Abstract:

Higher education, research and innovation play a crucial role in supporting social cohesion, economic growth and global competitiveness. Increasing demand for skills and competences requires higher education that responds to this need in new ways. Doctoral university studies represent the third cycle of university studies after bachelor's and master's and ensure the deepening of specialized knowledge as well as the development of scientific research capacities. In recent years, the organization and conduct of the doctorate in universities has fundamentally changed its form and content, becoming the third cycle of university studies and at the same time, an element of merging between didactic and research activity, in the vision of the Bologna process. That is why the role of the Office for University Doctoral Studies (to initiate, support and promote the activities that support the good conduct of doctoral studies in the university) has become essential in the process of quality methodological training of doctoral students and the promotion of doctorates with a solid fundamental and/or applied research component.
Starting from the premise that the improvement of the services offered by the university must be continuous and that this is only possible through the continuous improvement of the organization's processes, an analysis was made of the problems faced in the last 3 years by the office for university doctoral studies within the University " Lucian Blaga" from Sibiu in order to establish corrective measures. Using different quality management tools and techniques (for process quality improvement) the types of existing problems could be identified and assessed, and then control methods were designed and implemented that ensured corrective improvement actions.

Keywords:

Improving process, education, quality, DMAIC, Six Sigma.