Doctoral thesis agreement

Upon approval of the PhD thesis topic and supervisors at the public presentation, a doctoral thesis agreement has to be agreed on and to be signed by the PhD student & his/her supervisor(s).

The student together with the supervisor(s) and ideally also with the co-mentors of the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) shall discuss the study plan and TAC shall ensure that the PhD/doctoral student will obtain sufficient training in all the required research areas of his/her thesis topic.

The Doctoral Thesis Agreement comprises the following points:

• All participants' rights and obligations;
• Extent of supervision: frequency and format of feedback meetings;
• Thesis Advisory Committee: names and affiliations
• Requirements that have to be fulfilled (ECTS)*: Courses should be chosen which suit best the doctoral candidate's research project and his/her intended professional career (list of intented courses/lectures, conferences, and transferable skills);
• Agreement on number of peer-reviewed publications for cumulative dissertation;
• Annexed Expose: detailed description of the doctoral thesis project, time schedule and specification of financial aspects,

* Besides writing the dissertation, the PhD student will have to earn study credits (e.g. through seminars, lectures etc.), dependent on field of dissertation and curriculum, 12, 24 or 30 ECTS in total. The student together with his/her supervisor shall specify these credits to be achieved. The student is encouraged to participate in courses teaching transferable skills as well as obtaining other scientific qualifications (e.g. through presentations at conferences). Courses on transferable skills and further funding opportunities are listed for instance at the Center for Doctoral Studies of the University of Vienna.