The thesis defence process is independent of the training. When the training requirements have been fulfilled and certificated, the request for the thesis defence process should be regarded as accepted, and the student steps into the pre-doctorate status.
The thesis has to be submitted within three years after the complex examination. For the support of the candidate, the thesis – before it is finalized – has to be submitted for a public discussion to the professionally competent unit.
Conditions for the doctoral degree:
- master’s or equivalent degree;
- passing of the doctoral comprehensive exam;
- introduction of the individual scientific work, along with the written publications;
- knowledge of two foreign languages;
- writing and submitting of a Thesis, according to scientific standards, based on individual research, and defending the thesis before an appraising committee in a public discussion;
- official certificate of good conduct and clean record.
The finalized thesis is to be submitted at the ODS in 2, bound, identical copies, along with the following:
- the minutes and the attendance register of the discussion;
- the abstract booklets of the PhD thesis in English and in Hungarian, according to the regulations of the DS, but at least in 30 copies;
- the abstracts of the PhD thesis in English and in Hungarian in electronic form, in separate files;
- a professional CV, written in third person singular, maximum one page;
- a list about the publications or the confirmation about the publications in connection with the thesis, with off-prints, in 3 copies;
- the statement of co-authors of publications, about their approval that the displayed results of the common research can be part of the Thesis;
- if the foreign language exam has not been submitted with the enrolment, it has to be done with the thesis, the certification can also be done at the ODS from the original certificate;
- the statement of the candidate that the thesis has not been submitted in other institution and it has not been rejected;
- verification slip about the fee paid for the thesis defence process.
The CDS calls upon two official experts with doctoral degrees to review the Thesis. As part of the public discussion, the candidate gives a short (approx 20 minutes) presentation about the main results of their research and the thesis conclusions. Following this, the reviewers give their comments, the candidate responds to these and to any questions or remarks from the committee or the audience. The reviewers and the other participants of the discussion declare whether they accept the answers or not.
The labelling of the PhD degree:
- “summa cum laude” (excellent) if the result is 91% or more,
- “cum laude” (good) if it is less than 91% but more than 81 %,
- and more than 60% has to be achieved for a “ rite” (satisfactory) labelling.
