Diploma theses and dissertations

Diploma theses (DA's) and dissertations on questions of public international law and the law of international organizations are awarded by:

• Univ.-Prof. Dr. Erika de Wet
• Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gerd Oberleitner
• Assoz.-Prof. Dr. Yvonne Karimi-Schmidt

• Univ.-Prof. Ambassador Dr. Helmut Tichy (Prerequisite for supervision is the completion of one of the courses offered by Univ.-Prof. Ambassador Dr. Tichy)

Co-supervision by other department members and lecturers is generally possible depending on their expertise, interest and capacities.

The following is a general description of the supervision requirements. For further requirements written by the individual supervisors, please click above on the name of the respective supervisor. (in progress)

The following conditions are required:

• the successful completion of the course "Introduction to scientific work";
• at least good results in the examination in international law;
• Successful participation in other courses in the field of international law is also an advantage.

The topic of the thesis can be proposed by the student themself after consultation with the supervisor. Topics for the thesis are best obtained in specialization courses (course, seminar). If possible, students should approach the supervisor with a short written proposal for a topic (title, reasearch questions, rough outline). Theses can also be written in English.

After a topic and a provisional working title have been agreed with the supervisor, the diploma student must carry out the topic query in UNIKAT to ensure that the topic has not yet been assigned. Proof of the query must be provided by submitting the query printout. After the provisional topic has been assigned, a disposition must be submitted within 2 months, otherwise the topic may be reassigned. The definitive assignment of a topic and the determination of the title of the thesis will only be made after the submission of a disposition.

The disposition serves to present the student's ideas and the planning process of the thesis and to develop them further with the supervisor. In any case, it must contain:

• (Provisional) title of the thesis
• Name of the author, supervisor and date
• Problem description, research question(s) and method: The problem description explains the subject area and the context in which the thesis topic is dealt with and presents the relevance of the topic. The research question(s) describe what is to be investigated in detail. They should be chosen in such a way that they can actually be answered with the chosen method, and they must actually be answered in the course of the thesis or in the conclusions. The chosen method and the course of the investigation must also be explained. Expected results can at best be formulated as hypothesis(es).
• Outline and explanation of the (preliminary) structure of the thesis (in chapters) to show which research questions are examined in which part of the thesis.
• Preliminary table of contents indicating the planned length (page numbers) of the individual parts or the entire thesis.
• Preliminary bibliography, which gives an initial overview of at least the basic literature and legal sources to be used.
• Schedule for writing the thesis. The time required for a thesis should not normally exceed 6 months.

For further information on research, writing the thesis and citation in International Law, see:

• Guide to the use of databases
• Notes on writing theses & dissertations in international law
• Internet as a research tool
• Suggestions for citations in international law theses
• Citations in international law
• Using and citing sources correctly
• OSCOLA 2006 - Citing International Law Sources (Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities)
• Principles for safeguarding good scientific practice and avoiding misconduct in science

Diploma students are supervised during consultation hours and by arrangement or in the courses provided for this purpose and announced accordingly. Regular contact and reports on the progress of the thesis are expected. The completed thesis must be submitted to the supervisor in electronic form for preliminary correction. The thesis must then be submitted electronically and in bound form to the Dean's Office in accordance with the guidelines of the Faculty of Law. Information on submitting the completed thesis/dissertation and the corresponding templates can be found on this page: https: //rewi.uni-graz.at/de/studienservice/downloads/.

A minimum of 4 weeks should be allowed for the review of the thesis submitted in bound form. In exceptional cases, a faster review can be agreed.

The following general criteria for the quality of a thesis and thus the assessment standard for grading should be recalled: The diploma thesis does not necessarily have to contain new scientific findings, but primarily serves to demonstrate the ability to work scientifically. As academic work, however, it is strictly subject to the requirements for academic quality. Assessment criteria include the depth of the legal analysis (in particular the convincing balance of descriptive and analytical elements and the convincing and independent answers to the research questions posed); logical and coherent argumentation; adequate organization, structure and scope; clear language, style and form appropriate to academic discourse; correct and consistent citation and use of sources; appropriate breadth and depth of the literature and legal source base; quality of the research results and conclusions. Writing the thesis in a foreign language will be taken into account.

The date for the defense must be arranged with the supervisor after submission of the thesis. The oral defense of the diploma thesis consists of an introductory presentation by the diploma student, in which the essential research results are to be presented in a concise form (max. 15 min.), followed by a discussion. The diploma student must provide a one to two-page handout on the main research results.

Further information on writing theses at the Faculty of Law can be found on the website of the Dean's Office.

For dissertations, the above applies analogously in accordance with the provisions of the doctoral program; everything else must be discussed with the respective supervisors.