About the comprehensive exam
Based on Section 48 (1) of the university’s Doctoral Regulations: “The comprehensive examination is a comprehensive evaluation of the Student’s knowledge acquired in the training and research phase of the doctoral programme and the Student’s preparedness for the programme’s research and dissertation phase."
Students are required to take the comprehensive exam during their fourth active semester. It is important to note that the comprehensive exam cannot be postponed! It is also important to highlight that the complex (comprehensive) exam can only be retaken once in case of a fail with strict restrictions. In addition, the student status of the PhD student terminates if the complex exam is not passed after the end of their 4th active semester regardless the reasons of the fail.
To participate in the comprehensive exam, students must complete 84 course credits (12 courses, including 9 mandatory and 3 optional) and 24 research credits. There is no requirement to complete teaching credits for the comprehensive exam.
According to the decision of the Doctoral School Council made on 23 June 2022, in addition to the course credits and research credits, students will be required to have at least one accepted scientific publication (i.e. a statement that has successfully passed the peer-review process and is officially certified by the Editor-in-Chief as acceptable) by the time of the complex examination. The supervisor is required to confirm the existence of the publication in the "Supervisor's Declaration" document (see below), which the student must submit when applying for the comprehensive exam. The new regulation will be introduced in an ascending system and is expected to be binding for students admitted from September 2025. For students admitted before 2025, having a publication is recommended, but the exam can still be taken without it. However, in their case, we ask the supervisor to indicate whether or not the student has a publication in the supervisor's statement.
More information about publication requirements can be found here.
Guides and Forms
The Registrar's Office's information on the procedures for comprehensive exams can be accessed by clicking here.
The Content And Procedings Of The Complex Exam Conducted In The Doctoral School Of Education
Declaration of the PhD student’s admittance to the complex exam
Research Plan
The Content of the Research Plan
Evaluation of the Research Plan