Promotion / Habilitation

Disputation §11

  1. Using the grading scale of §12.4 of the Regulations for Doctoral Study, Dr. theol., the examination committee will make a decision concerning the acceptance and evaluation of the dissertation on the basis of the marks proposed by the readers and following review of any objections and opinions concerning the dissertation.
  2. Only those persons whose dissertations have received the mark of rite may proceed to the disputation.
  3. In the disputation, the dissertation will be defended before the examination committee; this is open to the university community. Beyond this, the disputation also covers selected problems of the field, relevant areas in other fields, and the current state of research in those fields. The evaluations shall be used in the disputation.
  4. The length of the disputation may not exceed 90 minutes.
  5. The head of the examination committee will moderate the disputation. He or she may allow questions from anyone present at 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.
  7. The examination committee determines the mark of the disputation. This shall be done in accordance with the grading scale found in §12 of the Regulations for Doctoral Study, Dr. theol., yet in the case of intermediate marks, it may choose the better or lesser mark.
  8. If the applicant is absent from the disputation for reasons which do not justify the absence, then the disputation will be considered unsuccessful.

Decisions concerning Doctoral Study Achievements §12

  1. The final mark of the course of doctoral study results in equal parts from the mark of the dissertation and the mark of the disputation. The mark summa cum laude may be granted only when this has been proposed by all readers of the disputation.
  2. The marks are:
    • magna cum laude  - very good (1)
    • cum laude  - good (2)
    • rite  - satisfactory (3)
    • non rite  - non-satisfactory (4)
  3. For especially outstanding work, the mark summa cum laude—with the figure (0)—may be granted.
  4. Following the decision, the head of the examination committee notifies the candidate of the result and of any revisions required prior to publication. Upon a formal request, the applicant is to be granted the opportunity to review the minutes documenting the awarding of the various marks.
  5. The candidate will receive a certificate which communicates the result of the examination.
  6. If the dissertation has been rejected, then only one further attempt at completion of the process may be made. The examination process may be initiated anew in one year at the earliest. If this second attempt is unsuccessful, then the entire doctoral process has incontrovertibly ended in failure.
  7. The disputation may be repeated only once. This can take place two months later at the earliest and one year later at the latest. If this second attempt is unsuccessful, then the entire doctoral process has incontrovertibly ended in failure.