As you are nearing the end of your doctoral studies, this page is intended to help you through the "bureaucratic jungle" of forms, etc. necessary to successfully complete your doctoral studies.
 
Starting with the basics:
To ensure that your graduation is procedurally stress-free and also meets your desired graduation date, it is best to do the following:

1. Set a date with your Dissertation evaluators (GutachterIn) on which you would like to complete your doctoral studies. This is the date on which you will "defend" your Dissertation (oral examinations) and is known as the "Rigorosentermin". For example, let’s say: June 1st is your desired "Rigorosentermin".
2. From the date of the desired "Rigorosentermin" (i.e. June 1st), count back three (3) weeks (i.e. to May 10th). This is the date on which I (Andrea Grötschnig, Studienabteilung) must have received both written evaluations (Gutachten) of your Dissertation from your evaluators. It is also the date on which you are allowed to register for your "Rigorosentermin" (oral examinations - Ansuchen um Zulassung zur Ablegung des Rigorosums).
3. Ask your Dissertation evaluators (GutachterIn) how long they need in evaluating your Dissertation. From the date calculated in paragraph 2 (for example, May 10th), count back the correct amount of time needed for your evaluators to evaluate your Dissertation. Your evaluators have up to four (4) months maximum to complete the evaluation of your Dissertation. This is the date on which you officially submit your Dissertation (to the Studienabteilung) and upload it to check it for plagiarism (in your Student Portal under "wiss. Arbeiten"). Your evaluators cannot begin reviewing your Dissertation until you officially submit it and upload it.
   If, for example, May 10th is the date on which you are allowed to register for the "Rigorosentermin", and let’s assume that your Dissertation evaluators need 1 month to evaluate your Dissertation, then, for example, April 10th is the date you must submit your printed (bound) Dissertation to the Studienabteilung and upload it to check for plagiarism (in your Student Portal under "wiss. Arbeiten"). 
   Again, your evaluators CANNOT begin reviewing your Dissertation until you officially submit it and upload it to check for plagiarism.

You can submit the forms for completed courses (Einreichformulare) at any time up to the application for admission to the Rigorosum (Ansuchen um Zulassung zur Ablegung des Rigorosums) – regardless of the time at which you submit your Dissertation (to the Studienabteilung and upload it for the plagiarism check).

 

Once you have completed all courses in your doctoral program, you can submit the entry form (Einreichformular) completed and signed by the 1st Evaluator (ErstbetreuerIn). You should also turn in your original certificates (Originalzeugnisse) or transcripts (Studienerfolgsnachweis) and the current study information (Studienblatt). And, if necessary, the recognition decision (Anerkennungsbescheid) of extra classes/written work sought for approval by the student should also be turned in to the Admissions Office (Studienabteilung).

 

 

• Check in your student portal under the link "wiss. Arbeiten" to see if both Dissertation evaluators are registered for your Dissertation. If they are not, you need to submit a signed (by both evaluators) Application for Appointment as Dissertation Evaluator (Ansuchen um Bestellung von GutachterInnen einer Dissertation). You need to do this before you can upload your Dissertation for the plagiarism check.
• Prepare your Dissertation for submission: Note the template for the design of Title Page (Vorlage für die Gestaltung des Titelblattes); sign the Declaration of honour (ehrenwörtliche Erklärung) and ask your evaluators for specifications on the binding and embossment of your Dissertation (ideally your name on the spine of the work; no spiral binding). For economic reasons, we recommend double-sided printing for the bound work.
• In the meantime in your Student Portal under the link: "wiss. Arbeiten" run the Upload of your Dissertation.
  Keep in mind that the electronic version (uploaded) must be identical (word for word) to the written version of the Dissertation. You may upload the electronic version first. The written version must be turned in within 1 week after you have uploaded the electronic version.
  If you are interested in the online publication of your work, you must submit your consent to do so in the upload process. For more information, see under: http://www.uni-klu.ac.at/studabt/inhalt/1765.htm
• Submit the written Dissertation to the Admissions Office within 1 week after the upload. Namely: 4 copies in fixed binding.
• Fill out the provided fields on the form "Evaluation of Dissertation" (Beurteilung der Dissertation) and set this in your Dissertation.

 

Statute, part B, section 19 (5) [...] The Rector of Studies shall submit the Dissertation to two (2) University instructors in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2, who must evaluate the Dissertation independently of each other within a maximum of four (4) months. [...]
To see whether the plagiarism check is complete or whether your work (Dissertation) is evaluated, please check your Student Portal. There you can also download your Dissertation evaluations. 

In the meantime, please perform the recording of your Dissertation in the Austrian Dissertation Database (Erfassung Ihrer Dissertation in der Österreichischen Dissertationsdatenbank) and fill out the online questionnaire (Fragebogen zur Erhebung von Auslandsaufenthalten während des Studiums) on stays abroad during the course of studies (even if you were not abroad, please still fill it out).
Students of the doctoral program in technical sciences (Doktorat der Technischen Wissenschaften) please create a popular summary of your Dissertation of approximately 1 page (about 500 words, if necessary with pictures) and also set this in the Rigorosum application (Ansuchen um Zulassung zur Ablegung des Rigorosums).

When both evaluations (Gutachten) are available, you can make the application for admission to the Rigorosum (Ansuchen um Zulassung zur Ablegung des Rigorosums) accompanied by the entry confirmation for the Austrian Dissertation Database + the completed Statistics Questionnaire. (You must have confirmation that you uploaded your Dissertation to the Austrian Dissertation Database + that you completed the Statistics Questionnaire in order to apply for your Rigorosum!)

-Attention! Incomplete, without accompanied attachments (Austrian Dissertation Database confirmation + Statistics Questionnaire) or prematurely turned-in applications CANNOT be accepted!

The Rector of Studies decides on approval of Rigorosum dates that are requested for earlier than the usual minimum of 3 weeks after the application for admission to the Rigorosum has been received. In other words, if you wish to have your Rigorosum (oral examinations) within 3 weeks after the application for admission to the Rigorosum was submitted, the Rector of Studies will have to decide.

 

Please register within the time limits for participation in the graduation (akademische Feier). 

I am available to help you with any further questions.

With best wishes,
Monika Illgoutz

 

Die Checkliste Rigorosum entstand am 14. November 2005 einerseits im Zuge des Homepage-Relaunch und andererseits im Rahmen des Projektes
"Das Doktoratsstudium. Optimierungsmaßnahmen für die Administration".  

Idea, concept and implementation: Andrea Grötschnig
actualisation: Monika Illgoutz
Translation: Jeffrey Zimmerman *thx* :)
last updated: December 15, 2011