The complex exam - PhD programme

General principles and rules of the complex exam

The condition of letting a student take the complex exam is as follows:

• In the first four semesters 120 credits should be obtained.

Credits can be given for courses (60) and research work (60).

The complex exam serves as an enclosing for the first four semesters in the Doctoral Programme. It has to take place in public. The Examination Board needs to consist of at least 3 members, whose third member cannot be employed by the institute operating the doctoral school.

The Chair of the Examination Board can be a professor, a professor emeritus or a doctor of science. All the members of the board have a scientific degree. The supervisor has no right to vote or to take part in the exam. The supervisor sends the evaluation of the student’s achievement to the Chair of the Board at least one week before the exam.

The complex exam consists of two parts; one is the academic/ theoretical part, which examines the theoretical knowledge of the student. The other part is the dissertation part, where the student has to present his/her scientific improvement.

During the theoretical part, the doctoral student has to take an exam in two areas:

• one in the major subject: Multilingualism. Students prepare their presentations on multilingualism from all aspects they were exposed to during their studies;
• one in a minor subject which is the subfield of the student, i.e. Individual multilingualism, Instructed multilingualism or Multilingualism in the society.

In the second part of the complex exam the student has to present his/her knowledge about the literature, the research results, the research plan for the second phase of the doctoral training and about the timing of carrying out the research and writing up the thesis. The presentation should touch upon the significance of the scientific results, upon their innovative content, upon the research technology motivation if relevant and the practical applicability of the results. The examinee has to submit the summary of his/her results and the publications to the board electronically at least one week before the exam.

The members of the Examination Board evaluate the theoretical part and the thesis separately. The student passes the complex exam if the majority of the members evaluate both parts successful. In case of an unsuccessful theoretical exam the student can repeat the exam only once, in the same exam session. The evaluation of the complex exam is possible on a two-scale grading system (pass or fail).

The Examination Board prepares a written evaluation of the student and the exam. The result of the complex exam has to be announced on the day of the exam.

The result of the complex exam cannot be included in the final ranking of the doctoral degree, but passing the complex exam is a prerequisite for entering the second – research – phase of the training.