT (35)
- TOEIC (minimum 550)
- Duolingo (minimum 80)
- Copy of national ID
- Six (6) passport-size photos (3x4 cm)
- Medical certificate in Form №075 and fluorography results
- Employment record or HR-certified document proving at least 9 months of work experience
- List of scientific and methodological publications from the last 3 years (if any)
*For international applicants: Submission is done in person at SDU University.
SDU Code – 302
Number of state-funded grants for SDU doctoral specialties for the 2025–2026 academic year:
(Published on the official website of the National Testing Center)
| SDU Code | Group code and name | Number of state grants | |
| 1 | 302 | D072 – Management and Administration | 1 |
| 2 | D092 – Mathematics and Statistics | 1 | |
| 3 | D094 – Information Technology | 1 |
PAYMENT
- Education
SDU University Institution
040900, Almaty region, Kaskelen, ul. Abylai Khan, 1/1.
BIN: 960240000550
IBAN: KZ626017131000023797 (KZT)
IBAN: KZ146017131000031160 (USD)
IBAN: KZ696017131000039094 (EUR)
IBAN: KZ466017131000050469 (RUB)
BIC: HSBKKZKX
JSC “Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan”
Tuition fees at our university are based on the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System).
Payments can be made per semester or annually.
Tuition must be paid before the semester begins, depending on the number of selected courses.
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