Doctoral dissertation defence

STAGE I – Conducted at the doctoral school and Includes:

1. Similarity Analysis
   The PhD candidate submits the following to the doctoral school:
   1. Electronic Documents (.pdf format, with the “search” function enabled):
      • The PhD thesis, together with all its appendices;
      • Thesis abstracts (in Romanian and in an international language).
   2. Printed Documents:
      • Request for similarity analysis
      • Compliance criteria checklist to confirm the fulfilment of the CNATDCU minimum standards for the specific field
      • Statutory declaration on the originality of the doctoral dissertation and the fulfilment of the minimum standards and of all the obligations set out in the course of study plan and learning agreement

The doctoral school performs the first similarity analysis in accordance with its own methodology, using software recognized by CNATDCU, in compliance with the legislation in force.

The analysis and interpretation of the similarity report are carried out by the doctoral supervisor, the academic integrity and guidance committee, and the member designated by the doctoral school council. The results are recorded in the document entitled Similarity report resolution before the preliminary defence.

If, following the analysis of the similarity report, modifications to the thesis are required, the similarity analysis procedure must be repeated after the necessary revisions have been made.

2. Preliminary defence

Following the similarity analysis, the doctoral thesis is presented before the academic integrity and guidance committee. The pre-defence is public and concludes with the completion of the Approval for the public defence.

STAGE II – Preparation of documents for the 90-day public transparency period on the national platform managed by UEFISCDI

The PhD candidate must submit the following documents to the Institute of Doctoral Studies for the purpose of publishing the thesis for public transparency:

1. Printed documents (signed, dated, and chronologically registered by the doctoral school; one copy each):
   1. Request for similarity analysis
   2. Compliance criteria checklist to confirm the fulfilment of the CNATDCU minimum standards for the specific field
   3. Statutory declaration on the originality of the doctoral dissertation and the fulfilment of the minimum standards and of all the obligations set out in the course of study plan and learning agreement
   4. Similarity report resolution before the preliminary defence
   5. Approval for the public defence
   6. Doctoral Supervisor’s Acceptance Report
   7. Declaration thesis preview
   8. Identity card, birth certificate, marriage certificate, or other name-change document, if applicable;
2. Electronic documents (CD/DVD/USB drive only):
   1. Similarity Report
   2. PhD thesis in PDF format with the “search” function enabled
   3. Thesis appendices in PDF format with the “search” function enabled
   4. PhD candidate’s CV in Europass format, excluding personal data that cannot be made public (address, phone numbers, etc.)

Submission of documents to the Institute of Doctoral Studies can only be made by appointment. After the documents are submitted and the file is processed, the Institute of Doctoral Studies will initiate the publication of the thesis for a 90-calendar-day transparency period and will notify the doctoral supervisor, the PhD candidate, and the doctoral school secretary by email.

Please note that incomplete and/or non-compliant files cannot be processed on the platform for transparency purposes. Only complete and compliant files will be accepted.

STAGE III – Thesis under public transparency

The doctoral school will communicate to the Institute of Doctoral Studies the name and email address of the person responsible for handling observations regarding theses during the transparency period. Observations regarding doctoral theses may also be submitted to the UBB Registry Office.

STAGE IV – Completion of the transparency period

At the end of the transparency period, the following steps must be followed:

1. If observations have been submitted regarding the thesis in the transparency period, the observations must be recorded in the following documents:
   • Declaration
   • Report – observations
   • These documents are submitted to the Institute of Doctoral Studies for transmission to the Doctoral Studies Council (CSUD), which will decide whether to validate or invalidate the public defence.
   • If CSUD validates the public defence, the procedure proceeds to Stage V.
   • If CSUD invalidates the thesis, the doctoral school will receive recommendations concerning the revision of the doctoral thesis and the elimination of issues that do not comply with ethical and professional standards. The PhD candidate is required to remedy the thesis content within a maximum of three months from the communication of the invalidation decision, after which the entire procedure must be restarted from Stage I.
2. If no observations have been submitted regarding the thesis in the transparency period, the secretary will electronically transmit:
   • Declaration
   • Report – no observations
   • Following this, CSUD will issue the decision validating the public defence.

STAGE V – Second similarity analysis

After CSUD issues the validation decision for the public defence, the doctoral thesis must undergo a new similarity analysis. In order for the thesis to be reintroduced into the similarity analysis software, the PhD candidate must resubmit the thesis to the doctoral school secretary together with:

• Declaration of compliance of the doctoral thesis

The doctoral supervisor, together with the member designated by the doctoral school and the academic integrity and guidance committee, will complete the following form:

• Similarity report resolution after the transparency period

STAGE VI – Submission of public defence documents to the Institute of doctoral studies (At least 30 calendar days before the scheduled public defence date)

1. Printed Documents (signed, dated, and chronologically registered by the doctoral school; one copy each):
   1. Declaration and report regarding observations
   2. Declaration of compliance of the doctoral thesis
   3. Similarity report resolution after the transparency period
   4. Committee proposal (computer-typed)
   5. Request for the defence date. The proposed date can’t be earlier than the previously estimated defence date.
   6. Statement publication options
   7. Request issuance of PhD diploma
   8. List of publications signed by the PhD candidate and the doctoral supervisor. The list must include the titles of publications available in PDF format on the submitted CD.
   9. Final thesis evaluation report by the doctoral supervisor
   10. Final thesis evaluation reports prepared by the reviewers (one copy per reviewer)
   11. Doctoral thesis and appendices in printed format (two bound copies), each accompanied by a CD containing the thesis and appendices in searchable PDF format for submission to libraries.
   12. Proof of payment of the defence fee – Copy of the receipt for the doctoral thesis defence fee (applicable only to fee-paying doctoral students)
   13. Clearance form (one printed copy generated from the dedicated application, approved by all relevant departments).
   14. Original study documents (and scanned PDF copies on CD):
       • High School Diploma and transcript, where applicable
       • Bachelor’s Degree Diploma and Diploma Supplement
       • Master’s Degree Diploma and Diploma Supplement
2. Electronic documents (CD/DVD only):
   1. Similarity report 2 (after the transparency period)
   2. Thesis abstracts:
      • Abstract in Romanian (including the thesis title in Romanian)
      • Abstract in an international language (including the thesis title in that language)
   3. CV of the proposed members of the public defence committee, excluding personal data
   4. Full-text publications in PDF format, according to the publication list
   5. Educational Documents in PDF format:
      • High school diploma and transcript, where applicable
      • Bachelor’s degree diploma with diploma supplement
      • Master’s degree diploma with diploma supplement
   6. Doctoral thesis in PDF format

NOTE: Documents submitted in a digital .pdf format will contain the main body text as such and not as image. Exceptions to this requirement may include audio, video or graphic illustrations presented as appendices to the dissertation or in the list of relevant publications. All other documents in digital .pdf format will have the search function enabled.