Graduation
1. Exam record
For admission to the public defence, all the courses relevant to completing your studies—including any supplementary exams—must already have been completed and assigned to the correct modules. If you need assistance, please contact rita.gratzer@univie.ac.at
2. Submission of the academic thesis
A prerequisite for the submission of the master’s thesis is the approval of the topic and supervision by the directorate of studies.
The formal requirements for master’s thesis must be observed.
The process consists of three steps, and you can find detailed instructions on the StudienServiceCenter (SSC) website at:
https://ssc-sozialwissenschaften.univie.ac.at/master/masterarbeit/
3. Registration for the public defence
As soon as dates become available, students may reserve their preferred date for the defence in consultation with both of their examiners (email to rita.gratzer@univie.ac.at). The first examiner is usually the supervisor and the second examiner must be arranged by the candidate from the list of supervisors. Reservation may be made up to three weeks before the planned date. The list of available dates and chairs can be found at the following link. Time slots without names are not available for selection.
The registration for the public defence must be completed no later than 10 days before the date using the form Registration for the final oral examination. This requires that the master's thesis has been assessed.
After uploading the master’s thesis in u:space and subsequently submitting it electronically to the SSC, the supervisor officially receives the thesis for assessment (assessment period: max. 2 months). The assessment must be submitted to the SSC at least 10 days before the planned examination date. Discuss with the supervisor how much time they will need for grading; this will help you to determine the best time to upload your thesis.
Procedure of the public defence
The public defence is the defence of the master’s thesis. The examinations take place on site at the department. The examination committee—consisting of the chair, the first examiner (usually the supervisor), and the second examiner—examines the thesis and its scientific environment. After the opening by the chair, the candidate presents for 10–15 minutes (PowerPoint allowed), followed by questions and discussion. After approximately 40–45 minutes, the committee deliberates and announces the grade. Maximum duration: 60 minutes.
After the public defence
You get an e-mail to your u:account as soon as your documents have been completed. This happens around 2-4 weeks after the public defence.
You will receive two separate e-mails:
"Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum erfolgreichen Abschluss Ihres Studiums!"
Automatic e-mail, the study program has been closed in the system. The SSC will send you a statistics form, which you must complete and return to the SSC. You will then receive a second e-mail with
"Studienabschluss".
You will receive the officially signed final documents by e-mail and have the option of requesting hand-signed documents from the SSC. It can take up to 6 weeks for the handwritten documents to be issued.
You can register for a graduation ceremony via u:space.