Doctoral education is an individual education. This means that even if the qualitative targets are the same for all doctoral students, the path to these goals is different for different individuals.
Which path you take to achieve your qualitative degree targets depends on what background knowledge you have in a certain field, what your thesis project is and to some extent also what you want your future career to look like. For example, it is possible to control which courses you take in view of what your career plans look like. Perhaps you would like to take a course in project management, or an extra course in pedagogy.
You and your supervisor plan your education using your individual study plan (ISP). But, it's important to remember that plans are just plans, and they can be changed. It is important to be able to adjust and have back-up plans to use if things get tough.
And remember that even though it's an individual education, it doesn't mean you're alone. There is always someone to contact if you need advice or help.
All doctoral students at SLU receive some form of funding during their studies. The majority are funded through employment as a PhD student. This provides stable social and financial conditions throughout the study period. Others may have a different type of employment at SLU or a partner organisation, or may be funded by a scholarship. However, funding through employment does not always guarantee an even rate of study. Doctoral studies are tailored to the individual. Some doctoral students may progress faster, whereas others may need more time to meet their targets. As with undergraduate and postgraduate studies, the results are what count – not the workload.
For doctoral studies leading to the Degree of Doctor, the actual period of study is four years – the equivalent of 240 credits (2 years/120 credits for the Licentiate degree). The “actual period of study” is the time doctoral students spend on their thesis work and participating in doctoral courses. Elements not included in the doctoral studies but that are conducted in parallel will lead to an extension of calendar hours.
The conditions that apply to your studies vary depending on the type of funding you receive. Unlike other doctoral students, those employed by SLU (or other university or company) may have additional employee benefits such as access to occupational health services, whereas doctoral students funded by scholarships turn to the student health service. The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (Kammarkollegiet) offers compensation to doctoral students funded by scholarships if they become ill or take parental leave.
Every semester, SLU must report study activities and all funding forms for all doctoral students in the national student administration system: Ladok. It is the actual period of study that is registered, meaning Ladok will show how much of this period is remaining. On this page on the staff web, you can read more about the actual period of study and how it is registered.
Several documents have been created to ensure you receive a fair education. The documents below can all be found on the “Regulations and forms” pages on the SLU staff web for doctoral students.
The Higher Education Ordinance stipulates qualitative targets for third-cycle (doctoral) courses and study programmes. The targets are highly generalised and need to be formulated into individual intended learning outcomes so they are relevant to you.
Your individual study plan (ISP) is an important document. In section 9, you can read more about what is included in an ISP and what they are used for.
“SLU Guidelines for doctoral education” and “Admission regulations for third-cycle (doctoral) education” are two important documents related to doctoral studies.
You have been admitted to a third-cycle (doctoral) subject and will have a general study plan that contains requirements to be met during your studies.
The higher education Ordinance specifies degree outcomes for a doctoral degree and degree outcomes for a licentiate degree, that need to be fulfilled for a degree to be issued. The degree outcomes describes the knowledge and skills that the doctoral student shall have obtained when finishing the degree.
All doctoral student must have an individual study plan (ISP). At SLU these ISPs are created and managed in Ladok ISP.
All types of SLU research schools have the same overarching goal – to create a larger cross-departmental educational context with a large and varied range of educational activities in a way that may be difficult to prioritize or finance for a single department or research group.
A research school at SLU is an organisation that does not need to follow the regular departmental and faculty structure. It is usually thematically defined, and provides educational activities in the form of courses or seminars, workshops, networking events and field trips that are relevant and valuable to doctoral students from different departments and faculties. The education offered should be of a high, international level. Networking is important, and a research school may have close interaction with external stakeholders and with other Swedish and international universities.
Usually there is a core group of doctoral students whose thesis work fits in well with the school's theme, and who benefit from most activities. Other students may prefer to take part in the activities of several different research schools.
During your education, you will participate in a number of doctoral courses. Remember that you can also participate in courses at other universities.
Here you can find information about SLU's doctoral courses and the requirements for the courses to be included in your degree.
Chapter 1 - In the beginning of doctoral education
Chapter 2 - Being a doctoral student in Sweden - and at SLU
Chapter 3 - Prerequisites of the doctoral education
Chapter 4 - Supervision and supervision policy
Chapter 5 -The doctoral student's rights and obligations
Chapter 6 - If the education is unsatisfactory?
General information about doctoral education: Lotta Jäderlund and Eva Stening.