Congratulations on completing your doctorate!
Issuing certificates of completion
Your certificates will be ready to collect around four weeks after your viva. You will receive an email when the certificates are ready. If you are not in Klagenfurt, the certificates can be sent to you recorded and signed for. Simply send us an email with your address (contact details are at the bottom of this page).
FAQs
When and how is my doctorate conferred?
Degrees have not been conferred at graduation ceremonies since 1997. Instead a conferral letter is issued at the first available opportunity. Around four weeks after your comprehensive doctoral examination/viva, you will receive an email to the email address recorded in the campus system/Student Portal telling you that your certificates (conferral confirmation, doctoral degree certificate, diploma supplement) are ready to collect.
When can I start using the title ‘Doctor’?
You can officially use the title Doctor once you have received your conferral notification.
What is the correct way of writing my title?
Detailed information is available on the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy website, as well as on the Austrian academic titles and on the Best practice for writing academic titles page.
Who is authorised to pick up my conferral notification for me?
After providing your signature when gaining your new degree, you are the only person who is permitted to pick up your conferral notification.
I don’t live in Carinthia. Can you send me make my conferral notification?
Yes, your certificates can be sent recorded and signed for. Please send me an email to let me know if you would like to do this, along with your address (contact details are at the bottom of this page).
What is the difference between a conferral notification and a certificate?
The conferral notification is a DIN A4 document that is recognised by law and proves that your degree has been conferred. This notification is issued automatically within four weeks of completing your programme of study and must be handed over to you in person.
For a small fee, you can also order a DIN A3 certificate packed inside a tube. You can receive the certificate at a graduation ceremony or collect it from the Study Office on the first working day after the next graduation ceremony.
Am I obliged to attend a graduation ceremony or purchase a certificate?
No, you’re not obliged to do either. Your new degree will be awarded to you via a conferral notification.
When and how can I register for a graduation ceremony?
Once you have completed your comprehensive doctoral examination/viva and the completion of your programme has been recorded in the system, the registration link for the graduation ceremony will be unlocked in the Student Portal under ‘My applications’. You can then register for the ceremony.
If you would like to celebrate this milestone with family and friends, select the ‘Register for a graduation ceremony’ option instead of ‘Certificate only with no graduation ceremony’. Pay the fee for the relevant ceremony (you can find the account details under the Info button in ‘Graduation Ceremony registration’) and upload a scanned copy of your payment confirmation slip.
Can I get a certificate even if I don’t attend a graduation ceremony?
Yes, you can do that too. Open ‘Register for a graduation ceremony’ under ‘Applications’ in the Student Portal and select the ‘Certificate only with no graduation ceremony’ option.
Do I have to attend the next possible graduation ceremony?
No. You are entitled to register for a graduation ceremony or to receive a certificate without attending a graduation ceremony within a year of completing your programme of study. You can also choose to attend a ceremony at a later date.
What time are graduation ceremonies held?
An email invitation for the graduation ceremonies will be sent to your university email account within ten days of registration. The exact time of the ceremonies is not available before this date. The Office of Academic Affairs is responsible for organising and running the graduation ceremonies and asks you to bear in mind that no queries about the ceremonies can be answered before the ten-day period has expired.
I have just missed the registration deadline for a ceremony. Can I still register?
No. Unfortunately the process of organising the graduation ceremonies means that it is not possible to register after the registration deadline for a certain ceremony has passed. You are, however, entitled to register for a graduation ceremony or to receive a certificate without attending a graduation ceremony within a year of completing your programme of study and can therefore register for the next available graduation ceremony date.
Further information about graduation ceremonies
Further information about graduation ceremonies can be found on the “Graduation ceremonies at Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt” page
Graduation ceremonies
As a doctoral student, you can celebrate passing your doctoral programme by attending a graduation ceremony.
Promotio sub auspiciis Praesidentis & Excellence scholarship
Did you complete your doctoral programme and all of your previous programmes of study (plus senior school classes) with distinction? Congratulations! Find out here whether you fulfil the requirements for a promotio sub auspiciis praesidentis!
You can also find out more about how to apply for a merit scholarship from the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research.
