Process for doing a PhD in Computer Science or Artificial Intelligence

This process applies to students who started their PhD studies before winter semester 2021/22.
See also a graphical outline of the process.

The PhD Program in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence

According to the curriculum of the PhD Program you have to do the following courses:
- 3 PhD seminars (4.5 ECTS each) at your supervising institute
- a dissertation colloquium (pre-defense) (4.5 ECTS, see below)
- a gender course (1.5 ECTS)
The PhD Seminars at your supervising institute serve the purpose of tracking the progress of your thesis. Even though you are formally only required to participate in two seminars, we strongly recommend that you participate in all PhD seminars that are held at your institute.

Dissertation Colloquium (Pre-Defense)

At the pre-defense, you have to give a presentation of the status of your dissertation and an outlook on your further research in front of the Computer Science faculty. The pre-defense should be done approximately one year before you finish your PhD studies. It is a dedicated course with the name "Dissertationskolloquium", for which you have to register via Kusss. At least two weeks before the pre-defense, you have to send certain information to the chair of PhD affairs. This information as well as the rules for the pre-defense are described here.

Dissertation Agreement (Dissertationsvereinbarung)

Right after the dissertation colloquium you have to fill out and sign a dissertation agreement as well as a form register a dissertation (you can find the forms here). For that you need 2 supervisors who have to sign as well. The supervisors must be persons with a habilitation (usually professors of the Department of Computer Science) who are proficient in the area of your dissertation topic. The dissertation agreement has to specify your dissertation topic and the field of your dissertation (Informatik or Artificial Intelligence). It also has to include a rough time schedule. The dissertation agreement has to be submitted to the Office of Examinations and Recognition Services (PAS). Your main supervisor has to make sure that you submit the agreement in time.

Selecting Reviewers and the Defense Senate

The rules for selecting the reviewers of your thesis as well as the members of the defense senate are described here. A proposal for both has to be sent to and approved by the chair of PhD affairs as described under the link above. It should be done not later than 10 weeks before the defense. Once the reviewers and the senate have been approved by the chair, you need to find a date and a time for the defense that works for all members of the defense senate, and send it to the chair of PhD affairs.

Submitting the Thesis

8 weeks before the defense, you must send to the PAS an email with the title and the abstract of your thesis as well as with the names and affiliations of your supervisors and of the external reviewer. If the reviewer does not come from JKU you have to fill out and submit also the following form.

4 weeks before the defense, you have to submit to the PAS:
- The PDF of your thesis must be uploaded here, but not earlier than 1 day before the submission of the bound copies.
- If applicable: an application to make the dissertation publicly inaccessible (Sperrantrag).
- The examination roster (Prüfungsraster).
- A registration form for the oral defense (Festlegung des Prüfungssenats) with the names and the signatures of the defense senate members.
All forms can be found here or here.

2 weeks before the defense, you have to inform the PAS about the arranged date, time and location of the defense. If the defense happens online the main supervisor must send the appropriate link to the PAS.

Defense

The defense consists of a presentation of your thesis (30 minutes) followed by a discussion and questions about the dissertation. The defense usually lasts 1.5 hours. It is assessed by the defense senate.