The PhD Colloquium is a formal oral examination in the first year of the PhD. It serves as a key

orientation point within your doctoral project and supports the further development of your research by

establishing a shared understanding of its scope, direction, and overall feasibility.

Following the colloquium, the committee formulates binding recommendations for the further

development of your project. These are documented in the written Dissertation Agreement and serve as

a formal basis for assessing the subsequent progress of your dissertation.

Any written materials submitted in advance serve as preparation and orientation for the committee and

supervisors and are not part of the examination.

What Happens After the Colloquium?

Following the colloquium, the committee formulates recommendations for the further development of

the project. These recommendations are binding and define the framework for continuing the PhD

project. After the colloquium, candidates may revise and develop their project together with their

supervisor(s), taking the committee’s recommendations into account. This revision process clarifies and

operationalises the next steps of the project.

The Dissertation Agreement does not reflect or document a revised project state. Rather, it records the

committee’s and supervisors’ recommendations and translates them into concrete measures, working

steps, and requirements for the continuation of the PhD project.

This means in particular:

- the document submitted before the colloquium serves as a preparatory working draft,

- any revisions after the colloquium are guided by the committee’s recommendations,

- the Dissertation Agreement formalises the viability of the project and the supervisors’

commitment to further supervision on the basis of these recommendations.

If you have any questions regarding the colloquium or its organisation, please feel free to contact either

Andrea Schaffar (andrea.schaffar@jku.at) or

Martin Reinhart (martin.reinhart@uni-ak.ac.at)

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