Purpose and Timing of the Complex Examination
The complex examination concludes the first, training and research phase of doctoral education and is a prerequisite for entering the research and dissertation phase. Its purpose is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the doctoral student’s academic and research progress, theoretical and methodological preparedness, and the feasibility and further development of the doctoral research project. Students who commenced their doctoral studies after 1 September 2016 are required to complete the complex examination at the end of their fourth active semester.
Students apply for the complex examination and, simultaneously, for the doctoral degree procedure during their fourth active semester by the deadline specified by the competent Doctoral Council of Natural Sciences and Engineering. The complex examination must also be registered as a course in the Neptun electronic study system. The examination must be completed no later than 31 August, or 31 January in the case of cross-semester admission.
Eligibility Requirements
To be admitted to the complex examination, the doctoral student must have obtained at least 90 credits during the first four-semester training and research phase and must have completed all training credits required by the Training Plan of the Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School. The training and research phase must ultimately be completed with at least 120 credits by the end of the fourth semester.
Before the complex examination, the supervisor provides a written evaluation of the doctoral student’s performance and states whether they recommend that the student proceed to the doctoral degree procedure.
Examination Subjects and Examination Committee
The Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School proposes the examination subjects and the composition of the examination committee in consultation with the supervisor and the head of the relevant doctoral programme. The proposed committee and examination subjects are approved and formally appointed by the competent disciplinary doctoral body. At least one member of the committee must have expertise in the doctoral student’s specific research field and be able to contribute substantively to the evaluation of the dissertation part of the examination.
The complex examination committee consists of at least three members, all of whom must hold a scientific degree. At least one third of the committee members must have no employment relationship with the institution operating the Doctoral School. Under the University Doctoral Regulations, the chair of the committee may be a university professor, habilitated associate professor, habilitated college professor, Professor Emeritus, or a researcher or academic holding the title of Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The Rules of Operation of the JNPDS specify an academically competent senior member of the University – preferably a university professor – or a Professor Emeritus as chair. The doctoral student’s supervisor may not serve as a member of the examination committee. The student can have a co-authored publication with none of the members.
The doctoral student must be informed of the composition of the committee in advance. The student may submit a written objection to the composition of the committee within eight days, exclusively on the grounds of bias or conflict of interest. A close relative of the doctoral student, or any person from whom an impartial assessment cannot reasonably be expected, may not serve on the committee.
Procedure of the Complex Examination
The complex examination is public and must be publicly announced at least one week before the examination date. The examination topics are determined by the Council of the Doctoral School. The corresponding syllabi are public and must be made available to the doctoral student at least one month before the examination.
The complex examination consists of two main components:
1. Theoretical part
The doctoral student demonstrates familiarity with the relevant scientific literature and current theoretical and methodological knowledge in their field. The student is examined in at least two subjects or thematic areas specified in the Training Plan of the JNPDS. The theoretical examination may also include a written component.
2. Dissertation part
In the form of a presentation, the doctoral student demonstrates knowledge of the relevant literature, reports on research results achieved to date, evaluates the progress of the doctoral research, presents the research plan for the second phase of doctoral training, and outlines the planned schedule for completing the dissertation and publishing the scientific results. The supervisor must be given the opportunity to attend this part of the examination and provide an evaluation of the student’s performance.
Assessment and Outcome
The examination committee evaluates the theoretical and dissertation parts separately. Minutes of the examination are prepared, including a written qualitative assessment, and the result must be announced on the day of the oral examination.
The complex examination is successful if the majority of the committee members assess both parts of the examination as successful. A failed complex examination may be repeated once during the same examination period.
Students may register for the fifth semester only after successfully completing the complex examination. Following successful completion, the student enters the research and dissertation phase of doctoral training, which also constitutes the doctoral degree procedure.
The Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School is responsible for organising and conducting the complex examination.