Doctoral thesis
The doctoral thesis proves the ability of the doctoral candidate to conduct independent scientific work on a high academic level.
The scope of a dissertation is approx. 750,000-1,000,000 characters (including spaces).
Information on citation rules and the form and style of a dissertation can be found in the guidelines for academic papers
Appointment of the reviewers of the thesis
The assessment of your thesis will be done by two reviewers. The reviewers have to be appointed by the Studienpräses of the University of Vienna: In consultation with your supervisor you have to suggest two possible reviewers. Please note, that your supervisor may not be one of the reviewers.The reviewers can be requested at the earliest six months before uploading the dissertation in HOPLA.
Application for the appointment of the reviewers
The following documents need to be submitted at the StudienServiceCenter (scanned by mail) :
- Form "Assignment of a thesis to reviewers"
- Abstract (2 to 4 pages long)
- CV and publication list of both reviewers (not necessary, if the reviewer(s) are members of the University of Vienna)
After obtaining an opinion/comment from the Director of the Doctoral Studies on your suggested reviewers, your application will be sent to the Studienpräses of the University of Vienna, who is responsible for the appointment of the reviewers. You will be informed of his decision by mail.
Submission of the dissertation
An approved application for the appointment of a reviewer is a prerequisite for submitting a scientific paper.
- The formal requirements for academic theses (in german) must be observed. For data protection reasons, no curriculum vitae or affidavit must be included. An English translation of the formal requirements can be found here.
- Further information on the use of publications in academic theses can be found on the website of the office of the Studienpräses.
Please note: From 05.03.2024, the digital version of the academic thesis has to be submitted via u:space
Prior to submission
- First, you need to review and verify the data in u:space that will be printed on the title page. This information ia automatically loaded from university's database and includes your name and academic degrees you have already obtained as well as details regarding the supervision of your thesis.
- Every thesis must contain a German abstract of at least 500 characters. The abstract is a brief summary of the central points of your thesis. Optionally, you can also include an English abstract.
- For the title page of the thesis, there are concrete specifications regarding the layout and the data listed. To ensure that your title page is correct in terms of form and content, the system in u:space will automatically create it from your data.
- Please do not use a title page that you have created yourself in advance, as this will not be accepted during the formal check!
Submission procedure
- Start by uploading your thesis on u:space. Once you have uploaded the document, you will receive an upload confirmation ("Hochladebestätigung").
- Send a scanned copy of the signed upload confirmation by email to ssc.ktf@univie.ac.at.
- If any textual similarities are detected between yor work and other texts, the study program managment will examine whether it constitutes plagiarism. Please do not proceed with printing your thesis until you have received feedback (via email to your u:account) confirming a sucessful plagiarism check. The printed version must exactly match the electronically submitted version.
- After a successful plagiarism check, you must submit the hard-bound copy of your thesis to the SSC. The thesis shall be submitted in DIN A4, portrait (vertical) format, bound in hard cover and printed double-sided.
- You will need to present the upload confirmation ("Hochladebestätigung") for this submission, if you have not already sent them by email.
If you have any questions:
- For general questions about graduation and the submission process, please send an email to ssc.ktf@univie.ac.at
- If you have any questions about submitting or converting documents, please contact the FirstLevelSupport desk of the Library of the University of Vienna (u-theses.ub@univie.ac.at)
- For all questions after uploading, the SecondLevelSupport desk of the Office of the President of studies legislation and affairs is available (e-einreichung@univie.ac.at).
Submission of the thesis in printed form
Submit 3 hardcover copies of the thesis within ten working days of submitting the electronic version. Please note the formal requirements for the print version. If hardcover papers have not been submitted, no final documents may be sent to you.
If reviewers request a bound copy of the dissertation, additional copies may need to be submitted.
Where can you hand in the printed version of your thesis?
- You can send the hardcover copies to the SSC by post (Schenkenstraße 8-10, 1010 Wien)
- You can hand in your dissertation as a package (addressed to SSC KTF) at the Departmental Library of Theology (it is no longer possible to hand in your dissertation in the entrance area of Schenkenstraße by the post boxes).
- Personal drop-off is possible during opening hours (Wednesday 10 a.m.- 12 p.m.; Thursday 2 p.m.-4 p.m.) with advance notice.
Assessment of the thesis
The thesis will be sent to the appointed reviewers for assessment. The assessment of the thesis must be done by both reviewers within four months after the submission date.The reviews of your thesis will be sent to you by mail as soon as both reviews are available.