Doctoral Thesis Defense

The Doctoral Thesis Defense is an, oral, comprehensive subject examination by committee conducted in a single examination procedure. Further information on the doctoral thesis defense is available in the curriculum (§ 6 and § 11 para. 1) as well as in the Laws Governing University Studies (§§ 27, 28, 29 and 31).

The subject of the doctoral thesis defense (defensio dissertationis) are:

1. Presentation of the doctoral thesis by the student.
2. Questions of the members of the examination committee about the doctoral thesis.

The presentation of the doctoral thesis should not significantly exceed 20 to 25 minutes. The presentation should cover the research questions addressed, the methods used, the results obtained, and the scientific relevance of the work. The doctoral thesis defense lasts a maximum of 90 minutes.

The examination committee shall consist of at least three persons. The doctoral thesis defense (defensio dissertationis) takes place with the Dean of Studies as chairperson. As a rule, the examiners shall be university teaching staff with a teaching qualification pursuant to § 98 para. 12 or § 103 UG, for those subjects in which they hold their teaching qualification (cf. § 31 Laws Governing University Studies). A personal union is excluded.

The arrangement of an examination date is made by the student her/himself. The examination date is to be coordinated and agreed upon with all members of the examination committee.

Registration for the doctoral thesis defense is done using the appropriate form in the Student Services Center of the School of Business, Economics and Social Sciences. Please submit it by email to sowi.doktorat(at)uni-graz.at.

The doctoral thesis defense requires the positive assessment and grading of the doctoral thesis.

The reviewers must assess and grade the thesis within four months of submission.

The period between the submission of a scientific paper and the examination concluding the study program or the completion of the program may not be less than four weeks.

If the study program is completed with an examination that concludes the study program, this examination can be taken no earlier than two weeks after the assessment/s has been submitted to the Examination Office or the Dean’s Office.

Resolution of the Deans of Studies and the Director of Studies dated July 7, 2009. This resolution shall take effect at the beginning of the summer semester 2010 (March 1, 2010).

Students are entitled to cancel their registration for the examination no later than 48 hours before the examination time (cf. § 29 Para. 3 Laws Governing University Studies).