Frequently Asked Questions

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  • FAQ on PhD Procedures by the Study Service Center Philosophy

    https://ssc-phil.univie.ac.at/en/ssc-services-contact/faq/#c1004649

  • How to Choose Thesis Examiners
    1. Basics: Propose three external experts (not from the University of Vienna) as potential reviewers. The Studienpräses will select two. Reviewers have four months to assess your thesis, with a positive assessment needed from both to proceed to defense.
    2. Consult: Discuss potential examiners with supervisors and peers, or directors.
    3. Expertise: Examiners should have sufficient expertise, though their primary interest need not align fully with your thesis topic. Look for examiners who have previously supervised or examined PhD work.
    4. Conflict of Interest: Avoid examiners with whom you or your supervisors have close professional or personal ties. Please refer to the university guidelines on partiality. In particular, avoid individuals with whom you have collaborated on any published work, such as joint authorship of conference proceedings, or researchers with whom you have carried out external research. Attendance of the same conference does not constitute a close professional relationship.
    5. Reputation: Select examiners with a strong academic reputation, as they may later provide letters of recommendation.
    6. Intellectual Virtues: Choose examiners who demonstrate curiosity, tolerance, and interpretative charity, balanced with critical judgment.
    7. Diversity: Aim for diversity in gender, institution, and background among your examiners.
    8. Fallback Options: Identify a few backup candidates, as your preferred reviewers may decline.
    9. Please visit the university entry on the final phase of the PhD.
  • ECTs for Conference Participation, Publication, Teaching

    During the course of doctoral studies, a maximum of 9 of the 24 ECTs may be earned in the following ways:

    1. Up to 2 ECTs may be awarded for an academic paper published on a topic related to the dissertation.
    2. A number of ECTs corresponding to the number of ECTs of a course you teach in the Philosophy Department can be recognized.
    3. 1 ECT can be earned for presenting a paper on the topic of your dissertation at an academic conference.
    4. 0.5 ECT can be recognized if you participate in an academic conference or congress. 

    To request the recognition of ECTs, please contact the SSC Philosophy Service Desk. Please make sure to upload the relevant certificates.

  • Submission of the Dissertation - Setting up and preparing for the Defensio

    Submission of the dissertation

    1. To initiate the process of submitting your dissertation, please contact the SSC Philosophy Service Desk.
    2. A minimum of four weeks prior to the submission deadline, the candidate is required to propose three external reviewers via the official form. Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section for guidance on the selection process. Two reviewers will be approved by DSPL43 and subsequently invited by the SSC Philosophie.
    3. The external reviewers are granted a period of up to four months to conduct their review of the dissertation. It is requested that no contact is made with the external reviewers during this period.

    Setting up and preparing for the Defensio

    1. Once both reviews have been completed, you coordinate the Defensio appointment with the external reviewers and DSPL 43.
    2. The SSC Philosophie is responsible for arranging the room and sending out the invitation.
    3. Please be advised that you are welcome to prepare materials in advance and send them to the venue, or alternatively, you may bring them with you to the event.