It’s done! Strategies, Practical Advice, and Support for Successfully Completing Your Doctoral Thesis

Are you approaching the final stages of completing your doctoral thesis, but unsure how and when to take the necessary steps? Together with the Doctoral School of Historical and Cultural Studies, we offer a brown bag workshop series which helps you navigating the process of completing and submitting your thesis.

Finishing a manuscript can be a daunting task, riddled with uncertainties: Have you covered all necessary points? Are your footnotes accurate and complete? Why does your supervisor not respond? What comes after you have successfully submitted your thesis? For many doctoral candidates, the transition from writing to finishing and submitting a doctoral thesis can be challenging. This is further complicated by competing demands of care-work, teaching, job, activism, individual work-life balance etc. which can be overwhelming. It is not easy to prioritize and let go.

"The workshop provided numerous "tools" that are very helpful not only for completing a dissertation, but also for future projects of various kinds" (Alexandra, former participant).

To support you in the final phase of your dissertation, we have designed a workshop series which will guide you through the necessary steps towards completing your project and submitting your thesis.

  • 14 March, 12:30-14:00 Seminarraum Geschichte 3:  Setting priorities: to-do-lists & milestone
  • 11 April, 12:30-14:00 Seminarraum Geschichte 3:  Time management: finding a submission date & sticking to your time frame
  • 18 April or 2 May, 12:30-14:00 online appointment with the SSC: Formalities: formatting, necessary documents, printing etc. 
  • 23 May, 12:30-14:00 Seminarraum Geschichte 3: Challenges: communication with your supervisor(s) & organizing final revision
  • 20 June, 12:30-14:00 Seminarraum Geschichte 3: Rite de passage or let go: after the submission & and how to prepare for the defense
  • 27 June, 12.30-14:00 Seminarraum 9: Reality check & feedback

Though writing a doctoral thesis is considered to be an individual endeavor, it is by no means a unique experience. As such, our workshop places a strong emphasis on peer-to-peer exchange, providing you with the opportunity to discuss your concerns and individual situation, and share successful strategies with other doctoral candidates. 

Do not miss out on this the chance to get the support you need to successfully complete and submit your doctoral thesis. Join us, grab a coffee and take the first steps towards saying "it's done."

Venue: Main building, Universitätsring 1, 1010 Vienna

Target Group: Doctoral candidates, who plan to complete and submit der doctoral thesis in the (very) near future

Coach: Lea Pelosi, MA, BSc

 Registration: Places are limited; please register by 8 March 2024 to contact.vdtr@univie.ac.at

13 June 2024, 3-5pm: Scholarly Soundbites - "Elevator Pitches" with journalist from ORFn vom ORF

We have teamed up with the DSHCS to offer a special workshop in the field of science communication. We have invited 4 journalists from the fields of religion and culture from the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF/Ö1) to listen to your research projects in the form of so-called "elevator pitches". The idea is to give the journalists an insight into research topics in our DocSchools that might be of interest to them and their work. In return, you will have the opportunity to present your research in a way that is understandable to a wider audience, and to practice science communication. If you would like to participate, we invite you to prepare short pitches of 3-5 minutes by answering the following questions (in English or German):

  • Please state your name and discipline
  • In three sentences, what is the problem/issue/topic you are addressing in your research?
  • Why is this problem/issue/topic interesting and important?
  • How does it relate to contemporary society/contemporary discourse?

Target group: Doctoral candidates from the VDTR and the DSHCS

Venue: Dekanatssitzungssaal der KTF, main building, staircase 8, second floor.

Registration: Places are limited (first come, first served); please register by emailing contact.vdtr@univie.ac.at

17 june 2024, 9-12 am: Transform your Relationships with Nonviolent Communication

Discover the transformative power of Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in our upcoming workshop and experience its connective potential. Dive into the principles that dissolve conflicts across personal, organizational, and even political settings and gain valuable insights for navigating academia as an early career researcher. Join us and learn how to avoid misunderstandings and clashes with your supervisors and colleagues and how to handle tricky situations at conferences with confidence. 

  • Trainer: Christian Albert, Office for Conflict Counseling at the University of Vienna
  • Target group: Doctoral candidates in the humanities, the social sciences, and theology and research on religion
  • Venue: Dekanatssitzungssaal der KTF, main building, staircase 8, second floor.
  • Registration: Places are limited (first come, first served); please register by emailing contact.vdtr@univie.ac.at