From Topic Submission to the Thesis Defence

When can I submit my thesis topic?

• Bachelor’s thesis: Once you have passed all exams from the 1st and 2nd year of the undergraduate study programme.
• Master’s thesis: Once you are enrolled in the 2nd year of the master’s study programme.

How does the topic submission process work?

• You submit the thesis topic through the Web Office (END OF STUDY / Theme Application).
• Enter the required information and upload the completed (and signed) form OBR-FUDŠ-006 in PDF or Word format.

Important before submitting the thesis topic:

• Mentor / Co-mentor: Before submitting the topic, it is recommended to agree with a potential (co-)mentor regarding the preparation of your thesis (via e-mail or other communication channels).
• If the (co-)mentor is not a member of the Academic Assembly of the faculty, you must first obtain their handwritten signature on the form OBR-FUDŠ-006, before submitting the topic through the Web Office.
• Mentor confirmation: After you submit the form OBR-FUDŠ-006 through the Web Office, the (co-)mentor is notified and must electronically confirm the appropriateness of the topic and the acceptance of (co-)supervision.

Approval and Validity of the Thesis Topic:

• The application is reviewed by the Student and Academic Affairs Commission (KŠŠZ), which usually meets once a month, every 3rd Monday of the month.
• You will receive a notification of the topic approval by e-mail.
• An approved topic is valid for 2 years. If you do not complete your bachelor’s/master’s degree within this period, you must submit the Request for extension of the validity of the bachelor’s-master’s thesis topic form, available in Moodle under Study Forms. The topic may be extended for 1 year.
• IMPORTANT: The validity of the thesis topic is not the same as the validity of your student status. Once your status expires (you become a student without active student status), you must pay for the thesis and defence in accordance with the valid price list.

Forms and Additional Information:

• All forms related to the final thesis are available in the Web Office (END OF STUDY / Instructions).
• Check the list of suggested bachelor’s/master’s thesis topics for the current academic year.

For Students Without Active Status:

• Before submitting your thesis topic, please contact the Student Affairs Office at referat@fuds.si or by phone 064 260 818 to arrange access to the Web Office or to receive login details.

Important – Document Signatures: When submitting applications and forms, you must ensure that documents are properly signed by a handwritten signature or by using a digital certificate. Without a valid signature, your application or form will not be accepted.

Notice on the (Public) Accessibility of the Final Thesis:

• Students have the possibility to request one year of restricted access to their final thesis for the following reasons: protection of business secrets,
  protection of results due to the exercise of intellectual property rights,
  ensuring the safety of people and the environment, protection of classified data.
• When choosing the title and topic of the thesis, we recommend careful consideration, as the work will become freely accessible in the library and in electronic form in REVIS (the repository of independent higher education institutions) after the one-year restriction period expires.

The final thesis must be written and formatted in accordance with:

• “Guidelines for Writing Professional and Scientific Works” available on the on the Regulations page.
• Template for Writing Final Theses at SASS
• Authorship Declaration Template.

Procedure for submission for technical review:

• Once the (co-)mentor confirms that the final thesis is ready for submission, the student uploads the thesis in an electronic format that allows corrections (PDF) via the Web Office (END OF STUDY / Theme Application).
• Note: Before you are able to upload your thesis, the (co-)mentor must electronically confirm the content suitability via the Web Office.

Saving the document in PDF/A format:

• The final thesis must be saved in PDF/A format (compliant with ISO 19005-1). To do this in Word: File > Save As > select PDF (*.pdf) as file type, then click Options… and tick ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A).
• File name format: type of thesis_First name Last name
  (e.g., bachelor’s thesis_Ana Novak)

Required Documents for Technical Review Submission

• Along with the final thesis, you must also upload the completed form
  OBR-FUDŠ-007-Review and submission of the bachelor’s-master’s thesis.
• IMPORTANT: The final thesis must be linguistically correct and professionally proofread. When submitting the thesis for technical review, you must also attach a copy of the proofreader’s qualification, and a certificate confirming that language proofreading has been completed.
  If the thesis is written in Slovenian, the proofreading must be carried out by a qualified language editor with a degree in Slovenian studies or a Slovenian language teacher. If the thesis is written in English, the proofreading must be carried out by a qualified English language professor or a certified translator.

Technical Review and Plagiarism Check:

• Once the thesis is submitted and approved by the (co-)mentor, the 14-day period for the technical review begins. The review is carried out by a librarian and confirmed via the Web Office.
• Corrections: If the thesis does not meet technical standards, you will receive instructions for corrections by e-mail. You must resubmit the corrected version. If the last day of the deadline falls on a non-working day, the deadline is extended to the next working day.
• Repeat reviews: If a repeat review is necessary, the student must re-upload the thesis with corrections through the Web Office. With each re-submission, a new 14-day period begins for the next technical review.
• Charges: If the thesis is still not technically compliant after the second review, each third and subsequent review of the same thesis will be charged 70.00 EUR.
• Plagiarism check: A plagiarism check is carried out at the same time. Both the student and the (co-)mentor will receive the plagiarism report by e-mail. In the case of detected similarities, the student must consult with the (co-)mentor (not with the Student Affairs Office or the Library).

Completion of the submission process:

• The submission process is considered complete when the student receives confirmation via the Web Office from the librarian that the final thesis is technically compliant.
• The thesis is then reviewed by the Student and Academic Affairs Commission (KŠŠZ), which appoints the thesis defence commission.

Review of the Thesis by KŠŠZ:

• KŠŠZ usually meets once a month, every 3rd Monday of the month. The thesis will be considered at the next scheduled meeting, provided that the final submission is completed at least 3 working days before the meeting. If submitted later, it will be reviewed at the following meeting.

Defence Commission:

• Members of the defence commission must, within 14 days of receiving the thesis, assess whether the thesis is suitable for defence.
• If there are any concerns, they provide written notification to the Student Affairs Office, which records the note and forwards it to the mentor and the student.
• If the commission members deem the thesis appropriate, they set the date of the defence.

For Students Without Active Status:

• Before submitting the final thesis, you must contact the Student Affairs Office at referat@fuds.si or by phone +386 64 260 818, to arrange access to the Web Office or to receive login information.

Defence Notification:

• The Student Affairs Office sends a notification to the members of the defence commission and to the candidate at least 7 days before the defence, specifying the date, time, and location of the public defence.

Defence Procedure:

• The candidate has 20 minutes to present their bachelor’s/master’s thesis.
• Audiovisual and other technical tools may be used for an effective presentation (e.g., a PowerPoint presentation).
• First, the mentor presents their opinion on the work — without additional questions.
• The candidate then responds to comments and answers questions from the second commission member and the chair. The discussion focuses primarily on the content.
• The entire defence lasts no more than 45 minutes.

After a Successful Defence:

• The student must submit one bound/printed copy of the thesis to the Student Affairs Office within 14 days after the successful defence.
• At the same time, the student submits a signed consent for storing contact information.
• Once the bound copy is received, the Student Affairs Office issues a certificate of successful thesis defence, valid until the official graduation ceremony (usually held once per year, in June).
• The Student Affairs Office then forwards the thesis in both formats to the SASS Library.

Payment for Students Without Active Status:

• For students who do not have active student status in the current academic year, the final thesis with defence is subject to payment, in accordance with the valid Price list.

Exemption from Payment (for Students Without Active Student Status):

• The final thesis with defence is not charged if the student does not have active status but was enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s programme in the previous academic year, and submitted the final thesis through the Web Office by the date of the last scheduled KŠŠZ meeting, and after approval by the (co-)mentor, received confirmation from the responsible staff member that the thesis is technically compliant.
• Additional condition: The thesis defence must be completed no later than 30 November of the current academic year.