Below is a timeline covering the entire defence process, from the granting of permission to defend to the day of the public defence. The timelines are indicative and intended to help you plan your own schedule.
Immediately after receiving the permission to defend
• Contact the editor-in-chief of the publication series.
• Agree on and reserve the date and venue for the defence together with the opponent, the custos, and your principal supervisor. Contact an academic affairs secretary to reserve the defence auditorium.
• Make sure that your department/unit arranges the travel bookings for the opponent.
1–3 months before the defence
- Submit your material to the editor-in-chief of the publication series.
- Finalise your dissertation for publication.
- Agree on how to deliver the material to the printing house.
- Start planning the post-doctoral party (in Finnish: karonkka):
- Use the support materials for defence day communication in Moodle (opens in a new tab; UEF login required) when preparing the news release about your defence, lectio praecursoria, and post-doctoral party speech. Talk to colleagues in your unit and your supervisors about the traditions and practices in your field.
- Read more about organising the post-doctoral party.
Approximately one month before the defence
• Your material must be formatted and ready for printing.
• You must have written approval from the editor-in-chief for printing the dissertation.
• Agree on the proof delivery process and check the layout proof.
• A defence description is optional. You can find instructions under Communicating about your defence. Tarkista otsikko ja linkki!
• Complete the electronic dissertation form no later than two weeks before the public defence.
One week before the public defence
• Make sure that your dissertation is publicly available no later than seven days before the public defence. Deliver or ensure that the printing house delivers the printed version to your campus library and the electronic version to the library for online publication.
• Distribute your dissertation to members of the university community in accordance with the faculty guidelines.
• Read through the procedure for the public defence under Public defence procedure in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies.
• Reflect on your research journey, trust in your expertise, and take time to relax. The day of the defence is a celebration of you and your contribution to academic knowledge – warmest congratulations!