The Second-Year examination takes places a year after the first-year examination. The second-year examination is organized by the student who contacts the examiners and agrees on a date and place.
The examination consists of a 30-40 minute public scientific presentation followed by a discussion about the research conducted in the presence of the Thesis Committee. The presentation and discussion should include a perspective regarding the final phase of work.
The presentation can be given at a regular colloquium or seminar series, held at an institute or clinic that is part of the GHS program. The examination is assessed by three examiners. The first examiner can be Thesis advisor and/or Co-thesis advisor (if both the thesis advisor and the co-thesis advisor participate, they express one common grade). The second must be the Co-referee, and the third examiner must be an independent subject matter expert. Independent subject matter experts are internationally recognized researchers from another university in the research field of the corresponding dissertation who have not published together with the doctoral student or the thesis advisor in the last three years. Please see also the supervision overview table.
The presentation should include an introduction which puts the student's own work into the context of the latest developments in the field, present systematically the data obtained so far and the objectives for the remaining work of the thesis.
The presentation is followed by a public discussion of 15 to maximum 60 minutes, moderated by the Thesis advisor or Co-thesis advisor, during which examiners and audience ask critical questions and involve the student in a scientific discourse. After the public discussion, a closed discussion is held between the candidate and the examiners only.
In the Second-Year Examination Record, the points that should be included in the closed discussion are listed, as well as the grading criteria.
The grades are recorded on the Second-Year Examination Record. The signed form must be submitted to the GHS Coordinator and GHS Office in CC.
The mentor can be present at the examination but cannot grade it. The presence of the mentor is not mandatory.
An unsatisfactory Second-Year Examination can be retaken once within six months.