Completion/Submission of Dissertation and Disputation
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If you have any questions, please email graduiertenzentrum@mdw.ac.at.
In the dissertation, the doctoral candidate documents their ability to conduct independent scientific research. The dissertation addresses a relevant question within the context of international academic discourse, employing sound methodology and scientific rigour. The disputation is the final examination of the PhD programme.
Submission and assessment of the dissertation
Information on dissertations, the design of the title page and the plagiarism check can be found on the Academic Integrity homepage. In the Rectorate's guideline on Academic Integrity you will find in § 4 formal requirements for theses at mdw. You can also refer to the Rectorate's guideline on artistic diploma/master's thesis where formatting instructions are given under point 2 "Structure".
The final title of the dissertation must be definitely determined at least one month before uploading. The form can be found on our page forms.
Before physical submission, the dissertation must be checked for plagiarism, for which you must upload it to mdwOnline. Detailed information and the process of the plagiarism check process can be found on the homepage of the Academic Intergrity.
Once the plagiarism check is complete, you will receive an email, after which you can have the dissertation bound and submit it to the Studies Center. Before submitting, you must have completed all the required courses in the PhD programme.
Submission is made to the Studies Center using the forms Registration for Disputation and Application for the award of the academic degree, both can be found on our page forms. The following documents must be enclosed:
- Dissertation (4 copies, hard bound, plagiarism checked)
- Abstract in German and English (Arial, font size 12, 1.5 lines, 1500 to 4000 characters)
- Curriculum vitae (chronological) und short biography (continous text)
- Copy of identity card or passport
- Award certificates of previously acquired academic degrees
The Dean of Research Programmes then assigns at least two reviewers to assess the dissertationt, at least one of whom must be from outside the mdw and must not have a supervisory relationship with the candidate. From the second reviewer onward, it is permissible to appoint a reviewer from a subject closely related to the dissertation topic. The reviewers must evaluate the dissertation within a maximum of four months. Please note that the disputation date can only be agreed upon once both reviews have been received!
Defence
During the defence, the candidate defends their dissertation to an examination committee. This committee is appointed by the Dean of Research Programmes and consists of the Dean, the supervisor and at least one additional examiner who is suitable for the subject. Particular efforts are made to involve external co-supervisors and/or reviewers. The defence will be held in German or English in consultation with the Dean.
After a complete positive assessment of the dissertation, the date of the defence will be agreed upon by the Dean of Studies with the dissertation candidate and the examination committee.
Procedure of the Defence
The defence has the character of an in-depth scientific debate, which is intended to show that the doctoral candidate is capable of orally discussing scientific problems, knows how to present the factual and methodological basis of their dissertation, and can place it in the problem context of the subject in question, as well as being familiar with more recent developments in this subject. The defence takes place exclusively between the dissertation candidate and the members of the examination committee.
- Presentation on the content and problems of the dissertation (25-30 minutes)
- Discussion between the examination committee and the dissertation candidate
- Deliberation of the examination committee on the assessment of the defence
- Declaration of the grade by the Dean of Studies
Completion of doctoral studies
The doctoral program is considered complete when both the dissertation and the defence have been assessed positively, resulting in an overall grade for the doctoral programme. This grade is composed of the assessment of both the dissertation and the defence. The dissertation counts for 2/3 and the defence for 1/3. This calculated overall grade is used for the certificate supplement.
Once the examination protocol has been sent to the Studies Center by the Dean's office, the candidate will be contacted by the Studies Center regarding confirmation by Statistics Austria. Once this has been received, the documents will be forwarded to the Director of Studies for the awarding of the academic degree.
The Director of Studies shall award the academic degree "Doctor of Philosophy", abbreviated to "PhD", to graduates who have successfully completed their defence, by means of a written decision no later than one month after all requirements have been fulfilled. The certificate and the academic degree will then be sent by post within one month.
Registration for the graduation ceremony takes place in the office of the Director of Studies. All information in this regard can be found on the Director of Studies website.