How do I register my thesis? When do I have to do this at the latest?
To register your thesis, you must complete and sign the corresponding request together with your supervisor. You then submit this to the Central Examination Office. You will then receive notification of the result by post. As a rule, your writing-up period will then begin.
The examination and study regulations sometimes stipulate when the thesis must be submitted at the latest, for example after a certain time following the qualification of the last module. If you request the topic later or not at all, the writing-up period will be shortened accordingly.
Incidentally, the registration of the thesis (Doktorarbeit/Dissertation) is not tied to the examination registration phase.
Can I only register for the thesis once I have passed all other exams?
This depends entirely on your degree course. The examination and study regulations may stipulate, for example, that all exams must be completed beforehand or that a certain number of credits must be achieved. This is particularly the case for master's degree courses.
If the examination and study regulations do not set any boundaries, you can register your thesis (Doktorarbeit/Dissertation) at any time.
Will I get the bound copies of the thesis back?
No, the two copies that are corrected by the examiners remain with the university.
Where can I view the assessments for my thesis?
As soon as you can view the grade of your thesis in the self-service portal or you have been notified otherwise, the assessments can be found in the Central Examination Office. You can view them during consultation hours or digitally.
Do I have to submit my thesis in person? What and where do I submit everything?
You will receive notification of the topic for your thesis by post, together with a pre-prepared declaration of authorship. This will also contain all the relevant information you need to observe.
However, you do not have to submit your thesis in person. You can also have someone hand it in, put it in the deadline letterbox (see General) or send it by post to the Central Examination Office. In the latter case, the date of the postmark is the date of submission.
In any case, you must submit the bound copies (thermal or adhesive binding only) together with the declaration of authorship, which is not to be included in the thesis, no later than the specified submission deadline. Depending on the degree course, an electronic version is sometimes also provided. However, you will also be informed of this with the notification of issue.
Can I renew the writing-up period for my thesis?
If there is an important reason, the writing-up period can be postponed by a maximum of three weeks for Bachelor's degrees, by a maximum of two months for Master's degrees and by a maximum of one third of the writing-up period for other degree courses. You submit the request together with proof to the Central Examination Office. You will then receive notification of the result by post. However, the approval of the Examination Board must be received by the Central Examination Office by the submission deadline at the latest.
What do I do if I fall ill during my thesis?
The procedure is the same as in question 6, but you must submit a doctor's certificate immediately, i.e. without undue delay.
A (yellow or pink) certificate of incapacity for work is not sufficient. It is not the doctor who decides whether you are fit to take the exam or not, but the examination authority. For this reason, you are obliged to disclose your complaints and, if necessary, to release the doctor treating you from the duty of confidentiality. This does not mean that the doctor must disclose the diagnosis as such, but only the physical or psychological effects caused by the illness. Please use the form for proof of illness (doctor's certificate) for this purpose. An official medical certificate may also be required, especially in the event of renewed illness. If you are unable to complete the thesis within the renewed deadline due to illness, the topic can be returned. You will not be credited with a failed attempt. However, a new topic must then be chosen for the repeat of the thesis.
Can I de-register as soon as I have submitted my thesis? How long do I have to be enrolled?
The decisive factor is that you are enrolled on the day on which you take your last examination and/or marked coursework (for example, the submission of your thesis or the date of your defence). You can de-register immediately afterwards if you are certain that you have passed the exam. You no longer need to be enrolled to be notified of your grades or to receive your certificate.
When do I have to hand in my thesis if the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday?
If the end of a deadline falls on a Sunday, a public holiday or a Saturday, the deadline ends at the end of the next working day.
Do I have to defend my thesis?
This is determined by your examination and study regulations. Master's dissertations usually have to be defended, whereas this is the exception for bachelor's dissertations.
How do I register for the defence? Is it not enough to register the thesis?
Various requirements must be met in order to register for the defence. For example, the thesis must have been graded at least "sufficient" (4.0). As the requirements must be validated, it is not possible to register for the defence online. You must always register in writing at the Examination Office. However, it is not bound to the other registration deadlines, but can be registered at any time (if the requirements are met). However, you must register before the defence date.
It is insufficient to register only for the thesis. You must register separately for the defence. If the defence is completed without prior registration, the examination result will be deemed ineffective and the defence must be repeated.
When will the defence take place?
As a rule, the defence takes place within 4 weeks of the assessment of the thesis, but only if this has also been passed. The examination board decides on exceptions to the 4-week deadline.
What is the defence procedure?
The defence consists of a 15-minute presentation on the main content of the thesis and a discussion of the results and conclusions. The defence should not last longer than 45 minutes. With the exception of the announcement of grades, it is public. The public may be excluded for important reasons. The Fachprüfungsordnung (Subject-Specific Examination Regulations) may provide for a shortening of the presentation to 10 minutes or an extension of up to 25 minutes and a deviation of 15 minutes for the defence.