Dissertation: format and form

During their studies, students produce a dissertation. The thesis must contain original and significant research results.

Two dissertation formats

In accordance with the MU Study and Examination Regulations, it may be either 1) monographic or 2) a collection of thematically related works already published or accepted for publication, accompanied by a comprehensive introduction to the subject and a commentary.

1) Dissertation as a monograph

In the first case, it is a monographic study of between 180 000 and 270 000 characters including spaces (100-150 standard pages).

2) Dissertation as a collection of studies

In the second case, there is no set scope, but the set must contain either at least three publications as lead author or at least two publications as lead author and two more as co-authors. The publications must have been published or accepted for publication in journals included in the Scopus or Web of Science databases, with one exception, which may be an article in a journal not included in these databases, a book chapter or a contribution to a collection of proceedings (here, inclusion in the databases is not monitored).

The file must be accompanied by (1) a preface (or acknowledgements) with a detailed explanation of the doctoral student's contribution and bibliographic data of the individual contributions, (2) a comprehensive introduction to the subject, and (3) a final summary commentary. In the case of the results of a collective scientific work in which the doctoral student has contributed, the MU CFR (Article 31.4.b) further requires "a statement by the supervisor confirming the authorship of the student and evaluating the student's contribution to the marked parts of the work". In practice, this statement is part of the supervisor's opinion, which is submitted as a basis for the defence.

Required formal elements of the text

The obligatory part of the thesis is the title page, which includes the name of the university, faculty and institute, the title of the thesis, the name of the preparer, the name of the supervisor, the place and year of completion. Furthermore, the thesis must be accompanied by a statement by the author on the originality of the thesis, a table of contents, a list of references used and a running commentary. We recommend using the thesis template at the Faculty of Arts of MU.

It is not necessary to submit the dissertation in physical copy.