Doctoral degree – checklist for defence and examination

Before taking a doctoral degree, you need to deal with a number of practical matters. This page provides an overview.

First step in preparation for the doctoral thesis defence

Responsible: Doctoral student

Before an external reviewer (opponent) and an examining committee have been decided on, and before the thesis has been submitted for printing, the doctoral student should check the doctoral subject/specialisation in Ladok and the title of the qualification in the admission decision.
The title of the degree is decided upon at the same time as the opponent and examining committee are appointed. For subjects/specializations that have both teknologie and filosofie degrees, the project should reflect the title. If the doctoral student would like to change the degree title, review the guidelines for doctoral education at the faculty.
If the doctoral student believe that the project reflects another degree title than for the subject decided on, the doctoral student can apply for a change of degree title to the faculty board. This should be done before decision on opponent and examining committee.
If the nature of the project has changed so the subject/specialization of the doctoral education needs to be changed, the head of department decides on a change in conjuction with revision of the individual study plan. Use the form application to admission to doctoral studies.

Responsible: Principal supervisor

The principal supervisor, in consultation with other supervisors and the professor in charge of doctoral studies, contacts an external reviewer and decides on an approximate date for the thesis defence, after assessing when the thesis will be ready.

Responsible: Principal supervisor

The doctoral student, the supervisor and the external reviewer decide in consultation on the date of the defence. The defence can be held during the semester or the summer but not during the period 15 June–15 August.

Responsible: Doctoral student

The doctoral student books the date of the defence in the University’s defence calendar.
If you have any questions, contact the Office for Science and Technology, fuadm-teknat@uu.se.
The doctoral student contacts Thesis Production unit at the University Library to book a time plan for production and publishing, nailing, announcement and summary.

Responsible: Doctoral student

The doctoral student arranges for permission from editors of journals to print published papers and books a timetable for production at least 14 weeks before the defence.
The doctoral thesis must be printed in an edition of at least ten copies.
The doctoral student must plan so that they are able to post the thesis three semester weeks before the defence (or during the summer, though not during the period 15 June–15 August). The thesis must contain a Swedish summary of at least two pages.
The University Library has information about printing, posting, advertising and the summary.

Responsible: Principal supervisor

The doctoral student and the (principal) supervisor check that all courses have been completed and reported in Ladok. Check against the general study syllabus and the individual study plan (a 2-credit course in research ethics is compulsory for a doctoral degree).
The principal supervisor (in consultation with other supervisors and the professor in charge of doctoral studies) sends a proposal to the Faculty Office nominating an external reviewer and an examining committee. Use the form Faculty opponent and examining committee at the public defence.
The section dean decides on the external reviewer and the examining committee. In connection with this, the time and venue for the doctoral thesis defence are set, as well as the title of the qualification.
The principal supervisor (or the doctoral student) books a venue for the defence. Applications for exemptions are to be sent to the Faculty Board before a decision on the external reviewer and the examining committee.
The principal supervisor informs the external reviewer and the examining committee (after they are appointed, see below) about the procedures for a doctoral thesis defence (see Faculty of Science and Technology Guidelines for doctoral (third-cycle) education).

Responsible: Professor responsible for doctoral education

It is particularly important to inform foreign external reviewers about procedures. An appendix to the decision of appointed actors for the defence that is sent out by the faculty office, is the Information for the Examination Committee and the Opponent.This is a good support in the discussion with the opponent.

Responsible: Doctoral student

The doctoral student must post the thesis three semester weeks before the defence (or during the summer, though not during the period 15 June–15 August). The thesis must contain a Swedish summary of at least two pages. The period from 15 June up to and including 15 August may not be counted as part of the period of availability.
The doctoral student must send the thesis to the external reviewer and the examining committee and deliver seven copies to the University Library (Carolina Rediviva) for archiving.
As the doctoral student post their thesis, information about the thesis and the upcoming defence is published in the University calendar. The information must also be published in the department calendar (contact the department’s website managers).

Responsible: Principal supervisor

The principal supervisor reports in Ladok that all courses required for the doctoral degree have been completed.

Responsible: Chairman of the defence

Public doctoral thesis defence and meeting of the examining committee. Form for examining committee minutes.
The public defence of the doctoral thesis takes place with the participation of the doctoral student, the opponent, the examining committee and others. Only examining committee members have the right to be present at the final deliberations and decision. The supervisor(s) and opponent may attend the discussion prior to the decision.

Responsible: Principal supervisor/Chairman of the defence

The principal supervisor/chairman of the defence reports in Ladok that the defence has been passed and sends the examining committee’s minutes to the Faculty Office.
If the thesis does not pass, the principal supervisor must inform the Scholarly Communication Division at Uppsala University Library: publicera@ub.uu.se.

Responsible: Doctoral student

The doctoral student applies to the Graduation Office for a degree certificate. Before applying for a degree certificate, it is important that the doctoral student enters Ladok and changes to his/her private e-mail address.
There are many degree titles to choose from in Ladok, a tip is to search for "Technology" and then choose "Degree of doctor Philosophy (Faculty of Science and Technology)" or "Degree of doctor Philosophy (Technology)" for Technology doctorate.