Preparation stage

The first step on your path to a doctoral degree programme is choosing your research topic. Find a topic that you would like to focus on for the next three years. If you have any questions about choosing a topic, please contact your (potential) supervisor or your team of supervisors.

Find out who can supervise your planned dissertation project before you start your degree programme. As of the 2018/19 winter semester, students must provide provisional confirmation of supervision from a qualified internal person before they can be admitted to the doctoral programme. It is therefore necessary to make early enquiries to identify who could provide temporary supervision for you. In accordance with Section 19 (2) of Part B of the University Statutes, your supervisor must hold a habilitation; i.e., the venia docendi (authorisation to teach), covering your dissertation area. (For further information on persons at the University of Klagenfurt who have completed their habilitation, please visit the respective departmental website).

When contacting a potential supervisor, it is essential and expedient to provide a brief written outline of the thesis topic including the central research question.

It is also important to find a second qualified person to supervise your thesis, as doctoral students at the University of Klagenfurt must be supervised or accompanied by at least two persons for reasons of transparency and quality assurance. The second supervisor must have a relevant venia docendi, but does not necessarily have to work at the University of Klagenfurt. What is relevant here, first and foremost, is that they have specialist expertise that matches your dissertation project.

Alternatively, or in addition to a second supervisor, you can also suggest an advisor. As per the Curriculum 18W, advisors must be appointed from among the academic staff employed at the University of Klagenfurt. Although a teaching authorisation is not mandatory, a doctorate is required. Where a member of academic staff does not hold a teaching authorisation, care must be taken to ensure that their area of research can be assigned to the proposed topic of the thesis.

You can find out more about the admission process by reading about the introductory stage. Please note the application and admission deadlines specified there.