The Doctoral Degree Procedure
The doctoral degree procedure is associated with the second, research and dissertation phase of doctoral training. For students who commenced their doctoral studies after 1 September 2016, application for the doctoral degree procedure takes place simultaneously with application for the complex examination. Following successful completion of the complex examination, registration for the fifth semester marks the beginning of the research and dissertation phase, during which students complete their research, publish their scientific findings and prepare their doctoral dissertation.
The principal requirements for obtaining the doctoral (PhD) degree include:
- successful completion of the complex examination;
- completion of all requirements of the doctoral programme and acquisition of the pre-degree certificate (absolutorium);
- documented independent scientific activity;
- fulfilment of the prescribed language requirements;
- preparation and submission of the doctoral dissertation; and
- successful defence of the dissertation in a public doctoral defence.
Deadline for Submission of the Dissertation
The final version of the doctoral dissertation, revised following the preliminary defence, must be submitted within three academic years following the complex examination.
Upon request, this deadline may be extended by the competent disciplinary doctoral council by a maximum of one academic year if the student is unable to fulfil the requirement for reasons beyond their control, such as accident, illness or another unforeseen circumstance. The University Doctoral Regulations provide additional specific possibilities for extension in connection with childbirth.
Submission of the doctoral dissertation requires the prior acquisition of the absolutorium, certifying that the doctoral student has fulfilled the prescribed academic and research requirements of doctoral training.
Scientific and Publication Requirements
A fundamental requirement for obtaining the doctoral degree is documented independent scientific activity. Assessment is based on peer-reviewed scientific publications related to the subject of the dissertation and, where appropriate, relevant scientometric indicators. Fulfilment of the publication requirements is evaluated by the Council of the Doctoral School.
The specific minimum requirement of the Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School is that the doctoral dissertation must be based on at least two papers accepted or published in international journals with an impact factor. Where the characteristics of the discipline allow, the candidate must be first author of at least one of these impact-factor publications.
Publications may have co-authors, including the supervisor. Where results from the same publication are used by more than one doctoral candidate, the supervisor must provide a statement specifying the individual scientific contribution of each candidate.
Language Requirements
Award of the doctoral degree requires proficiency in the foreign language or languages necessary for research in the relevant field. The accepted languages and the method of demonstrating proficiency are determined by the Doctoral School.
If the required foreign-language competence is demonstrated in a language other than English, adequate knowledge of English must also be verified in the manner specified by the Doctoral School. The required language competence must be demonstrated no later than the submission of the doctoral dissertation.
The Doctoral Dissertation
The doctoral dissertation is an independent scientific work presenting the candidate’s research objectives, knowledge of the relevant literature, research methods and new scientific results. It may be prepared in Hungarian or, where justified by the discipline, in another language.
At the Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School, the length of the doctoral dissertation is 60–120 pages (without reference list and appendices). Any substantial deviation from this range must be justified.
The dissertation includes, among other elements, a table of contents, summaries in Hungarian and English, a bibliography and a list of the candidate’s scientific publications. Doctoral theses in both Hungarian and English must also accompany the dissertation. The thesis booklet summarises the principal new scientific findings of the doctoral work and contains an authenticated list of publications and presentations underlying or related to the dissertation.
Preliminary Defence
Before the dissertation is finalised, it must undergo a preliminary defence (pre-defence) as part of the quality assurance process of the Doctoral School. Its purpose is to provide a formal scientific evaluation before the public defence and to allow necessary corrections and improvements to be incorporated into the final dissertation.
The preliminary defence is organised by the Council of the Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School, which appoints a committee of at least three members. The committee consists of a chair, two reviewers and, where appropriate, additional members; all members must hold a scientific degree. At least one third of the committee may not be teaching members of the JNPDS.
Before review, the dissertation submitted for the preliminary defence is sent by the secretary of the Doctoral School to the University and National Library for a text-similarity check. The reviewers must also explicitly assess compliance with scientific and publication ethics. Any deficiencies identified at this stage may be corrected in the final dissertation.
The preliminary defence is public. The candidate gives a short presentation of the research results and answers questions raised by the reviewers, committee members and participants. Official minutes are prepared.
Submission of the Final Dissertation
Following the preliminary defence and revision of the manuscript in light of the comments received, the candidate submits:
- the final doctoral dissertation;
- the thesis booklet in Hungarian and English;
- an authenticated list of publications underlying and related to the dissertation; and
- the additional documentation required under the current disciplinary doctoral regulations.
The dissertation and thesis booklet must also be made available electronically. Before the public defence is announced, the candidate uploads the dissertation and theses to the electronic repository of the University and National Library. Following a successful defence, the Library ensures their full-text electronic availability.
Review Procedure and Defence Committee
Following submission of the final dissertation, theses and related publications, the competent disciplinary doctoral council decides whether the dissertation may proceed to public defence. Taking into account the proposal of the Council of the JNPDS, the disciplinary doctoral council appoints the defence committee and the two official reviewers.
The defence committee consists of a chair, two official reviewers and additional members, all of whom must hold a scientific degree. At least one third of the committee, including at least one of the official reviewers, must be an external expert with no employment relationship with the University. Neither the candidate’s supervisor nor a co-author of publications forming the basis of the dissertation may serve as a member of the defence committee.
The candidate must be informed of the composition of the committee and may submit a written objection within eight days, exclusively on the grounds of conflict of interest or bias.
Official Reviews
The two official reviewers prepare written evaluations of the dissertation, assessing its scientific and formal quality, the new scientific findings presented in the theses, and whether the dissertation should be admitted to public defence and – subject to a successful defence – whether the PhD degree should be awarded.
The dissertation may proceed to public defence only after two favourable reviews. If one reviewer recommends rejection, a third reviewer is appointed. Two negative reviews result in unsuccessful termination of the doctoral degree procedure.
The candidate receives the reviews in advance and must submit written responses to the questions raised by the reviewers to the competent doctoral council at least 15 days before the public defence.
Public Doctoral Defence
The doctoral dissertation must be defended before a defence committee in a public doctoral defence. The defence must be publicly announced at least two weeks in advance on the websites of the National Doctoral Council, the University and the Doctoral School, together with electronic access to the dissertation and thesis booklet.
At the defence, the supervisor or another person designated by the chair introduces the candidate’s scientific biography. The candidate then presents the theses, methodology and principal new scientific findings of the dissertation in a 20-minute presentation, followed by responses to questions raised by the official reviewers, committee members and participants.
Where appropriately justified and formally approved, the public defence may also be organised in an online or hybrid format under the conditions specified in the University Doctoral Regulations.
Assessment of the Defence
Following the public discussion, the defence committee meets in closed session and decides by secret ballot on:
- the doctoral dissertation;
- the candidate’s independent scientific activity; and
- the candidate’s performance at the public defence.
Each component is assessed separately on a four-level scale: summa cum laude, cum laude, rite, or failed. The chair publicly announces and explains the result following the vote.
The doctoral degree procedure is successful only if the defence committee considers the dissertation, the candidate’s independent scientific achievements and the performance at the public defence to be satisfactory.
Award of the Doctoral Degree
Following a successful defence, the competent disciplinary doctoral council submits a proposal for the award and classification of the doctoral (PhD) degree to the University Doctoral and Habilitation Council (EDHT) on the basis of the defence committee’s report and the complete documentation of the procedure.
The doctoral degree procedure is formally concluded by the decision of the EDHT, which awards the doctoral degree by resolution.
The classification of the doctoral degree is determined by the assessments of the dissertation, the candidate’s independent scientific activity and the public defence. The final classification may be summa cum laude, cum laude or rite.
Following the EDHT decision, the University issues the doctoral diploma in Hungarian and English. Holders of the degree are entitled to use the title Dr. (PhD) from the date of the EDHT decision. The University of Debrecen formally confers doctoral degrees at a public doctoral graduation ceremony.
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