Research Tilburg School of Humanties and Digital Sciences

Defense in view?

Once the final version of your PhD thesis has been approved by your (co-) supervisors, you will have to follow the steps described below.

Uploading manuscript in Hora Finita

The first step is to upload your manuscript in Hora Finita. Your (co-)supervisor(s) will then automatically be requested to evaluate your manuscript and confirm that this version of the manuscript can be used for the defense. Read more information about Hora Finita and its manual.

Plagiarism scan

Once the manuscript has been uploaded in Hora Finita, the Graduate School will submit the thesis to a plagiarism scan. This is a standard procedure for all PhD theses of Tilburg University. The PhD candidate will be contacted by the (co-)supervisors with the results and possible changes/corrections.

Application for PhD Committee and fixing a PhD date

One of the major tasks of the coming months is to locate relevant readers of the dissertation to form the PhD committee and secure their agreement that the dissertation is acceptable in its existing form. After the approval of the manuscript by the (co-)supervisor(s), they will be requested to inform the Graduate School about the members of your PhD committee. Please take note of the current PhD regulations to check the conditions for the composition of the PhD committee.

The PhD candidate is responsible for arranging a date for the PhD defense in cooperation with the supervisor and the Doctorate Board of Tilburg University (please contact: Tineke van Stralen; phone +31 (0)13 - 466 2230). If necessary, two dates can be applied for, which will be reserved for a maximum of two weeks.  Without notification, the dates will be cancelled automatically after this term.

Please note that the (co-)supervisor(s) have to check the availability with the PhD committee members. This step should be completed 6 months before the scheduled defense date.

Assessment of PhD thesis

When the Doctorate Board has approved the PhD committee, the Graduate School will send the manuscript to the PhD committee members through Hora Finita. The PhD committee members will be asked to send their approval as well as their substantiation following the assessment criteria as described in the PhD Regulations. The PhD committee members have 4 weeks (around 6 weeks during Christmas and summer holidays) to assess the manuscript. During the assessment phase, the results will not be discussed with the PhD candidate or supervisors.

When all assessments are handed in, the PhD candidate, (co)supervisors and committee members will be informed of the outcome and receive a copy of the evaluations including possible suggestions for editorial changes. In case of a positive evaluation, the PhD candidate receives further instructions.

In case one or more of the committee members gives their dissent, a meeting will be called by the Director of the Graduate School. During this meeting, also known as predefense, the committee members will discuss the manuscript with the PhD candidate and will conclude the meeting with their final decision. In some cases, this means that the defense date has to be postponed.

Printing, logistical organization and PhD ceremony

The PhD candidate will receive a confirmation from the Doctorate Board with instructions for the obligatory title page and the printing of the thesis. When distributing the thesis, the PhD candidate must observe the following:

  • Hard copy for the Doctorate Board: the PhD candidate must ensure that 25 copies are in the possession of the Doctorate Board at least 21 days prior to the date of the PhD defense ceremony.
  • Hard copy for the PhD Committee/(co-)supervisors: the PhD candidate must ensure that the members of the PhD Committee and the (co-)supervisors have a hard copy of the thesis in their possession at least 21 days prior to the date of the PhD defense.
  • Digital version: the PhD candidate must ensure that the Tilburg University library is in possession of the digital version of the thesis for publication in the Tilburg University Research Portal at least 21 days prior to the date of the PhD defense.

The PhD candidate must contact the Beadle one month before the PhD defense ceremony at the latest, preferably by e-mail. The Beadle can arrange things like the reception, photographer, and desired audiovisual equipment. In addition, the Beadle takes care of logistical matters, such as reserving seats in the Auditorium for guests.

For more information about the PhD ceremony and the logistical organization, please consult the document Instructions and time schedule for PhD candidates.

Reimbursement of printing costs of PhD thesis

PhD candidates who have obtained their doctorate at the School of Humanities and Digital Sciences of Tilburg University can ask for a reimbursement of the printing costs of their thesis to a maximum of € 1500 to cover the following expenses:

  • Editing of the thesis
  • Printing of the thesis
  • Shipping of the thesis to PhD committee members

An email for the reimbursement of the printing costs can be sent to the Graduate School. Please state the following details in your request:

  • Name
    Address
    Bank account number
    BIC/SWIFT if applicable
    Copy of the printing office's invoice
    Proof of payment

For your convenience, please click here for a schematic overview of the different steps with the time schedule.