Doctoral State Exam and Dissertation Defence
The procedures related to doctoral state examination and dissertation defence are based on the specific criteria of each doctoral study programme.
State examination
The requirements, conditions, and format of the doctoral state examination are defined by the AVU Methodological Guidelines. The doctoral state examination is typically taken in the third year of the doctoral studies. Successful completion of the examination is a pre-condition for the admission to the defence of the doctoral thesis.
Dissertation thesis
The dissertation is an individual, original work authored by the doctoral student. In practice-based doctoral studies, it typically consists of a combination of theoretical reflection and the realization of complext artistic or architectural work or a restoration project. In the Theory and History of Contemporary Art program, the dissertation is an original theoretical investigation in the field of contemporary art.The dissertation is developed through ongoing consultations with the thesis supervisor and appointed consultants. For the Architectural Practice and Artworks Restoration programs, the recommended minimum length of the written dissertation is 80 standard pages. In the Theory and History of Contemporary Art program, the expected length of the submitted dissertation is at least 120 standard pages. In the Fine Arts program, the extent of the written component—if it forms a meaningful part of the doctoral project—is determined by the student in consultation with their supervisor, based on the nature of the work and the overall research project.The dissertation, or parts of it, may also be submitted through AVU’s institutional portal on the Research Catalogue platform. Instructions for submitting the dissertation or its components via Research Catalogue are provided below.
Dissertation defence
Doctoral studies are concluded with the defence of the dissertation. The defence is public.The doctoral student must submit an Application for the Defence of the Doctoral Dissertation well in advance, proposing—together with their supervisor—at least two reviewers, of whom at least one must hold the academic title of Associate Professor or Professor. The application must also include up-to-date contact details for the proposed reviewers. If any reviewer is a foreign national (this also applies to citizens of the Slovak Republic), the Study Department must be informed at least three months prior to the defence. Further information on selecting reviewers can be found in the AVU Methodological Guidelines. The selected reviewers and the supervisor prepare written assessments, after which the dissertation may be presented for defence.The student must submit three bound copies of the dissertation, along with digital documentation of the artistic work, to the Study Department by the deadline specified in the current Academic Year Schedule. (The submission of a documentation of artistic work does not apply to the Theory and History of Contemporary Art programme.)The defence takes the form of an academic discussion with a committee, based on the assessment reports provided by reviewers and supervisor. The committee then informs the student of the outcome and makes a recommendation to the Rector of AVU on whether the academic title of Ph.D. should be awarded.
Evaluation criteria for artistic research doctorates
is defined in the document Principles for Evaluating Artistic Doctorates at AVU: