Doctoral degrees

Postgraduate studies conclude with a doctorate which, at the Faculty of Medicine in Lund, is called Doctor of Philosophy, Faculty of Medicine.

The Postgraduate Education Committee has compiled the following directives and taken the following measures to ensure that doctoral theses are of good quality and that students have acquired the necessary knowledge during their period of postgraduate studies.

Requirements for a doctoral degree

Postgraduate studies cover, in general, 4 years (2 years for a licentiate degree). The programme is planned jointly by the supervisor and student. The content of the programme is defined in an individual study programme, which is adopted by the Postgraduate Education Committee when the student is admitted to postgraduate studies. The individual study programme is revised annually.

The principal supervisor should be engaged at Lund University, the Lund University Hospital or the University Hospital in Malmö, or have some other clear affiliation to the Faculty of Medicine.

The student must have completed all the compulsory postgraduate courses. Dispensation may be granted if similar courses have been taken at another university or higher education establishment. Dispensation is granted on a restricted basis.

The student is to undergo a halfway review.

The student is to be continuously involved in the activities of his or her department, e.g. participation in postgraduate and departmental seminars.

The following apply to the thesis:
The thesis is to have its origin in the Faculty of Medicine. Papers in a composite thesis (a thesis consisting of a summary and papers) are to originate from a department or equivalent unit at Lund University.

It is difficult to specify the number of papers that should be included in a thesis due to the differences in the nature of various disciplines and the scope and depth of the studies reported. In most cases, a thesis should include 3-4 papers. At least one of these should have been published or accepted for publication, with the student as the first author. It must be made clear that the student has participated in all phases of the publication process.

Knowledge requirements

Compulsory and other courses
Prior to the defence of his or her thesis, the student must have satisfactorily completed the required postgraduate courses. The supervisor is responsible for the student's possessing sufficient subject and project-specific knowledge. Those admitted to postgraduate studies after 1 July 1998 are required to complete the compulsory courses. The course in Laboratory Animal Studies is obligatory for postgraduate students who use laboratory animals in their work.

Required reading
The student must have been examined on the required reading and the coursework stated in the general syllabus for the subject and in the individual study programme.

Seminars and scientific conferences
The student is expected to have participated actively in seminars relevant to his or her research project and others of a more general educational character. The student should also participate in national and international conferences, and present his or her own results by means of posters or oral presentations.

A student at any institute of higher education in this country who has completed and passed part of the postgraduate studies programme has the right to have this accredited at another institute of higher education. A postgraduate student is also entitled to be credited with education undergone at a foreign institute of higher education. The decision as to whether previous studies can be accredited to the student is made by an examiner at the institute of higher education at which the student wishes his or her previous studies to be credited. At the Faculty of Medicine in Lund this is done by the Postgraduate Education Committee.

Examination

Preparations for the examination involve the student in extensive paperwork, often with tight deadlines. The primary responsibility for accomplishing this lies with the student.

Well in advance of the time intended for the examination the student should book a day and time for the examination. This is done directly on the Faculty's web site. Only two doctoral examinations may take place on any one day (one in the morning and one in the afternoon). However, if the subjects of the theses are deemed to be sufficiently different, 4 doctoral examinations may take place on one day (two in the morning and two in the afternoon). Decisions regarding double booking of examinations are taken by the Postgraduate Education Committee at the time of booking. When the date and time of the examination have been booked, confirmation and a link to the relevant information are sent out via e-mail. The lecture hall or other venue for the examination is to be booked by the student using the booking system LOCUS.

Application for a doctoral examination

The application for a doctoral examination (1 original and 4 copies), following specified guidelines and signed by the head of department, must be received by the Postgraduate Education Committee at least 3 months before the planned date of the examination.

The application must contain the following:

1. A proposal for an external examiner

The faculty opponent must have the qualifications of a senior lecturer (reader or associate professor), and be recruited from an institute of higher education outside the area of Lund and Malmö.

2. A proposal for a chairperson of the examination

The chairperson should possess expertise in the field addressed in the thesis. As a rule, this position should be given to someone other than the student's supervisor.

3. A proposal for 3 members and 2 deputy members of the examining committee

No more than 1 member may represent his or her own subject.

One of the members must be appointed from among the teaching staff of another faculty or another institute of higher education.

The supervisor must attend, and the external examiner has the right to attend, the meeting of the examination committee and to participate in its deliberations, but they may not take part in its decision.

Only one deputy member may represent his or her own subject.

4. A list of the articles included in the thesis

This must include information on co-authors, where the articles have been published or accepted, and whether they have been submitted to a journal or are still in manuscript form.

All the papers included in the thesis must be submitted.

The following criteria must be fulfilled:

The thesis is to have its origin in the Faculty of Medicine. Papers in a composite thesis (a thesis consisting of a summary and papers) are to originate from a department or equivalent unit at Lund University.

It is difficult to specify the number of papers that should be included in a thesis due to the differences in the nature of various disciplines and the scope and depth of the studies reported. In most cases, a thesis should include 2 - 4 papers. At least one of these should have been published or accepted for publication, with the student as the first author. It must be made clear that the student has participated in all phases of the publication process.

If warranted by exceptional circumstances, the committee may allow the examination to proceed even if the formal demands above are not met.

If warranted by exceptional circumstances, the committee may allow the examination to proceed even if the formal demands above are not met.

The publication of articles in internationally recognized scientific journals means that the quality has already been scrutinized, the Postgraduate Education Committee therefore considers composite theses to be preferable to monographs.

5. A statement from the supervisor

This describes the main content of the thesis, its originality and, if it is a thesis composed of several articles, the extent to which they constitute a whole and the extent of the student's own contribution to the articles.

6. Four copies of each paper

Four copies of the papers included in a composite thesis. NB: All the papers included in the thesis must be submitted. In the case of monographs, four copies of the monograph are to be submitted in manuscript form.

The chairperson of the Postgraduate Education Committee appoints the external examiner, the chairperson for the examination and the members and substitutes of the examination committee. The decision is sent to the student, the department concerned, supervisors, members of the examination committee, the chairperson of the examination and the external examiner. The external examiner is also sent the articles that have been submitted, and an invitation on which the examiner notifies the Postgraduate Education Committee of his or her acceptance of the appointment. The papers included in the thesis are sent to the members of the examination committee.

Preliminary assessment and completion of the application
The members of the examination committee assess the thesis and inform the department as to whether they consider the papers or monograph to be of sufficient scope and quality to merit a doctoral examination.

Based on this preliminary assessment, the application for an examination is to be completed with notification by the head of department or the director of studies that they support the application, no less than 2 months before
beforethe planned date of the examination.

The task of the examination committee in its preliminary assessment is to ensure that the thesis satisfies the demands on quantity and quality for a doctoral examination.

The examination ceremony
The examination ceremony (disputation) is conducted by a chairperson. The external examiner (opponent) usually presents a brief summary of the contents of the thesis, and the student (respondent) responds to questions. This procedure normally takes the form of a dialogue between the examiner and the student. Thereafter, the floor is declared open to discussion under the direction of the chairperson; the members of the examining committee and others present are allowed to put questions and offer viewpoints on the thesis. The student should be given the opportunity to reply to each contribution. In due course, the chairperson declares the examination over.

From the point of view of the student, it is desirable that the result of several years' research work (which can only be judged as "approved" or "not approved") receives the thorough attention to which it is entitled. Hence no time limit should be imposed on the examination. The chairperson can announce a break if the disputation appears to be taking a lengthy period of time.

As a rule, the examination committee meets immediately after the examination and is qualified to reach a decision when all members are present. The members appoint one of their own number to act as chairperson for the meeting. The supervisor must be present, but may not participate in the decision. The external examiner usually takes part in this meeting.

The doctoral thesis is awarded the grade of "approved" or "not approved". The committee's decision is based on both the content of the thesis and its defence. The task of the examination committee during the examination process is to assess the student's competence. The committee makes its assessment in the light of the external examiner's points of view, and evaluates the summary and the defence of the thesis. The decision reflects the majority opinion. No motivation for the decision is entered in the minutes or in any other document, unless the thesis is not approved. The minutes from the examination committee's meeting are sent to the Postgraduate Education Committee.

Doctoral degree certificates
Students having satisfied the requirements for a doctoral degree may obtain a certificate upon request.

Conferral of degrees
Those who have obtained a doctorate during an academic year are invited to participate in the annual graduation ceremony of the University of Lund. This is a popular occasion and is usually held on the last Friday in May. Further information on the practicalities of the ceremony can be obtained from the Head Steward of the University (tel.: 046-222 09 78).

The Head Steward sends out enquiries to all those who have obtained their doctorates (or who intend to do so) during the academic year to determine their interest in participating in the graduation ceremony. Detailed information covering all aspects of the graduation ceremony is sent to those who have registered their intention to participate.