Oral Examination and Overall Result of Doctoral Examination

Once the dissertation has been accepted the dean determines the two members of the examination board (Prüfungsausschuss). Usually she or he chooses the first examiner who evaluated the dissertation plus another member of the Doctoral Research Board, who has not evaluated the dissertation. The latter regularly presides the examination board. The dean determines the exact place and time of the oral examination.

The oral examination serves the purpose of determining whether the doctoral student has methodically understood and penetrated the subject of the dissertation and the area of law to which it pertains and whether she or he is able to unfold and defend the theses of the dissertation. Questions concerning foundations of law and academic work on law may be included in the examination conversation.

Each doctoral student is supposed to present the essential theses of the dissertation within 15 minutes. Thereafter she or he, respectively, defends the dissertation in front of the examination board. The presiding esaminer may admit questions of members of the Faculty of Law who have a doctoral degree.

Discussion and announcement of the overall doctoral examination result are not open to the public. All professors of the Faculty of Law are allowed to participate in the oral examination, the discussion and the deliberation of the examination result.

The examination board grades the oral achievements and then determines the overall grade. The dissertation counts for 70 %, achievements during the oral examination for 30 % of the final result.