Receiving the preliminary examination statements and the decision on the permission for a public examination
The stages of the examination process are submission of the dissertation for preliminary examination and appointment of preliminary examiners, receiving the preliminary examination statements, decision permission for public examination, decision on the public examination, publishing the dissertation, organising the public examination event and making dissertation press release, public examination event and the assessment of the doctoral dissertation.
This page includes instructions on receiving the preliminary examination statements and decision permission for public examination.
Please note that you need to be registered as an attending student for the semester during which you defend your doctoral thesis and the dissertation is registered in the study register.
Preliminary examination statements
Instructions when the preliminary examiners for the dissertation have been appointed before August 1, 2026
According to the Degree Regulations of the University of Jyväskylä, section 50 §,
- the preliminary examiners shall, within a month of being designated, either jointly or separately give a substantiated written statement on whether permission should be granted or rejected for the public examination of the dissertation. The preliminary examiner’s proposal for permission cannot be conditional. For a justified reason, the dean of the faculty, or a person designated by the dean, may define a longer period than one month for the preliminary examination.
- the doctoral candidate shall be provided with the opportunity to comment on the preliminary examiners’ statements before a decision on the permission for public examination is taken.
- the doctoral candidate has the right to interrupt the preliminary examination process before the faculty council handles the permission for the public examination.
Please note:
- The candidate must not be in contact with the preliminary examiner during the preliminary examination. Contact with the preliminary examiner must be done through faculty's doctoral studies coordinator. The candidate must inform their supervisor and the faculty's doctoral studies coordinator if the preliminary examiner has been in contact with the candidate during the examination process.
- Rector’s decision on ethical guidelines for studying and the handling of academic misconduct at the University of Jyväskylä (21.8.2023) includes instructions on how to proceed if a doctoral dissertation submitted for examination is suspected of violating good scientific practice (alleged misconduct).
Guidelines when the preliminary examiners for a dissertation have been appointed on or after August 1, 2026
These guidelines are based on the following: University of Jyväskylä’s Degree Regulations 50§, the Operating practices of the University of Jyväskylä Graduate School (decision of the Vice Rector on March 27, 2026), and the University of Jyväskylä’s Regulations.
The preliminary examiners shall, within a month of being designated, either jointly or separately give a substantiated written statement on whether permission should be granted or rejected for the public examination of the dissertation.
Preliminary examination period
- For a justified reason, the dean of the faculty, or the vice dean responsible for research with delegated authority, can define a period longer than one month for the preliminary examination.
- A period shorter than one month may be agreed upon for examination with the preliminary examiners.
Preliminary examination statement
- The preliminary examination statement must be written in the language of the dissertation or in English.
- The preliminary examiner’s proposal for permission cannot be conditional.
- The preliminary examiners can, if they wish, present their view on whether the dissertation is among the best in the field.
Please note:
- The candidate must not be in contact with the preliminary examiner during the preliminary examination. Contact with the preliminary examiner must be done through faculty's doctoral studies coordinator. The candidate must inform their supervisor and the faculty's doctoral studies coordinator if the preliminary examiner has been in contact with the candidate during the examination process.
- Rector’s decision on ethical guidelines for studying and the handling of academic misconduct at the University of Jyväskylä (21.8.2023) includes instructions on how to proceed if a doctoral dissertation submitted for examination is suspected of violating good scientific practice (alleged misconduct).
Once the statements have been received:
- The preliminary examiners send their statements to the faculty's doctoral studies coordinator. The coordinator sends the statements to the candidate and the supervisor-in-charge.
- The doctoral candidate shall be provided with the opportunity to comment on the preliminary examiners’ statements before a decision on the permission for public examination is taken. The doctoral student has seven (7) days from the date of receiving the preliminary examination statements to respond to the statements (in electronic communications, a message is deemed to have been received on the third day after it was sent). Any comment must be submitted to the faculty's doctoral studies coordinator using the HelpJYU form “Contact doctoral education services” no later than 8 days before the Faculty Council meeting (taking public holidays into account) so that the decision on the permission for public examination of the the dissertation can be prepared in time for the agenda.
- If the preliminary examiners’ proposals on granting the permission for a public examination differ (favourable and unfavourable statements) and the doctoral student does not wish to interrupt the examination process, the dean will appoint a third preliminary examiner before deciding on the permission for public examination.
- The doctoral candidate has the right to interrupt the preliminary examination process before the faculty council handles the permission for the public examination. The preliminary examination may be restarted after any revisions have been made to the dissertation manuscript. In this case, the process begins anew from the start. The same or different individuals may be appointed as preliminary examiners compared to the previous preliminary examination process. The new examination process does not take into account the previous preliminary examination or any statements or other materials included in it.
Decision on the permission for public examination
Instructions when the preliminary examiners for the dissertation have been appointed before August 1, 2026
According to the University of Jyväskylä Regulations, section 14 §, the faculty council decides on the permission for public examination on the basis of the preliminary examiners’ statements. The matter cannot be delegated to be handled and decided by any other body. Please check the meeting schedule of faculty council on your faculty's website.
According to the Degree Regulations of the University of Jyväskylä, if the candidate is not granted the permission for a public examination of the dissertation, the preliminary examination procedure ends.
Please notice that having received permission for the public examination, the doctoral candidate must ensure that the dissertation will be publicly available either in the JYX publication archive, or some other form, at least five days before the public examination.
Guidelines when the preliminary examiners for the dissertation have been appointed on or after August 1, 2026
These guidelines are based on the following: University of Jyväskylä’s Degree Regulations 50§, the Operating practices of the University of Jyväskylä Graduate School (decision of the Vice Rector on March 27, 2026), and the University of Jyväskylä’s Regulations.
Faculty Council Decision the permission for public examination:
- Once the doctoral candidate has approved the preliminary examination statements or submitted a response to them — but no later than the end of the 7-day deadline — the Faculty Council can decide on the permission for public examination.
- The faculty council decides on the permission for public examination based on all given statements and the doctoral student’s possible response. Any response must be submitted to the the faculty's doctoral studies coordinator using the HelpJYU form no later than 8 days before the Faculty Council meeting (taking public holidays into account) so that the decision on the permission for public examination can be prepared for the agenda.
- Check the meeting schedule for your faculty’s faculty council:
- The examination process of the doctoral dissertation complies with what is said about the disqualification of officials in the Administrative Procedure Act (434/2003, Section 27). In the dissertation examination process, the absence of grounds for disqualification means that none of the persons (preliminary examiner, opponent, a member or presenting official of the faculty council, a member of the assessment board) participating in the process is in a relationship with the doctoral candidate that would cause the person’s impartiality to be questioned. Please also notice JYU instructions on Disqualification and conflicts of interest at JYU (Intranet Uno).
- The faculty’s doctoral studies coordinator informs the doctoral candidate and their supervisor-in-charge of the Faculty Council’s decision.
- If the candidate is not granted the permission for a public examination of the dissertation, the preliminary examination procedure ends. The preliminary examination may be restarted after any revisions have been made to the dissertation manuscript. In this case, the process begins anew from the start. The same or different individuals may be appointed as preliminary examiners compared to the previous preliminary examination process. The new examination process does not take into account the previous preliminary examination or any statements or other materials included in it.
Revising the dissertation manuscript after the preliminary examination:
- The faculty council decides whether to grant the permission for public examination for a dissertation that has been submitted for preliminary examination and reviewed by the preliminary examiners. The dissertation manuscript that has undergone preliminary examination and has been granted the permission for public examination must be essentially the same in content as the dissertation that will later be published, archived, and evaluated at the public examination.
- Following the preliminary examination, changes can only be made if they are suggested by the examiners. Significant changes, such as adding, removing or changing articles, are not permitted. Technical revisions to the dissertation are allowed, such as editing the language, abstract and summary.
- Well in advance of the public examination, the doctoral candidate must prepare a summary of the changes made to the dissertation since the preliminary review (excluding technical revisions). For more information and instructions, see the Public examination event page.
- Once permission for the public examination has been granted, the doctoral candidate must ensure that 1) the final, revised, and proofread dissertation material is submitted to the publishing services no later than one month before the public examination date, and 2) dissertation will be publicly available either in the JYX publication archive, or some other form, at least five days before the public examination. For more detailed instructions on these matters, see the web page Publishing Dissertation in JYU Dissertations.