Examination and Defence
The PhD degree includes a course part and a thesis part, together amounting to 240 credits and demanding full-time studies for eight semesters. The credit scope of the PhD thesis/dissertation is outlined in the General Study Syllabus for each research subject. The degree of licentiate amounts to 120 credits.
A person with a PhD degree is expected to demonstrate an ability for independent and critical thinking, good subject knowledge, scientific methodological skills, ability to identify interesting and researchable questions, demonstrate pedagogical abilities and an ability to express oneself well orally and in writing.
Dissertation
One can choose to defend either a monograph dissertation; a uniform, cohesive scholarly work, or a compilation thesis; consisting of a summarizing part which is a comprehensive overview to document the coherence of the articles in the thesis, and a number of academic articles that the doctoral student has written alone or jointly with others.
The dissertation shall be available at the university library for a period of at least three weeks in advance of the public defence. The dissertation shall also be sent to every department/academic institution within the country that has research and PhD studies within the subject of the dissertation, so that it is available there at least two weeks before the public defence. Instructions for the Production of Doctoral and Licentiate Theses
The library has information on thesis production. To make it easy for you all the way through your writing, it is easiest to use one of the dissertation templates from the beginning. Feel free to read through the library checklist before the dissertation well in advance of your submission date - this facilitates your planning. See also the Faculty Board’s Directions for writing doctoral dissertations and licentiate theses.
Posting (“Spikning”)
Posting means that the PhD student publicly announces a summary of the dissertation (abstract together with details of the public defence). The posting is obligatory prior to the public defence. Earlier, the dissertation was physically nailed at the university’s official notice board. This may still be done, but today, the obligatory posting is done electronically through the university library. When the electronic posting is completed, the public defence is automatically announced in the university’s official public defence calendar.
Public Defence
The requirements for the doctoral degree are that the PhD student had passed the examinations within the course part, and also that the dissertation has been passed. The course part is examined by the examiner (main supervisor) and the dissertation shall be orally defended at a public defence.
Prior to the dissertation, the Faculty Board appoints the chairperson of the public defence, the opponent (faculty examiner) and the grading committee, according to the guidelines in the application. At the defence, the grading committee fills in a grading committee protocol.
The date and time for the defence is booked through an electronic booking system. The booking system shows clearly which times that are bookable for a defence within the faculty. Public defences and licentiate seminars may take place during the semester and during summer break with the exception of 15 June through 15 August. Remember that the nailing page shall be announced (posted) at least three semester weeks in advance of the defence. The period 15 June to 15 August may not be counted in the announcement period.
The booking system allows for two bookings per student, one first choice and a second choice. Each day, two defences are permitted at the faculty, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Double-bookings are not allowed, neither that two defences within the same academic field during one day. The faculty office will provide support if you have problems or questions related to booking of the defence, .utbvet@utbildningsvetenskap.se.
The second (reserve) choice will automatically be deleted two months before the date of the first choice. Please cancel your second booking time as soon as the faculty’s formal decision on defence date is ready. The date can then be available to someone else within the faculty. Once the booking is complete an automatic email confirmation will be sent by email. In the email there is a link for changing the booking.
Remember that the booking system is only used for reservation of time and date within the faculty. The room for the defence needs to be booked separately, following the rotuine for room bookings at the department.
Opponent and Grading Committee
Regulated in the Faculty Board’s Directions for writing doctoral dissertations and licentiate theses.
Opponent
- The opponent shall normally have at least docent status or the equivalent
- The opponent may not have a post at or be associated to the Faculty of Educational Sciences at Uppsala university
Grading Committee
General regulations:
- The examining committee must consist of three or five members and a majority should come from another department than the doctor is active at.
- The Faculty Board shall decide on the number of members and appoint them.
- At least one of the committee members shall come from another faculty or another Higher Education Institution.
- A person who has been a supervisor for the doctoral student may not be on the committee. The committee must appoint one of its members as Chair.
- A majority of the members in the committee shall be from outside the department to which the doctoral student belongs, unless there are special reasons against this (The university´s local regulations).
Regulations from the Faculty Board:
- The examining committee should consist of three members. A external substitute should be appointed to the examining committee.
- One of the members is appointed from among the teachers in the faculty and the other members are appointed from among the teachers in another faculty or from another higher education institution.
- The grading committee members shall have docent status or the equivalent.
- Individuals who have served as principal supervisor or assistant supervisor for the doctoral student should not be on the examining committee. Individuals who have materially contributed to the final design of the dissertation should not be on the examining committee.
Degree Certificate/Diploma
Proof of completed and approved doctoral education is issued by the Student Affairs and Academic Registry Division upon application by the doctoral student. The application can be made only when all courses have been reported to Ladok (the university's digital documentation system for studies at all levels).
Degree Conferment Ceremony
The final step is the Doctoral Degree Conferment Ceremony, an academic celebration for all who have received doctorates during the semester. You have to apply separately to the conferment ceremony.
After Doctoral Degree
The university has the possibility to employ those who have completed a doctoral degree on a post-doc contract for a maximum of two years, with a possibility for extension on special grounds. This possibility is regulated by an agreement between the Swedish Employers' Agency and the trade unions concerned.
More about third-cycle education at the Faculty of Educational Sciences:
Merits/Educational Development