Everything at a glance
Tuition fee
During the fee-free period*, students from Austria, students from an EU or EEA country, Convention refugees and third-country nationals (nationals of all other countries) who are equivalent to EU or EEA citizens are exempt from paying tuition fees!
* fee-free period means: within the minimum period of study + tolerance semesters of the registered degree programme(s).
Detailed information can be found on the homepage of the Office of Academic Affairs.
Do you have any questions?
Mobile: +43 (0)316 380 - 1165 or 1169
E-mail: studienbeitrag(at)uni-graz.at
Students who work on their dissertation as part of their university employment do not pay tuition fees.
The Rectorate of the University of Graz has decided - in close consultation with the Employee‘s Council for the Academic University Staff - to waive or reimburse tuition fees for doctoral students whose work contracts with the University of Graz state that they have to complete their doctoral degree or PhD in the course of their employment. This applies on the one hand to the group of university assistants without a doctorate, but also to PraeDocs employed in projects who are working on their dissertation as part of their employment relationship with the approval of the project management. The regulation applies from summer semester 2023 onwards.
Academic Leave/Interruptions
Here you will find information on academic leave and study interruptions during the doctoral phase:
| Academic Leave |
| Cancellation of Studies |
| Re-registration to a study programme |
Final Exam/Thesis defense
The thesis defense is the final board examination of doctoral studies. Information on the procedure (duration, number of examiners, …) can be found in the respective doctoral curriculum. Depending on the curriculum the thesis defense may be combined with an exam on further selected topics of the academic discipline. Information on applying for the thesis defense can be found on the website of the Dean’s Office.
Please consider the following deadlines!
Between submission of the thesis and thesis defense: 4 weeks
The time span between submission of the thesis and the final exam of the doctoral programme may not be less than four weeks.
Between reviews/evaluation and thesis defense: 2 weeks
The thesis defense may take place not earlier than two weeks after the review/evaluation has been submitted to the Dean’s Office.
Maximum duration of the review process: 4 months
counting from the day of the official submission
Legal Framework
The legal sources relevant to the doctoral program are listed on this page. These are primarily the curricula and the corresponding curriculum commissions. Subsequently, there are also relevant provisions in the statutes of the university and in the university law.
Curricula commissions
Curricula Commissions are responsible for issuing and modifying (doctoral) curricula. Its members are professors, academic staff below the professoral level, and students. The heads of Curricula Commissions are responsible for the recognition of exams and previous studies as well as for the development of curricula.
Legal Basis: Sources
The following sources are relevant for doctoral studies