The public examination can be arranged, at the earliest, three weeks from the granting of the permission for a public defence in order to ensure that there is sufficient time for communications about the event. The public examination must be held within 12 months of receiving permission for a public defence. Read more about communications from the instructions on Publicising the public examination.
The custos is responsible for ensuring that the candidate and the members of the grading committee (opponent, custos and faculty representative(s)) agree on the method and date of the public examination as soon as possible after the permission for a public defence has been granted. All grading committee members must always attend the public examination, at least through a two-way remote connection.
Traditional days for public examinations are Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. However, you can also arrange a public examination on any other weekday as well. However, if you are planning a public examination requiring remote connections, we recommend that you always identify one or two alternative dates for the event. Unitube lecture halls are also used for teaching and can be quite booked. Please note that, on Saturdays, Porthania is the only available location for organising public examinations. Lobby and porter services are not available in any other location during weekends.
The recommended start time for weekday public examinations is 13.00, while on Saturdays public examinations most often start at 10.00. Other start times are also possible. However, public examinations on weekdays need to always begin between 9.00 and 17.00, and between 10.00 and 14.00 on Saturdays. Please also note the opening hours of the buildings. If the opponent is abroad, please remember to take into account the possible time difference in the discussions concerning the start time. With regard to remote public examinations, exceptional times must be agreed with the University’s AV support well in advance so that they can be taken into account when planning the work shifts of AV staff.
The start time of a public examination is always indicated on the hour (e.g., 13.00). However, in reality public examinations always start 15 past the hour in order to ensure that any members of the audience arriving at the last minute do not interfere with the opening of the event.
While the official responsibility for agreeing on the examination date lies with the custos, it is recommended that you also take active part in it – when you have been granted permission for a public defence, contact the custos to initiate the discussion about dates.