Pre-examination of the doctoral dissertation and permission to defend the dissertation at the Philosophical Faculty

This guide describes the stages of the doctoral dissertation pre-examination process at the Philosophical Faculty and helps you prepare for them. You can also learn about the doctoral dissertation examination process by watching the recorded info webinar (opens in a new tab) (requires a UEF sign-in). The webinar is in English.

Please note! From 1 August 2025, pre-examiners must submit their statements to the faculty within thirty (30) days of receiving the manuscript. The Dean may grant additional time if needed.

If you have questions about the pre-examination and evaluation process, contact Academic Affairs Specialist Salli Anttonen: [email protected].

Examination and evaluation of the doctoral dissertation in brief

Your doctoral dissertation is examined in two stages:

1. Pre-examination – two external experts evaluate your manuscript.
2. Public defence – your dissertation is examined in a public event.

After the pre-examination, the process continues through the following stages:

1. Granting the permission to defend
2. Decision on the public defence
3. Publication of the dissertation
4. Communication about the defence
5. Organising the public defence
6. Public defence
7. Grading of the dissertation

Planning your timeline

Publishing the dissertation and preparing for the public defence take time. Plan your timeline so that you have enough time to complete all stages before your intended defence date.

• Defence in the spring semester: submit your manuscript for pre-examination by January–February at the latest.
• Defence in the autumn semester: submit your manuscript for pre-examination by August at the latest.

Preparing your manuscript for pre-examination

Completion of studies

Your postgraduate studies must be completed by the time your dissertation manuscript is submitted for pre-examination. Check the status of your study attainments well in advance of submitting your manuscript for pre-examination. Before graduation, ask an Academic Affairs Specialist to compile your studies at [email protected].

Please note: If you wish to change the major subject of your doctoral degree, you must do so before submitting your manuscript for pre-examination. Once the pre-examination process has begun, the major subject can no longer be changed.

Finalising the content

Before submitting your manuscript for pre-examination, it must be complete in content and carefully finalised in terms of language and layout.

1. Obtain verbal permission from your principal supervisor to submit the manuscript for pre-examination.
2. Finalise your manuscript using the required template (see “Template” below).
3. Check carefully:
   • headings, table of contents and list of references
   • that the table of contents corresponds to the numbering, headings and page numbers of the main chapters and sub-chapters
   • that citations and reference lists are consistent throughout the manuscript and follow the conventions of your discipline

Template

The template you use depends on where you publish your dissertation:

• Faculty of Philosophy dissertation series: Use the faculty’s publication series layout template (opens in a new tab) (link requires UEF login). Please note! From 1 August 2026, manuscripts will not be sent to pre-examiners unless they are in the faculty’s publication series layout template.
• External publisher or unpublished dissertation: You may use the accessible thesis template (opens in a new tab). You cannot use the faculty’s publication series layout template if you are not publishing in the faculty’s series.

Abstract

Include an abstract of approximately one page with your manuscript. At this stage, the abstract may be in Finnish or English, or both. The completed dissertation must include abstracts in both Finnish and English.

Technical support for finalising the manuscript

If you need technical support in finalising your manuscript, contact Oppari.

Combining PDF files

The manuscript submitted for pre-examination must be a single PDF file. If your manuscript consists of several separate files – for example, the summary chapter and articles of an article-based dissertation – you need to combine them into a single PDF file before submission.

You can combine PDF files using PDF-XChange, which is available in the UEF Software Center.

How to combine PDF files in PDF-XChange:

1. Open PDF-XChange Editor.
2. From the top menu, select File → New Document → Combine Files into a Single PDF.
3. Add the files you wish to combine using the Add Files button.
4. Arrange the files in the correct order by dragging them in the list.
5. Select Combine and save the completed file.

Article-based dissertations

An article-based dissertation manuscript must include:

• a summary chapter
• a list of the articles included in the research
• the articles (usually in the form in which they were published, with the original layout, text and page numbers)

Language editing

Language editing of a dissertation manuscript written in a foreign language is usually carried out after the pre-examination. More information on language editing can be found in the page “Guidelines of the Philosophical Faculty on finalizing, publishing and printing doctoral dissertations”.

Also familiarise yourself with the faculty’s guidelines on publishing and printing dissertations..

Submitting for pre-examination

Plagiarism check

Carry out a plagiarism check of your dissertation together with your principal supervisor before submitting for pre-examination. Instructions can be found under “Plagiarism check of doctoral dissertations and licentiate theses”.

Application and manuscript submission

1. Complete the application for permission to defend (opens in a new tab).
2. Send the following by email to the Academic Affairs Specialist at [email protected]:
   1. the finalised manuscript in the required template as a PDF file
   1. the completed application for permission to defend as a separate attachment

Appointment of pre-examiners

The vice head of department responsible for research together with your principal supervisor propose the pre-examiners by sending the proposal to [email protected]. The Vice Dean makes the decision on the appointment of pre-examiners.

The following conditions apply to pre-examiners:

• Pre-examiners must be external to the University of Eastern Finland, experts in the field of your dissertation, and hold at least a doctoral degree.
• Your principal supervisor may not serve as a pre-examiner.
• A person who has had joint publications or research projects with you during your doctoral studies, or who is otherwise disqualified, must not be appointed as a pre-examiner.

If questions of disqualification arise, your principal supervisor should discuss the matter with the vice head of department responsible for research. The university’s guidelines on disqualification (opens in a new tab) are available on UEF Intranet (UEF login required).

Sending the manuscript to pre-examiners

The Academic Affairs Specialist sends the Vice Dean’s decision, instructions for pre-examiners and your manuscript to the pre-examiners by email. The faculty does not send printed manuscripts. If a pre-examiner requests a paper copy, the Academic Affairs Specialist will instruct you on how to deliver it. The electronic PDF file and the paper copy must be identical.

Contact with pre-examiners

You must not contact the pre-examiners during the pre-examination process. The only exception is if you deliver a paper copy of the manuscript to a pre-examiner.

Impact of holiday periods on the pre-examination process

The university’s Christmas and summer holidays affect the pre-examination timeline. During the last two weeks of December and during July, examination processes do not progress.

• Before the Christmas holiday: submit your manuscript with all attachments by 15 December at the latest to [email protected].
• Before the summer holiday: submit your manuscript with all attachments by 15 June at the latest to [email protected].

This ensures that the department and faculty leadership have enough time to approve the pre-examination decision before the holidays.

You may submit a completed manuscript to the Academic Affairs Specialist during holiday periods, but the process will not begin until after the holidays.

After the pre-examination

Pre-examination statements

The pre-examiners submit their statements within 30 days of receiving the manuscript. Please note that holiday periods may extend this timeframe.

The Academic Affairs Specialist sends the statements to you by email. Read the statements carefully and inform the Academic Affairs Specialist whether you have any comments on the statements.

Decision on permission to defend

The Dean makes the decision on permission to defend based on the pre-examiners’ statements and your notification and any response you may have submitted. Once permission to defend has been granted, you finalise your dissertation, arrange its publication and prepare for the public defence.

If the pre-examiners do not recommend permission to defend

If the pre-examiners do not recommend permission to defend, it is recommended that the pre-examination be discontinued. The pre-examination may be discontinued at your written request. Please note that the examination process may be discontinued only once.

Checklist for the pre-examination process

1. Obtain verbal permission from your principal supervisor to submit the manuscript for pre-examination.
2. Finalise the manuscript using the required template (content, language and layout).
3. Carry out the plagiarism check together with your principal supervisor.
4. Submit the application for permission to defend and the finalised manuscript to the Academic Affairs Specialist.
5. The Academic Affairs Specialist sends the manuscript and instructions to the pre-examiners.
6. Pre-examination statements are completed within 30 days (unless otherwise agreed).
7. Read the statements and inform the Academic Affairs Specialist whether you have any comments.
8. The Dean makes the decision on permission to defend, if the pre-examiners recommend it.
9. If the pre-examiners do not recommend: discontinuation of the pre-examination at your written request.

You may wish to use Microsoft Planner or another planning tool to manage the process. A planning tool helps you visualise the stages, schedule tasks and track your progress.