Thesis Regulations and Submission for Medical Doctoral Candidates

Congratulations on reaching the final stage of your MD!

Once you have completed the steps outlined below and received your thesis submission number, please get in touch with us via gsls-med@uni-wuerzburg.de

Steps to prepare for a smooth thesis submission:

1. Carefully review the information provided in the sections Preparation for Thesis Submission and Thesis Submission.
2. Read the guidance on Thesis Writing and familiarize yourself with the GSLS guidelines of a doctoral thesis
3. Complete the thesis submission checklist 4–6 weeks before your planned submission date.

We also recommend attending our monthly thesis submission info session, where key aspects of preparing and submitting your dissertation are discussed. You are welcome to join if, after reviewing the website, you still have questions or would like support with the submission checklist. Reserve your spot here:  Submission Info Session 

Thesis submission advisory talk presentation slides 09/2025

As decided by the GSLS Common Graduation Commission (“Gemeinsame Promotionskommission”) on 10^th February 2022, the thesis may be prepared in form of a monograph ("Monographie") or a manuscript/chapter-based compilation thesis ("Manuskript-/Kapitel-basierte Thesis"). Both thesis types are considered equivalent; there is no a priori difference in quality constituted by the choice whether a thesis is written as a monograph or as a compilation thesis.

1. Our guidelines for the preparation of GSLS doctoral theses apply.
   You may choose between the classical “monography” and the “compilation” (chapter/manuscript) style. Please consult with your first supervisor/thesis committee before deciding on the format.
   
   Regardless of the thesis format, you must ensure that all illustrations and texts are not directly sourced from publications (including your own, whether accepted, submitted, or in preparation) unless explicitly credited in the corresponding figure legend or text. This also applies to modified figures and texts. If publisher approval is required, it is your responsibility to obtain it.
   
   Please also check the updated guidelines for reviewers of GSLS doctoral thesis.

2. Fundamental formatting regulations applying to both monography as well as compilation theses:

Your thesis may also contain:

• Acknowledgements
• Annex

Please print your thesis on white high quality paper (any paper suitable for Laser Printer will do).

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Statements of Individual Author Contributions and Legal Rights

The following statements are mandatory components of every GSLS dissertation – including monographs:

• Statement of individual author contributions to figures/tables
• Statement of individual author contributions and of legal second publication rights

Background:
For admission and submission of a dissertation, at least one co-authorship in a peer-reviewed publication is required. If you do not yet have such a co-authorship but your first supervisor has submitted a guarantee, the statements must be provided accordingly.

Important notes:

• If no figures or tables from the publication are included in the dissertation, this should be clearly stated (e.g., “No figures included from the manuscript”).

• If figures or tables – even in altered or modified form – are included, this must be explicitly indicated both in the statements and in the figure legends within the dissertation.

Purpose of the forms:
These forms ensure that reviewers and examination committees can clearly identify your individual contributions and rights. They also guarantee compliance with copyright requirements.

Please note:
One form must be submitted per manuscript, regardless of whether you are a first author or co-author.

As a first step, please kindly complete and submit the checklist (Thesis Submission Checklist). A detailed guide to complete the form can be found here. 

Once you have received your submission number, please contact gsls-med@uni-wuerzburg.de. If you have any specific questions, feel free to include them in the email as well.
This step should be completed, ideally 4-6 weeks prior to your thesis submission.

Requirements for thesis submission

1. Make sure that you have fulfilled the requirements of the study program 'Life Sciences' 
2. Please upload all coursework and required certificates to Open Campus, and
   notify us by email at least two weeks before submission. If you do not have certificates to upload, your primary supervisor must review and sign the study book. All study book entries must be approved by GSLS.
3. A co author publication in a peer-reviewed journal is required. The publication must be accepted for publication and directly related to your dissertation and doctoral research.
   What options do I have, if I do not have an accepted co author publication?  
4. Please make sure you are enrolled in the Promotionsstudiengang at the time you submit your thesis.
5. Check your thesis for compliance with the formatting regulations (see above) before printing.
6. Prepare the following documents and forms which may take some time to complete and are required at submission:

   Application form for the Conferral of a Doctorate at the Graduate School of Life Sciences Confirmation by the Thesis Committee to be submitted with original signatures only. Electronic signatures will not be accepted. Declaration Library

1. Make an appointment with Luise Lesch for the submission of your thesis.
2. The following documents are required at the submission:

• ID card OR marriage certificate (Please provide a copy of ONE of the documents)
• "Immatrikulationsbescheinigung" (for semester of thesis submission)
• School leaving certificate, state exams 1 to 3 and licence to practice medicine (Approbationsurkunde) (If originals not yet have been shown, please bring them as well as a copy with you)
• Confirmation of the supervisor about the time spent in the laboratory (without a specific form)
• Form Application for Conferral of a Medical/Dental Doctorate
• Form Confirmation by the Thesis Committee
• Form Declaration Library
• 5 bound copies of your thesis 
• Electronic PDF version of your printed thesis and, if applicable, supplemental material (USB stick)

Upon successful thesis submission, you will receive a “Laufzettel”/process sheet, on which the process of graduation (starting with thesis submission) is documented by signatures.

You will need your Laufzettel again after your successful thesis defense when completing the publication of your thesis at the university library – so please don´t lose it!

After your submission, the thesis will be sent for evaluation. You should calculate at least 10-12 weeks (often longer) in total for the following steps (please be aware that a "summa cum laude" procedure may take considerably longer due to an additional evaluation step):

Doctoral Certificate

• Right after your successful defense you will receive your preliminary certificate/”Zeugnis”. This is not the final doctoral certificate and it does NOT grant you the right to carry the title "Dr. med." or "Dr. med. dent." yet.
• It takes approximately three weeks for the university to prepare the embossed final certificate signed by the president of the JMU and the Deans of the Medical Faculty and the GSLS, which will officially grant you the title. We will hand out your final certificate together with the diploma supplement signed by the GSLS Dean.
• Please note that we can only hand out your final certificate once we have received the notification from the university library that the publication of your thesis is complete (library signature on the “Laufzettel”/Process sheet).
• You will be informed by Luise Lesch when your final doctoral certificates (you will receive two copies, one in German, one in English) are ready to be collected. The receipt of these final certificates grants you the doctoral title.

Publication of the thesis via “OPUS” at the University Library

Please note: The publication via OPUS can only take place AFTER your successful defense!

The following steps are required (see information on the University library website):

1. Submit five bound copies of your thesis to the Central University Library at Hubland together with your “Laufzettel”/Process sheet. You are welcome to use any leftover copies from the graduation process. You can collect those at the GSLS office after your defense.

2. Complete the Publication Contract (Veröffentlichungsvertrag) and either send it to the university Library by email, or hand it in together with the five bound copies of your thesis.  You can find the different types of licenses on the License FAQ – please check with the library staff in case of questions. The most common licence is CC BY-SA.

3. Upload the electronic version of your final thesis in the OPUS system through the University library website.

   For data privacy reasons, please remove your CV from the thesis version to be published – insert blank pages instead Don´t include any electronic signatures in thesis version to be published You can complete the electronic submission from home Please note that the upload alone DOES NOT publish your thesis - the thesis is only published once all formalities (submission of five physical copies and publication contract) have been completed additionally

4. For doctoral theses which contain unpublished data or pending patent applications:
   If substantial reasons exist, you may additionally submit an application for temporary non-publication of a dissertation:
   Antrag auf vorläufige Nichtveröffentlichung  (German)
   Application for temporary non-publication (English)
   Please submit the completed form to the library either with the five physical copies of your thesis or by email.

5. Once all formalities are successfully completed, the library will sign for the receipt of your thesis on the “Laufzettel”/Process sheet and send it back to the GSLS office. 

Important: The GSLS office requires the signature of the responsible person at the University library to be able to hand out your doctoral certificate and diploma supplement.