Doctoral Studies
We offer a PhD programme within three different academic disciplines, education, curriculum studies and sociology of education A doctoral student is admitted to one of these disciplines through separate processes of application.
The PhD programme is a four-year full-time programme. Normally, doctoral students are enrolled in the PhD programme for five years since they teach 20 percent of their time. The programme comprises a total amount of 240 credits distributed over one component of course modules and one component consisting of the dissertation. In all subjects the course module is 75 credits and the dissertation 165 credits. It is also possible to study towards a licentiate degree (120 credits). The distribution of credits between the course module and dissertation is 45/75 for Education and Sociology of Education and 37,5/82,5 for Curriculum studies.
Contact
Research administration
Maisam Ali
E-mail to the administration
Director of studies, advanced level
Gunilla Lindqvist - Education
Maria Rasmusson - Curriculum Studies
David Sjögren - Sociology of Education
Structure of the Programme
In contrast to undergraduate studies, the PhD programme is less structured. Within the course modules in each of the three disciplines, the doctoral student can attend courses at the department, at other departments at Uppsala University or at other universities. Courses are given in different forms, from regular courses with lectures and seminars to reading courses where the student works individually. Doctoral students are given two supervisors who advise the student in planning the studies. The doctoral student is in contact with the supervisors throughout the PhD programme and decisions regarding courses are always taken in collaboration with the supervisors.
Every year an Individual Study Plan (ISP) is established for each doctoral student. The study plan is both an instrument for planning the studies and a document in which the student’s progress is documented.
Supervision
When an applicant has been admitted to the PhD programme, two supervisors are appointed: one principal supervisor with the main responsibility for the study programme including doctoral thesis work, and one assistant supervisor. At least one of the supervisors must be employed by Uppsala University, at least one must be associate professor, and at least one has to have completed the course “Supervising PhD Students.”
Dissertation and Defense
The dissertation is written either in the form of a uniform, coherent scholarly work (monograph) or in the form of scholarly articles (cumulative thesis). The subject of the doctoral dissertation is decided in consultation with the supervisors.
During the course of the PhD programme the dissertation manuscript must be presented at work-in-progress seminars. The completed dissertation is defended at a public seminar. The PhD degree is awarded when the doctoral student has successfully completed the course component and defended the dissertation.