The following document contains the regulations specific to the doctoral program at the Philosophy Department of the Central European University Private University, including applications of the university student policies. Students should also be familiar with the University Doctoral Regulations, which contain additional information on Statement of Responsibility, Extensions, Temporary Withdrawal and more. In case of disagreement between the departmental and university regulations, the university regulations will be followed.
Where to find information?
If you have questions about some aspect of the program, it is worth checking out this document and the relevant university regulations, which are available here: http://documents.ceu.edu
If you still have questions, the following people may be able to help:
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Kriszta Biber |
Departmental Coordinator |
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Mike Griffin |
PhD Director |
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Ferenc Huoranszki |
Head of Department |
The Structure of the Program
Probationary Period
In their first year, between the date of enrolment and the successful passing of the Comprehensive Examination, doctoral students have the status of Probationary Doctoral Candidates. Probationary doctoral candidates have to reside in Vienna for the duration of the academic year, participate in the life of the department and earn the required number of credits.
First year coursework
By the end of the first year, probationary doctoral candidates have to complete 16 ECTS course credits by attending courses offered by the Philosophy Department or courses cross-listed with the Philosophy Department. Probationary doctoral students must have their first year course plan approved by their first year advisor. Doctoral students are as a rule not allowed to take Core MA courses for credit or audit, although they may of course attend such courses in case the courses interest them.
In addition, probationary doctoral candidates have to attend regularly the Departmental Colloquium. This is worth 4 ECTS credits per academic year for a Pass/Fail qualification. Presence is required for at least 70% of the meetings.
Coursework policy (valid for all students)
Final essays for the Fall Term courses are usually to be submitted by the first Monday of the Winter Term, by midnight (the date is specified every year in the Academic Calendar). An essay submitted up to one week after this deadline gets minus one grade penalty (e.g. A-, instead of A; or B instead of B+); an essay submitted between one to two weeks after the deadline gets minus two grades penalty. Essays cannot be submitted later than two weeks after the deadline.
The deadline for submitting coursework for the Winter Term and its late submission deadlines are specified each year in the Academic Calendar.
The final essays should be sent to the departmental coordinator and to the course instructor(s). The time of the submission, which determines the status of the essay with respect to penalties, is recorded by the departmental coordinator upon the receipt of the essay. Any extension to the deadlines or exemption from the penalties should be sought with the Doctoral Committee and not with the course instructor. Requests for extension should be submitted before the deadlines.
First year work with an advisor
The departmental doctoral committee assigns every probationary doctoral candidate an advisor. Students should be in regular contact with their advisors. The task of the advisor is to help the student to focus their problem choice, draw up a plan for the dissertation and start research leading to the preparation of the dissertation. Candidates are asked to make sure that the advisor reads a final draft of their thesis plan before they submit it. The advisor should also be consulted for the writing of the First Year Paper.
First Year Paper
During their first year, probationary doctoral candidates are required to write a paper of approximately 10,000 words (but no longer than 12,000 words and no shorter than 8,000 words). The first year paper should be a draft of a dissertation chapter. The deadline for submitting the title and topic of the First Year Paper is specified in the Academic Calendar. Students can be asked questions concerning their First Year Paper as part of the Comprehensive Examination. The paper earns 8 ECTS credits.
Summary of credits to be earned in the first year
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Year 1 Requirements |
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Modules |
Credit Requirements |
Courses |
ECTS |
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PhD Coursework |
Students must complete 16 ECTS credits of elective courses. |
Any course offered at the Department. |
var. |
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Research module 1 |
This module is the individual research component of the PhD. All elements are mandatory.
Students complete 40 ECTS credits in the module. |
First year paper |
8 |
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Meetings with supervisor: 20 hours per year |
4 |
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Individual research time: reading, writing, attending conferences etc. |
28 |
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Philosophy colloquium Module 1 |
The colloquium is mandatory, students earn 4 ECTS credits. |
Attending the weekly visiting speaker colloquium in the department (20 meetings per year) |
4 |
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Year 1 Credit Total: 60 ECTS |
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The Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated from the grades received for the coursework. Students whose courses GPA is 3.33 (i.e., B+) or higher go to the Comprehensive Examination. Students with less than 3.33 course GPA cannot go to the Comprehensive Examination, and their student status will be terminated.
Thesis Plan
In order to qualify for the Comprehensive Examination, probationary doctoral candidates have to submit a Thesis Plan by the deadline specified in the Academic Calendar. The Thesis Plan should be 2-3 pages long (without the bibliography), and it should be a summary of the research planned for the doctoral dissertation. It should include a description of the problem or area the candidate is planning to investigate; the planned direction of the research; and what is hoped to be the novel contribution made by the dissertation. In the Comprehensive Examination, students give a ten-minute presentation of their Thesis Plan and are asked questions on it.
Comprehensive Examination
Probationary doctoral candidates who completed their 16-ECTS credit coursework, submitted their First Year Paper and their Thesis Plan, and have a 3.33 or higher GPA for their courses, can take the Comprehensive Examination. In the examination, students give a ten-minute presentation of their Thesis Plan and answer questions on their Thesis Plan and First Year Paper.
To proceed to the second year, probationary candidates must have an average of 3.33 or higher for the coursework GPA, First Year Paper and Comprehensive Examination (Thesis Plan plus oral defense). The three elements are given equal weighting in the average. The examination committee may, at its discretion, require students to resubmit the Thesis Plan or have a new oral examination.
Candidacy Period
Doctoral students who proceed to the second year have the status of Doctoral Candidates. While receiving stipend, doctoral candidates shall reside in Vienna and attend the University on a regular basis. Doctoral candidates shall participate in the academic life of the department and attend seminars, programs and lectures. With the prior permission of the Doctoral Committee, a doctoral candidate may spend specified periods during the doctoral candidacy period out of residence in Vienna. The permission can be given for maximum one year at a time. It is the responsibility of the Candidate to provide adequate contact information for the absence period.
During their second and third year students will primarily be engaged in independent research under the guidance of their supervisor. Students can submit their dissertation at the end of the fourth year of their studies.
Supervisor
Every doctoral candidate has a supervisor. The Doctoral Committee assigns supervisors to candidates, based on their research topic and faculty availability, and with an effort to accommodate the candidate’s own request of who should serve as their supervisor. The assignment of supervisors is approved by the University Doctoral Committee. The supervisor is normally a member of the Philosophy Department’s faculty; in exceptional cases the supervisor may be a member of a different CEU PU department, but in that case an internal associate supervisor is needed.
The supervisor supervises the work of the candidate according to the directions specified in the university doctoral regulations, and prepares a report about the candidate’s progress at the end of each academic year. In exceptional cases, the Doctoral Committee may appoint an associate supervisor if the nature of the studied field requires doing so. The duties of the associate supervisor are the same as those of a regular supervisor, according to the university regulations. The associate supervisor position counts as a regular supervision when calculating the maximum number of doctoral students a faculty member may supervise.
Candidates may request in writing a change of their supervisor or associate supervisor (substantiating such a request). The Doctoral Committee is required to address the request within 15 days and forward its decision on any change in the supervisor’s status to the University Doctoral Committee for approval. Under special circumstances, the Doctoral Committee can also propose a change in supervisor to the University Doctoral Committee.
Second, third and fourth year coursework
In the second, third and fourth years, attendance at the Departmental Colloquium is required throughout the academic year. This is a Pass/Fail course and is worth 4 ECTS credits per academic year.
Students are required to attend the doctoral Work-in-progress Seminar (attendance is required in at least 70% of the meetings). The aim of the Work-in-progress Seminar is to provide a forum for doctoral candidates to acquire professional skills and receive continuous feedback on their work. The seminars will consist of discussions of recent literature in the area of the candidates’ research and presentations of the candidates’ work in progress.
In addition to these requirements, students must act as a teaching assistant at least once in their second or third year.
Summary of credits to be earned in the second, third and fourth years
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Year 2 Requirements |
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Modules |
Credit Requirements |
Courses |
ECTS |
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Research module 2 |
This module is the individual research component of the PhD. All elements are mandatory.
Students complete 44 ECTS credits in the module. |
Meetings with supervisor: 20 hours per year |
4 |
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Individual research time: reading, writing, attending conferences etc. |
32 |
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Second year paper |
8 |
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Work in Progress module 1 |
Students earn 8 ECTS credits for completing the work-in-progress seminar |
This is a weekly seminar in the Fall and Winter terms. Students present their research to each other, under the guidance of a professor |
8 |
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TA module
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Students must earn 4 ECTS credits for teaching assistantship. |
Each student must be a teaching assistant for one 4 credit course. |
4 |
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Philosophy colloquium Module 2 |
The colloquium is mandatory, students earn 4 ECTS credits. |
This module involves attending the weekly visiting speaker colloquium in the department (20 meetings per year) |
4 |
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Year 2 Credit Total: 60 ECTS |
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Year 3 Requirements |
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Modules |
Credit Requirements |
Course / Activity |
ECTS |
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Research module 3 |
This module is the individual research component of the PhD. All elements are mandatory.
Students complete 48 ECTS credits in the module. |
Third year paper |
12 |
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Meetings with supervisor |
4 |
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Individual research |
32 |
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Work in Progress module 2 |
Students earn 8 ECTS credits for completing the work-in-progress seminar |
This is a weekly seminar in the Fall and Winter terms. Students present their research to each other, under the guidance of a professor |
8 |
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Philosophy colloquium Module 3 |
The colloquium is mandatory, students earn 4 ECTS credits. |
This module involves attending the weekly visiting speaker colloquium in the department (20 meetings per year) |
4 |
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Year 3 Credit Total: 60 ECTS |
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Year 4 Requirements |
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Modules |
Credit Requirements |
Course / Activity |
ECTS |
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Research module 4 |
This module is the individual research component of the PhD. All elements are mandatory.
Students complete 56 ECTS credits in the module. |
Meetings with supervisor |
4 |
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Individual research |
44 |
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Dissertation preparation: turning the material into a dissertation |
4 |
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Dissertation defense |
Students earn 4 ECTS for the doctoral defense. |
Students must pass their dissertation defense |
4 |
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Philosophy colloquium Module 4 |
The colloquium is mandatory, students earn 4 ECTS credits.
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This module involves attending the weekly visiting speaker colloquium in the department (20 meetings per year)
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4
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Year 4 Credit Total: 60 ECTS |
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In-house Doctoral Conference
All students who completed one year in the program are asked to present their work at the In-house Doctoral Conference, which takes place at the beginning of the Fall Term. Announcement of the conference and details are sent out every year.
Progress report
Starting in their second year, every doctoral candidate has to submit a progress report by August 30. In this report, they are asked to summarise
- the progress they made with their dissertation
- the courses they attended (if applicable)
- teaching assistantship/practicum ( if applicable)
- presentations they made (if applicable)
- publications (if applicable)
- any other academic activity
The reports should be sent to the departmental coordinator and to the supervisor.
Regular supervision
In order to help candidates to organise their time efficiently and make sufficient progress with their dissertation work, they are asked to be in contact with their supervisor at least once a month during term time. For students in residence, this should take the form of a meeting (if the supervisor is away, the contact can be through email). For students with permission to be away, it can be done through email. Candidates are asked to initiate communication to make sure that the monthly contact takes place. The communication should relate to some appropriate aspect of the dissertation work; for example, sending some written material, answering comments, updating research plans, reporting progress, describing readings or other activities, etc.
Thesis progress
By August 30 of the second year, students are expected to submit 15,000 words of written work (the second year paper), which approaches dissertation quality. By August 30 of the third year of their studies, an additional 25,000 words work should be submitted (the third year paper).
In case a student fails to meet these requirements, the Doctoral Committee consults the supervisor(s) and the student about the prospects of meeting these requirements. If a realistic plan of improvement is drawn up, the Committee can give a maximum of six months extension of the deadline. If either there is no realistic prospect for improvement in the Committee’s judgment, or the student fails to meet the extended deadline, the Doctoral Committee may consider suggesting the termination of the Candidate’s student status.
Dissertation
Length and format
(See the University Doctoral Regulations for additional information.)
The doctoral thesis is an academic dissertation which meets the conditions of the general standards of the university, and which is supposed either to provide an original contribution to the deeper understanding of one or more philosophical problems, or a defensible attempt to solve it/them.
The CEU PU doctoral dissertation shall not exceed 80,000 words (including tables, graphs and footnotes; excluding bibliography) without prior permission of the Doctoral Committee. The submitted dissertation shall include:
- title page including the authors name, date of submission, supervisor’s name
- table of contents
- abstract of maximum 500 words
- signed statement that the dissertation contains no materials accepted for any other degrees in any other institutions
- signed statement that the dissertation contains no materials previously written and/or published by another person, except where appropriate acknowledgment is made in the form of bibliographical reference, etc.
- where the work is based on joint research, disclosure of the respective contribution of the authors
Following the approval of the supervisor, the dissertation can be submitted. An electronic copy of the dissertation shall be sent to the departmental coordinator, who forwards it to the Doctoral Committee. An electronic copy shall also be uploaded by the student to the CEU PU electronic thesis database (ETD). The student should consult the departmental coordinator about the submission of printed copies. After the dissertation is approved by the Dissertation Committee and the required modifications, if any, are introduced, a printed, bound copy shall be submitted to the CEU PU library, and a revised electronic version shall be uploaded to the ETD. (The University Doctoral Regulations specify the procedure for requesting temporary exemption from the requirement of uploading the dissertation to the ETD.)
See also the CEU PU Library site on ETD, http://www.library.ceu.edu/ETD.html.
Dissertation Committee
Upon the submission of a dissertation, the Doctoral Committee initiates the examination procedure within reasonable time. The Doctoral Committee chooses at least two examiners for the dissertation, at least one of whom must be external to CEU. When submitting their dissertation for defence, the students attach a signed “Statement of objection”, in which they have an opportunity to name individuals whom they do not wish appointed as examiners of the dissertation. The Candidate should give precise reasons for doing so. If the Doctoral Candidate has no such objections, this should be indicated on the form. If the Doctoral Committee does not take the relevant suggestions into account, the candidate may appeal against the decision to the University Doctoral Committee.
The examiners are asked to provide a written report of the dissertation within two months (during term time) of their appointment. Each examiner is asked to indicate in writing whether the dissertation can be submitted for defence. When writing their report, the examiners may wish to take into consideration whether:
- the dissertation makes a significant contribution to the knowledge and to the understanding of the subject with which it deals
- the dissertation demonstrates the candidates’ capacity to carry out quality independent research
- the dissertation contains material worthy for publication
- knowledge of the state of the art in the specific subject is demonstrated
- the format and literary presentation are satisfactory
In case one of the reports is negative, a further examiner shall be appointed. In case the majority of the reports is negative, the dissertation is regarded as effectively failed, and the student status of the Candidate is terminated without the possibility of resubmission.
the Dissertation Committee has at least three voting members, and at least one third of the voting members must be external to CEU PU. Usually it consists of the two examiners, the supervisor, and another member who chairs the committee. The members of the Dissertation Committee are appointed by the University Doctoral Committee based on the recommendation of the Departmental Doctoral Committee.
Defence
The defence should take place within three months of the receipt of a sufficient number of positive examiner reports. The Candidate receives the reports in advance and prepares a response for the oral defence. The usual procedure of the defence is as follows:
- The Chair introduces the members of the Dissertation Committee (DC).
- The candidate gives a 15 minute presentation of the dissertation.
- Chair of the DC opens the examination by asking members of the DC to raise questions or comments about the dissertation or the candidate's presentation
- The Chair invites anyone else who is present to raise questions or make comments.
- The Chair announces that the DC is going to retire for adjudication.
- The Chair announces the decision of the DC.
The DC has to decide by simple majority vote between four options:
- candidate be awarded the degree without further modification in the dissertation
- candidate be awarded the degree subject to some modifications in the dissertation
- candidate not yet be awarded the degree but permitted to resubmit the dissertation in a revised form
- candidate not be awarded the degree
In case 2) is chosen, the DC has to decide which members of the DC will check whether the appropriate modifications are carried out (this may include all members of the DC.) In this case, no further examination is needed. The deadline for submitting the modified dissertation has to be given by the DC. The candidate should then be provided with a list of the required corrections as soon as possible, but at the latest, within two weeks of the defence.
In case 3) is chosen, it is at the discretion of the DC to give further guidance (i.e. other than that provided in the examiners’ reports and during the oral defence) for improvement of the dissertation. If 3) is chosen, another examination is organised upon resubmission. Resubmission of the dissertation should take place within 2 years of the first defence.
The decisions regarding the dissertation are based on the majority voting principle. Usually the two examiners and the supervisor vote but not the chair. If the members of the Dissertation Committee cannot reach a majority decision, the Doctoral Committee shall appoint two additional Dissertation Committee members within 15 days. The enlarged Dissertation Committee shall decide by way of a simple majority of its members, without conducting another oral defence.
Minor formal corrections suggested by the examiners need not be expressly stipulated.