Doctorate/PhD

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A PhD comprises 240 credits, which corresponds to four years of full-time study. It is possible to transfer credits from certain Master’s courses or the equivalent – this is considered on a case-by-case basis. For a doctorate, you must have passed the courses that form part of the programme and the doctoral thesis. The thesis is defended orally at a public event.

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Digital components of thesis defences

As a general principle, PhD thesis defences are to take place in a room that the University provides, with all participants in physical attendance. However, certain digital components of the defence may be permitted if there are reasons to do so. The request for digital components is to be made by the department representative or the head of department when submitting the application for the thesis defence. The Vice-Dean will then decide on the matter.

For thesis defences that were booked in the booking system before 1 March 2022, the Rules for thesis defences at the Faculty of Science, U 2021/913 – in Swedish only (PDF, 424 kB, new tab) apply.

For thesis defences that are booked in the booking system from 1 March 2022 onwards, the rules below apply.

The rules below apply to thesis defences that are booked in the booking system from 1 March 2022 onwards.

Decision on digital components

Decisions on digital components of thesis defences are taken in conjunction with the designation of time, place, external reviewer, examining committee members and substitute members. The Management regulations for the public defence of doctoral theses at the Faculty of Science, STYR 2020/1448 (PDF, 190 kB, new tab), apply, with the following additions:

In conjunction with the thesis notification, the department representative or head of department to request the digital components that have been proposed.
Before the request for digital components is made, the department representative or head of department has to consult with the doctoral student and principal supervisor.
The doctoral student has to be aware of any digital components which are to be included in the thesis defence.
The doctoral student’s wishes as to whether the external reviewer will participate digitally have to be taken into consideration.

General rules on attendance for thesis defences

The following applies:

The general principle is that thesis defences are to take place in a room that the University provides, with all the participants in physical attendance. However, digital components may be permitted if there are reasons to do so.
The author of the thesis and the person appointed as chair for the defence must always be in physical attendance at the premises, even if digital components of the defence are permitted.
At least one supervisor and two members of the examining committee are also to be in physical attendance during the thesis defence, unless there are valid reasons to the contrary (contact the Faculty administration).
The external reviewer, the remaining members of the examining committee member, and other supervisors may attend remotely.
Local substitute members of the examining committee are to be present in person, so that a regular committee member participating via a link can be easily replaced in the event of technical problems.

If the external reviewer and examining committee members are not present in person, the following applies:

The external reviewer must have access to the presentation by the author of the thesis and be able to participate throughout the thesis defence.
Examining committee members must have access to the presentations and be able to participate throughout the thesis defence.
The chair of the thesis defence is to be available for direct telephone contact so that any technical problems can be handled.
In the event of a technical failure which entails that the external reviewer or a committee member cannot fully participate, the thesis defence must be conducted again or postponed.

Live streaming of thesis defences

Thesis defences at Lund University are to be organised in rooms where the public has the possibility to attend and pose questions, and where appropriate technology is provided. Digital components of thesis defences may include live streaming, which means that audio and video are broadcast in real time over the internet and are not recorded and stored. This option does not need to guarantee the possibility for remote participants to pose questions.

One section of the room used for a thesis defence is to be excluded from live streaming. The chair of the thesis defence is responsible for ensuring this and also for ensuring that members of the public who wish to sit in that section are shown where it is located.

Announcement of thesis defences with digital components

When announcing a thesis defence, the public is to be informed of the following:

that the thesis defence will take place at a specified location
any digital components that might be included
whether the thesis defence will be live-streamed, and, if so, that a section of the room will be excluded from live streaming.

Change in decision

The Vice-Dean for third-cycle education takes decisions on digital components in specific thesis defences. The following applies regarding amendments to these decisions:

If any part of the Vice-Dean’s decision needs to be changed, or if the thesis defence needs to be cancelled, a department representative can request that the Vice-Dean take a new decision.
If a member of the examining committee is to be replaced, it is often appropriate that the substitute steps in as a regular member and a new substitute is appointed.
If an external reviewer is to be replaced, it is often appropriate that one of the examining committee members steps in as external reviewer, that the substitute steps in as a regular member, and a new substitute is appointed.
Decisions about substitutes may as a rule be taken at short notice (a few days).

The examining committee’s meeting

One of the members of the examining committee who is in physical attendance during the thesis defence is to be selected as chair of the examining committee’s meeting.
The examining committee’s chair is responsible for the examining committee’s meeting.
If any of the members participate digitally, the examining committee’s meeting is to be held digitally. A link to the meeting is to be made available only to the members of the examining committee, the external reviewer, and supervisors.
The external reviewer and supervisors are to be available to respond to questions from the examining committee and may participate in discussions, but are not to take part in the decision.

Booking a date for a thesis defence

Doctoral students are to book a date for their thesis defence. Make the booking as soon as possible after your individual study plan has been followed up and it has been confirmed that it is time for the thesis defence. When you book the date, you also need to add the departmental representative as an administrator of your booking, as this doesn't happen automatically.

Instruction on how to book a date and add the departmental representative as an administrator

Log in to the thesis defence system – lth.se
State your Lucat ID (do not add "@lu.se" to the user name).
Fill in all the fields in the booking form and add the departmental representative as an administrator of your booking.
Click on "Book and mail".
Inform the departmental representative that you have added him or her as an administrator of your booking.

Submit an application for a thesis defence

Applications for a thesis defence are submitted by a departmental representative or head of department at the latest eight weeks before the planned date of the thesis defence. Please note that summer and winter breaks are not counted as part of the eight-week period, read more about this in the section Important dates and periods, further down on this page.

Before completing your application – send the information document to the examining committee members or external reviewers

A brief document (“Information regarding the assignment as a member of an examining committee or external reviewer at the Faculty of Science”) is to be sent to those who are being asked to be examining committee members or external reviewers. As and when they accept the assignment, they are to complete the brief form section of the document (the form does not require signature – it can be completed digitally) and then send it back to you. You are to upload these confirmation forms in the system when you apply for the public defence of the doctoral thesis. The CVs of examining committee members and external reviewers are also to be uploaded in the booking system. Read more about this under point 3 in the instructions below.

The document “Information regarding the assignment as a member of an examining committee or external reviewer at the Faculty of Science” is available in the section Regulations and forms, further down on this page.

Instructions on how to submit an application for a thesis defence

1. Log in

2. Ensure that a date has been booked for the thesis defence

For a thesis defence to be registered, the date needs to have been booked already. The booking is to be made as soon as possible after the student’s individual study plan has been followed up and it has been confirmed that it is time for the thesis defence.

Traditionally, the date of the thesis defence is booked by the doctoral student, but it may also be booked by a departmental secretary, supervisor or departmental representative. To book a date for a doctoral student, search for the doctoral student via the system’s search function (personal identity number or Lucat identity). Fill in all the fields in the booking form and then click on “Book and mail”. It is important that you add the departmental representative as an administrator of the booking (at the Department of Physics, the head of department is also to be added); otherwise, the departmental representative will not be linked to the booking.

3. Fill in the application form

When the date of a thesis defence is booked, the supervisor, departmental representative or administrator can see the doctoral student’s case in their list of thesis defence cases in the thesis defence system.

To apply for a thesis defence, click on the link “Application”. Then fill in all the fields and upload all the required appendices.

The following documents are to be uploaded in the thesis defence system:

Brief CV including list of publications from the external reviewer
Brief CV including list of publications from the examining committee members (compiled in one PDF file)
Brief CV including list of publications from the substitute committee member (compiled in one PDF file)
The five documents confirming the assignments as examining committee members or external reviewers (compiled in one PDF file that you name “instructions for opponent and committee members”).

Members of the examining committee, replacement members, and the external reviewer have to be at least associate professors (docents), or have to have an equivalent qualification. In that case, they have to have the qualifications expected of an associate professor (docent), such as substantial post-doctoral academic production and some experience in the supervision of PhD students. The qualification of associate professor (docent) or equivalent must be described in the CV.

4. Submit the application form

When you have filled in all the details and uploaded all the appendices, click on the button "Applicate and mail” which is on the bottom right of the page. Please note: only the departmental representative or the head of department (in case of the Department of Physics: only the head of department) is authorized to click on this button.

Once an authorized person has clicked on the button "Applicate and mail”, two documents are automatically generated, each containing the application for the public defence of the doctoral thesis – one in Swedish (Application (sv)) and one in English (Application (en)). These documents can be found under the doctoral student’s name in the list view.

Click on the Swedish or English application and print it out on single-sided sheets of paper. The application must then be signed (with a blue ink pen) by the departmental representative or the head of department, and then sent to: Constance Holmbäck, Faculty of Science Administration Office, service point HS 39.

If you want to make changes later on, please contact Constance Holmbäck at the faculty administration office.

Contact information to Constance Holmbäck – staff.lu.se

Important dates and periods

The application must be handed in at the faculty office (printed, signed and sent to service point HS 39) no later than 56 days before the defence (keep in mind that summer and winter breaks are not counted as part of the 56 days). The system indicates the days in the left field inside the list view.
The nailing must take place at the faculty office no later than 24 days before the defence (keep in mind that summer and winter breaks are not counted as part of the 24 days). If you are prevented to do this, please send us an email and we will try to find a solution.

No processing takes place during this period:

Summer break: Friday before midsummer until 15 August.
Winter break: 22 December – 6 January

Public defences of doctoral theses are to be scheduled during the semester unless special circumstances apply (STYR 2018/562). The Faculty of Science deems special circumstances always to apply with regard to scheduling public defences up to and including the last Friday before Midsummer.

Regulations and forms

Degree

You apply for a degree certificate through an application form.

Download the application form for degree certificate – lunduniversity.lu.se

Contact

Constance Holmbäck
Administrative coordinator
Contact information for Constance Holmbäck – staff.lu.se

Learn how to create a print ready thesis

The internal printing office Media-Tryck can help you out. Read more on the printing office website.

Page manager: constance [dot] holmback [at] science [dot] lu [dot] se | 6 May 2022