Steps towards Completion of Studies

1.) Registration of Master's thesis title and advisor

Who can supervise my Master's thesis?

• Only professors and persons with habilitation (Dozenten) which are employed by the University of Vienna are allowed to supervise your Master's thesis (see Par. 15 in the Satzung/Studienrecht).
• Under extraordinary circumstances, persons with a Ph.D. (in mathematics) can be allowed to supervise a thesis; this includes the case that none of our professors are available to supervise that particular thesis topic, and also if the thesis work is conducted within an excellence award. Co-supervision is also possible in this case, if the main supervisor asks for it (form "Mitbetreuung Masterarbeit").

What should I do next?

Once you have agreed on a topic with a potential supervisor, you have to send this form "Anmeldung Thema Betreuung" to the SSC (via e-mail), including the signature of your advisor and a tentative thesis title (before you start writing your thesis!).

Along with that form, the legal form "Regulations to good scientific practice" must also be submitted signed, recognizing the rules of scientific conduct and practice, and agreeing to abide by them (also via e-mail).

Please note: Typically, the confirmation of advisor and thesis title is only a formality, so you will be contacted only in case of questions or problems (otherwise no explicit notification is sent to you).

2.) Electronic record of exams and completed modules

At least one month prior to the completion of your studies, make sure that your electronic records of exams (in u:space) are up-to-date with all grades assigned to the correct modules (in cases where you do not have the right to move items yourself, ask the SSC for help), and all possible recognition of external grades confirmed.

As soon as you have completed all your exams, please reach out to the SSC via e-mail if there are any courses assigned to the wrong module.  In that case, please send us a list with the courses that are currently in the wrong module and to which module those courses belong.

Formal requirements

Submission procedure

1. Review and verify your personal data in u:space since it will be printed on the title page of your thesis. This information is automatically loaded from university’s database and includes your name and academic degrees, as well as details regarding the supervision of your thesis.
2. Upload your thesis on u:space. You will receive an upload confirmation.
3. Your thesis will be checked for plagiarism. Do not proceed with printing your thesis until you have received an e-mail confirming a successful plagiarism check. 
4. After the successful plagiarism check, you can print your thesis (two hard-bound copies, you can find the formal requirements on the website of the office of the studienpräses). Note: The printed version must exactly match the electronically submitted version!
5. Send to the SSC via e-mail:
   • the signed upload confirmation
   • the Einreichungsformular
   • and if needed the Sperrformular
6. Hand in two printed hard copies of your thesis within 10 days after the upload of your thesis on u:space). Submit them either via the post or personal appointment or give them to the porter in the OMP building (with a note "to SSC Mathematics")
7. Please forward the assessment form to your supervisor. The assessment must be sent by your supervisor via e-mail to the SSC at least 14 days before your master defense.

Copyright & image usage

Information about copyright and the correct use of images in scientific work can be found on the website of the office of the Studienpräses.

4.) The Master's Defense

The Master's defense must

• be the last examination in the degree programme. All other achievements must have been completed by then.
• be held in public (unless there are particularly legitimate economic or legal interests in connection with the thesis).
• be taken orally before an examination committee.

Examination committee:

• Chair of the committee: keeps examination record
• First examiner (usually the supervisor of the Master's thesis)
• Second examiner

Examination procedure:

Note: There are no official guidelines / legal regulations regarding the duration of the Master's examination. The times given here are merely a guideline and reflect the normal case at the Faculty of Mathematics.

• Presentation of the thesis: 20 - 30 minutes
• Defence of the thesis and questioning about the scientific environment: 20 - 30 minutes

(Usually, the Master's defense lasts up to 60 minutes in total).

(Approximately the same time should be allowed for the defense and the examination part. [Specified in the curriculum])

Assessment:

Consultation on the assessment in a closed session of the examination committee (One assessment for the entire Master's defense)

After the Master's examination:

• Upon request, the student will receive a confirmation from the chairperson certifying the completion of the last examination required for graduation.
• Graduation Documents: Approximately two to four weeks after a successful defense, your documents about your Master's degree will be sent to you via e-mail and you may apply for the academic ceremony of the University via u:space.

Registration

To be allowed to register for the Master's defense you have to have completed the following:

• all modules in your area of specialization (core and electives)
• the modules MOA and MFE
• the submission of your Master's thesis.

In consultation with your supervisor, you will find a suitable person to act as a second examiner.

We recommend that you try to find an agreement about (multiple) possible dates with the two examiners. When the possible dates are fixed write an e-mail to vorsitz-mathematik@univie.ac.at to ask for a Chair of the committee: the subject of the e-mail should be the degree programme code" (066 821), and in the body of the e-mail be sure to include the topic of your thesis and the possible dates. When a Chair for the defense is fixed, send the filled out and signed form "Anmeldung zur Defensio" to the SSC via e-mail at least 14 days prior to the date of the defense.