If you’re a graduate student or are just planning to apply to a graduate program, this question will come up sooner or later. And the answer to it in 2026 is significantly different from what it was 5–10 years ago.
Over the past three years, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has changed the rules several times: new resolutions, new procedures, and a different method for counting publications. And if you rely on advice from senior colleagues or articles from 2020, there’s a risk you won’t find out about the changes until right before your defense. By then, it will be too late to make corrections.
In this article, we break down everything you need to know in 2026: the minimum number of publications required, which types of publications count, how co-authored articles are counted, and the most common reasons why graduate students are not admitted to their thesis defense. No fluff—just the current requirements and best practices.
Short answer: How many publications are required to defend a PhD in 2026?
A minimum of 3 scientific publications that present the main findings of the dissertation. This is a basic requirement established by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 44 of January 12, 2022 (as amended on May 8, 2024).
But that's just the "minimum on paper." In practice, things are more complicated because:
• An article in a Ukrainian academic journal with 3 or more co-authors counts as only 0.5 publication;
• An article in a Scopus/WoS journal ranked Q1–Q3 is automatically considered equivalent to 2 publications;
• Conference abstracts generally do not count toward a PhD—it’s important to understand this right away;
• A university may establish its own internal requirements that are stricter than the Ministry of Education and Science’s standards.
Therefore, “at least 3 publications” is just a starting point. A realistic number for a smooth defense is 4–5 articles with the correct structure. Below, we’ll break down exactly how to develop a publication strategy so you don’t waste a year on revisions.
Which publications count toward a PhD defense, and by what weighting factor?
The main feature of the current system is that not all posts are weighted equally. There are coefficients that can either work in your favor or, conversely, force you to write twice as much as you had planned.
Table of Coefficients
Strategic conclusion: If you have two articles in Q1–Q3 Scopus/WoS journals, the minimum requirement for the defense is effectively met. Because 2 × 2.0 = 4.0 publications based on the weighting factors.
What Does NOT Count Toward a PhD
This is a separate topic, because this is where graduate students most often run into trouble. The following are not accepted:
• Conference abstracts—no regulatory document includes them in the list of publications required for a PhD. Thus, even if the abstracts are published in a proceedings volume with an ISBN;
• Articles published in media outlets of aggressor states (Russia, Belarus) — directly prohibited as of May 8, 2024;
• Articles in journals that have been removed from Scopus/WoS as of the evaluation date. Scopus removes journals on a monthly basis, so please check their status immediately before submitting your documents;
• articles without an active DOI (if published after January 27, 2022)—except for materials containing state secrets;
• more than one article from a single issue of a scientific journal;
• publications in journals that were not included in the Ministry of Education and Science’s List as of the publication date—even if the journal is now on the List.
Co-authorship: How to Avoid Falling into the “0.5 Publication” Trap
This is one of the most underrated topics. A graduate student wrote five articles—all with his advisor and two other colleagues—and showed up for his defense, only to find out that he didn’t have five publications, but 2.5. And he didn’t even meet the minimum requirement.
The 2024 Rule
• Up to 2 authors (you and your advisor, or just you) → article = 1.0 publication;
• 3 or more authors → article in a Ukrainian professional journal = 0.5 publication.
This rule does not apply to articles in Scopus and Web of Science—even if there are as many as 10 co-authors, the article still counts as 1.0 (or 2.0 if it is in Q1–Q3).
Practical Tip
If you plan to publish in Ukrainian academic journals, do so either as a sole author or only with your academic advisor. It is better to submit group articles with three or more authors to Scopus or Web of Science—the impact factor will be preserved there.
Another important point: for co-authored articles published in professional journals, the dissertation text must specify the individual contribution of each author. Scopus does not have such a formal requirement, but reviewers will still evaluate the candidate’s actual contribution.
We can help you find a professional journal that matches your field of study and the requirements for your thesis defense, so that the publication can count toward the required minimum.
Do the requirements vary by field of study?
Resolution No. 44 sets a uniform minimum requirement for everyone—3 publications. But in practice, there are differences between fields:
Key points: The university and the educational and research program have the right to set higher requirements than those specified in Resolution No. 44. Therefore, the first thing you should do is obtain the current Regulations on PhD Studies at your higher education institution and review its internal guidelines.
Common mistakes that result in disqualification from the defense
In our experience, 80% issues with admission to the defense arise for the same reasons. Go through this list right now—while there’s still time to fix them.
1. Publication in a predatory journal
Signs of a predatory journal: a promise of publication “in 3 days without revisions,” a lack of transparent peer review, an obscure editorial board, and acceptance of articles on any topic. If a journal is removed from Scopus after your article is published, it will not count as a Scopus publication. Check the journal’s status at least one month before submitting your documents to the committee.
2. Article without an active DOI
Articles published after January 27, 2022, without an active DOI cannot be accepted. Note that “active” means that the DOI actually works via doi.org. Sometimes a journal assigns a DOI but does not register it with CrossRef—formally, the DOI exists, but in reality, it does not. Please verify this yourself.
3. The journal was removed from the list
The list of peer-reviewed journals is updated regularly. If a journal is removed from the list before the publication date of your article, the article will not be counted. Always check the journal’s status as of the publication date, not the date of writing.
4. More than two co-authors in a professional publication
We’ve already discussed this above, but I’ll repeat it because this is a very common scenario. If you co-authored an article with your advisor and two other colleagues, that counts as 0.5 publications. To meet the minimum requirement of 3.0 with such articles, you’ll need six of them.
5. Two articles in a single issue of the journal
No more than one article from a single issue may be accepted. If you want to publish two articles in your favorite journal quickly, spread them across different issues.
6. Formal articles with no real connection to the dissertation
The committee verifies that the publications actually reflect the findings of the dissertation and are not merely formal notes “for the sake of numbers.” All articles must be substantively related to various aspects of the work.
7. Publication in English without an abstract in Ukrainian
Resolution No. 507 clarified the language requirements: publications in Ukraine must be issued in the official language, English, or an EU language. If an article is in English and published in Ukraine, it must include an abstract in Ukrainian.
If you really try to figure this out—it's complicated
Let’s be honest: over the past 3 years, the PhD defense system in Ukraine has changed more than it did in the previous 15 years. Regulations are being updated, the list of professional journals is being reformed, Scopus removes journals every month, and universities are adding their own internal requirements. And in all of this, it’s not enough just to figure things out—you need to develop a personalized publication strategy that will ensure a successful defense without any risks.
The Article Academy has been working with PhD candidates since 2014. During this time, we have guided hundreds of authors through the thesis defense process and are familiar with every detail—from choosing a journal to drafting a statement on scientific novelty.
Conclusion
The main takeaway from this article:
• The minimum requirement for 2026 is 3 publications based on the weighting factors. But the realistic number for a solid defense is 4–5 articles with the correct structure;
• Not all line items are treated the same. Co-authorship 3+, Scopus quartiles, monographs—they all have their own weighting factors. Plan accordingly;
• Conference abstracts are not publications for a PhD. Let's go over this one more time, because this is the most common mistake;
• The university may set its own requirements — Check the internal regulations governing PhD programs at your institution of higher education.
If you still have questions or would like to develop a personalized protection strategy, please contact us. We’ll analyze your situation and recommend the best course of action.
We'll find a journal that matches your topic, quarter, and deadlines, and help you navigate the process from preparing your article to publication.
Free of charge, with no obligation. We'll get back to you within the day.
