The schedule of state examinations and dissertation defence
The path to graduation from the PhD programme is lined with a series of "finalising" study events - the State Doctoral Examination, the Internal Defence and the final Dissertation Defence.
Doctoral State Examination
InAt the 5thbeginning semester or, atof the latest, the 7th5th semester of study (taking into account the period of any interruption)studies, learnersstudents register for the Doctoral State Examination and takeundergo theit. Doctoral State Examination. Students in the old programme (matriculation up to and including PS 2021) may also take the examination at the end of their studies together with their dissertation defence at their own choice.
Please note that the prerequisite for the PhD examination is the completion of the course RLDrA09 Draft Article Preparation!! We have introduced this prerequisite as a checkpoint to remind students that they need to submit their journal article for review well in advance so that itthey ismore publishedeasily bymeet the timerequirement theyof concludeits theiractual studies.publication before the defence.
Advanced version of the dissertation, Internalmock defence and final version of the dissertation
In the penultimate6th semester of study,studies, students register for RLDrA12 Doctoral Seminar IV: Advanced Dissertation Draft and submit an advanced version of their dissertation for internalmock defense during the exam period of this course.period.
In the penultimate7th semester,semester learnersof studies, students register for RLDrA14 Doctoral Seminar V: Internal OppositionReview and Dissertation Completion.
In this course, the supervisor and thea designated internal opponentreviewer read the thesis and give feedback to thestudents learners onregarding the completion of the thesis at the internalmock defense, possibly in the form of written comments on the thesis.defense.
The internalmoc defence takes place physically, online or in a hybrid mode, and resemblesfollows athe defenceform (itof isthe inactual fact a mock defence).defense.
The learnerstudent then completes the dissertation based on his/her own reflection, the supervisor's feedback, and the experience of the internal defense and submits the final version by January 31 (fall semester) or August 31 (spring semester). (These are mandatory dates for the study programme, it is not just a question of requirements of a specific course.)
Dissertation defence
In the last semester of study, at a date determined by the chair of the departmentalStudy board,Programme, the dissertation defense is held.