On this page, you will find a detailed overview of all the steps you need for the successful submission of your dissertation topic, writing, submission of the final document and the defence of your doctoral dissertation at the School of Advanced Social Studies (SASS). Follow our guidelines for a smooth and efficient process!
The student submits the doctoral dissertation topic via the Web Office (End of Study / Theme Application). During the submission process, the required information must be entered and the completed and signed form OBR-FUDŠ-010-Doctoral dissertation topic application uploaded in PDF or Word format.
Important: Before submitting the topic, you must agree on the topic and its academic suitability with your mentor and, where applicable, co-mentor. If the (co-)mentor is not a member of the Academic Assembly, their handwritten signature must be obtained on the form OBR-FUDŠ-010 before uploading it via the Web Office.
After the form is submitted, the mentor electronically confirms the proposed topic and the mentorship acceptance. The application is then reviewed by the Scientific Research Commission (KZRD), which usually meets once a month (every 3rd Monday). You will receive a notification of the topic approval by e-mail.
Useful Information:
Important – Document Signatures: All applications and forms must be properly signed (handwritten signature or digital certificate). Unsigned documents are not valid and may lead to complications or delays in the procedure.
Public Accessibility Notice:Students may request one year of restricted access to their dissertation to protect business secrets, intellectual property rights, safety, or classified information. When selecting the title and topic of your doctoral dissertation, please consider that, after the one-year restriction period, your work will become publicly available in the library and electronically in REVIS.
After the dissertation topic has been approved, you must submit the dissertation proposal using the completed and signed form OBR-FUDŠ-011.
Upload the form via the Web Office (End of Study / Theme Application).
The mentor electronically confirms the academic suitability of the proposal.
The proposal is then reviewed by the Scientific Research Commission (KZRD), which submits a recommendation to the SASS Senate regarding the appointment of a commission for the evaluation of the proposal.
Note: The appointment of a commission consisting of independent experts may cause delays, as your application may not be discussed at the first KZRD meeting after submission.
The members of the commission must issue their evaluation of the proposal within 30 days. Based on the commission’s report, the SASS Senate (which usually meets once a month, every 3rd Thursday) issues a positive or negative assessment of the proposal.
For Students Without Active Status: Before submitting the dissertation proposal, please contact the Student Affairs Office (referat@fuds.si or +386 64 260 818) so that access to the Web Office and login credentials can be arranged.
The doctoral dissertation must be written and formatted in accordance with:
In the 3rd year of study, you must complete the Doctoral Dissertation Seminar.
Part of the requirement includes attending the lectures of Prof. Simona Kukovič, PhD.
The second part involves submitting the draft version of your doctoral dissertation in electronic format to komisije@fuds.si after approval by your mentor and completion of the lectures.
The Scientific Research Commission KZRD) appoints a three-member commission that attends your dissertation presentation (a “rehearsal” before the defence). A positive opinion of the commission means that the seminar is successfully completed, and the grade “passed” is recorded in your index by the Student Affairs Office.
Note: The Scientific Research Commission usually meets once a month (every 3rd Monday).
For Students Without Active Status: Before submitting the doctoral dissertation draft, please contact the Student Affairs Office (referat@fuds.si or +386 64 260 818) so that access to the Web Office and login details can be arranged.
Once the mentor confirms that the doctoral dissertation is ready for submission, you must upload it in an electronic format that allows corrections (PDF) via the Web Office (End of Study / Thesis Submission).
Note: Before you upload the dissertation, the mentor must electronically confirm the academic suitability of the dissertation via the Web Office.
Instructions for Saving the Dissertation in PDF/A Format:
In the Web Office, complete all required fields and upload the dissertation together with the completed form OBR-FUDŠ-014-Review and submission of the doctoral dissertation.
Technical Review and Plagiarism Check
Important – Language Editing Requirements: The final doctoral dissertation must be linguistically correct – professionally proofread. When submitting the dissertation for technical review, you must also attach a copy of the proofreader’s qualification, and a certificate confirming that language proofreading has been completed. If the thesis is written in Slovenian, the proofreading must be carried out by a qualified language editor with a degree in Slovenian studies or a Slovenian language teacher. If the thesis is written in English, the proofreading must be carried out by a qualified English language professor or a certified translator.
The submission process is considered complete when you receive confirmation from the librarian via the Web Office that your doctoral dissertation is technically compliant.
The Student Affairs Office then forwards the dissertation to the SASS Senate, which appoints a commission for the evaluation of the doctoral dissertation.
The commission members must provide their evaluation within one month from the date of their appointment. Based on the received evaluations, the Senate will: accept the dissertation, reject the dissertation, or return it to the candidate for revision, specifying a deadline for resubmission.
If the Senate accepts the dissertation, a defence commission is appointed. The members of the defence commission must, within 14 days of receiving the dissertation, assess whether the dissertation is suitable for defence. If there are any concerns, they provide written notification to the Student Affairs Office, which informs the mentor and the student. If the dissertation is deemed suitable, the defence date is scheduled.
For Students Without Active Status: Before submitting the doctoral dissertation, please contact the Student Affairs Office (referat@fuds.si or +386 64 260 818) to arrange access to the Web Office and obtain login information.
The Student Affairs Office sends a notification to the members of the defence commission and to the candidate at least 7 days before the defence. The notification includes the date, time and venue of the public defence.
Within 14 days after successfully completing the defence, the student must submit three bound copies of the dissertation, and the signed consent for the storage of contact information to the Student Affairs Office.
Once the bound copies of the dissertation are received, the Student Affairs Office issues a certificate of successful doctoral defence. This certificate is valid until the official graduation ceremony, which is usually held twice a year, in June and December.
For students without active status in the current academic year, the doctoral dissertation with defence is subject to payment, in accordance with the valid price list.
Exemption from Payment: The doctoral dissertation with defence is not charged if the student does not have active status, but was enrolled in the doctoral study programme and held active student status in the previous academic year, and submitted the final dissertation through the Web Office by the date of the last scheduled KZRD meeting, and — after approval by the (co-)mentor— received confirmation from the responsible staff member that the dissertation is technically compliant.
The dissertation defence must be completed no later than 30 November of the current academic year.