At least the top-ranked applicant must be interviewed, following the instructions below.
Time and place
The interview shall be held a meeting where the applicant, the prospective supervisor and preferably one of the department's doctoral students participate. It is recommended but not compulsory with doctoral student participation in the recruitment process. The doctoral student representative should answer any questions from the applicant regarding doctoral education in Sweden, at SLU and the department, but she/he is not expected to be involved in the hiring decision. If no doctoral student representative is present at the interview meeting, the prospective supervisor should provide the applicant with contact information to one of the current doctoral students at the department, for answering questions from the applicant.
The applicant and the prospective supervisor should meet in person, but the doctoral students may participate via video or telephone if the interview is not performed at SLU. The applicant and the prospective supervisor could, in special circumstances, perform the interview using video-link. The head of department may grant exemption from the normal procedure of a personal meeting between the applicant and the prospective supervisor.
Invitation to the interview
The time of interview is determined together with the applicant. The applicant must receive a written invitation to the interview. The invitation should state the general purpose of the interview, its scale, form, time, place and participants. The invitation must also describe how the results of the interview will be documented and used, as well as the final steps of the admission process. It is also possible to ask the applicant to prepare a brief presentation of no more than 10 minutes.
Costs for travel and accomodation
Any costs for the applicant's travel and accomodation expenses caused by the interview will be paid by the department.
Summary of the interview
A written summary of the interview, with comments on the applicant's language skills and collaborative and educational potential is signed by the prospective supervisor. The summary is used as a basis for the justification for proposing the candiate for admission. This justification has to be attached to the application when it is sent to the faculty board.
Interview structure
At least two hours should be set aside for the interview. The interview should include the following:
- Presentation of participants.
- A brief presentation of SLU, the department, its research, education and the planned form of financing.
- Questions from the applicant.
- Questions from the supervisor and others, based on the applicant's Master's dissertation or equivalent; previous education; the forthcoming thesis work and other overarching issues etc. This should lead to a discussion that will give sufficient information about the applicant's educational potential, own ideas and interests.
The discussion also aims to ensure that it is the applicant who is the author of the documentary evidence, usually a Master's dissertation, which it submitted as an appendix to the application.