Completing your studies
The precise process depends on the Dean’s Office and the procedure that has been established. In normal cases, an examination record must be completed of the courses passed, students must give notice of the topic and supervision of the final thesis, the thesis must be submitted digitally in UNIGRAZonline, one or more bound versions must be handed in to the Dean’s Office, and then a defence or final examination must potentially also be passed with success. This means that completing studies can vary from one study programme to the next and require different elements. It is worth taking an early look at the pages for the Dean’s Office!
A final thesis (bachelor’s/diploma/master’s thesis or doctoral thesis) is an extensive academic paper that deals with a specific subject-related problem and is used to complete a study programme. The supervisor, the Institute or the Dean’s Office specifies how this should look, e.g. the number of pages, citation rules and other formal prerequisites.
The bachelor’s thesis must be drafted as an independent written paper within the framework of a course. The course instructor supervises the bachelor’s thesis and the topic must be connected with the course in a meaningful way. The bachelor’s thesis is assessed separately from the course. Bachelor’s theses can be repeated three times and must be submitted for assessment no later than three semesters following the end of the course. The course instructor may withdraw supervision if this is not done.
The topic for a master’s or degree thesis should fit in with the modules or subjects in the curriculum. Students can propose the topic or choose from the supervisor’s suggestions. In principle, students can choose the supervisor, provided that the respective person is authorised for this and is named along with the topic itself. Any students wishing to change their supervisor may do so until they submit their master’s or degree thesis. The master’s or degree thesis must be submitted in the manner specified by the appropriate Dean’s Office. Following the review for plagiarism, the thesis must be assessed by the supervisor within two months of being submitted.
The topic for a doctoral thesis should fit with the modules or subjects in the curriculum. Students can propose the topic or choose from the supervisor’s suggestions. Students can choose the supervisor and suggest reviewers in principle, provided that these persons are authorised for this and are named in writing along with the topic itself. Any students wishing to change their supervisor or reviewer may do so until they submit their thesis. The doctoral thesis must be submitted in the manner specified by the appropriate Dean’s Office. Following the review for plagiarism, the thesis must be assessed within a maximum of 4 months, including potentially with the help of a third party assessor.
Every Master’s and degree thesis must be uploaded in UNIGRAZonline. It will then be checked electronically for plagiarism. If the plagiarism check and the assessment show that the student has plagiarised their work and has therefore violated “good scientific practice,” the academic paper must be failed and the violation must be reported to the Director of Studies. A completely new academic paper must then be compiled with respect to the content and/or topic, and the bachelor’s thesis may even have to be written in a different course.
There is a procedure in place for annulment of the assessment if the work has already received a positive grade and the plagiarism is only identified after the event. If the student wishes to continue to complete their studies, a new academic paper must be compiled with respect to the content and/or topic.
It may be necessary to take a final examination in addition to the final thesis in order to complete a study programme. The curriculum shows whether this is the case. The final examination is a board examination with several persons involved (e.g. examiner, second examiner, chair) and the Dean’s Office must be notified of this in good time.
The certificate can be requested and collected from the examination office responsible once all required achievements have been confirmed in UNIGRAZonline (by the Dean’s Office). It can take up to four weeks for the certificate to be issued.
The bachelor's, degree or doctorate certificate can be collected from the Academic Affairs Office if the university degree appears in UNIGRAZonline. This official award certificate is the evidence that the student is entitled to use of an academic degree.
The graduation ceremony is the awarding of the university degree upon completion of a study prgramme. This awarding can be held as part of a university ceremony in the auditorium of the University of Graz. Students can register for this type of ceremony via the Academic Affairs Office.
Graduates receive an internationally comparable supplement to their diploma in addition to their degree or doctorate certificate. This facilitates the recognition of studies abroad.
When graduating students are no longer insured by the Austrian Student's Union against accidents and liability with regard to damages and accidents that may arise while studying (given that they are not registered for any other study programme). The relevant date is that of the last needed accomplishment. This means that graduates have to take care of their insurance cover by themselves. Note: Health insurance must be arranged on one's own anyway.
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