FAQ

You can contact us with the following questions:

  • cases of PhD study related issues
  • advice, interpretations of regulations
  • infringements
  • advocacy
  • professional programs
  • etc.

In which issues the Doctoral Student Association cannot help:

  • problems with scholarship payment
  • issuance of student status certificate
  • financial support

The most common questions during doctoral degrees

The website of the Doctoral Institute of SZTE generally describes the process of doctorate course well, but does not cover some of the steps and issues necessary for practical implementation and administration. The purpose of this document is to supplement the information from the website and to help the doctoral student be informed about the steps required to obtain a doctorate degree. The document is therefore primarily intended for doctoral students. The document contains the general steps of the procedure, if necessary (and we recommend it), it can supplement the own procedure of each doctoral school. The secretaries of each doctoral schools can provide accurate information about the doctorate degree.

The general flow chart of the doctorate course is shown in the following infograph:

The period of research and dissertation:

  1. What happens when I reach the minimum of 240 credits?

If you have a minimum of 240 credits, Registrars Office will automatically issue the pre-degree certificate stating that all course-units have been completed. In the semester this happens, the scholarship is due by the end of that semester.

1.2 How long do I have a student status?

Until the end of the semester in which you obtained the pre-degree certificate. Otherwise, until the end of the 8th semester, August 31. of that year. In the case of studies started in the spring semester, until January 31.

Submitting the dissertation

Home doctoral thesis defence (if there is a home defence in the institution)

2.1 What happens if I have 240 credits, language exams, publications and I have also written the dissertation?

Write to the secretary of your doctoral school that you would like to apply for home defence. The secretary will send you a list of the further steps. The organization of the home defence approx. takes three months.

2.2 When do I have to ask my opponents for home defence?

Your supervisor will ask your opponents, please discuss with your supervisor.

2.3 Do I need to print my dissertation and the thesis booklets?

The requirements are differ by Doctoral Schools. For example, in the case of Doctoral Schools of Humanities, the opponent may choose to receive the dissertation in digital form or in print. If any of your opponents want it in printed form better, you must comply with that request. This is also the case for public defence.

2.4 Can I ask for the home defence to be organized without the above conditions? / I’m still waiting for the editorial approval of the publication, can’t we start the home defence process until then?

No.

Public doctoral thesis defence

3. What do I need to do to have a public defence?

-The condition for public defence is the fulfilment of the requirements (publications, language exams, credits, etc.) according to the Regulations for Doctoral Course and Doctoral Degree. As the extent of this varies from doctoral schools to school, we recommend that you look around the website of your own doctoral school: https://sztedok.hu/en/doctoral-schools/

-To print the dissertation and thesis booklets in an appropriate number (copies may vary according to DS and individual needs).

-You must upload the final version to the Repository.

-The Doctoral Council (DC) decides on the composition of the Defence Committee. The defence can then be organized. DCs meet on different occasions, so we recommend that you inquire about your own from the competent member of the Doctoral Student Association: https://sztedok.hu/en/board/

4. How much time elapses between filing the application for home defence and public defence?

The deadline for completing the review is 60 days. Once these are received, the DS will organize the defence. The date must be arranged at least three weeks in advance of receipt of the reviews. It is important that there is no doctoral defence in the summer!

5. When is the defence successful and what happens next?

Defence is successful if you reach at least 60% of the 100 points. The result of the defence is submitted by the head of the doctoral school to DC, which accepts your degree procedure.

6. Do I have to pay for the defence procedure?

No, this is included in the doctorate course. In the case that the graduation procedure period expires (3 years after the complex exam) and you have not met the requirements, a new graduation procedure will be initiated that the expense of you. Your doctoral school can give you further information about it.

7. When is the doctoral initiation?

After a successful defence, the defence committee forward the report to the study administrator. In parallel, the council of doctoral school decides on the nomination of the degree, which it forwards to DC. The DC then submits the degree to the University Doctoral Council (EDT), which may accept it. This is the end of the formal circles, the next step is the doctoral inauguration ceremony, which takes place in the late January and mid-July each year.

This document was last updated on: 2021. 08. 16.

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