exam
The rules of organizing the diploma exam
at the Faculty of Economics and Sociology of the University of Lodz
1. The basis for the diploma examination is defined by the provisions of the Rules of Study at the University of Łódź (§ 52-59), University of Lodz Rector’s Regulation No. 130 of April 14, 2021 on: a declaration of self-written thesisand completing postgraduate studies and quality assurance of written works in the field of anti-plagiarism procedure and their archiving at the University of Lodz (with an appendix), University of Lodz Rector's Regulation on the division of the academic year, and Regulations of the examination session of the Faculty of Economics and Sociology of the University of Lodz.
2. The students are required to prepare the thesis in accordance with the requirements of the Rules of Study, the formal requirements of the thesis, and the guidelines for the structure of the thesis. The formal requirements and thesis structure are available at https://www.eksoc.uni.lodz.pl/en/student-zone/diploma-theses-and-exams
3. The decision on the possibility of writing a diploma thesis in a foreign language is made by the Director of the Institute after consultation with the Head of the Department at the request of the thesis supervisor (it does not apply to diploma theses written during studies conducted in a foreign language). In the case of diploma theses written in a foreign language, a summary of the thesis in Polish is required.
4. The Uniform Antiplagiate System (JSA) is used to check whether the student has written the work herself/himself.
5. Students submit diploma theses to the Archive of Diploma Theses (APD). The date of acceptance of the diploma thesis for the Student Service Centre (COS) means the moment of the thesis’ redirection from step 3 to step 4 in the APD system (this is also unambiguous with acceptance of the anti-plagiarism report result). The information about the date of acceptance of work in the APD is to be reported by the thesis advisor to the COS employee operating the given field of study (see point 14).
6. Obtaining credit for the diploma seminar is possible after the student has completed all compulsory subjects (the positive grades are put into the USOSweb system) and internships in the course of studies (if provided for in the study program), and after the diploma thesis have been accepted in the APD system by the thesis supervisor.In a situation where an academic teacher did not know that a student had failed a course and entered a positive mark from a diploma seminar, the Dean may cancel this entry.
7. If the result of the analysis in the JSA system indicates that the submitted thesis does not constitute an independent study, then the thesis supervisor may not admit the student to the diploma examination. In such a case, the thesis supervisor enters into the USOSweb system the insufficient grade from the diploma seminar.
8. The diploma examination should take place no later than one month from the date of acceptance/submission of the thesis in the APD system.
9. The thesis advisor should accept the diploma thesis in the APD system no later than 14 days before the planned date of the diploma exam and no later than by the end of the re-assessment session in the graduating semester.
10. Before being admitted to the exam, the student is required to approve in the APD system a declaration of independent preparation of the diploma thesis with the following content:
„Being aware of legal responsibility I hereby declare that this diploma thesis has been written by me myself and does not contain any content obtained in a manner inconsistent with the regulations in force. I also declare that the presented thesis was not subject to procedures related to obtaining a professional title at higher education institution before.”.
11. The condition of allowing the student to take the remote diploma examination is also the lack of arrears in the fees for studies. A COS employee is responsible for verifying the student’s financial obligations towards the UŁ.
12. The person supervising the thesis accepts the statement below in the APD system and then submits the thesis for review:
“I declare that this thesis has been prepared under my supervision and I state that it fulfils conditions to be presented as part of a procedure of awarding a professional title.”.
13. The thesis advisor and the reviewer evaluate the work in the form of reviews by placing them in the APD system before the work manager accepts it. Reviews of the diploma thesis are open, but this rule does not apply to the thesis whose subject is covered by legally protected confidentiality.
14. The thesis supervisor notifies the COS employee of the intention to conduct a remote examination at least 14 days before its date by e-mail in the uni.lodz.pl domain. In the application for the diploma examination, he provides data allowing to generate the examination protocol, i.e., student data, the composition of the commission, date of acceptance of the work in the APD system, date of the diploma examination. On this basis, a COS employee starts the process of electronic circulation of the diploma examination protocol in the Archive of Diploma Theses (APD) (defense report form).
15. The diploma examination is an oral exam and is conducted by organizational units of the Faculty. The examination committee consists of the chairman, the thesis supervisor and the thesis reviewer. The chairpersons of the examination committees (who have a scientific title or a postdoctoral degree) are appointed by the heads of organizational units of the Faculty.
16. During the undergraduate exam, two questions are asked: (a) related to the field of study, (b) related to the topic of the thesis. During the master's exam, three questions are asked: (a) theoretical, (b) related to the field of study, (c) related to the topic of the thesis. Questions related to the field of study and theoretical questions are drawn at random from the lists of issues for the thesis examinations, applicable to each field of study. Lists of issues are made available to students on the Faculty website at least at the beginning of the last semester of the diploma seminar.
17. The result of the diploma exam is the average of the marks obtained from the individual oral answers to the questions specified in pkt. 16, entered in the protocol. The grade of the diploma exam is entered in the protocol as an average rounded to the nearest grade.
18. The provisions of point 17 do not apply if the student has received an unsatisfactory grade in at least one of the questions specified in point 16. In such a situation, the student receives an unsatisfactory grade in the diploma examination.
19. The following grades are used for the examination and the overall study result:
Overall study result
Very good
5,0
4,61 and above
Better than good
4,5
4,11 - 4,60
Good
4
3,61 - 4,10
Better than satiscaftory
3,5
3,26 - 3,60
Satiscaftory
3,0
till 3,25
Unsatisfactory
2,0
20. The examination protocol available in the APD requires the chairperson of commission to supplement it with, among others: the questions asked, grade from the thesis, grade from the examination, and information about the examination result. Correctly generated and submitted protocol should contain:
- the diploma thesis grade, which is the arithmetic mean of the review (prepared by the reviewer) and opinion (prepared by thesis supervisor) - without rounding - a grade e.g., 3.75 is allowed,
- the diploma examination grade,
- a weighted average (calculated under §39, sections 5 and 6 of the Rules of Study at the University of Łódź) of all overall grades in courses provided for in the study plan and study program.
21. The overall result of the studies, which is entered into the protocol and into the higher education diploma, is the sum of:
- 0.6 of the weighted average grade form the studies,
- 0.2 of the arithmetic mean of the diploma thesis grades,
- 0.2 of the diploma examination grade.
22. The examination commission may increase the overall grade of the result of the studies by half of the grade (0.5) maximally. It can be done for a student who did not repeat a year of studies, was a distinguished student in the chosen specialization, and received very good grades from his/her diploma thesis and diploma examination. The increase of the grade must be justified in the protocol by the examination commission.
23. Members of the diploma examination are required to electronically approve the protocol of the remote diploma examination within 3 days from the date of its conduct.(instruction)
24. The diploma examination protocol, the opinion, and the review, are generated from USOS and APD systems, and then are archived in a student’s briefcase by an employee of the Student Service Centre. According to the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education, the student’s personal file may include a printout from the electronic form of the document (a handwritten signature is not required).
25. In the case of an excused absence from the diploma examination, the examination may be repeated within a month, upon the application submitted by the student immediately after the reason for the stops.
26. Unjustified absence from the diploma examination results in an unsatisfactory grade being entered in the protocol.
27. In the case of a negative (unsatisfactory) grade from the diploma examination, the examination may be repeated on the date set by the Dean, not earlier than one month and not later than three months after the first examination.
28. In case of receiving an unsatisfactory grade in the diploma exam, the exam may be repeated on a date set by the Dean, not earlier than one month and not later than 3 months from the date of the first exam.
29. At the student’s request, the deadline for submitting the diploma paper may be extended only in exceptional and documented situations by one month from the end of the re-assessment session. A request to extend the deadline for the completion of a diploma seminar cannot be based on studying two or more fields of study or employment. The application of a student requires an opinion of the thesis supervisor on the progress in the thesis preparation.
30. Before taking the Bachelor/Master examination, the student is obliged to:
- settle the electronic Clearance Slip (online at USOSweb Common section>Clearance Slips) generated earlier by the COS employee. Completion of electronic Clearance Slip is obligatory to receive the diploma. Here is an information how to fill in the Clearance Slip,
- to delivered to the letterbox or sent by post:
application for a diploma and their two copies (printout) The university issues to the graduate a diploma of completion of studies with a supplement to the diploma and 2 copies thereof, including at the student's request submitted by the date of graduation:
- a copy of the diploma in English, French, Spanish, German, Russian;
- a copy of the diploma supplement in English.
Dean of the Faculty
of Economics and Sociology of the University of Łódź
Prof. Rafał Matera
STAGE 1 - BEFORE THE DEFENCE
1. On the date set by the supervisor, jointly decide on the final topic of your diploma thesis, both in Polish and English.
2. Wait until your thesis topic is entered by the Student Service Center (COS) into the USOS system, thanks to which you will gain access to the APD system (Archive of Diploma Theses) where your thesis will be processed. Topics are filled in by the COS at the beginning of June.
3. Log in to APD system (apd.uni.lodz.pl - log in as for USOS) and check the correctness of your topic in both languages (Polish and English). In case of any discrepancies, contact the appropriate COS employee.
4. Enter keywords and a short abstract of your thesis in both languages.
5. Confirm in the APD system the statement that you wrote your thesis independently.
6. Upload a file with your thesis to the APD system.
7. Fill in, sign and upload to the APD system a scan of the statement on giving/not giving consent to share your thesis (upload file as "other").
8. If your data and files are correct, click "Forward for the approval of the supervisor".
9. Give the supervisor time to review your thesis and supplementary files.
10. In case of comments, supervisor will "move back" your thesis for improvement, then make changes and upload the corrected file. If accepted, the supervisor will send your thesis for an anti-plagiarism check. If the report indicates plagiarism, then your thesis will not be accepted and you may face disciplinary action. If the supervisor accepts the report, he/she will direct your thesis in the APD system to the next, 4th step.
11. Wait until the thesis supervisor and the reviewer (who evaluates your thesis) prepare reviews of your thesis and upload them to APD. This may take a few days.
12. The last step is the supervisor's approval in the APD system. Your thesis will complete its circulation when it is in the APD system at step 5.
13. The date of your defence should be notified to COS by your supervisor or the Institute secretary's office.
14. Before the defence, remember to prepare yourself to answer the exam questions. The list of issues relevant to your field of study can be found (below).
STAGE 2 - DEFENCE
1. Remember to dress appropriately, elegant and classic.
2. The chair of the committee will verify your identity and introduce you to the entire exam committee.
3. There will be a drawing of questions, depending on the Institute, this may look slightly different.
For the undergraduate exam, there are 2 questions:
- related to your field of study,
- related to the subject of your thesis.
For the Master's exam, 3 questions are asked:
- related to the field of study,
- related to the subject of the thesis,
- theoretical.
4. Wait for the commission to announce the results of your exam. The commission will complete the exam results in the APD system.
5. Fill in the electronic Clearance Slip (online at USOSweb Common section>Clearance Slips) generated earlier by the COS employee, and submit the application for the diploma to the COS no later than on the day of the defence. Here is an information how to fill in the Clearance Slip.
The application for the diploma may be submitted directly in COS (room D4) or to the letterbox or sent by post.
The letterbox is located next to the room D4. It is available from Monday to Friday from 7.00 to 20.00.
The application must be packed in a signed and sealed envelope.
Letters by post/courier should be sent to the address:
Centrum Obsługi Studenta
Polskiej Organizacji Wojskowej 3/5,
90-255 Łódź
with the note „pokój D4”
STAGE 3 - AFTER THE DEFENCE
1. The information about the grades, the average for the entire course of study and the diploma number is in the "diplomas" tab on your USOSweb account. This data will be necessary for recruitment to the next degree program.
2. If you need confirmation of your degree, you can receive from COS a certificate of studies completion. It will be necessary in the recruitment process for the second degree program.
3. In the "diplomas" tab you will also find information on whether the diploma is ready for collection (the date of the diploma's availability will appear). The diploma should be collected in person in room D1. You will need to show your ID to verify your identity.
At the student's request, the deadline for submitting the diploma thesis may be extended only in exceptional and documented situations by one month from the end of the retake session. The basis for submitting an application for extending the deadline for completing the diploma seminar can't be studying in two or more fields of study or taking up a job. Application of a student requires the supervisor's opinion on the degree of thesis advancement.
Detailed rules are described in the document "The rules of organising the diploma exam at the Faculty of Economics and Sociology of the University of Łódź" (above).
Files to download
The student may upload the diploma thesis to the APD system only after obtaining credits for all obligatory subjects and internships in the course of studies (after all grades have been entered by the teachers into the USOSweb system),
The thesis advisor can complete the grade of the seminar only after acceptance of the thesis in the APD system (it is safest to complete it on the day of acceptance of the thesis, that is, on the day of redirecting the thesis in the APD system to step 4).
The summer examination session lasts from 12 June to 2 July 2023
Summer retake session lasts from 1 September to 17 September 2023
Due to the summer break, all diploma examinations (including II cycle students) should be taken up to 16 July 2023 at the latest, and then after 1 September 2023 but no later than 30 days from the date of acceptance of the thesis in the APD system.
The final day of acceptance of the diploma thesis in the APD system is September 17.
At the student's request, the deadline for submitting the diploma thesis may be extended only in exceptional and documented situations by one month from the end of the retake session. The basis for submitting an application for extending the deadline for completing the diploma seminar can't be studying in two or more fields of study or taking up a job. Application of a student requires the supervisor's opinion on the degree of thesis advancement.
The application for the diploma may be submitted directly in COS (room D4) or to the letterbox or sent by post.
The letterbox is located next to the room D4. It is available from Monday to Friday from 7.00 to 20.00.
The application must be packed in a signed and sealed envelope.
Letters by post/courier should be sent to the address:
Centrum Obsługi Studenta
Polskiej Organizacji Wojskowej 3/5,
90-255 Łódź
with the note „pokój D4”
The thesis with a confidentiality clause is a thesis whose accessibility, as well as its inclusion in the systems used by the University of Lodz, has been restricted due to the information it contains being subject to protection under the regulations on the protection of classified information,
At the request of the student or based on an agreement between the interested party and the University of Lodz and upon the consent of the Dean, the thesis may be classified as confidential. The thesis may be awarded a confidentiality clause upon justification of the reasons for its classification, as indicated by the relevant entity whose data was used by the student in preparing the thesis, and upon an opinion from the thesis supervisor.
A thesis with a confidentiality clause shall be obligatorily uploaded to the Archive of Diploma Theses (APD) but shall not be transferred to the repository of written diploma theses.
A thesis with a confidentiality clause is subject to an anti-plagiarism evaluation using the Uniform Antiplagiate System (JSA).
A copy of the thesis paper being the property of the student, after taking the diploma examination is not subject to protection by UŁ.
Application for thesis confidentiality
Statement of the thesis supervisor and thesis reviewer on the confidentiality of the thesis