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This repository contains metadata and full text versions of diploma theses, master’s theses and doctoral theses that have been approved at the University of Vienna since 1965.

Since 2008, all graduates have been obliged to archive their academic theses electronically in this repository. The full texts are archived royalty-free (i.e. with maximum protection under copyright) and always following the approval of the relevant authors.

Academic theses that have been approved before 2008 can be uploaded directly to and published on the server, unless this would violate any legal or statutory regulations.

The thesis server provides the opportunity to make your thesis available worldwide. Using structured metadata, the theses uploaded to the server get bibliographic descriptions. They are included in and can, therefore, be found via international library catalogues, search engines and other bibliographic tools. This ensures that the theses are citable through a permanent and stable web address.

Publishing theses is the best protection against plagiarism.

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Doctoral-Thesis

The doctoral thesis is the central element in all doctoral programmes. The doctoral thesis proves the ability of the doctoral candidate to conduct independent scientific work on a high academic level. It shows their capability to comprehend and reflect the latest state of art in their field of research and extend this field through methodologically founded contributions.

The thesis is presented to two reviewers. Together with his/her supervisor the doctoral candidate can suggest three experts as reviewers.

• Assignment of a thesis to reviewers

Please note that only in special cases the supervisor can be appointed as reviewer. If this occurs, then the second reviewer has to be external.

Reviewers do not need to be from the University of Vienna. On the contrary, it is recommended to propose external reviewers. There is a possibility of getting travel costs of external reviewers refunded. Detailed information can be found on the information sheet of the Studienpräses .

It is strongly recommended to submit the form for the assignment of a thesis to reviewers at least four weeks before submitting the dissertation (electronically: doktorat.sscpkw @ univie.ac.at ).

Together with the form and the abstract  you have to send also the CV (1-2 pages) and a list of publications of the external assessors who are not employed at the University of Vienna.

Criteria for reviewing a doctoral thesis

 Forms

SL.D3 Assignment of a thesis to reviewers.pdf

File size:  873 kB

SL.D4 Assignment of a thesis to reviewers-Abstract.pdf

File size:  465 kB

Submission of the thesis

Before you submit the thesis the following must be done:.

• Doctoral thesis agreement
• Annual progress reports
• Prüfungspass (List of courses and the Transcript of records, for details see )

For the submission of the thesis you need to consider:

The formal requirements can be found in the Guideline (only in German).

The title page of your thesis will be generated automatically in u:space, so please upload your thesis without the title page.

If you are submitting a multi-volume thesis, a title page must be included in all volumes. Please note "Band 1 von 2 / Volume 1 of 2" (Band 2 von 2 / Volume 2 of 2) under the title of your work.

• Upload the complete and final version of your thesis as one single PDF-file in u:space . If any textual similarities are detected between your work and other texts, the study program management will examine whether it constitutes plagiarism . Afterwards you receive feedback (to your u:account) confirming a successful plagiarism check (can take up to few days).
• After the plagiarism check send the signed proof of upload to the SSC ( doktorat.sscpkw @ univie.ac.at ) .
• Afterwards deposit the hard-bound dissertation (3 copies), without appointment but as soon as possible , at the "Portier" which you can find in the Campus, Door 4.5 (MO - FR, 8:00-18:00). Alternatively, you may always choose to send the hardback copies via post at our adress Spitalgasse 2, Campus Hof 1, Tür 1.9, 1090 Wien. The printed version must exactly match the electronically submitted version.
• Wait for the feedback from the SSC via email about the assessment (max. four months). We will inform you when we get BOTH assessments.

Guidelines for Cumulative dissertations at the Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies and the Center for Translation Studies.

Blockage of the doctoral thesis

The usage of the doctoral thesis in the University Library may be blocked up to five years with a particular justification. The application for blockage has to be handed in along with your thesis.

If you wish to block access to your thesis only online , please mark the required field while uploading the thesis to Hopla. In this case you don´t need the form for application for blocage.

Blockage of the doctoral thesis in the University Library

SL.W3 Blockage of the doctoral thesis.pdf

File size:  728 kB

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Submission and review of the doctoral thesis

Formal requirements

• Doctoral candidates have to submit the final doctoral thesis to the StudiesServiceCenter for the doctoral programme in Social Sciences, both in printed and electronic form (via u:space ).
• The thesis has to fulfil certain formal requirements. Please note the relevant regulations (in German) and the information regarding copyright and the use of images and data protection in the social sciences .
• The title page needs to be generated on u:space . Before submission, doctoral candidates need to open u:space and verify the data that will be printed on the title page. The data is automatically loaded from the University’s database and includes the candidate’s name, their academic degrees and the names of the supervisors of the doctoral thesis. After generating the title page, doctoral candidates need to download and include it in the doctoral thesis. Then the complete document needs to be uploaded to u:space in PDF format.
• At the University of Vienna, a doctoral thesis is reviewed by two experts from the relevant discipline who are not supervisors of the doctoral thesis. Together with their supervisors, doctoral candidates can propose three experts to act as reviewers by submitting the forms SL/D3 and SL/D4 (abstract) to the StudiesServiceCentre Social Sciences/Doctoral Studies ( doktorat.sozialwissenschaften @ univie.ac.at ). The supervisor/s ask the suggested persons whether they are willing and able to assess the doctoral thesis within the given time frame. Supervisor/s should also serve as contact persons during the review process, if questions arise. The Studienpräses, the officer responsible for the implementation of the study law, selects and appoints two reviewers in consultation with the Social Sciences Directorate of Doctoral Studies.
• One reviewer should be an external person (external = not employed with the University of Vienna). The second reviewer may be a member of the University of Vienna. Both internal as well as external reviewers have to be professors, or have an equivalent qualification, or be habilitated (see section 15, para. 2 of the Statutes of the University of Vienna). The candidate and the external reviewer may not have regular research-related contact (e. g. joint publications or research projects). A supervisor can act as a reviewer only in special cases. In this case, the second reviewer has to be from outside the University of Vienna. The doctoral candidate has to submit a curriculum vitae and a list of publications of external reviewers along with the forms SL/D3 and SL/D4.

Duration and outcome

• Both reviewers receive an electronic copy of the academic thesis at the same time. A hardcover copy can be supplied on request but needs to be returned after the assessment.
• In accordance with the Statutes of the University of Vienna, reviewers have a maximum of four months to assess the thesis and write their review. In the interest of the candidate, the reviewers are kindly requested to complete the assessment as quickly as possible.
• Reviews have to be submitted to the StudiesServiceCentre Social Sciences/Doctoral Studies ( doktorat.sozialwissenschaften @ univie.ac.at ). As soon as both reviews have been submitted, the StudiesServiceCentre forwards them to the candidate, both reviewers and the supervisor/s.
• Only if both reviewers submit a positive review of the doctoral thesis, the doctoral candidate may register for the public defence . The reviewers of a doctoral thesis usually serve as members of the examination committee during the public defence.
• If a reviewer assesses the thesis negatively , the thesis is given to an additional reviewer. If the third reviewer assesses the thesis negatively as well, the overall result is negative. In this case, doctoral candidates have to revise their doctoral thesis before they can resubmit it.

For the submission of your doctoral thesis you need

• Three copies of the doctoral thesis, hardbound Format: DIN A4 (210 x 297 mm) portrait format, printed on both sides. The page margins should be set in a way that allows binding. Please include a German and an English summary (abstract, 1–2 pages) in the annex.
• The form “Doctoral thesis submission“ ( SL/D6 )
• The form “Assignment of a thesis to reviewers” ( SL/D3 )
• The form “Assignment of a thesis to reviewers – Abstract” ( SL/D4 ) Please note: We recommend handing in the forms “Assignment of a thesis to reviewers” and “Assignment of a thesis to reviewers – Abstract” already four weeks before you upload the doctoral thesis. If you suggest one or more external reviewer, you have to add a CV and a list of publications for each one of them.
• Signed confirmation that you have successfully uploaded your doctoral thesis to uspace (“Erfassungsbestätigung”)

Please note: When you submit your doctoral thesis, you must have completed all necessary ECTS credits.

Guidelines concerning the assessment of doctoral theses and the public defence (in English and German)

Guidelines concerning the assessment of doctoral theses and the public defence , Social Sciences Directorate of Doctoral Studies (Directorate of Studies 40), as of 23 January 2024

Richtlinien zur Beurteilung von Dissertationen und der Durchführung von Defensiones , Studienprogrammleitung Doktoratsstudium Sozialwissenschaften (SPL 40), Stand: 23. Jänner 2024

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Students will usually start to work towards their thesis by the mid of their second year, and they will fully concentrate on it as of the beginning of their third year. The process of determining the final thesis topic is always an individual one, and it involves an intense co-ordination process between the candidate and the supervisor. Thus, it is impossible to determine the exact research question at the time when students enroll in the PhD program. That being said, candidates should expect that their topic will fall square into the overall research agenda of the subject area. For more details, see

http://strategy.univie.ac.at/information-for-researchers/research-domains/ .

For general information on the PhD Thesis, you can consult

https://wiwi.univie.ac.at/en/service/studiesservicecenter/paperstheses/dissertation-phd-thesis/

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Doctoral Programme in Computer Science and Business Informatics

The doctoral programme of the Faculty of Computer Science at the University of Vienna offers graduates of Master programmes a more in-depth specialisation in one of the faculty's research areas. The aim of the UniVie Doctoral School Computer Science DoCS is to enable students to independently develop the methodology of computer science and to implement this methodology in a targeted manner in both academic and non-academic settings.

Doctoral candidates will attend a certain number of courses to learn about the current state of international research on the one hand, and become familiar with techniques of scientific research by participating in research groups on the other hand. In doctoral research seminars , students get an overview of current international research activities and projects and are thus introduced to scientific practice.

Even though the main focus of the doctoral programme is on independent scientific research and scientific practice by expanding their knowledge in the field of specialisation selected, doctoral candidates will additionally acquire further knowledge and skills which qualify them for management positions. The main skills acquired include independence, project-based work, self-organisation as well as documentation and presentation techniques.

Programme duration : 3 years

Courses : At least 12 ECTS (DoCS recommends a teaching programme of 18 ECTS of research seminars)

Topic for dissertation : Computer Science or Business Informatics

Degree : Dr.techn. or Dr. rer. oec.

Doctoral School :  UniVie Doctoral School Computer Science DoCS

Location : Währinger Straße 29, 1090 Wien

» Curriculum

» Course Directory

Possible topics for dissertation

The Director of the Doctoral Studies Programme (DSPL) 50  is responsible for the following fields of doctoral research: Computer Science and Business Informatics.

• Doctoral programme in Natural Sciences and Engineering Sciences in the field of Natural Sciences with a dissertation on a topic in Computer Science (Dr. techn.; degree programme code A 786 880) and
• Doctoral programme in Business, Economics and Statistics with a dissertation on a topic in Business Informatics (Dr. rer. oec.; degree programme code UA 796 305 175).

The curriculum provides information on the qualification profile, the requirements for admission, the structure of the doctorate and the number of ECTS credits which doctoral candidates have to earn during their doctoral studies. The curriculum for the doctoral programme includes the following key elements :

• The degree programme duration is 3 years
• Courses of at least 12 ECTS (DoCS recommends a teaching programme of 18 ECTS of research seminars )
• Public presentation of the intended doctoral project within the first year of doctoral studies
• Signing a doctoral thesis agreement subsequent to the public presentation
• Periodical, at least annual progress reports
• Write a doctoral thesis , which demonstrates the candidate's ability to master academic topics independently
• Public defence

Please read your curriculum carefully. (The new curriculum will be made available here as soon as it has been officially issued.) For the current curriculum, see below:

Curriculum: Computer Sciences (Dr.techn.)

Curriculum Doctoral Programme in Natural Sciences and Technical Sciences in the field of Natural Sciences (English)

Curriculum Doktoratsstudium der Naturwissenschaften und technischen Wissenschaften aus dem Bereich der Naturwissenschaften (German)

Curriculum: Business Informatics (Dr. rer. oec.)

Curriculum Doctoral/PhD Programme in Business, Economics and Statistics (English)

Curriculum Doktorats-/PhD-Studium der Wirtschaftswissenschaften (German)

Supervisor and Co-supervisors

For each doctoral position a supervisor and one or more co-supervisors will be assigned. The exact number of co-supervisors is decided by the supervisor after the student has been admitted to the doctoral program ( but before the public presentation ) based on the nature of the position, the availability of co-supervisors, and other constraints such as industry partnerships. 

It is a Doctoral School Computer Science requirement regarding doctoral students admitted to the doctorate starting from WS2020/21 to define a DoCS co-advisor . DoCS Professors (full, associate, assistant) from the University of Vienna, but also from other universities can act as DoCS co-advisors. The DoCS co-advisor does not have to be a co-supervisor in the sense of study law (i.e. co-supervisors are defined in the document "Registration of the doctoral thesis topic and announcement the supervisor(s) (SL / D11)"), even though this is possible as well.

From registration to graduation: Procedure and forms

The doctoral process  and  forms  have been standardised throughout the university. 

All information on the admission procedure, curriculum and legal framework as well as on the organisation and forms can be found on  http://doktorat.univie.ac.at/en . Supplementary, you can find information on the  admission and on the doctoral process  in condensed form on our DoCS website .

Support in all administrative matters is provided by the  StudiesServiceCentre Computer Science .

Info session: Doctoral studies at the University of Vienna

The Center for Doctoral Studies regularly organises info sessions on the doctoral studies at the University of Vienna in German and English language.

 Legal basis

• University Law 2002 (in German)
• Statutes of the University of Vienna

 Additional links

»  Curriculum Doctoral Programme in Natural Sciences and Technical Sciences in the field of Natural Sciences

» Curriculum Doctoral/PhD Programme in Business, Economics and Statistics

»  Course Directory (2023S)

»  All current forms for the doctorate  (English)

»  All current forms for the doctorate  (German)

» PhD process  (Center for Doctoral Studies)

»  Submission and review of the thesis  (Center for Doctoral Studies)

» PhD Handbook Navigating your Doctorate  (Center for Doctoral Studies)

» Orientation Guide for International PhD Candidates  (Center for Doctoral Studies)

» Early Career Researchers - Funding Programs  (Research Services and Career Development; University of Vienna)

» grants.at (online database for scholarships and research grants)

» University Law 2002 (German)

» Statutes of the University of Vienna

»  Study Law

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The Department of Communication at the University of Vienna in cooperation with the Center for Doctoral Studies offers the possibility of conducting a PhD in Communication Science as part of the Doctoral Program in Social Sciences. A doctoral thesis is an original piece of research of substantial length that makes a genuine contribution to human knowledge and sciences. It is therefore significantly different to a Master thesis and much more demanding. 

The program is open to research which explores diverse contents, processes, effects, contexts and systematic research questions within the area of communication and media.

The Center for Doctoral Studies at the University of Vienna offers potential doctoral students a structured overview of the requirements as well as the curriculum online. Information on admission for graduates of universities other than the University of Vienna can be found on the website of Teaching Affairs and Student Services .

Starting October 1, 2020, the Vienna Doctoral School of Social Sciences was established. ViDSS aims to promote innovative, excellent and problem-oriented research.

For the doctoral research field "Communication", the following is the doctoral advisory board.

• Assoz. Prof. Mag. Dr. Florian Arendt
• Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sabine Einwiller
• Univ.-Prof. Folker Hanusch, PhD
• ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Fritz Hausjell
• Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sophie Lecheler (Director of Studies)
• Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jörg Matthes
• Univ.-Prof. Dr. Katharine Sarikakis
• Univ.-Prof. Dr. Annie Waldherr
• Ass.-Prof. Dr. Claudia Wilhelm, M.A.

When searching for a supervisor for their doctoral thesis, interested students are advised to read through the academic/research profiles of available professors and habilitated scientific researchers with habilitation respectively. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to direct your questions to the Center for Doctoral Studies.

In order to gain registration approval, prospective students have to write research proposal and present it to a special committee. This presentation is public. Generally two presentations dates are available per semester.

For a successful presentation of your exposé, a close collaboration with your supervisor is essential. Your exposé should:

• be formulated in a clear way,
• be well-grounded,
• be coherent,
• include leading research question and hypotheses,
• and focus on the research aim.

Moreover, a clear elaboration on how the method-in-use enables answering the research question is crucial. The presentation should take a maximum of ten minutes.

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Doctoral Studies

Doctoral dissertations

Professors Binder, Kriebaum, Marboe, Reinisch, Waibel, and Wittich supervise dissertations in public international law as part of the doctoral programme in Law or the PhD in Interdisciplinary Legal Studies. General requirements are suitable qualifications of the candidate and an appropriate dissertation topic. The duration of the doctoral programme is 3 years. Further information on general admission requirements can be found here: https://doktorat.univie.ac.at/en/doctoralphd-programmes/law/curriculum/ The Department does not have any scholarships/funding available for PhD students. The University has some funding available, https://forschung.univie.ac.at/services/foerderungen/praedoc-foerderprogramme/ . Any questions about funding need to be directed to the University, rather than the Department for International Law. 1st Step: Apply for a Confirmation of willingness to supervise

To be admitted to the doctoral/PhD programme, one of the international law professors needs to confirm in writing that they are willing to supervise the project. You need to apply to the Department of International Law for a Confirmation of willingness to supervise. This first step precedes the application to the University for admission to the doctoral degree (see 2nd step below). To obtain this confirmation from professors Binder, Kriebaum, Marboe, Reinisch, Waibel, and Wittich, you need to send a written application consisting of the following documents exclusively to the Secretariat of the Department of International law and International relations (Ms Martina Terp):

• Description of the dissertation project (1000 words maximum, plus references, up to one page)
• Name of the requested supervisor
• Letter of motivation (500 words maximum)
• Academic CV (1-3 pages)
• Copy of your Magister-Diploma or equivalent academic degree
• Transcripts of all academic degrees
• If applicable, reports on previously written papers (Diploma or LL.M. theses etc.)
• Optional: Evidence of English or German language ability (C1 level) (e.g. ÖSD, Goethe, TOEFL, IELTS).
• Optional: two letters of recommendation or names, telephone numbers, and email addresses of two referees who can speak to your aptitude for doctoral studies. Referees must send the letters of recommendation directly to the Secretariat.

Applications will be considered twice per year. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The deadlines to apply for the confirmation of willingness to supervise are May 31 and November 30 . The department can only review applications on these two dates and therefore recommends to plan an application well in advance and to submit it at least 6 months before the planned start of the doctorate. Decisions on whether a and who will provide a confirmation of willingness to supervise will typically be made within a month of the deadline.

2nd Step: Apply to the University for Admission to the PhD With the confirmation of willingness to supervise that you obtained in the first step, candidates can submit their Request for Admission online in u:space (with the required attachments) to the doctoral programme in Law or the PhD in Interdisciplinary Legal Studies. There is no deadline for such applications, but the processing takes time. DLE Research Services and Career Development/Centre for Doctoral Studies have sole responsibility for processing these requests. You can only submit such an application once you have obtained the confirmation of willingness to supervise in the first step. The University rejects all applications without such a confirmation. 3rd Step: Doctoral thesis agreement

A doctoral thesis agreement will be concluded after a minimum of one semester and a maximum of two semesters of the doctoral/PhD programme. A further prerequisite to participate in this seminar is the successful completion of a lecture according to §5(2)(a) Doctoral Programme, e.g. 380024 VO Methods for doctoral students in International Law. The completion of a seminar from the dissertation subject, in an earlier or the same semester, is recommended. To obtain a doctoral thesis agreement with professors Binder, Kriebaum, Marboe, Reinisch, Waibel, or Wittich, candidates must in addition complete the joint ‘Seminar in International Law for the presentation of PhD Theses’ (SE380034; see § 5(2)(b) of the Curriculum ) (usually in the second semester of doctoral studies). Candidates can only enrol in the methods lecture and the joint seminar if they have previously obtained the confirmation of willingness to supervise (see 1st step above).

During the seminar, dissertation projects are presented and discussed. After presentation of the exposé (approx. 20 minutes), all seminar participants receive detailed oral feedback on their dissertation projects. The aim of the seminar is to assess whether the chosen topic and the chosen method(s) are suitable for a dissertation. If the assessment is positive, a dissertation agreement will be concluded. A dissertation agreement can also be made conditional on prior changes to the dissertation project. Depending on the scope of the requested changes, candidates will either be asked to submit a revise exposé or to present the project again in the following semester. In principle, the confirmation of willingness to supervise expires if the candidate does not successfully complete the joint dissertation seminar and if a dissertation agreement is not concluded within two semesters of admission to the doctoral programme. The joint seminar is held each semester as a block seminar on one or two days towards the end of the semester (i.e. in December in the winter semester, and in May/June in the summer semester; the dates can be found in the course catalogue). The registration period ends in the first week of the semester. Presence at the preliminary meeting at the beginning of the semester and during the entire block seminar towards the end of the semester is obligatory. Exceptions require the written confirmation of a doctor or employer. In exceptional cases, participation in the dissertation seminar can take place via video conference.

At least one month before the block seminar, the following documents must be sent via Moodle. A plagiarism check will be carried out.

• Title page with topic and name
• Preliminary table of contents of the dissertation
• Exposé (5,000-7,000 words, with footnotes) about the dissertation project. In particular, this should contain the research questions, description of the issue, method to be applied and current state of research on the topic.
• Bibliography (around 3 pages)

Incomplete, underdeveloped and overlong exposés will be rejected and can only be submitted after revision in the following semester.

After the conclusion of a dissertation agreement, the dissertation topic can be registered and the written exposé can be uploaded to the faculty's homepage to meet the requirement of a public presentation.

Secretariat of the Department of International law and International relations:

Ms Martina Terp ( martina.terp @ univie.ac.at )

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Doctoral theses

Master's theses

Diploma theses

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M. queloz, "evaluating concepts by what they express" metaphilosophical talk series, academic publishing in philosophy journals - pragmatic academic series.

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Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution

Faculty of Life Sciences

The Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution is devoted to educating students in advancing our knowledge on the ecology and evolution of extant and ancestral organisms, populations and communities. In Ecology, the ambition is to better understand the mechanistic and evolutionary drivers of patterns and processes from gene regulation to the structure and function of ecosystems and the impact of communities on the biogeochemical cycles and their adaptive capacity in response to environmental change. In Evolution, we address the evolutionary processes leading to changes in organization and temporal dynamics of organisms, populations and species at the molecular, developmental, morphological and physiological level.

Check out our intro video

"We welcome highly motivated PhD candidates, who share the enthusiasm and spirit of our Doctoral School to provide scientific answers to global challenges in ecology and evolution under changing environmental conditions. Our Doctoral School provides excellent conditions and an intellectual environment that allows realizing international competitive research."

Gerhard J. Herndl, Head of the Vienna Doctoral School Ecology and Evolution 2020-2023

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The Doctoral Program in Mathematics

This page mainly collects legal and organizational information on the doctoral program at the University of Vienna. There is a joint doctoral school of the University of Vienna and the TU Wien, called the Vienna School of Mathematics (VSM). Membership in this school is automatic for students that are hired on a pre-doc position announced via the VSM, for other students, membership is possible upon admission of the advisor.

The current relevant curriculum for a doctoral studies in mathematics is the "Doktoratsstudium der Naturwissenschaften und der technischen Wissenschaften". The current version of the curriculum is available here , but this is mainly for reference (it is in German and mainly contains formal regulations). 

The regular duration of the doctoral studies according to the curriculum is 3 years, but this is to be viewed as a guideline. The main formal prerequisite for the doctoral program is a completed master program in mathematics or equivalent background. The prerequisites for the doctoral program will be checked during the admission process, both from a formal and from a scientific point of view. The admission to all programs at the University of Vienna is handled by the central administration of the University and in our case the rules of the curriculum are uniform for all natural sciences. More information on the admission to doctoral programs can be found on this page of the Center for Doctoral Studies , which is the main point of contact concerning admission. In particular, for the admission process, you will need a confirmation of supervision from a faculty member who is capable of supervising PhD theses — so you will have to find an advisor before you can apply for admission. You will also have to provide a description of a PhD project. In our area, a rough description of the direction to be pursued during the doctoral studies usually is sufficient — please check with your (intended) advisor on this.

The doctoral program is structured in three phases, the entry phase , the research phase and the final phase .

• The purpose of the entry phase is to formulate (jointly with your advisor) a concrete topic or project for your PhD studies. This phase should be completed within a year of starting with a public presentation of the thesis project in front of the Doctoral Advisory Board of the Faculty of Mathematics. Currently, the talks in the presentation are scheduled for 20 minutes with a subsequent discussion of up to 10 minutes. They should be accessible for a broader (mathematical) audience. In preparation, the candidate has to formulate, usually jointly with the supervisor, a research proposal that outlines the project. The aim of this presentation is to show that there is a plan for the project and how this fits into the scientific landscape rather than to provide scientific details. The public presentations take place several times per semester and are widely announced. If you and your supervisor agree that you are getting close to the presentation, please send a mail to ssc.mathematik @ univie.ac.at containing the names of the student and supervisor(s) as well as a working title for the thesis project, stating that you will be interested in presenting in the near future. This help us in planning presentations and makes sure that you and your advisor will be involved in finding dates, etc. Via the SSC, you will also be informed about the forms needed to register for the presentation.
• After a successful presentation, the thesis project is formally approved by the DSPL (" Doktoratsstuidenprogrammleiter "), who is the main person responsible for the Doctoral Program. Based on their approval and support of the DSPL, the student and the supervisor(s) formulate and sign a dissertation agreement (" Dissertationsvereinbarung ") that contains the main information about the thesis project. You will be provided with the necessary forms after your successful presentation. The dissertation agreement also contains information about the coursework that has to be completed during the Doctoral Program. Before that agreement is signed, no decision can be made about the acknowledgement of courses. Please consult your supervisor when choosing courses during the entry phase of your studies.
• Signing the dissertation agreement marks the beginning of the research phase of studies, during which the main academic activities are carried out. Apart from 24 ECTS of course work (for which specifications may be formulated in the dissertation agreement), the main task is the preparation of a monographic thesis. During the research phase, yearly progress reports , which form a part of the dissertation agreement, have to be provided.
• Completion of the thesis marks the start of the final phase of the doctoral program. If your thesis is getting close to completion, please inform us via mail to ssc.mathematik @ univie.ac.at so that things can be well coordinated as soon as possible. This is also a good time to read the more-detailed information on the final phase that is available here . The student and the supervisor(s) have to suggest three international experts on the topic of the thesis, who agree to take on the role of being  referees . Via the DSPL, this suggestion is passed to the " Studienpräses " of the University of Vienna, who is responsible for the selection of two referees. The referees have to be contacted via the SSC to continue the process of announcing the public defense of the thesis, which is the final step in the doctoral studies that is coordinated via the SSC.

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PhD Programme

The doctoral programme of VISESS is based on the curriculum of the Doctoral Programme in Natural Science of the University of Vienna  and the curriculum of the Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences of the University of Vienna .

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• Statistics and Operations Research

Brief description

Programme outcomes, fields of activity, personal requirements.

• Contact and help

Courses
ECTS credits required: 30ECTS credits

Lectures or courses

The Department of Statistics and Operations Research (ISOR) offers courses and seminars for doctoral candidates from the fields listed below.  Students must choose at least two different fields.
1. Advanced Theoretical Statistics
2. Advanced Applied Statistics and Data Analysis
3. Advanced Stochastic Processes and Models
4. Advanced Optimization

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In addition, students of the doctoral programme have to:
submit an application for approval of the intended doctoral project (within the first year after admission to the degree programme);
give a public presentation on their intended doctoral project at the Faculty (held in the framework of the ISOR Colloquium);
submit a progress report to the doctoral advisory board in regular intervals of at least once a year.

 Curriculum/Study plan

For all legal regulations and a detailed description of the structure of this degree programme, please refer to the framework curriculum (Rahmencurriculum) and degree specific curriculum)

Doctoral advisory board:

Approval of the intended doctoral project: The application for the approval of the intended doctoral project has to be submitted within the first year of studies to the competent body responsible for study matters including a confirmation of supervision, a research proposal, a time schedule and a list of resources needed. Students have to present the intended doctoral project in the course of the research seminar. If the intended doctoral project is part of a research project that has already been approved externally, the competent body responsible for study matters may approve the doctoral project prior to the presentation at the Faculty.

Doctoral thesis agreement: The doctoral candidate and his/her supervisor have to conclude a doctoral thesis agreement comprising the name of the student, the student ID number and date of birth, the name of the thesis supervisor, the topic of the doctoral thesis, the research proposal, a time schedule, key information about the extent of supervision (particularly about the frequency of the scheduled feedback meetings between supervisor and student) and the declaration of commitment of the doctoral candidate to abide by the rules and regulations of good academic practice.

Doctoral thesis: We encourage the publication of partial results of the doctoral project in academic journals and their presentation at academic conferences prior to the submission of the doctoral thesis.

Public defence: Following the positive assessment of all subjects of examination and of the doctoral thesis, the doctoral candidate has to defend his/her doctoral project in the final oral examination in front of an examination committee.

This doctoral programme lays emphasis on statistics and operations research as a science. Graduates of the master’s programme in Statistics are eligible for admission to the doctoral programme. Qualified graduates of other degree programmes may be admitted under certain conditions (the relevant director of studies will be able to provide information for graduates of other degree programmes).

A substantial part of the PhD programme is based on independent research. Therefore, the motivation to discover something new is an important factor for successfully completing this programme.

Information about the admission are available on the website of the StudiesServiceCenter .

Contact & help

For questions regarding the PhD programme, please contact:

info.doktorat @ univie.ac.at ssc.wiwi @ univie.ac.at

Learn more:

Center for doctoral studies, master - all study programmes.

• Applied Economics  (starting in WS21)
• Banking and Finance
• Business Administration
• Business Analytics
• International Business Administration
• Philosophy and Economics
• Research in Economics and Finance  (starting in WS21)
• Economics  (expiring)

PhD/Doctoral Programmes - All Study Programmes

• Logistics and Operations Management
• Business and Law

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Application procedure PhD positions

• Check the open PhD positions , offered by VDSP Faculty Members .
• All application material must be submitted electronically via our  online application system . Since admission to the VDSP is competitive, incomplete applications cannot be considered . Please note that you can no longer edit your application after submission.
• Lettes of recommendation are to be sent directly by the issuer to vds-physics[at]univie.ac.at and are accepted up until 7 days after the submission of the application. Please note that it is the applicants' responsibility to inform their academic advisors about the deadlines and submission procedure of the recommendation letter!
• The VDSP office will forward your application, as well as the letters of recommendation, to the researchers you selected as potential supervisors of your PhD.
• Application documents are reviewed by the addressed VDSP Faculty member(s). The VDSP strives to respond to complete applications as soon as possible. Please contact us, if you have not received a reply within 24 hours after the submission of your application.
• Applicants will be invited to an interview in a timely manner, should they be a good fit for the respective research group and project.
• The VDSP office will inform you about the outcome of the application process shortly after the VDSP Selection Committee has reached a decision.
• After a successful application, doctoral candidates have to get admitted to the Doctoral Study Programme in Physics at the University of Vienna . Further, we expect all doctoral candidates to sign the VDSP Code of Good Practice.
• Membership in the VDSP can be extended from 12 months up to three additional years upon approval of the doctoral research project's topic and the doctoral thesis agreement within the first 12 months after admission.

• Doctoral Thesis
• Meduni Studierende
• Mein Studium
• PhD Program

The doctoral thesis provides the final evidence that you have acquired knowledge and skills to achieve scientific work independently and competently. With your thesis you produce evidence of the capability of solving an essential scientific problem successfully and increasingly independently as well as of your understanding of integrating new results into the frame of the current state of knowledge.

Please make yourself familiar with the procedure of registration, compilation and submission of the completed doctoral thesis.

For further details concerning the scope and content of your doctoral thesis please study the rules of your doctoral programme.

Registration

Find clear recommendations for the thesis registration procedure.

Compilation

There are some guidelines concerning the compilation of your doctoral thesis. Find them here.

Where and how can you submit your doctoral thesis? Which guidelines need additional attention?

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Brief description

Programme outcomes, fields of activity, personal requirements.

• Contact and help

Courses
ECTS credits required: 60 ECTS credits

Lectures and courses

 

The Department of Economics offers the following doctoral seminars:
1. Doctoral Seminar in Macroeconomics
2. Doctoral Seminar in Microeconomics
3. Doctoral Seminar in Econometrics

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In addition, students of the doctoral programme have to:
submit an application for approval of the intended doctoral project (within the first year after admission to the degree programme);
give a public presentation of the intended doctoral project at the Faculty;
participate in workshops and presentations at national and international conferences;
submit a progress report to the doctoral advisory board in regular intervals of at least once a year;
write the doctoral thesis;
complete the public defence.

 Curriculum/Study plan

For all legal regulations and a detailed description of the structure of this degree programme, please refer to the framework curriculum (Rahmencurriculum) and the degree specific curriculum .

Doctoral advisory board:

Approval of the intended doctoral project: The application for the approval of the intended doctoral project has to be submitted within the first year of studies to the competent body responsible for study matters including a confirmation of supervision, a research proposal, a time schedule and a list of resources needed. Students have to present the intended doctoral project in the course of the research seminar. If the intended doctoral project is part of a research project that has already been approved externally, the competent body responsible for study matters may approve the doctoral project prior to the presentation at the Faculty.

Doctoral thesis agreement: The doctoral candidate and his/her supervisor have to conclude a doctoral thesis agreement comprising the name of the student, the student ID number and date of birth, the name of the thesis supervisor, the topic of the doctoral thesis, the research proposal, a time schedule, key information about the extent of supervision (particularly about the frequency of the scheduled feedback meetings between supervisor and student) and the declaration of commitment of the doctoral candidate to abide by the rules and regulations of good academic practice.

Doctoral thesis: We encourage the publication of partial results of the doctoral project in academic journals and their presentation at academic conferences prior to the submission of the doctoral thesis.

Public defence: Following the positive assessment of all subjects of examination and of the doctoral thesis, the doctoral candidate has to defend his/her doctoral project in the final oral examination in front of an examination committee.

Prospective students who would like to begin the PhD programme in Economics should have outstanding academic qualifications and a strong interest in microeconomics, macroeconomics and/or econometrics.

Information about the admission are available on the website of the StudiesServiceCenter .

Contact & help

For questions regarding the PhD programme, please contact:

info.doktorat @ univie.ac.at ssc.wiwi @ univie.ac.at

Learn more:

Center for doctoral studies, master - all study programmes.

• Applied Economics  (starting in WS21)
• Banking and Finance
• Business Administration
• Business Analytics
• International Business Administration
• Philosophy and Economics
• Research in Economics and Finance  (starting in WS21)
• Economics  (expiring)

PhD/Doctoral Programme - All Study Programmes

• Logistics and Operations Management
• Statistics and Operations Research
• Business and Law

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• Quick links
• Staff search
• Search Search --> Websites Staff search Start search

Supervision

Supervision is a key factor in the dissertation process. You will need at lest one supervisor at the University of Vienna who is entitled to supervise doctoral candidates. Therefore it only makes sense to approach the University of Vienna with a certain topic if you could identify supervisors at the University of Vienna whose academic competences cover the subject area of your dissertation project.

Who can supervise?

According to the statutes of the University of Vienna the following researchers can supervise PhD candidates:

§ 15. (2) University professors, habilitated staff members, associated professors as well as assistant professors according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for University Staff of the University of Vienna are entitled to, and in accordance with their other university responsibilities are also obliged to supervise and assess doctoral theses. Students are entitled to request the supervision of their doctoral thesis of these university employees. Doctoral candidates have to decide on the topic of their doctoral thesis in agreement with the supervisor. Supervision by more than one person authorised to supervise is admissible.

(3) not applicable

(4) Academic staff members holding a doctoral degree are entitled to supervise doctoral theses that are funded by third-party funds acquired in a competitive procedure with other academics while taking into account international reviews and whose purpose is the establishment of a group of early-stage researchers by academic staff members (promotion of excellence by the European Research Council, START and Wittgenstein prizes, “Junior Group Leader” by the Vienna Science and Technology Fund). The Studienpräses examines whether they meet the prerequisites. Employees referred to in this paragraph can also supervise master’s theses and diploma theses in the course of such research projects.

(4a) Academic staff members of the

1. GMI – Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology,

2. IMBA – Institute of Molecular Biotechnology,

3. CeMM – Research Center for Molecular Medicine or

4. IMP – Research Institute of Molecular Pathology

who are holding a doctoral degree and managing a research group at this institution are entitled to supervise doctoral theses that are fully funded by this institution, including third-party funds. Another prerequisite is that the doctoral thesis project is well embedded at the University of Vienna with regard to quality assurance. The Studienpräses examines whether the prerequisites are met.

How to navigate the PhD thesis

The PhD thesis may be a mountain to climb, but you can take it one step at a time. Luis R Rojas-Solórzano offers his guidance

Luis R. Rojas-Solórzano

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Embarking on the journey of writing a PhD thesis is both daunting and exciting. In this pocket-size guide, I’ve distilled my decades of experience in higher education into practical advice to help you navigate this challenging terrain and emerge with a completed work you’re proud of. 

Creating a detailed timeline with daily goals

Time management is crucial to thesis writing, yet it’s often underestimated. Many students feel overwhelmed by the volume of work involved but creating a comprehensive timeline allows you to break down the project into convenient tasks, track your progress and adjust your timetable as needed. Setting daily goals provides structure to your workday, helping you stay focused and productive.

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Writing a PhD thesis is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s natural to experience moments of doubt and frustration along the way. When you do, taking care of yourself and finding ways to stay motivated is essential. Take short breaks to rest, recharge and celebrate small victories. Remember that every thesis is unique and progress is not always linear. Instead of comparing yourself to your peers, focus on your journey and the valuable contributions you’ve made to your field.

Understanding the PhD thesis

The requirements for a PhD thesis vary significantly depending on your institution and field of study. It is crucial to familiarise yourself with your university’s guidelines and requirements early in the process.

Writing the thesis

Writing a PhD thesis is not simply an academic exercise – it’s a journey of self-discovery and intellectual growth. Here are my recommendations for writing with confidence: 

• Create a draft outline to guide your writing process. Use digital tools such as MS Office and Grammarly to streamline editing and save time.
• Start early to build momentum and confidence. Embrace your unique voice and opt for an active writing style. Let your ideas flow freely initially, refining them over time with rigorous edits.
• Remember to write in a voice that is authentic to you. Modern academia values the personal perspective, so don’t hesitate to express your thoughts and insights in the first person.
• As you approach the final stages of your thesis, you must organically merge all the relevant findings that support the novelty of your thesis into the final document. Typically, the wrap-up happens three months before the expected submission of your book, leaving time for your supervisor’s thorough revision.
• Wrap up with careful planning and disciplined execution. Start by updating the original outline to adopt the final structure of your thesis that progressively unfolds and tells the story of your investigation. The updated outline will serve as a roadmap for your final sprint, helping to shape your concluding research story.

Structuring your thesis

Craft your thesis like a compelling story, following the scientific method’s structure: abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, results and discussion, and conclusion. 

The abstract is typically a paragraph with no more than 400 words, portraying a concise summary that addresses your thesis’ subject, relevance, research questions, methodology and main findings. Generally, the abstract is continuously updated until the book is complete.

In the introduction, provide context for your research by outlining the problem you’re addressing and its significance. The literature review should demonstrate your understanding of existing research and highlight the gaps your study seeks to fill. Then, describe the methodology in the subsequent section and continue with your results and their thorough analysis. Finally, conclude with a summary of your main findings and their implications for your field of study. 

Managing referencing and bibliography

Proper referencing is critical to academic writing, ensuring your work is credible and properly attributed. Take the time to familiarise yourself with your chosen citation style, whether it’s APA, MLA, Chicago or another format, and double-check all information for accuracy and consistency.

Preparing for the viva voce

The viva voce, or oral defence, is the final hurdle in the PhD journey. It’s an opportunity to defend your research and demonstrate your expertise in your field. To prepare, consider conducting mock vivas with your peers or supervisors to simulate the experience and receive feedback on your performance. Stay calm and composed during the examination, taking time to think before responding to questions. Remember, the viva voce is not just a test of your knowledge – it’s also an opportunity to engage in scholarly discourse and demonstrate your ability to think critically about your research.

You’ve completed your thesis – now what?

Finishing a PhD thesis is a significant milestone and celebrating your accomplishment is essential. Take a well-deserved break before embarking on the next phase of your career. Reflect on your goals and aspirations, considering how your research can contribute to your field and shape your future career path. Whether you’re pursuing academic opportunities or exploring options in industry, use this time to prepare for the next chapter of your journey.

The writing of a PhD thesis is a transformative journey, requiring strategic planning, perseverance and a positive mindset. By applying these insights and tactics, you can confidently navigate this journey and contribute meaningfully to your field of study.

Luis R. Rojas- Solórzano is associate provost for graduate studies at Nazarbayev University.

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