The curriculum has been designed so that right from the start, students can begin taking courses in the ideal sequence. Sign up for courses via KUSSS, opens an external URL in a new window. Please note the registration deadlines as outlined in KUSSS.

You can find imporant information, instructions, announcements, and notifications on the doctorate "bulletin board" in Moodle. Once you have successfully enrolled, you can log in to Moodle using your student ID number and password. The Faculty of Medicine Medical Sciences blackboard, opens an external URL in a new window contains important information you will need throughout your studies at the Faculty of Medicine.

Your Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) is required to supervise your dissertation and monitor your progress in an academic, scientific, and scholarly capacity from the very start.

Your three-person TAC team must include:

1. The first supervisor (a Doctoral School member holding a PostDoc/Habilitation degree);
2. A second supervisor (must hold a PostDoc/Habilitation; if the individual is not associated with the JKU, submit a request, opens a file to the JKU Admissions Office);
3. A third member, selected by the candidate in consultation with the first supervisor. The third member must hold a subject-related academic doctorate degree and be actively involved as part of another working group, or at another institute, or at another department other than the first and second supervisor's department(s).

Once a year, the candidate will be required to hold a presentation for the Thesis Advisory Committee regarding progress in the dissertation, which will be documented in a TAC protocol. The form is available in Moodle. Once the form is completely filled out and signed, the student is required to upload the form in Moodle as part of the Dissertation Colloquium, Interim Report I & II courses.

As part of the dissertation colloquium at the start of your studies, you will be required to present a comprehensive dissertation concept. The concept must address the following points:

• the dissertation's objectives
• the current state of science as related to your dissertation
• the research questions
• the intended applied research methods
• the schedule
• the required financial and/or material resources
• the required availability in regard to the research infrastructure
• Information about the ethics review process
• the members of your Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)

As soon as you have selected your team of supervisors, please inform the JKU's Office of Examinations and Recognition Services regarding your first and second supervisor. Once you have successfully completed the dissertation colloquium (no later than by the end of the third semester), you will need to finalize a dissertation agreement and submit that agreement to the Office of Examinations and Recogntion Services. The required forms are available here ("Doktorat neu").

Cardea: The Electronic Attendance Registry

Courses that include examinations and/or mandatory attendance require advance registration. Use the Faculty of Medicine's electronic attendance system (Cardea, opens an external URL in a new window) for this purpose (a QR code, or via your mobile phone using the MyJKU app, or by using your student ID card). See the blackboard at the Faculty of Medicine - Medical Sciences, opens an external URL in a new window for detailed information.

Only this method of taking attendance will be accepted in order to receive a passing course grade.

When writing your dissertation, please take the following aspects into account (see: dissertation guidelines / minimum dissertation requirements, opens an external URL in a new window to learn more):

• Publications may not be used as a substitute for a dissertation.
• One publication may not be used for multiple dissertations.
• An introduction, including a detailed description of the state of research based on the literature, resources, and a description of any gap in the research
• A clear and comprehensive description of the hypotheses and research questions for the duration of the research study
• A transparent presentation of applied research methods
• A detailed presentation of findings in relation to the research questions
• A discussion of the findings in relation to existing literature and resources, the derived research questions, study limitations, and future implications regarding research
• Proof of publications ( for example, in the dissertation appendix)

Cumulative dissertations are permitted upon request (see Moodle to access the application form). Cumulative dissertations require a minimum of three original papers in first authorship or co-authorship (see the curriculum for details). Please include the following (see the "dissertation guidelines/minimum requirements for a dissertation, opens an external URL in a new window" to learn more):

• Publications may not be used as a substitute for a dissertation.
• One publication may not be used for multiple dissertations.
• Any and all publications must have been accepted for publication upon submitting the cumulative paper
• An introduction, including a detailed description of the state of research based on the literature, resources, and a description of any gap in the research
• A clear and comprehensive description of the hypotheses and research questions for the duration of the research study
• Publications must be documented in the dissertation (see: "minimum requirements for a dissertation" to learn more).
• The closing discussion should be holistically and broadly placed in relation to the state of the research and the research questions. Summarizing the publications with a collected conclusion is insufficient.
• The first and last author(s) are required to sign and verify the respective candidate's contributions to the publication. By signing the form, all of the other co-authors consent to use of the publication in the corresponding dissertation.
• Before submitting a cumulative dissertation, you must obtain approval by the Dean of Studies and the Doctoral School. The form is available in Moodle, opens an external URL in a new window; please send the form to: doctoralschool_medicalsciences(at)jku.at.

Once you have successfully completed your dissertation, the Doctoral School Office must formally accept the dissertation and review it for any traces of plagiarism. Please send the dissertation by e-mail to: doctoralschool_medicalsciences(at)jku.at

Once the dissertation has been approved, submit the dissertation together with the examination roster, opens a file to the Office of Examinations and Recognition Services.

Your dissertation must be reviewed by two post-doctoral faculty members who are not members of the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC); they may not be co-authors of any publications for the dissertation. The Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs will receive the reviews. You and/or your team of dissertation supervisors can provide the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs with a list of eligible and qualified (and in general) external reviewers, of whom one must be from an institution other than the JKU.

The dissertation will be reviewed and evaluated as part of a defensio by a three-member examination board: 

1. Your first or second dissertation supervisor
2. A representative in the subject area (generally one of the reviewers)
3. The Doctoral School spokesperson, or an appointed representative

Your third Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) member may not be a member of the Examination Board.

The defensio is an oral defense of your dissertation as well as an opportunity to examine your ability to independently address scientific issues as part of your dissertation subject. The defensio begins with a 30-45 minute presentation by the candidate in regard to content and the dissertation's key findings. The presentation will be followed by a discussion of the topics covered during the presentation and, if necessary, other aspects as covered by the dissertation. The defensio may not exceed 120 minutes. All of the examination board members are required to be present.

The examination board will grade the dissertation immediately after the defensio is completed. The examination board will render its decision based on:

1. a statement by the supervising team
2. the two expert opinions/reviews
3. their conclusions following the defensio

Please note that in accordance with Study Law, the dissertation's ECTS credits (140) can only be awarded after submission.