Monographic and cumulative theses

Monographic thesis

A monographic thesis is a written doctoral thesis that must not contain any previous theses or papers which have already been published. Parts of the thesis may be published in advance provided this is clearly stated. However, care must be taken to ensure that contractual agreements with the publisher do not prohibit publication during the doctoral procedure.

Cumulative thesis

Cumulative theses are a collection of articles which have been published in recognised scientific journals or accepted for publication and are submitted as an alternative to a monographic thesis. Details of the minimum number of publications required and other criteria which must be met by cumulative theses vary from faculty to faculty.

Special conditions apply to essay-based theses at the School of Business, Economics and Society. These must include at least three papers which have the potential to be published in a prestigious scientific journal. The doctoral candidate must be the lead author of at least one of the papers. A summary placing the individual papers in their scientific context is also required.

Cumulative theses are not permitted at the School of Law and at the School of Theology.