Evaluation and Oral Defence

Evaluation of your thesis

The evaluation of your thesis is carried out by an Examination Committee consisting of three members. The committee is made up of your supervisor, one further member from your TAC and at least one independet reviewer.

Should your thesis be graded with "summa cum laude", the Examination Committee is extended by a fourth member, independet of your thesis.

All reviewers receive the thesis independently for evaluation.

Oral Defence

Once the evaluation of the dissertation has been completed, the oral examination (defense) follows. The doctoral candidate arranges the time and place of the defense with his or her examination committee. Please note that all members of the examination committee have to attend the oral defense!
The candidate informs the office of doctoral affairs about the agreed upon time and place at least 4 weeks before the planned defense. The Doctoral Committee will set time and place of the oral defence officially and the candidate and all members of the examination committee will receive a written invitation to the defense at least two weeks before the disputation.
The examination is 30 to max. 60 minutes long and includes a 15-minute presentation of the dissertation on theses that mainly concern his or her dissertation. This is followed by a scientific discussion led by the chair of the examination committee. The subsequent expert discussion will mainly deal with topics and questions that are factually or methodically related to the dissertation. The defense takes place before the examination committee (see above).