Responsibilities and Services
Welcome to Doctoral Studies Programme 60: “Theological Studies and Research on Religion”. Your research is part of a diverse range of disciplines, and you will be supported throughout your doctorate by a network of people and services.
StudiesServiceCenters SSC
The SSC is the central point of contact for questions regarding study organization and study law. After admission to your degree programme, the SSCs will assist you with administrative matters relating to your doctoral studies, such as
- registration for and organisation of the public presentation of the faculty (FÖP),
- the administration of dissertation agreements and annual progress reports and
- the organisation of the review of theses, public defences and the completion of studies.
The DSPL60 is fortunate to work with two SSCs that divide responsibilities according to research fields.
Directors of doctoral studies
The directors and vice-directors of the doctoral programme are the main point of contact for study-related matters. They are responsible for decisions such as admission to the programme, approval of dissertation topics and supervisors, and approval of dissertation agreements. They carry out these functions on behalf of the Office of the Dean of Studies, which has delegated part of its remit to the programme directors as the body responsible for study law. The structure of the DSPL 60 aligns with that of the VDTR. Consequently, the acting VDTR director is also the director of the doctoral studies programme.
Christian Danz
Director of doctoral studies
responsible for Protestant theology
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Markus Tiwald
Vice-director of doctoral studies
responsible for Catholic theology
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Esther Heinrich
Vice-director of doctoral studies
responsible for Research on Religion (Religious Studies, Jewish Studies, Islamic Studies, Philosophy)
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Hans-Juergen Feulner
Vice-director of doctoral studies
responsible for Catholic theology
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Study Conference (2024-2026)
The study conference is the advisory body of the directorate of studies. Half of the members are delegated by the students and the other half are appointed by the lecturers. Thus, in addition to their representation in the Senate and the faculty conferences, students are also involved in the quality assurance of teaching and in the organisation of studies and teaching via the study conferences. In order to cover the curricular diversity of the DSPL 60, the DSPL has set up a study conference with 12 members. The exact tasks of the Study Conference are set out in the organisation plan of the University of Vienna (§ 14).
Doctoral Advisory Boards
Doctoral advisory boards provide guidance to the Dean of Studies, the doctoral studies programme director, doctoral students and supervisors. A doctoral advisory board is responsible for one or more dissertation areas or a larger sub-area of a dissertation area in a curriculum. The function and appointment of the doctoral advisory boards is regulated in the statutes of the University of Vienna (§ 15 (7)). The doctoral advisory boards play a particularly important role in the public presentations (FÖP). The doctoral advisory boards responsible for the subject may comment on a submitted dissertation project.
The DSPL 60 has three doctoral advisory boards with the following areas of responsibility: 1) Protestant theology, 2) Catholic, Orthodox, and Islamic theology, and 3) research on religion (Islamic studies, Jewish studies, religious studies, philosophy).