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Submission and assessment

Key dates

  • Submission of the doctoral dissertation:
    via the Faculty Council, following the timetable for submission of preparatory documents to the Council. The data must be completed in Plato by that deadline, and the digital version of the PhD must be uploaded in Plato by then. Any necessary paper copies can be submitted to the Faculty Student Administration until 16:00 the day before the Faculty Council.
  • Written appraisals:
    the experts in the reading committee upload their written appraisals into Plato at least 7 working days prior to the first part of the doctoral exam. The rapporteur does this at least 4 working days prior to the first part of the doctoral exam. The doctoral student and all members of the Examination Board can consult the reports via Plato at least 4 working days prior to the first part of the doctoral exam.
  • First assessment of the doctoral exam (first session):
    at least 30 calendar days and no more than 90 calendar days after the Faculty Council (please note: if a Christmas recess, Easter recess or summer recess is scheduled within these time limits, these time limits may be extended with the duration of the recess)
  • Public defence (second session):
    at least 5 calendar days and no more than 60 calendar days after the first assessment, unless the doctoral student consents to a modified date
  • Doctoral training programme certificate:
    all doctoral students (automatically) receive the doctoral training programma certicate after successful defence of their dissertation. The certificate recognises the course(s) doctoral students have taken

Additional publication condition

The faculty applies the rule that a dissertation can only be submitted if the doctoral student has at least one accepted peer reviewed publication (article or chapter in a book). Prior to the submission of the dissertation, the publication must be uploaded to Biblio (Ghent University Academic Bibliography).

  • For joint doctorates (joint PhD), the regulations of the university where the dissertation is defended apply.
  • Transitional measure for those doing a doctorate entirely on their own funds. Doctoral students who were already registered as doctoral students before the 2023-2024 academic year (and remained/remain so continuously), who finance the writing of their doctorate exclusively with their own resources and who attest this with a sworn declaration of the supervisor and themselves, are exempt from the additional publication condition.

Article-based doctorate

A dissertation based on articles in academic journals must meet a number of specific criteria. The conclusion that a submitted dissertation meets each of these criteria, does not detract in any way from the autonomous authority of the Examination Board to decide on the question whether the dissertation is admissible.

Submission

Before the appraisal, doctoral students must officially submit their doctoral dissertation to the Faculty Council. The Faculty Council determines whether or not the submission will be accepted and will assign an Examination Board that will appraise the dissertation. The submission is preceded by a recommendation by the members of your doctoral advisory committee (DBC) and you need to meet the additional publication condition.

For a joint doctorate (joint PhD), the regulations of the university where the dissertation will be defended apply. Please note: even if the public defence does not take place at Ghent University, the dissertation must be submitted at Ghent University before the start of the doctoral examination. Submitting a joint doctorate with external defence cannot be done via Plato, but only via the form for submitting a dissertation with defence outside Ghent University (.doc).

Examination Board (composition)

An Examination Board consists of five to eight members:

  • chair: permanent chair per discipline (unless otherwise appointed by the dean), qualified to vote
  • reading committee: three, preferably four and maximum six members, appointed on the basis of their special expertise with regard to the dissertation, qualified to vote
  • rapporteur: member appointed by the study programme, qualified to vote

At least half of these members are appointed at Ghent University. At least two of these members come from outside the faculty, at least one from outside Ghent University. Doctoral advisory committee members can never form more than half of the members of the reading committee, and cannot act as chair or rapporteur. At least half of the members has a doctorate. Co-authors of a publication which forms an integral part of the dissertation cannot be voting members of the Examination Board. The Examination Board can be supplemented with the supervisor(s), but these are not entitled to vote.

    First assessment

    With the exception of the chair, each member of the Examination Board who is qualified to vote will draw up a written appraisal of the dissertation. The (three to six) members who were appointed because of their special expertise concerning the dissertation (the ‘reading committee’) will appraise the dissertation in full and will spend extra attention to the chapters that are in keeping with their expertise. In addition, one voting member (the ‘rapporteur’) appointed by the study programme reports briefly, based on the expert reports.

    These written appraisals by the reading committee and the rapporteur are uploaded in Plato at least seven and four working days prior to the first assessment, respectively.

    The doctoral student and all members of the Examination Board can access the reports via Plato at least four working days prior to the first session. If one or more reports are not delivered on time, the first meeting may be postponed at the doctoral student’s request.

    The first assessment of the dissertation should take place at least 30 calendar days and no more than 90 calendar days after the appointment of the Examination Board. The time limit is suspended by the recess periods: if a Christmas recess, Easter recess or summer recess is scheduled within the time limit, the time limit may be extended with the duration of the recess.

    The appraisal of the Examination Board occurs behind closed doors. The Examination Board hears the doctoral student during this deliberation and shall appraise the doctoral dissertation of the candidate in question and the merit of his/her research. The deliberation occurs in three steps, of which the doctoral student only needs to attend the second step:

    • The Examination Board members analyse and discuss the written reports drawn up
    • The Examination Board hears the doctoral student. The assessment takes place in Dutch or English, unless otherwise determined by the Faculty Council. All Examination Board members need to know the used language (at least passively). The Examination Board members and the doctoral student discuss the content of the dissertation
    • The members of the Examination Board who are qualified to vote deliberate on the basis of (1) the written reports by each of the members who are qualified to vote and (2) the hearing of the doctoral student.

    In order to deliberate legitimately, at least three fifths of the Examination Board members who are qualified to vote must be present, whether or not via video conference. During the entire appraisal, the Examination Board members need to be at least available by telephone. After its approval by the Examination Board, the deliberation report is sent to the doctoral student and the supervisors via Plato.

    The deliberation will result in one of the appraisals below:

    • Admission to the second part of the examination, after which a date for the public defence will be agreed upon. The Examination Board may request the doctoral student to make some small corrections
    • Admission to the second part, following corrections to the dissertation. The Examination Board will see to it that this revision is feasible within a reasonable time span determined by the Board. The Examination Board will also suggest a date for the public defence
    • No admission to the second part of the examination

    In the second case, the doctoral student needs to resubmit the dissertation within the period imposed and to add a covering letter detailing how and where the requested corrections have been performed (or why certain corrections have not been performed). If the requested corrections do not meet the standards, the Examination Board may yet decide to deny the student access to the second part of the doctoral examination.

    In the third case, the doctoral student, in joint consultation with the supervisor(s), may decide to continue the research and to resubmit a reworked dissertation at a later stage.

    Public defence and pledge of scientific integrity

    During the second part of the examination, the doctoral student puts forward an oral and public defence of his/her doctoral dissertation before the Examination Board. The public defence takes one to two hours. The session starts with a short presentation of maximum 20 minutes by the doctoral student. Next, the members of the Examination Board are given the opportunity to each ask questions. The session takes place in Dutch or English, unless otherwise determined by the Faculty Council.

    The precise date of the public defence cannot be fixed until after the Examination Board has taken a deliberation decision about the first part of the doctoral examination. The public defence shall take place no sooner than five calendar days after this deliberation and within 60 calendar days after this decision, unless the doctoral student agrees to a modified date.

    In order to deliberate legitimately, at least three fifths of the Examination Board members who are qualified to vote must be present, whether or not via video conference.

    If the Examination Board takes a positive decision after the public defence, the doctoral student is invited to take the following pledge of scientific integrity (however this is not obliged):

    “In front of my peers and all of you present here, I take a solemn pledge of integrity upon completion of my doctorate in (discipline). In my quest for knowledge, I have conducted demanding academic research. In doing so, I have shown intellectual accuracy, ethical reflection and respect for the principles of academic integrity. I commit myself to continuing to act with integrity in the continuation of my professional career, regardless of the field in which I work, both in my relationship to knowledge, methods and results and towards my colleagues and society.”

    After handing over the diploma, the supervisor(s) may hold a laudatio for the doctoral student and its dissertation.

    Practical aspects

    First assessment

    The supervisor and the doctoral student are responsible for the practical aspects of organising the first assessment. If certain members of the Examination Board are attending through video conferencing, this is indicated in Plato. The chair of the Examination Board takes care of the distribution of the video link.

    Public defence

    The supervisor and the doctoral student are responsible for the practical aspects of organising the public defence (booking and setting up the room, possible requests for video conferencing, catering, possible reception afterwards, etc.).

    Travel and accommodation expenses by the external members of the Examination Board

    For practical issues regarding travel and accommodation expenses by the external members of the Examination Board, please contact the administrative supervisor responsible of the dissertation.

    Gowns

    At the faculty of Arts and Philosophy, it is customary for the Examination Board members to wear a gown (if they are authorised to do so), but this custom is not mandatory. The choice is often left to the doctoral student. Gowns in faculty colours can be reserved and collected at the Front Office (Blandijnberg 2, Room 100.016, contact address: logistiek.lw@ugent.be). The administrative supervisor responsible will take the initiative for this.

    Beret and gift from the faculty

    The faculty’s beret and gift for the doctoral student who has passed is collected from the Faculty Student Administration (FSA) by the chair of the Examination Board.