Step 6 - Title of the dissertation
You announced the working title of your dissertation at the beginning of your studies. This was entered in UNIGRAZonline after your admission. In most cases, this working title changes over time. So please check in good time whether your title has also changed and, if so, simply apply for an update using the "Change of dissertation title" form.
An independent change or a change by the supervisor in UNIGRAZonline is not permitted.
Step 7 - Layout and formal requirements for the dissertation
Please note: The entire dissertation, especially the title page, must meet the requirements of the "ÖNORM - Recommendation for the external design of university theses". You will find sample title pages below. These templates can be used and of course adapted to the dissertation in terms of formatting and font/font size. The use of logos on the title page is not permitted. For data protection reasons, no sworn declaration may be attached to the thesis!
Cumulative dissertation: In the interdisciplinary and natural science doctoral programs, you can submit a cumulative dissertation for review. However, such a dissertation must fulfill certain formal criteria. These are
- the "Guidelines of the Director of Studies concerning the writing of cumulative dissertations, if these are provided for in the curricula"
- formal requirements in the curriculum (§ 7 para. 2)
- in the case of a dissertation in DS Geography, the "Guidelines of the Doctoral School of Geography and Spatial Research on cumulative dissertations"
- in the case of a dissertation in the DS Educational Sciences, the "Guidelines of the Doctoral School of Educational Sciences on the cumulative dissertation"
- In the case of publications with several authors, you must describe your specific achievements for the respective publications as precisely as possible in the dissertation so that a separate assessment of your achievements is possible.
- If the publications have not yet been published, please provide evidence of the status of the respective publications (e.g. acceptance letter or screenshot of the online submission system).
- When selecting journals, make sure that only peer-reviewed journals that are listed in the guidelines or curricula databases or - in the case of a dissertation at the DS Geography - are recognized by the VGDH are considered equivalent. The VGDH list can be viewed at the following link: http://vgdh.geographie.de/anerkannte-geographie-fachzeitschriften/
Step 8 - Proposal of the evaluators of the dissertation
At least two assessors must be appointed. At your request, three assessors can also be appointed. The primary criterion is the professional suitability of the selected persons. Ideally, at least one assessor should not come from the University of Graz.
You submit your proposal using the form "Announcement/Change of reviewers of the dissertation" at urbi.doktorat(at)uni-graz.at. Prior consultation with the responsible Dean of Studies is recommended.
Please note that the Dean of Studies is free to assign further assessors to the dissertation.
Step 9 - Electronic submission of the dissertation
Once your dissertation has been submitted electronically, it will undergo a formal review (title page, compliance with the guidelines of the Director of Studies and the curricular requirements for publications, ....). If there are any discrepancies, you will be contacted by a member of staff from the Dean's Office. If everything is in order, your thesis will be approved in UGO. The plagiarism check is then carried out and the thesis is forwarded to the assessors in digital form.
As soon as all reviews have been received by the Dean's Office and approved by the responsible Dean of Studies, the grade of the dissertation is entered in UGO. From this point on, you can access the reviews.
The submission of the dissertation for assessment is independent of the status of the courses to be completed and is therefore possible at any time!
If necessary, a well-founded application for temporary exclusion of use (suspension) of the diss ertation can be submitted.
Step 10 - Submission of the courses
See also "During the degree program - Step 5".
In any case, it is necessary to submit a correct record sheet to the Examination Office in order to complete the degree program. This can be done at any time, but at the latest when submitting the dissertation to the Examinations Office.
Please also check your study progress in the "My studies" app on UNIGRAZonline. You can find instructions for assigning credits to your studies here.
Step 11 - The viva voce
The prerequisite for taking the final board examination (viva voce) is the positive assessment of the dissertation and the positive completion of all examinations specified in the curriculum. Registration for the viva voce is made using the "Registration for viva voce" form in the Dean's Office and must be submitted to urbi.doktorat(at)uni-graz.at at least three weeks before the planned date of the examination (2 weeks notice period). If one of the above-mentioned requirements (e.g. an expert opinion) is still missing two weeks before the planned date, the application is invalid and a new date must be arranged. When scheduling your appointment, please bear in mind that the statutory review period for dissertations is four months from the complete submission of the dissertation to the Examination Office.
The place and time of the viva voce is generally to be coordinated by the student him/herself. If you need help finding a room, please contact the Dean's Office. Travel expenses for external examiners cannot be covered by the faculty. However, it is possible to connect a member of the examination board via video conference if necessary, provided that all members of the examination board agree.