Examiners

The examiners are the people who assess your PhD thesis.

Every PhD thesis is read and assessed not by one person alone, but by at least two. The supervisor is the first reader, and the opinion of one other reader is sought, ideally someone with special expertise in the field. The two of them assess the work independently of each other and submit a written report—the two reports together comprise the assessment of the thesis. However, there are also special cases, especially when it comes to awarding “summa cum laude” to someone. The PhD regulations may, for example, stipulate that this grade can only be awarded if both examiners are in agreement and a third examiner also comes to the same opinion.