Doctoral studies cover a minimum of three years and a maximum of five. In exceptional circumstances, a two-year extension may be granted. After the submission and approval of the thesis proposal, the Ph.D. candidate begins the fieldwork stage of the research, followed by the write-up stage of the thesis.
When the written corpus of the thesis has been completed and approved by the three-member Advisory Committee, an oral thesis defense is scheduled and a seven-member Thesis Examination Committee (including the supervisor and the other two members of the Advisory Committee) is appointed by the Departmental General Assembly. The oral defense is open to the public. At the end of the oral defense procedure, the Examination Committee assesses the candidate’s performance and the content and original contribution of the written thesis and decides whether a Ph.D. degree should be awarded. The final decision of the Examination Committee requires a five-member majority. The Ph.D. status is officially awarded to the successful Ph.D. candidate by the Dean or Vice-Dean of the University.