Promotion / Habilitation

Disputation §11

  1. In the disputation, the dissertation will be defended before the examination committee by the candidate; this is open to the university community (§31, Section 3 HHG). Beyond this, the disputation must also cover further inquiries and neighbouring disciplines of the field of specialization which are materially or methodologically pertinent for the dissertation.
  2. Consultation concerning the results of the examination is to be held in a confidential session of the examination committee. The chair shall immediately provide the examination results (§12 of the Regulations for Doctoral Study, Dr. phil.) to the candidate.
  3. The members of the examination committee shall evaluate the disputation according to the marks listed in §12 of the Regulations for Doctoral Study (Dr. phil.).
  4. If the disputation has been unsuccessfully completed, it may be attempted once more. The second attempt may transpire no later than twelve months following the first attempt. The date will be determined by the chair of the Doctoral Studies Board and will be communicated to the candidate.
  5. The disputation is to be held in German and its length may not, as a general rule, exceed 90 minutes. The chair of the Doctoral Studies Board is responsible for maintaining the proper procedure of the disputation.
  6. Minutes of the disputation are to be taken; they must contain the names of the members of the examination committee, the duration of the examination, an overview of the items of the disputation, and marks. The minutes are to be appended to the doctoral study files.

Decisions concerning Doctoral Study Achievements §12

  1. The examination committee will convene immediately following the disputation in order to determine the final mark.
  2. The final grade of the course of doctoral study results as a calculation in which two-thirds of the mark are accounted for by the average of the marks provided the dissertation by the readers, and in which one-third is accounted for by the mark provided to the disputation by the examination committee.
  3. The marks are:
    • magna cum laude  - very good (1)
    • cum laude  - good (2)
    • rite  - satisfactory (3)
    • non rite non  - satisfactory (4)

    For especially outstanding work, the mark summa cum laude—with the figure (0)—may be granted. This mark may be granted only when the dissertation and the disputation have been unanimously marked with summa cum laude.

  4. The candidate shall receive a certificate as a preliminary degree; it shall contain the name of the faculty as well as the result of the examination. The certificate shall be signed and stamped by the dean. The doctoral candidate shall sign the pledge-document (see the supplementary regulations of the various departments, Appendix 4). The candidate will be notified of potential revisions required prior to publication of the obligatory copies. Upon a formal request, the candidate is to be granted the opportunity to review the minutes of their examination processes.
  5. The candidate first obtains the right to use the academic title of “Dr. phil.” when he or she has received the doctoral degree certificate (§14 of the Regulations for Doctoral Study, Dr. phil.).