Doctoral studies
On these pages you will find information that is relevant to doctoral students at Södertörn University. The information has been produced in collaboration with representatives from the Doctoral Students’ Committee.
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Frequently asked questions, a doctoral student’s rights and obligations
Being employed on a doctoral studentship means that you are both an employee and a student, which may give rise to questions. Both roles entail rights and obligations, so it is important that you understand what they are. Never hesitate to ask questions or talk to someone when you are unsure of something! We have collected common questions (and their answers) that relate to your doctoral studies and employment on doctoral studentship.
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Foreign doctoral students
As a foreign doctoral student, you will need to contact different authorities about your admission and employment. We have provided more information below.
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Funding and employment
At Södertörn University, most doctoral students are both admitted to and employed at the university, but there are those who are admitted at other universities and/or have their employment funded in other ways. You can read more about the various categories of doctoral students, your terms of employment and issues relating to the work environment below.
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Organisation and governance of doctoral-level education and student influence
This page provides a general description of how doctoral-level education at Södertörn University is organised. You can also read about the student influence at the university, an important means through which doctoral students can affect their education and study situation.
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General syllabus, individual study plan and qualitative targets for licentiate and doctoral degrees
The general syllabus and the individual study plan are the two most important documents for doctoral students. Both documents are legislated under the Higher Education Ordinance, and govern and regulate how you should achieve the intended learning outcomes of your third-cycle education.
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Education
This section contains information about courses and credit transfers, participation in seminars and conferences, and work on your thesis. You can also read about research ethics and requirements for conducting your work in accordance with good research practice.
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Supervision
Supervision is vitally important for doctoral students. What are the expectations and requirements? What do you do if you experience problems in the supervision or need to change supervisor? There are many different ways of describing what is involved in doctoral supervision, so there is no general definition of supervision as a concept, because different perspectives and practical applications entail different things.
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Practical information and support
There are numerous practical issues that you must be aware of as a doctoral student. On this page, we have collected information that is important for you as a doctoral student to know.
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Public defence, degree certificate and conferment
There are many things to think about and organise prior to your public defence of thesis, so it is a good idea for you and your supervisor to begin planning well in advance. This section includes information about planning meetings, publishing a doctoral thesis, announcing the public defence of your thesis, the public defence, degree certificate and conferment of your degree.
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After you graduate
Your doctoral studentship is for a fixed-term and you receive a salary for your studies for a maximum of four years of full-time employment. One piece of good advice is to start thinking about what you want to do after graduating and look at the opportunities that are available as soon as possible before the end of your employment.
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Documents for doctoral programmes
Documents, templates and forms for education at postgraduate level are collected here.