Frequently Asked Questions
Submitting and Defending your Dissertation
Where should I submit my dissertation and the appropriate documents?
Faculty of Architecture
Graduation Commission
Frau Unglaub
99421 Weimar
E-mail: cornelia.unglaub@uni-weimar.de
How much time does it take from submission to defense?
TIMELINE
1. Submit your dissertaiton and documents
2. The next meeting of the graduation commission decides to begin the doctoral procedure and selects / confirms reviewers.
3. Reviewers are contacted and receive their copy of the dissertation.
4. Reviewers have at least three months to write their review.
5. When all reviews have been submitted, the next meeting of the graduation commission can accept the dissertation and select the defense panel.
6. An appointment for the disputation is selected by the defense panel.
7. The dissertation is made publicly available in the library for 14 days.
Depending on when graduation commission meetings take place, it can take 1-2 months from stage 5 to the disputation.
When does the graduation commission meet?
During the semester, normally once a month. It generally does not meet during the semester break (February/March and August/September).
Can the cover letter also be written in English?
Yes
Will the Graduation Commission notify me via e-mail or post?
Both, you can specify in your cover letter if you do not have a permanent address.
Can I (doctoral candidate) request a certain appointment for the defense/disputation?
No. you can inform the graduation commission about dates which absolutely do not work for you for some important reason (a wedding, baby due date,
) and these dates will be respected. The final date will depend on the schedules of the defense panel.
Does the second reviewer have to attend the defense? How will travel be funded?
Travel costs for second reviewers can be reimbursed for travel within Germany. In cases where the second reviewer would be arriving from abroad, travel cannot always be funded by the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. If for this or another reason, the second reader cannot attend, the review will be read aloud at the defense.
How is the defense panel selected?
When the reviews have been submitted and the graduation commission decides to accept the dissertation, the panel is selected. It consists of the first reader, possibly the second reader, a member of the graduation commission, and one other professor, chosen based on thematic relevance.
Do I have to be matricuated at the time of defense?
Normally, yes.
How and when / where should I publish my dissertation?
Whether you want to publish your dissertation is something you should discuss with your supervisor(s) and depends on the relevance of your dissertation topic for which audience. If you decide to publish your dissertation, you will have to contact and sign a contract with a publisher. When the signed contract is submitted to the graduation commission, you can receive your doctoral certificate.
If you do not pulblish your dissertation, you are required to hand in 6 bound copies to the university library as well as electronically publish the dissertation (see the list of documents to hadn in with the dissertation).
What are the regulations for my printed dissertation?
Very few. You can print one-sided or double-sided, soft-bound or hard-bound. For the four copies which are to be reviewed, please leave wide margins for comments.
Do I have to submit certified or original copies of my university degrees if I have already done so when I applied to the IPP-EU or UH program?
No. please contact the IPP/UH programme coordinator or the student office directly and the official copies can be transferred from the student office to the graduation commission.
What is the purpose of the summary (Thesen) and how long should it be?
The summary is presented to the graduation commission to those members who have not read the dissertation when they make the decision whether the dissertation will be accepted for review. There is no specific length.
Do I have to hand in my dissertation and the relevant documents in person?
No, you can also send them by post.
Will I be tested beyond the scope of my dissertation at the defense?
No, at the defense you will be questioned and critiqued on your dissertation and relevant related issues.