The doctoral dissertation will initially be send for an academic assessment of whether or not the doctoral dissertation can be accepted for assessment with the purpose of acquiring the higher doctoral degree. The preliminary assessment is carried out by an academically relevant person at the Department.
The Department can reject to assess the doctoral dissertation if:
If the doctoral dissertation is accepted for assessment, the Dean will appoint an assessment committee, which will be approved by the Academic Council. The assessment committee consists of 2-3 members. The appointment of the assessment committee must take place no later than three months after submission of the doctoral dissertation.
When a committee has been suggested, the author will be informed about its members. Subsequently, the author has two weeks to raise objections to the committee. Within this period, the doctoral dissertation can still be withdrawn from assessment.
After final appointment of the assessment committee, the author can still withdraw the doctoral dissertation from assessment within eight days. After the expiry of this period and until the receipt of the assessment committee's final recommendation, the doctoral dissertation may only in special circumstances be withdrawn from assessment, if the institution allows this.
The final recommendation from the assessment committee must be completed no later than eight months from the final appointment of the assessment committee.
If the doctoral dissertation is accepted for defence, the author is obliged to make sure that the doctoral dissertation is available for public review at the relevant department four weeks ahead of the defence.
The defence is public and normally chaired by the Head of Department. The defence will be conducted in Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish, unless another appointment has been made with the institution.
Two members of the assessment committee will be appointed to act as official opponents. Under special circumstances, opponents can be appointed from outside the assessment committee.
The author has the right to open the defence with a presentation of the dissertation and the research results presented therein. The presentation must last no longer than half an hour. Afterwards, the two official opponents each have 1 ½ hour to their disposal.
Shortly after the defence, the assessment committee will submit a recommendation stating whether the defence has been conducted satisfactorily. The Academic Council decides whether the higher doctoral degree can be awarded, and the author will be informed of the decision. If one or more of the opponents finds that the defence was insufficient, the author has 14 days to comment on the assessment committee’s recommendation.
The Dean ensures that a copy of the doctoral dissertation is sent to The Royal Library in Aarhus and to the main library of the institution in accordance with the rules regarding this.
Upon conferral of the doctoral degree the author will receive a Diploma and has the right to wear a doctoral ring.
The above is in accordance with the Ministerial order on higher doctoral degrees.