Permission for public defence – start here!

• The doctoral thesis grading scale will change. Starting 1 August 2025 theses will be graded as failed / pass. However, doctoral theses whose preliminary examination has started no later than at the Faculty Council meeting in June 2025 will receive permission to defend from the Faculty Council and will be graded according to the current grading scale failed / pass / pass with distinction.
• A preliminary examiner can be chosen as the opponent.
• The deadline for preliminary examiners' statements is 4 weeks (previously 2 months).
• Preliminary examiners either support the permission to defend (minor corrections are possible) or identify deficiencies in the manuscript so severe that permission to defend cannot be recommended. Statement, where preliminary examiner requires corrections to the thesis before giving a positive statement, is not an option. A negative statement leads to the discontinuation of the preliminary examination, as before.
• At some faculties (Agriculture and Forestry, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Veterinary Medicine) the grading committee is appointed already at the beginning of the preliminary examination, i.e. at the same Faculty Council meeting where the preliminary examiners are appointed. At the other faculties grading committee is appointed at the same time than permission to defend is granted.
• Permission to defend is valid for 9 months (previously 12 months).
• Doctoral thesis evaluation statements (opponent and grading committee) must be given within a week (previously 2 weeks) after the defense.

After both of the preliminary examiners have given statements proposing that the permission for public defence be granted, a presenting official from the Faculty's doctoral Study Services will submit the matter for decision to the Faculty Council or to the Dean, depending on the faculty's rules. You will receive the preliminary examiners’ statements before the decision. If you do not accept the statements, you have the right to submit an objection.

If the opponent and members of the grading committee are not yet appointed, they will be  appointed at the same meeting where permission for the public defence is granted. 

After receiving two positive statements by preliminary-examiners, you may start preparing your public examination together with the custos and opponent, as well as have your doctoral thesis printed and carry out related communications when you receive a permission for a public defence. After the Faculty Council's or Dean's decision, your faculty’s doctoral student services will notify you that you have been granted the right to defend and that the grading committee has been appointed, in addition to which you will be sent instructions on holding the public examination and having the thesis printed.

• Read the instructions concerning publishing the thesis and related communications, as well as arranging the public examination.
• Don't forget that you have to be an attending student until your graduation.
• When necessary, make sure the language revision of your doctoral thesis is completed.
• Agree on the date and time of the public examination time with the custos, opponent and the faculty representatives, and see to the arrangements.
• Communicate about the event by completing the dissertation form at least three weeks before the public defence.
• Have your doctoral thesis printed after making the final corrections. Don't forget the abstracts and the title page.
• Organise the distribution of the printed thesis: printed theses must be displayed online and the Helda version published no later than five workdays before the public examination.