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Workflows

The following flowcharts give a visual overview of the thesis processes implemented in Thesis Management. They map out the step-by-step workflows from thesis topic selection and application submission through to final grading and completion, and they show how students, supervisors, and examiners interact along the way.

Use these as a quick reference for understanding how each role engages in the thesis process. The detailed walkthroughs live in the Supervisor & Examiner Guide and the Student Guide.

Thesis Application Flowchart​

Thesis Application Flowchart

Automatic Application Expiration​

Applications that have not been reviewed within a configurable period are automatically rejected. Research group admins can configure the expiration delay in weeks (minimum 2 weeks) in the research group settings. When an application expires, the student receives the standard rejection email notification, so they can reapply or pursue other options.

This mechanism ensures that students are not left waiting indefinitely for a response and enables the system to clean up application data after the retention period.

Thesis Writing Flowchart​

Thesis Writing Flowchart

Privacy and Data Protection​

The platform includes GDPR-compliant privacy and data protection features:

  • Privacy Statement — a comprehensive privacy page accessible to all users (authenticated and unauthenticated) that documents all data processing activities, legal bases, retention periods, and data subject rights.
  • Data Export (Art. 15 / Art. 20) — authenticated users can request an export of all their personal data from the Data Export page (also linked from the Privacy page). Exports are generated as ZIP files containing structured JSON data (profile, applications, theses, assessments) and uploaded documents (CV, degree report, examination report). Exports are processed overnight and the user receives an email notification with a link to download. Downloads are available for 7 days and users can request a new export every 7 days. See the Data Retention Policy for details.
  • Data Retention — automated cleanup of expired data runs nightly. Rejected applications are deleted after 1 year. Data export files are deleted after 7 days. Admins can trigger the cleanup manually from the Data Retention admin page. See the Data Retention Policy for the full retention schedule and rationale.
  • Application Deletion — admins can permanently delete rejected applications from the application detail page.
  • Profile Picture Import — users can import their profile picture from Gravatar via their profile settings. The lookup is performed server-side to avoid exposing the user's IP address to external services.

Research Group Settings​

Research group admins can configure per-group settings:

  • Scientific Writing Guide — a customizable link to scientific writing guidelines shown to students during the thesis writing phase. Each research group can configure its own link in the research group settings page.
  • Application Review Deadline — the number of weeks (minimum 2) after which unreviewed applications are auto-rejected.
  • Custom Application Fields — extra questions shown to applicants during the application flow.
  • Email Templates — per-case email templates that can be edited under /research-groups/<id>/email-templates/<case>/edit.