Master's Examination/Defense

The Master's examinations take place during the examination weeks announced in advance. 

The Master's examination must be the last examination in the degree programme. All other examinations must have been completed by the time of the Master's examination.

Please find below the most important information concerning this topic:

Deadlines for Registering for the Master's Thesis Examination

Please note the deadlines for registration for the Master's Examination in the overview of the examination weeks below. Early registration is possible at any time and makes planning easier for us...

Registration for the Master's Examination

Please note the deadlines for registration for the Master's Examination in the overview of examination weeks above. Early registration is possible at any time and makes planning easier for us...

The first examiner is going to be the supervisor of your Master's thesis.

The chair of the Master's examination committee will be allocated by our StudiesServiceUnit A (in German: StudienServiceStelle A, SSSt).

Your only responsibility is to find a second examiner, who needs to be available during the week of your Master's examination. You must have already obtained confirmation from your second examiner at this point. That is, when you register for your Master's Examination.

Please arrange the relevant examination subject and literature list with your second examiner in due time.

Please note that you do not have to wait for the evaluation of your Master's thesis by your supervisor to be finalised, before you can register yourself for the Master's examination.

To register for the Master's examination:

  • You need to fill out and sign the form "Registration for master’s examination (Defensio)"
  • As an examination date, you may note the Examination Week, during which your Master's Examination is going to take place. In addition, you may also specify a preferred date. However, as we have to adhere to the examiners' schedules, these can only very rarely be met.
  • The chair of the committee and the examination location will be allocated and therefore, do not need to be fill out this information in the form.
  • Submit the form by email to abschluss.publizistik@univie.ac.at

After registering for your Master's examination, you are going to receive an email at your univie email address approximately 10 days before the exam, indicating the exact time and place of the Master's examination.

Master's Examination

After registering for your Master's examination, you are going to receive an email indicating the exact time and place of the Master's examination approximately 10 days before the exam.

The Master's examination will last 30 minutes in total:

  • 5 min spot-on presentation of your thesis: research questions, social/scientific relevance, theory, method, main findings, implications. PowerPoint presentation is generally NOT needed and NOT wanted - however, it would be best to clarify this in advance with your supervisor ahead of time.
  • 10 – 15 min questions from your supervisor on the thesis,
  • 10 – 15 min questions from your second examiner on your chosen topics.

After that you will have to wait, while professors are deciding on your grade. You will get called back in and told if you passed the exam.