Admission

Newly admitted
students

Doctoral
students

Completion

Steps to Follow for IOSUD-UVT Students
Regarding the Doctoral Thesis

Format and Structure

The title page must include:

Institutional affiliation (UVT, doctoral school, field of study);
Thesis title (in Romanian and an internationally recognized language, preferably English);
The doctoral student’s name, supervisor, and advisory committee members;
The year of the thesis defense.

Thesis length: the doctoral domain’s specifics to be checked (generally, between 100 and 250 pages).
Language: Romanian, English, French, or German.

General requirements

The thesis complies with the national and UVT minimum standards for the completed field of study.
The format follows the requirements of the doctoral school.
The work is original and includes proper citation of all sources.

Originality and Verification

The thesis is checked using iThenticate or Turnitin.
Recommended maximum similarity level: check the specifics of your doctoral field (generally, a maximum of 10%).
Up to 5 similarity checks may be requested.

AI Usage and Copyright

The use of generative AI must be explicitly declared in the thesis.
AI may be used only for rephrasing and improving readability, not for generating new content.

Updates and Modifications

The thesis title may be changed with the supervisor's approval.
Regulations may change, it is advisable to check for updates regularly.

Useful Templates

Annexes

Annex 1: Request for preliminary thesis defense before the guidance and academic integrity committee (link)
Annex 2: Declaration of originality (link)
Annex 3: Scientific report / List of scientific papers and other results obtained from the research activity (link)

- Arts (link)
- Law (link)
- Music (link)
- Theatre and Performing Arts
- Psychology (link)
- Educational Sciences (link)
- Sports Science and Physical Education (link)
- Philology (link)
- History (link)
- Biology (link)
- Chemistry (link)
- Physics (link)
- Geography (link)
- Computer Science (link)
- Mathematics (link)
- Accounting (link)
- Economics (link)
- Finance (link)
- Economic Informatics (link)
- Management (link)
- Marketing (link)
- Philosophy (link)
- Sociology (link)
- Political Science (link)
- Social Work (link)
- Communication Sciences (link)

Annex 4: Resolution of the PhD supervisor and the guidance and academic integrity committee regarding the similarity report (link)
Annex 5: Minutes drafted on the occasion of the preliminary thesis defense before the guidance and academic integrity committee (link)
Annex 6: Acceptance report of the PhD supervisor regarding the public defense of the doctoral thesis (link)
Annex 7: Certification of fulfilling legal conditions for the public defense of the thesis (link)
Annex 8: Declaration of acknowledgment regarding public consultation of the thesis and estimated date for the defense (link)
Annex 9: Doctoral school report regarding the handling of observations received during the public consultation period (link)
Annex 10: Proposal for the composition of the doctoral committee for the public defense of the thesis (link)
Annex 11: Request to set a date for the public defense of the thesis (link)
Annex 12: Declaration by the doctoral student regarding thesis publication options (link)
Annex 13: Personal record sheet of the doctoral student (link)
Annex 14: Minutes drafted on the occasion of the public defense of the doctoral thesis before the doctoral committee (link)
Annex 15: Approval regarding the awarding of the doctoral title in the case of an absent committee member (link)

Documents

Document 4: Preliminary thesis defense announcement (link)
Document 5: Declaration on minor changes in the thesis text and regarding the publications included in the thesis (link)
Document 6: CSUD decision regarding the public defense of the doctoral thesis (link)
Document 11: CSUD decision regarding the composition of the doctoral committee (link)
Document 12: Public thesis defense announcement (link)

Doctoral Thesis Pre-Defense

The pre-defense of the thesis is conducted in front of the advisory and academic integrity committee.

1. Submission of documents by the doctoral student (at least 10 days in advance):

Doctoral thesis in .pdf format (Document 1)
Thesis abstract in .pdf format (Document 2)
Pre-defense request form (Annex 1)
Declaration of originality (Annex 2)
Scientific report / List of publications (Annex 3)

2. Similarity Check (conducted by the CSUD Secretariat + supervisor + advisory committee + doctoral school director)

The thesis is analyzed using software recognized by CNATDCU (by the CSUD Secretariat).
The similarity result is evaluated by the advisory committee, doctoral supervisor, and the doctoral school director.
The check is conducted based on the standards outlined in the National Guide for Doctoral Thesis Writing, developed by CNATDCU and applicable to the respective doctoral field.
Similarity report (Document 3)
Joint resolution (Annex 4)

3. Possible outcomes:

4. Organization of the Pre-Defense by the Advisory Committee

The CSUD secretary publishes the announcement on the UVT website.
Must take place at least 5 days after the previous step and at least 10 days from initiation. The pre-defense must be completed within a maximum of 90 days from the initiation of the first step.
Format: in person or hybrid (physical presence of the doctoral student and the doctoral supervisor is mandatory).
Pre-defense announcement prepared by the CSUD secretariat with support from the doctoral student (Document 4)

5. Possible conclusions:

Accepted without comments → The following will be issued: Advisory Committee Report (Annex 5); Acceptance Report (Annex 6)
Accepted with minor revisions → The following will be issued: Advisory Committee Report (Annex 5); Acceptance Report (Annex 6), after the revisions are made; Minor Revisions Declaration (Document 5)
Accepted conditionally upon fulfilling publication requirements, with no further changes → The following will be issued: Advisory Committee Report (Annex 5); Acceptance Report (Annex 6), after the conditions are met
Accepted conditionally upon fulfilling publication requirements, with minor changes → The following will be issued: Advisory Committee Report (Annex 5); Acceptance Report (Annex 6), after fulfilling the conditions and implementing changes; Minor Revisions Declaration (Document 5)
Postponed / Major revision required → The thesis requires moderate or substantial changes. It may be postponed up to 2 times. The pre-defense procedure must be repeated
Rejected → The doctoral student will not be allowed to retake the pre-defense → Exmatriculation.

* In any case where the thesis undergoes modifications, including minor ones, it must be reanalysed using similarity detection software, and Annex 4 must be completed again.

CSUD validates the initiation of the public defense of the thesis.
CSUD invalidates the initiation of the public defense, in which case CSUD will issue recommendations to the doctoral school and the doctoral student for the correction of identified ethical issues. The doctoral student is required to resolve the issues within a maximum of three months, after which the thesis submission process for public transparency must be repeated.

6. Submission of the Thesis for Public Transparency

The thesis must be submitted in printed and electronic format to the CSUD Secretariat, along with the following documents:
- Proof of meeting the conditions for public defense (Annex 7);
- Statement of acknowledgment regarding the preview of the thesis and the estimated date of public defense (Annex 8);
The thesis and accompanying documents are uploaded by the CSUD Secretariat to the UEFISCDI national platform, where it will remain publicly available for 90 days:

Scenario 1 – No observations received → The thesis may proceed to the public defense stage.
- Report from the doctoral school at the end of the viewing period (Annex 9);
- CSUD Decision (Document 6).
Scenario 2 – Ethical concerns raised regarding the thesis → The doctoral school prepares a report based on the observations received and submits it to CSUD for analysis and decision.

- Report from the doctoral school at the end of the viewing period (Annex 9);
- CSUD Decision (Document 6).

* In any case where the thesis is modified, including minor revisions, it must be reanalysed using a similarity detection program, and Annex 4 must be completed again.

Public Defense

Organized only after a successful pre-defense and the finalization of public consultation of the PhD thesis.
Follow the necessary administrative steps according to regulations (Article 17).

What do you need to prepare?

At least 25 business days before the defense, you must submit a file to the CSUD Secretariat, containing:

Proposal of the Doctoral Committee for Public Defense (Annex 10)
Request for Public Defense (Annex 11)
Declaration of Publication Option (Annex 12)
Personal Form (Annex 13)
Doctoral Thesis (2 printed copies + .pdf format on two USB sticks, after the public consultation stage) (Document 1 filled out)
Updated CV (Document 7) and Scientific Report / Updated List of Publications (Annex 3) + full-text publications (combined into a single .pdf document) (Document 8)
Proof of payment for defense fee, if applicable (Document 9)
Scanned copies of personal documents: ID card, Birth Certificate, Marriage/Divorce Certificate, Master’s Degree (Documents 10a, 10b, etc.)
CSUD Decision for Committee Naming (Document 11)
Public Defense Poster (Document 12), with CVs/links to CVs of the doctoral committee members
Other documents as needed (e.g., similarity report and analysis of the similarity report if the thesis was modified after public transparency)
Scientific references reports, sent at least 15 days before the public defense date.

Verification

The CSUD Secretariat verifies the file and confirms that all academic and financial requirements are met.

Defense Committee (Public defense)

Your defense will be evaluated by a committee composed of at least 5 members, none of whom may be part of the Guidance and Academic Integrity Committee:

Committee Chair (selected from professors eligible to fulfill this role)
Your doctoral supervisor
Three scientific reviewers (holding the title of Associate Professor, Full Professor, Senior Researcher II (CSII), Senior Researcher I (CSI), or possessing a habilitation certificate in the relevant scientific field, with at least two reviewers from outside WUT)

Doctoral committees are approved by the doctoral school and approved by the CSUD.

In the case of joint doctoral programs, the doctoral supervisor from the partner institution must also participate.
All members must meet academic standards and remain impartial.

After the public defense, the following documents are completed:

Public Defense Report (Annex 14);
Absentee Reviewer Report (Annex 15).

Defense Timeline

Proposals regarding the composition of the doctoral committee (scientific supervisor) are reviewed by the Doctoral School and approved by CSUD at least 25 days before the defense date.
The defense date is registered with the CSUD Secretariat at least 25 days before the defense (the date cannot be earlier than the estimated date). The request with the defense date must be previously approved by the scientific supervisor and the president of the doctoral committee.
Official announcement published on the IOSUD-UVT website: at least 20 days before the defense.
Reviewers send evaluations: at least 15 days before the defense.
The defense is public, with the physical presence of the doctoral student, the committee president, and the doctoral supervisor, and at least two of the three committee reviewers must attend either physically or via video conferencing.

UVT ensures the reimbursement of transportation and accommodation for external reviewers and doctoral supervisors who are not affiliated with UVT, in accordance with the regulations.

Ready for your final step?

This is your opportunity to present your research to the academic community and defend your ideas confidently.

Follow these steps, stay prepared, and enjoy this important milestone in your career!

Still have questions? Check the main UVT website for details or ask your supervisor for guidance.

Good luck with your defense!