Guidelines for PhD Programmes at the Faculty of Theology

Guidelines adopted by The Board of the Faculty of Theology, revised 16.02.2021.

The Board of the Faculty of Theology at Uppsala University has established the following guidelines for third-cycle courses and PhD programmes at the faculty. The guidelines are based on the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 2010: 1064), Guidelines for Third-cycle Education at Uppsala University (RUF, UFV 2019/641), Admission and Grading Regulations for Third-cycle Courses Education at Uppsala University (AFUU, UFV 2012/2057). In addition to this regulatory framework, third-cycle education is also subject to rules on gender equality, equal opportunities, sexual harassment and victimisation, as well as the Swedish Work Environment Act (SFS 1977:1160) and the University’s and Faculty’s operational plans and gender equality and equal opportunities plans and the University’s Parental Policy. The Faculty of Theology’s Guidelines for PhD Programmes regulate the implementation of the provisions of the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance and Uppsala University’s local regulations for third-cycle education. The guidelines also contain separate rules PhD Programmes decided on by the Faculty of Theology. Previous guidelines for PhD Programmes established by the Faculty Board hereby cease to apply.

1. General Regulations

1.1 Responsibility for education

Pursuant to Chapter 2 Sections 2 and 3 of the Higher Education Ordinance, responsibility for third-cycle education ultimately rests with the University Board and the Vice-Chancellor. Responsibility has been delegated to disciplinary domain boards or faculty boards in each domain. While disciplinary domain boards/faculty boards bear overall and supervisory responsibility, day-to-day work is performed by the department at which the doctoral student is registered. Disciplinary domain boards, faculty boards, departmental boards and supervisors are responsible for ensuring that third-cycle courses and programmes are of a high level of quality and efficiency and that the rights and obligations of all concerned are observed (RUF Section 2).

1.2 Research subjects

Since 1 December 2020, third-cycle courses and programmes at the Faculty of Theology have been organised in the following subjects (TEOLFAK 2020/71):

• History of Religions and World Christianity
• Empirical-Practical Studies of Religion and Theology
• Biblical Exegesis
• Church History and Mission History
• Ethics
• Philosophy of Religion
• Systematic Theology

As well as courses and programmes in the above subjects, during a transitional period courses and programmes are also being conducted in the Faculty of Theology’s previous subjects:

• History of Religions
• Sociology of Religions
• Psychology of Religions
• Old Testament Exegesis
• New Testament Exegesis
• Church History
• Ecclesiology
• World Christianity and Interreligious Studies
• Systematic Theology and Studies in Worldviews
• Ethics
• Philosophy of Religion
  - the profile subject Islamic Theology and Philosophy, which can be taken as a specialisation within each research subject in these subjects.

1.3 General syllabus for third-cycle programmes

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 26 For each subject in which third-cycle courses or study programmes are offered a general study syllabus is required.

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 27 A general study syllabus shall indicate the following: the main content of the study programme, specific entry requirements and any other regulations required.

The Faculty Board has delegated responsibility for compiling literature lists for third-cycle courses to each subject area meeting. The Faculty Board has delegated responsibility for compiling the literature list for the interdisciplinary introductory course to the head of department.

2. Application, Admission and Entry Requirements

2.1 General entry requirements

6 Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7 Section 39 A person meets the general entry requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she:

1. has been awarded a second-cycle qualification;
2. has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle; or
3. has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad. The higher education institution may permit an exemption from the general entry requirements for an individual applicant, if there are special grounds.

An applicant with a second-cycle degree from a higher education institution within the EU or EEA is deemed to meet the general entry requirements for PhD Programmes if the secondcycle degree meets such qualifications in the country in which it was awarded.

2.2 Specific entry requirements

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7 Section 40: The specific entry requirements laid down shall be essential for students to be able to benefit from the course or study programme. These requirements may comprise:

1. knowledge from one or more higher education courses and study programmes or corresponding courses and study programmes;
2. specific professional or vocational experience; and
3. requisite language skills or other conditions determined by the course or study programme.[1]

Specific entry requirements for admission to PhD Programmes are stated in the general syllabus for each of the faculty’s research subjects. An applicant with a second-cycle degree from another EU or EEA country, that meets the general entry requirements for third-cycle studies in the subject in question in that country, meets the special entry requirements for PhD Programmes in that subject at the Faculty of Theology.

2.3 Applications to PhD Programmes

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7 Section 37: Decisions relating to admissions are made by the higher education institution. A person who wishes to be admitted to a third-cycle course or study programme shall apply within the time prescribed and in compliance with the procedures laid down by the higher education institution. When a higher education institution intends to admit one or several third-cycle students, information shall be provided by the higher education institution through advertising or some equivalent method. Information need not, however, be provided:

1. about the admission of a third-cycle student who is to complete the course or study programme within the framework of employment by an employer other than the higher education institution;
2. about the admission of a third-cycle student who has previously begun third-cycle studies at another higher education institution; or
3. if there are similar special grounds.

The admission procedure is also regulated in Uppsala University’s local Admission and Grading Regulations for Third-cycle Education (AFUU).

Section 5 of AFUU: Information shall be provided by each faculty board regarding:

• the admission procedure;
• the date of the announcement of doctoral studentships;
• the documentation to be attached to applications for admission;
• the structure of the programme;
• how the position is to be funded; and
• the general syllabus for the third-cycle subject.
  Calls for applications to be admitted to third-cycle studies shall be made available locally and on the University’s website (www.uu.se) at least three weeks prior to the deadline for applications. The call should be announced nationally. These local regulations apply to new admissions to third-cycle studies.

The Faculty Board is only permitted to admit applicants to third-cycle education for whom a funding plan is in place for the duration of the study period, normally through employment as a doctoral student. The Faculty Board may, however, admit an applicant who has some other form of funding if the board deems that funding can be guaranteed for the entire study period and that the applicant will be able to dedicate sufficient time to their studies to ensure that they graduate within four years with a Degree of Licentiate or eight years with a Degree of Doctor (cf. SFS 2010:1064, Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7 Section 36, RUF Section 3).

While admissions to the Faculty of Theology are restricted to Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, students are permitted to conclude their studies with a Degree of Licentiate. Instructions for applying for PhD Programmes are established and announced annually prior to the application period. Applications for PhD Programmes are submitted to the Department of Theology at the start of the spring semester. The deadline for applications varies from year to year. Decisions regarding admission are made by the Faculty Board in May or June. Those who expect to finance their third-cycle education through external funding or personal means also apply at this time. Under exceptional circumstances, admission may be granted outside the admission period, if external funding has been obtained in competition and scientific testing by research councils or similar bodies.

Admissions to third-cycle education and the allocation of financial aid for studies are undertaken transparently and in competition. Admission applications shall be addressed to the Board of the Faculty of Theology but submitted to the Department of Theology via Uppsala University’s electronic application system. Calls for applications for admission and financial aid for third-cycle studies education information on the procedure for admissions, the date on which announcements of doctoral studentships are published, the documents that should be attached to an application and the structure and form of funding for the position.

As a general rule, applications should include the following documents:

• A completed application form.
• Register extracts certifying that general and specific entry requirements for PhD Pogrammes at the Faculty of Theology are met. Register extracts from third-cycle courses (where applicable).
• Master’s thesis.
• A project description of 6 pages with the following headings: Purpose, Research question, Material, Methods, Theoretical framework, The studies relationship to earlier research.
• Submitted sections of dissertation (where applicable).
• Proposed funding plan for third-cycle education.
• The applicant shall state who has been approached to act as principal supervisor.

Before submitting an application, a professor or representative of the research subject the applicant intends to study should be contacted to obtain further information about the research profiles within each subject. Further information is available on the Department of Theology’s website at www.teol.uu.se.

The fact that an applicant is considered able to transfer credits from prior courses and study programmes or for professional or vocational experience may not alone give the applicant priority over other applicants (cf. SFS 2010:1064, Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7 Section 41).

2.4 Admission, selection and allocation of faculty financial aid for studies

According to Chapter 7 Section 35 of the Higher Education Ordinance, applicants are required to both meet the basic and specific entry requirements and be deemed to have the ability required to benefit from the course or study programme.

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7 Section 35 The requirements for admission to third-cycle courses and study programmes are that the applicant:

1. meets the general and specific entry requirements that the higher education institution may have laid down;
2. and is considered in other respects to have the ability required to benefit from the course or study programme.

The Higher Education Ordinance also states that only applicants employed as doctoral students or who have secured some other form of funding for doctoral studies may be admitted.

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7 Section 36 A higher education institution may admit an applicant to third-cycle courses and study programmes who has been appointed to a doctoral studentship. The higher education institution may also admit an applicant who has some other form of funding for their studies if it assesses that: funding can be guaranteed during the entire period of study; and the applicant can devote enough time to their studies to enable their completion within four years in the case of a licentiate degree or a licentiate degree in the fine, applied and performing arts or eight years in the case of a PhD or a doctorate in the fine, applied and performing arts.

The Higher Education Ordinance also allows a higher education institution to admit a doctoral student transferring from another higher education institution, if they have completed most of their third-cycle education.

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7 Section 38 A higher education institution that has been entitled to award third-cycle qualifications within an area may permit a third-cycle student who has been admitted to some other university or some other higher education institution to transfer without a new admission process to the higher education institution and to continue his or her courses and study programmes and receive his or her qualification there. This only applies, however, if the third-cycle student has completed the major part of his or her third-cycle studies at the higher education institution in the area in which entitlement to award third-cycle qualifications has been granted.

What is said in the first paragraph is to apply similarly at a higher education institution that in having been granted the title of university is entitled pursuant to Section 11 of Chapter 1 of the Higher Education Act (1992:1434) to award third-cycle qualifications.

The selection process shall be based on the ability of applicants to benefit from the course or study programme based on well-defined quality criteria, regardless of funding form.

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7 Section 41 In selecting between applicants who meet the requirements laid down in Sections 35 & 36 their ability to benefit from the course or the study programme shall be taken into account. The higher education institution determines which assessment criteria shall be used in determining the ability to benefit from the courses and study programmes. The fact that an applicant is considered able to transfer credits from prior courses and study programmes or for professional or vocational experience may not alone give the applicant priority over other applicants.

AFUU Section 3 paragraph 7 and 8 The admission of doctoral students shall be based on welldefined quality criteria. The same criteria shall be applied to the admission of externally funded and self-funded doctoral students as when admitting doctoral students with financial aid for studies.

The programme length for a degree of licentiate or doctor may not be unofficially extended by allowing the student to de facto pursue third-cycle studies without being formally admitted. Nor should the actual programme length be extended in some other way so that it exceeds two or four years net study.

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5 Section 3a A doctoral studentship shall be a full-time post. If a third-cycle student so requests, the appointment may be a part-time post but for no less than 50 per cent of a full-time post.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Ordinance, the ability to benefit from the course or programme is the deciding factor in admitting a student to third-cycle education. The number of doctoral students who can be admitted depends on the available financial aid for studies and the available supervisory capacity. Prior to admission, the head of department determines the available supervisory resources in each research subject. The head of department is responsible to the Faculty Board for this determination. Funding possibilities and access to supervisory resources therefore determine how many doctoral students may be admitted to third cycle studies each year. Applications submitted to the faculty are sent to the relevant research subject.

In joint admissions to PhD Programmes and the allocation of faculty financial aid for studies, a ranking is compiled of all applicants based the quality of their applications.

In certain cases, the faculty may co-finance already funded major external projects affiliated to the faculty with announced doctoral studentships linked to the project. When making appointments to project-linked doctoral studentships, the faculty’s Advisory Group for Thirdcycle Education (AGFU) ranks applicants and submits a recommendation for an appointment to the head of department.

Doctoral student admissions must be based on well-defined quality criteria. The assessment criteria are intended to ensure that the provision of the Higher Education Ordinance regarding the ability of applicants to benefit from the course or programme is fairly applied. The following criteria are applied: analytical ability, methodical rigour, theoretical awareness, ability to think critically, familiarity with literature and primary material in the field of the dissertation, autonomy and originality, broad prior knowledge of relevance to the subject of the dissertation, and the ability to communicate in writing. The relevance of the project is also assessed in relation to the research subject’s profile and the research programme. These criteria shall regulate the assessment of supervisors, the recommendation of the advisory group and the faculty board’s decision to admit someone to third-cycle studies. The application for financial aid for studies shall also be assessed according to the above criteria for admission to PhD Programmes. For those already admitted, an additional criterion is also applied: progression in relation to the total programme length.

Regarding admissions or transfers from PhD Programmes at another higher education institution, where it is not possible to make a full assessment of the extent of credit transfers at the time of admission, admission should normally be conditional on the applicant presenting supporting documentation of the completion of planned courses. The principal supervisor is responsible for making a preliminary assessment prior to admission of the scope of courses taken in third-cycle programmes at other higher education institutions.

All teachers in the research subject who participate in a PhD Programme shall jointly submit an opinion of applicants to the Advisory Group for Third-cycle Courses and Programmes (AGFU). The ability to benefit from the course or programme shall be assessed based on both master’s thesis (or equivalent) and on the project description attached to the application.

Potential funding other than financial aid for studies shall not imply a less rigorous examination of the general and specific entry requirements, nor the ability to benefit from the course or programme. Nor shall lower requirements be set in this regard when assessing applicants with funding than when assessing applicants whose admission is dependent on faculty financing.

The advisory group shall draw up a faculty-wide ranking for admission to courses and programmes. This should include an assessment of the funding plan submitted with the application. In the interests of obtaining additional information on which to base assessments of applications and the ability to benefit from the programme, the advisory group may, if it deems it necessary, conduct interviews with applicants. The advisory group will then make a recommendation for a decision on admission to third-cycle education by the Faculty Board, to be made at the end of May/beginning of June.

Studies begin in the following autumn semester. A doctoral studentship is a full-time position. At the request of a doctoral student, employment may be on a part-time basis but shall be at least 50% of a full-time equivalent.

2.5 Funding

Admission to third-cycle education at the Faculty of Theology presupposes one of the following three funding alternatives:

A. The faculty’s financial aid for studies.

B. External funding, in which case

• • the name of the external financier shall be stated;
  • a certificate of funding from the financier shall be attached to the application stating the amount and period of time (four or eight years) of the student finance; and
  • any supplementary financing required from the faculty shall be stated.

C. Third-cycle education are to be self-funded, in which case

• • the form of self-funding shall be stated;
  • a certificate of funding shall be attached to the application stating the period of time (four or eight years) of the student finance; and
  • a guarantee shall be provided of a minimum level of funding equivalent to student finance for full-time studies for four years or half-time studies for eight years. This also applies to students supported by a doctoral grant.

The allocation of financial aid for studies from faculty funds (alternative A) is for a doctoral studentship of four years.

Doctoral grants for third-cycle education are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5 Section 4: A doctoral student in receipt of a doctoral grant shall on application be appointed to a doctoral studentship no later than the date on which according to the individual study plan there remains a period of study corresponding to three years of full-time study before the award of a PhD or a doctorate in the fine, applied and performing arts. This does not apply, however, if the vice-chancellor has decided on the withdrawal of the student´s resources pursuant to Section 30 of Chapter 6 of this Ordinance.

Section 4a: A doctoral student in receipt of a doctoral grant does not need to be appointed pursuant to Section 4 if the grant is awarded as part of:

1. an aid and capacity building programme in which grants are an accepted form of funding with reasonable terms and conditions and the admitting higher education institution has insight into these terms and conditions and into how the grant is paid; or
2. a programme funded by the European Union or other partnerships, in which grants with reasonable terms and conditions comprise an accepted form of funding and where requirements for funding through employment are a barrier to participation for the admitted higher education institution.

Uppsala University defines capacity building as the processes by which individuals, organisations and society as a whole raise, strengthen, adapt and maintain their capacity over time. An aid and capacity building programme must aim to build capacity in one of the countries that, at the time of the doctoral student’s admission, is on the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list.

At Uppsala University, funding through a doctoral grant pursuant to Section 4a point 1 is permitted if i) the organisation providing the grant is based in one of these countries or ii) the organisation providing the grant has the stated purpose of promoting capacity building in one of these countries.

The question of which programmes funded by the European Union and other partnerships fall within the scope of exemption pursuant to Section 4a point 2 is determined within each disciplinary domain (or faculty where applicable) and shall be clearly documented and communicated (RUF Section 6b).

3. Structure and Content of Study Programmes

3.1 Individual study plans

6 Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 29 An individual study plan shall be established for each doctoral student. This plan shall contain the undertakings made by the doctoral student and the higher education institution and a timetable for the doctoral student's study programme. The plan shall be adopted after consultation with the doctoral student and his or her supervisors.

The individual study plan shall be reviewed regularly and amended by the higher education institution to the extent required after consultation with the doctoral student and his or her supervisors. The period of study may only be extended if there are special grounds for doing so. Such grounds may comprise leave of absence because of illness, leave of absence for service in the defence forces or an elected position in a trade union or student organisation, or parental leave.

An individual study plan is established as soon as the decision to admit the doctoral student to third-cycle education has been reached. It shall then be reviewed and amended four times each academic year. The individual study plan, including the review and amendments, shall be submitted to the department at the beginning of each autumn semester. Individual study plans are drafted by the director of third-cycle education and the head of department and established by the head of department or, if the head of department is the doctoral students supervisor, the deputy head of department. The individual study plan also constitutes an agreement between the doctoral student, their supervisor and the department and may be invoked in matters of withdrawing the doctoral student’s right to supervision and other resources.

Pursuant to Section 5 of the Guidelines for Third-cycle Education at Uppsala University, individual study plans shall contain information regarding:

1. the intended degree;
2. the timetable for the doctoral student’s studies. The plan should contain a general plan for each year and an estimated date for defence of the dissertation. the plan is to indicate the courses planned. It is particularly important that the plan is formulated so as to give a good description of the expected degree project, with measurable overall and interim goals including deadlines;
3. the funding plan for the entire effective period of study. When the project is funded by means other than a doctoral studentship, the particular considerations given during the admission process are to be attached to the individual study plan, as well as, where applicable, the agreement with the funding provider;
4. planned teaching, teacher training and/or other departmental work;;
5. the organisation of supervision should be stated, both in scope and form, as well as the undertakings of the different parties to ensure effective supervision;
6. if any other special conditions apply to the studies, these are to be stated.

The template for individual study plans available at the faculty shall be used and updated annually. The individual study plan shall be signed by the doctoral student, their supervisors and the head of department. Training in teaching and learning in higher education is compulsory for doctoral students who are to teach. This should normally be included as a credit-bearing element of the individual study plan or undertaken within the framework of the doctoral student’s departmental duties.

The individual study plan is a living document in which both deviations from the plan and achieved intermediate goals are documented on an ongoing basis. Doctoral students are offered an annual performance review with the director of third-cycle education or, if they have a personal interest in the doctoral student’s dissertation, an equivalent member of the department.

3.2 Programme length, approved leave from studies and leave of absence

The length of student finance is regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance. The maximum programme length is 16 semesters for a Degree of Doctor and 8 semesters for a Degree of Licentiate, included the estimated time required to defend a dissertation. Studies shall amount to at least 50% of a full-time equivalent each academic year. Approved leave from studies may be granted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 5 Section 7 of the Higher Education Ordinance, i.e. a period of employment may be extended if there are special grounds for doing so, such as leave of absence because of illness, leave of absence for service in the defence forces or an elected position in a trade union or student organisation, or parental leave.

7 Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5 Section 7 Appointment to a doctoral studentship shall apply for an indefinite period, however for no longer than until a specified date and never for a period extending more than one year after the award of a PhD or a doctorate in the fine, applied and performing arts. The initial appointment may apply for no longer than one year. An appointment may be renewed for no more than two years at a time.

A person may be appointed to a doctoral studentship for a total of eight years. The total employment period may, however, not exceed the time corresponding to full-time third-cycle study for four years.

For courses or study programmes to be concluded with the award of a licentiate degree or a licentiate degree in the fine, applied and performing arts the total employment period may not exceed the time corresponding to full-time third-cycle study for two years. The time spent studying by the third-cycle student while not appointed to a doctoral studentship shall be deducted from these periods.

The total period of employment may, however, exceed that stated in the third paragraph if special grounds exist. Such grounds may comprise leave of absence because of illness, leave of absence for service in the defence forces or an elected position in a trade union or student organisation, or parental leave.

Uppsala University has established Guidelines for Extending the Employment of Doctoral Students with an Elected Office (UFV 2014/72). These guidelines relate directly to the University’s organisation with regard to appointments to boards and committees.

The Faculty Board may extend the programme length due to illness, leave of absence for service in the defence forces or an elected position in a trade union or student organisation, or parental leave. Decisions related to this type of extension are delegated to the Department of Theology and are made on an ongoing basis. Whenever such a decision is reached, the doctoral student’s ability to work actively on their dissertation project shall be safeguarded. The recommendations contained in Uppsala University’s Parental Policy apply regardless of the form of funding the doctoral student has.

For doctoral students who teach first and second-cycle courses, programme length is extended by a period corresponding to the amount of time spent teaching, so that net programme length does not exceed four years of full-time study and the total length of employment does not exceed eight years. Pursuant to the Swedish Agency for Government Employers’ ALFA agreement, doctoral students are not entitled to leave of absence to take up another appointment. The Department of Theology has adopted a policy regarding the opportunity for doctoral students to take a leave of absence to pursue secondary employment based on the provisions of Chapter 5 section 3a of the Higher Education Ordinance that a doctoral studentship shall be a full-time post but for no less than 50 per cent of a full-time post. Applications for leave of absence for reasons other than illness, leave of absence for service in the defence forces or an elected position in a trade union or student organisation, or parental leave shall be granted extremely restrictively and only with the approval of the principal supervisor. Applications for a leave of absence to teach at another higher education institution will not be granted if that institution can be considered to be in competition with the Department of Theology. Any planned leave of absence that has been approved by the head of department shall be included in the individual study plan submitted prior to the new academic year.

3.3 Procedure for making major changes to a thesis project

In the event that a doctoral student and their principal supervisor jointly consider that a dissertation project is no longer feasible because a similar project has already been completed by another researcher, or because the object of study/source material is no longer available, the principal supervisor and doctoral student shall inventory the possibility of designing a new dissertation project closely linked to the doctoral student’s knowledge and the already completed courses in the third-cycle programme.

If, having conducted such an inventory, the principal supervisor and doctoral student feel that a major overhaul of the project is called for, the director of third-cycle education shall be involved in the process. The supervisor, doctoral student and director of third-cycle education shall then present a proposal to the deputy dean, who will then make an official note in the register stating that the meeting has taken place and summarising the main points.

Meetings with both the director of studies and the deputy dean shall be held before any decision is reached on a major reorientation or changes to the project. Only if this procedure is followed may an application to extend student finance due to major reorientation or changes to the project be considered by the Faculty Board.

3.4 Supervision

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 28 At least two supervisors shall be appointed for each doctoral student. One of them shall be nominated as the principal supervisor. The doctoral student is entitled to supervision during his or her studies unless the vice-chancellor has decided otherwise by virtue of Section 30.

A doctoral student who so requests shall be allowed to change supervisor.

AFUU Section 1 The Faculty Board shall appoint at least two supervisors for each doctoral student, one of whom shall be principal supervisor with primary responsibility for the programme, including the dissertation project, and one assistant supervisor. One of the supervisors shall meet the requirements for appointment as a docent.

The Guidelines for Third-cycle Education at Uppsala University (RUF) also state that the principal supervisor shall undergo supervisor training no later than during their first year as a supervisor. This is also a recommendation for assistant supervisors. Supervisor training courses are arranged regularly by the University. In addition to university-wide courses, disciplinary domain boards/faculty boards that are delegated overall responsibility for thirdcycle courses and programmes should offer supervisor training.

The Department of Theology’s guidelines for calculating working hours recommends 48 hours of supervision time for a full-time doctoral student in their first year (normally 16 hours of contact) and in their second, third and fourth years, 60 hours (normally 20 hours of contact time). One principal supervisor and one assistant supervisor shall be appointed for each doctoral student. The principal supervisor is appointed by the Faculty Board as soon as the student has been admitted. Assistant supervisors may be appointed by the Faculty Board at the time of admission; otherwise, they are appointed at the start of the programme by decision of the head of department when establishing the individual study plan for the academic year. Any change of principal or assistant supervisor should be made before the new academic year by decision of the head of department when establishing the individual study plan for the academic year.

External assistant supervisors may be appointed in the same way, in which case the department will draw up an agreement on remuneration. Under exceptional circumstances, a change of supervisor may be permitted during the academic year by special decision of the head of department, in which case the change shall be entered retroactively in the doctoral student’s individual study plan.

At least one of the supervisors shall meet the requirements for appointment as a docent. The principal supervisor shall be employed by or affiliated with Uppsala University. The head of department authorises agreements with external supervisors once their appointment has been included in the individual study plan by decision of the head of department. The head of department decides on the division of working hours between the principal supervisor assistant or external supervisors. Agreements with external supervisors are entered into for one academic year and reviewed at the end of the academic year.

Supervision capacity is established annually by the head of department. Individual study plans and plans for departmental duties are the point of departure for calculating the scope for any admission of new doctoral students and for planning supervision in the event of leave of absence and continuous research time for the department’s teaching staff.

Supervisors and doctoral students require close contact throughout the programme. It is for supervisors to ensure that they fulfil their undertakings pursuant to the Higher Education Ordinance and individual study plans, something that at the Faculty of Theology implies:

• offering advice and guidance on research methods and conditions, including demands for quality and available materials;
• in consultation with the doctoral student, establishing the subject for the dissertation taking into account that the programme shall cover 240 HE credits;
• in consultation with the doctoral student, planning work on the dissertation and forms of supervision and analysing deviations from the plan on an ongoing basis;
• encouraging and mediating contacts with Swedish and foreign researchers and institutions, as well as facilitating opportunities for the doctoral student to undertake study visits and attend conferences;
• being available to review manuscripts and for discussion and consultation; and
• satisfy themselves that the doctoral student is aware of the extent to which their research is progressing in an acceptable manner and providing results of an acceptable quality.

The Faculty Board bears the overall responsibility for PhD Programmes, including supervision. If the doctoral student and their supervisor are unable to agree on whether the parties are fulfilling their undertakings, it is therefore the ultimate responsibility of the Faculty Board to investigate the matter and take any necessary measures.

3.5 Research seminars and graduate schools

Regular research seminars will be held in each subject, dealing with selected themes and sections of dissertations. Regular attendance at research seminars is generally compulsory. Doctoral students are encouraged to participate in relevant graduate schools held by the faculty and at other faculties and higher education institutions. Credit transfers from graduate schools to PhD Programmes are at the discretion of the relevant supervisor and must be registered in Ladok.

3.6 Literature courses and the interdisciplinary introductory course

The course element of PhD Programmes at the Faculty of Theology is equivalent to 90 credits for a Degree of Doctor and 60 credits for a Degree of Licentiate. The various courses included in PhD Programmes are stated in the general syllabus for each programme. Literature lists for individual research subjects are established by subject committees and shall be made available to the doctoral student. At the Department of Theology, the principal supervisor is the examiner of the literature courses in the programme, although they may decide to delegate the examination of individual courses to the assistant supervisor or another member of staff who teaches the subject in question. The examiner for the interdisciplinary introductory course is the director of third-cycle education. Tests shall be assessed with one of the grades Pass (G) or Fail (U). In addition to ordinary literature courses in each subject, in some cases PhD-courses with teaching may be offered in individual or combined subjects or with other faculties.

A joint theory and method course (7.5 credits) is held at the Faculty of Theology once a year for doctoral students of all subjects. The literature list for this course is established by the head of department. The course is compulsory for newly admitted doctoral students and subject to available places is also open to previously admitted doctoral students. The director of thirdcycle education is the examiner for the interdisciplinary introductory course. If necessary, the course can be held in English.

3.7 Credit transfer

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 6 If a student at a higher education institution in Sweden has successfully completed a higher education course or study programme, she or he is entitled to transfer the credits awarded for a course or study programme at another higher education institution. This does not apply, however, if there is a substantial difference between these courses or study programmes. The same applies for students who have successfully completed a course or study programme:

1. at a university or higher education institution in Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway or a signatory to the Council of Europe's Convention of 11 April 1997 on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region (Swedish Treaty Series 2001:46); or
2. at the Nordic School of Public Health (NHV).

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 7 A student is entitled to transfer credits from a course or study programme other than that laid down in Section 6 if the nature and extent of the knowledge and skills cited by the student are such that they correspond on the whole to the course or study programme for which the credits are to be recognised. A student may also be given credit for corresponding knowledge and skills acquired in a vocational or professional capacity.

6 Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 8 The higher education institution shall assess whether credits can be awarded for the prior course or study programme or professional or vocational experience. Credits may only be awarded to those who are students unless otherwise provided by statute or ordinance.

RUF Section 10 A transfer of credits for courses may be considered either at the time of admission or later in the period of studies. The possibility of receiving credit for courses may not constitute an advantage in the assessment of qualifications in conjunction with admission.

It is up to the doctoral student to apply for a credit transfer. The scope of any credit transfer must be assessed on a course by course basis. Block credit transfers, i.e. credit for several courses at a standard rate, for example in the form of the second year of a second-cycle programme, are not permitted. To ensure educational progression, an assessment must also be made of the number of credits that may be transferred relative to the original scope of the course. A credit transfer may not be linked to a demand for a shortened period of studies. The requirement of guaranteed funding for the entire effective period of studies remains intact. The disciplinary domain board/faculty board decides how decisions on credit transfers are made.

In the case of admission to a later part of the programme, a credit transfer is made for previous studies.

The assessment of courses prior to credit transfer is normally performed by the principal supervisor. The decision to transfer credits rests with the head of department based on a recommendation by the principal supervisor. A generous attitude shall be applied as a matter of principle to credit transfers from third-cycle education completed at other higher education institutions. A separate form is available for this purpose on the Department of Theology’s website.

3.8 Academic teaching qualifications

Doctoral students shall be provided with opportunities to train in and gain experience of teaching and learning in higher education during their study period. The Academic Teacher Training Course should be included in the course element of PhD Programmes and completed before the doctoral student begins teaching. For doctoral students who teach first and secondcycle courses within the framework of their third-cycle education, their first semester and final year shall be free of teaching obligations unless the doctoral student has special reasons for teaching at the end of their programme. A maximum of 20% of the doctoral student’s period of employment may be taken up by teaching.

The teaching mentor and the chair of the subject committee for the doctoral student’s research subject shall draw up a plan for how the doctoral student will be trained in academic teaching and learning. The subject’s teaching mentor has specific subject didactics responsibility for doctoral students who teach. Doctoral students should be encouraged to participate in academic teaching and learning days in order to gain academic teaching qualifications. Time spent teaching is grounds for extending the doctoral student’s programme length.

3.9 Language policy

Language use in PhD Programmes at the Faculty of Theology is regulated by a decision from 2018 (TEOLFAK 2018/40). Research seminars at the Faculty of Theology are conducted in both English and Swedish. The language used should be governed by the needs of doctoral students. As a general rule, this implies that doctoral students who write in Swedish will present their text in Swedish and that Swedish will be the language of discussion. Doctoral students who are not yet conversant with the language should participate as part of their training in the Swedish language. Conversely, English and non-Swedish speakers will present their text in English and English will be the language of discussion. In the case of Swedishspeaking students who write in English, it is for doctoral students and supervisors to decide which language the seminar should be conducted in. The language of the seminar shall be notified in advance, although it is always possible for those attending to express an opinion in the language not in use on that particular occasion.

In order to provide doctoral students who do not speak Swedish with opportunities to acquire further qualifications for future lectureships, they should be offered the chance to teach courses for which the course syllabus permits components taught in English.

A doctoral student will normally study in Sweden for a minimum of four years. It is reasonable to expect that every doctoral student will receive support to learn the Swedish language.

Doctoral students can attend the course Swedish for Academics, which is held each term by the Department of Scandinavian Languages. The course fee is paid by the Department of Theology but attending the course is not grounds for extending the doctoral student’s programme length.

While the day-to-day operations of the department require that relevant documents be translated into English, Swedish remains the working language at Uppsala University and all documents are normally prepared in Swedish. A basic knowledge of Swedish is therefore a requirement for participation in the University’s official bodies and for reading documents and following discussions at meetings. Non-Swedish-speakers are however welcome to give opinions and discuss matters in English.

4. Approved Leave from Studies, Withdrawal of Resources and Expulsion from Studies

4.1 Approved leave from studies and non-completion

7 Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7 Section 7: The period of study may only be extended if there are special grounds for doing so. Such grounds may comprise leave of absence because of illness, leave of absence for service in the defence forces or an elected position in a trade union or student organisation, or parental leave.

A doctoral student retains the right to request leave from studies for a limited period. An application for leave from studies is submitted to the department and approved by the head of department. If the doctoral student decides to end their studies prematurely, they shall submit notification of non-completion.

4.2 Withdrawal of the entitlement to supervision and other resources

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 30: If a doctoral student substantially neglects his or her undertakings in the individual study plan, the vice-chancellor shall decide that the doctoral student is no longer entitled to supervision and other study resources. Before such a decision is made, the doctoral student and the supervisors shall be given an opportunity to make representations. The case shall be considered on the basis of their reports and any other records available. The assessment shall take into account whether the higher education institution has fulfilled its own undertakings in the individual study plan. A written record of the decision shall be made, which is to include reasons for the decision.

Resources may not be withdrawn for any period in which the third-cycle student has been appointed to a doctoral studentship or is receiving a doctoral grant.

If a doctoral student substantially neglects his or her undertakings in the individual study plan, the resources allocated to their third-cycle education may be withdrawn. Such a decision should relate to cases in which the doctoral student is not pursuing their studies in accordance with the individual study plan, for example, if despite access to adequate supervision and other necessary resources to conduct the planned work, the doctoral student fails to demonstrate the capability to do so in a reasonable manner. In the event that such a deviation is deemed significant, the head of department/equivalent shall offer both the doctoral student and their supervisor the opportunity to submit a written opinion.

The withdrawal of resources requires careful assessment and shall be done in a manner whereby the reasons for and against withdrawing supervision and other resources are clearly stated. All cases relating to the withdrawal of resources must be handled with respect and due consideration for the personal integrity of the doctoral student.

In the event that the doctoral student substantially neglects his or her undertakings in the individual study plan, the head of department shall recommend that the Faculty Board take measures and, where appropriate, that the vice-chancellor withdraw resources. A decision to withdraw resources rests with the vice-chancellor after the matter has been prepared by the Faculty Board.

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 31 If study resources have been withdrawn pursuant to Section 30, the doctoral student may, on application to the vice-chancellor, recover his or her entitlement to supervision and other resources. The doctoral student must then demonstrate convincingly, by presenting prospective study results of considerable quality and scope or in some other way, that he or she can fulfil his or her remaining undertakings in the individual study plan.

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 36 The vice-chancellor may not delegate decisions pursuant to Sections 30 & 31.

An application to recover entitlement to supervision and other resources shall be submitted to the head of department, who will pass the matter onto the Faculty Board together with an opinion for a decision by the vice-chancellor. The fact that a doctoral student has had their entitlement to resources withdrawn is not the same thing as deregistration. The doctoral student’s admission stands and they may continue their studies alone and may notify the Faculty Board of their intention to present a dissertation.

Pursuant to Chapter 12 Section 2 point 6 of the Higher Education Ordinance, a decision to withdraw study resources from a doctoral student pursuant to Section 30 of Chapter 6 and a decision that a student is not to recover these resources pursuant to Section 31 of Chapter 6 may be appealed to the Higher Education Appeals Board.

4.3 Expulsion from studies

Expulsion from third-cycle educatioin is regulated in Chapter 4 Section 6 of the Higher Education Act and the Ordinance on the Expulsion of Students from Higher Education (SFS 2007:989). Expulsion mean that the doctoral student may not continue his or her on-going course of study or graduate. An expulsion decision may be reviewed no earlier than two years after it has been issued. An expulsion decision may be appealed to the Administrative Court.

5. Theses and Degrees

5.1 Licentiate and doctoral theses

A licentiate thesis is equivalent to 60 HE credits. A doctoral thesis is equivalent to 150 HE credits. Both licentiate and doctoral theses are normally submitted in the form of a monograph, a coherent work on a single subject. Compilation theses are a relatively new phenomenon in theology and religious studies. The Faculty of Theology has therefore prepared its own detailed criteria and guidelines for this type of thesis based on already published peer-reviewed scientific articles.

The requirement that it must be possible to distinguish the author’s input is fundamental to the Faculty of Theology’s guidelines for compilations theses. To some extent, the nature of a compilation thesis alters the doctoral student’s research role compared to working on a monograph. A compilation thesis presents a series of thematically linked but separate papers, while a monograph essentially presents a single set of research results. In light of this, the faculty recommends against the compilation of articles in a thesis unless it is clear that the nature of the assignment is such that it generates thematically linked but mutually independent research results. Furthermore, a decision should be made at a very early stage of the doctoral student’s programme regarding which type of thesis one intends to present.

The faculty also emphasises that the peer-review of individual articles in no way replaces the usual discussion of texts in research seminars, nor does it diminish the importance of the examining committee/examiner’s role in the final assessment.

General guidelines for doctoral theses as a collection of articles, from 10.04.2018 TEOLFAK. 2018/13):

• The thesis shall compile at least four articles that are ready for publication, at least two of which are published or have been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed international scientific journal or anthology.
• The articles shall be published in journals or the equivalent in which it is clearly stated that a referee system is applied. As a rule, this should be a double-blind peer review.
• At least one of the published articles and two of the four articles as a whole shall be authored alone.
• In the case of coauthored articles, the introductory chapter of a compilation thesis shall clearly state the doctoral student’s own contribution and the contributions of other authors.
• The introductory chapter, which is placed before the articles, includes a summary and discussion of the content of the compiled articles, with the emphasis on the overall theoretical and methodological aspects of the research.
• The introductory chapter should not exceed 50% of the total scope of the printed thesis.

General guidelines for licentiate theses as a collection of articles:

• The thesis shall compile at least two articles that are ready for publication, at least one of which is published or has been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed international scientific journal or anthology.
• The articles shall be published in journals or the equivalent in which it is clearly stated that a referee system is applied. As a rule, this should be a double-blind peer review.
• In the case of coauthored articles, the introductory chapter of a compilation thesis shall clearly state the doctoral student’s own contribution and the contributions of other authors.
• The introductory chapter, which is placed before the articles, includes a summary and discussion of the content of the compiled articles, with the emphasis on the overall theoretical and methodological aspects of the research.
• The introductory chapter should not exceed 50% of the total scope of the final thesis.

Additional recommendations:

In the case of published articles, the thesis should include information on imprimatur, preferably in the initial list of publications in the thesis. The thesis should have continuous pagination, which in practice means that printed articles republished in the thesis will have two page numbers, one referring to the original journal volume or equivalent and one for the thesis itself.

There are significant differences between the Faculty of Theology’s research subjects in terms of how naturally research is likely to fit into a compiled article form of thesis.

The Faculty of Theology grants funds for the production of doctoral theses up to an amount set annually in the faculty’s Operational Plan. Prior to printing the thesis, an agreement shall be entered into between the department and the doctoral student in which the department undertakes to cover the costs of proofreading and printing up to the amount determined by the Faculty Board. Archival copies of both licentiate and doctoral theses shall be supplied to the department.

5.2 Degrees and examination

The Qualifications Ordinance, Annex 2 to the Higher Education Ordinance, contains provisions on the naming of degrees and the translation thereof. The Qualifications Ordinance also specifies the scope and outcomes for third-cycle qualifications.

Qualification Ordinance

Title of qualification

The title of a qualification consists of a qualification as specified in this annex preceded or followed, where relevant, by a designation indicating the area of specialisation. Each higher education institution determines which designations shall be used. As the qualification descriptors indicate, for certain qualifications each higher education institution shall determine an area of specialisation.

Translation

A translation of the title of the qualification must reflect the scope and, where relevant, the field of specialisation of the qualification as well as the cycle in which the qualification is awarded.

The Swedish Council for Higher Education may issue regulations on the translation of qualifications into English. Each higher education institution decides on the translation of a qualification in the degree certificate in languages other than English after consultation with the Swedish Council for Higher Education concerning the legal status that the translation of a qualification may have in other countries.

Each higher education institution decides on the translation of the designations it uses. The higher education institution shall notify the Swedish Council for Higher Education of the designations it has decided shall be used for each qualification in Swedish, as well as their translation into English. Each higher education institution may also notify the Swedish Council for Higher Education of the translation of titles of qualifications into languages other than English.

The Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University has decided on the titles of qualifications and the translation thereof. The Degree of Doctor awarded by the Faculty of Theology is titled Teologie doktor, the English translation of which is Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Theology) (UFV 2010/318).

Qualifications Ordinance

Outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

For the Degree of Doctor the third-cycle student shall:

• demonstrate broad knowledge and systematic understanding of the research field as well as advanced and up-to-date specialised knowledge in a limited area of this field; and
• demonstrate familiarity with research methodology in general and the methods of the specific field of research in particular.

Competence and skills

For the Degree of Doctor the third-cycle student shall:

• demonstrate the capacity for scholarly analysis and synthesis as well as to review and assess new and complex phenomena, issues and situations autonomously and critically;
• demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues with scholarly precision critically, autonomously and creatively, and to plan and use appropriate methods to undertake research and other qualified tasks within predetermined time frames and to review and evaluate such work;
• demonstrate through a dissertation the ability to make a significant contribution to the formation of knowledge through his or her own research;
• demonstrate the ability in both national and international contexts to present and discuss research and research findings authoritatively in speech and writing and in dialogue with the academic community and society in general;
• demonstrate the ability to identify the need for further knowledge; and
• demonstrate the capacity to contribute to social development and support the learning of others both through research and education and in some other qualified professional capacity.

Judgement and approach

For the Degree of Doctor the third-cycle student shall:

• demonstrate intellectual autonomy and disciplinary rectitude as well as the ability to make assessments of research ethics; and
• demonstrate specialised insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used.

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 32 Examinations that form part of third-cycle courses and study programmes shall be assessed in accordance with the grading system prescribed by the higher education institution.

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 33 The qualification descriptors for PhD´s and doctorates in the fine, applied and performing arts lay down that an approved doctoral thesis is required for the award of these degrees.

The doctoral thesis shall be presented and defended orally in public. A faculty examiner (opponent) shall be appointed for this presentation.

RUF Section 10 As stipulated in the University’s regulations, assessment components that form part of doctoral courses and study programmes are to be assessed using the grades ‘pass’ or ‘fail’.

6. Public Presentation and Defence

Provisions on the public defence of doctoral theses can be found in Sections 33–35 of Chapter 6 of the Higher Education Ordinance. These provisions are supplemented by the Guidelines for Third-cycle Education at Uppsala University (RUF) and the Admission and Grading Regulations for Third-cycle Courses and Study Programmes at Uppsala University (AFUU).

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 33: The qualification descriptors for PhD´s and doctorates in the fine, applied and performing arts lay

down that an approved doctoral thesis is required for the award of these degrees. The doctoral thesis shall be presented and defended orally in public. A faculty examiner (opponent) shall be appointed for this presentation.

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 34: At least one of those participating in the grading of a doctoral thesis shall be someone who does not have a post at the higher education institution awarding the degree.

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 35: A higher education institution may issue regulations on the grading system to be used and on public defences and grading in other respects.

RUF Section 11

The Vice-Chancellor has decided to delegate the right to decide on the time and venue for a doctoral defence to the chair of a disciplinary domain board/faculty board or joint body for a faculty or disciplinary domain with responsibility for doctoral education. This decision must be announced at least three weeks before a doctoral defence. Doctoral defences and licentiate seminars may take place during the semester and during the summer recess, with the exception of the period 15 June to 15 August.

The disciplinary domain board/faculty board or joint body for a faculty or disciplinary domain with responsibility for doctoral education decides who appoints the examining committee, external reviewer and chair of a doctoral defence.

The examining committee decides on the grade awarded to a doctoral thesis and must be specially appointed for each individual thesis. The examining committee must consist of three or five members, most of whom must be taken from outside the department to which the doctoral student belongs. In cases where the committee consists of three members, a reserve should be appointed. The members of the examining committee must represent different genders. A person who has been a supervisor of the doctoral student may not be on the committee. The committee must appoint one of its members as Chair. The external reviewer has the right to be present at the meeting of the examining committee and to participate in its discussions, but must not be present for decisions. The same applies to the supervisors. The examining committee is in quorum when all members are present. The opinion on which the majority agrees is to constitute the committee’s decision. The committee is to determine whether to give reasons for the decision and whether any dissenting opinions are to be reported.

AFUU Section 7 A doctoral thesis shall be awarded one of the grades ‘pass’ or ‘fail’. The degree certificate shall state that the doctoral thesis has achieved a passing grade. No reasons for the award of a passing grade shall be stated either on the degree certificate or the minutes of the examining committee meeting. If a member of the examining committee has expressed reservations about the majority decision, the minutes or other decision documentation, but not the degree certificate, shall note that reservation.

6.1 Public presentation of licentiate theses

RUF Section 11 The disciplinary domain board/faculty board or joint body for a faculty or disciplinary domain with responsibility for doctoral education decides on the arrangements for licentiate seminars in its area.

A Degree of Licentiate covers 120 HE credits and may be either the final degree or may be taken en route to a Degree of Doctor of 240 HE credits. Licentiate theses shall be publicly discussed at a research seminar on the subject. Course requirements of 60 HE credits shall have been met before the public presentation.

The licentiate thesis shall be designed as either a detailed paper on a single topic or as a compilation of articles with a brief summary of these authored by the doctoral student alone or with one other person. In the case of coauthored articles, it must be possible to distinguish the author’s autonomous input.

The thesis shall be available for a period of three weeks prior to the date it is presented at the seminar. The announcement of the public presentation shall also be made no later than three weeks in advance on the department’s notice board and notified to the Faculty of Theology’s professors in Lund and Uppsala and to any other relevant departments that conduct thirdcycle theology programmes.

Notification of the public presentation of a licentiate thesis is submitted by the principal supervisor to the Board of the Faculty of Theology no later than four weeks before the presentation using the official form. The principal supervisor submits a proposal for the appointment of the chair of the seminar, an opponent and examining committee and the date on which it is to be held. The presentation shall take place during the semester.

The same rules apply to the appointment of an opponent and examining committee as for defences of doctoral theses; i.e. the opponent shall be at least qualified for appointment as a docent, while the examining committee shall consist of three members, all qualified for appointment as a docent. The majority of members must be appointed from outside the Department of Theology. The opponent shall not be a member of the examining committee (cf. Section 6.5).

The examining committee shall take minutes of the meeting at which a grade is awarded to the licentiate thesis.

The same forms are used for the notification of a public presentation and for the minutes of the committee’s meeting as for doctoral defences.

6.2 Before the defence of a doctoral thesis: course requirements and final review

Before the defence of a doctoral thesis can be arranged and the Faculty Board appoints an opponent and examining committee, a final review shall be held at which a final version of the entire thesis is presented to a specially appointed reviewer. The reviewer shall not have been one of the doctoral student’s supervisors nor shall they be the future opponent of the defence of the thesis.

At the final review, the principal supervisor, assistant supervisor and reviewer will deliberate over what corrections should be made to the manuscript before it is sent for printing. In consultation with the supervisors, the doctoral student should then weigh-up the views expressed both regarding the content and of a formal nature, after which the principal supervisor informs the doctoral student whether or not the thesis should be printed. The principal supervisor and doctoral student decide the date and time of the defence.

Before the defence of a doctoral thesis is notified to the Faculty Board, unless special reasons exist the doctoral student shall have completed courses for at least 80 credits.

Should both parties to the doctoral project – i.e. the doctoral student and the supervisor/department – feel that there is a need to assess the overall quality of the doctoral thesis, the Faculty of Theology has prepared the guidelines Ex Ante Assessments of Doctoral Thesis. In such an assessment, scientific rigour is assessed in terms of 1) choice of subject and research problem, 2) conceptual and theoretical clarity, 3) research methodology, 4) material, 5) presentation of results, 6) conclusions and 7) the project as a whole (cf. TEOLFAK 2019/29).

6.3 Notification of the defence of a doctoral thesis

Notification of the defence of a doctoral thesis shall be submitted to the Board of the Faculty of Theology no later than three months in advance using the official form. The principal supervisor submits a proposal for the appointment of the chair of the public defence, an opponent and examining committee and the date on which the defence is to take place. The defence shall take place during the semester.

Before announcing the defence, the doctoral student shall contact the University Library’s Thesis Production Unit, which will provide information on the procedure for printing theses in the Acta series, as well as the regulations regarding the procurement of printing services should the doctoral student wish to employ a printer outside the University. Note that Uppsala University’s framework agreement for printing services then applies. Neither of these requirements apply to theses published by a publishing house or that are part of a thesis series published jointly with another university, or published through a foreign publisher or in a foreign thesis series. In such cases, the doctoral student should contact the publisher.

An agreement on the printing of the thesis is entered into between the doctoral student and the Department of Theology, represented by the head of department. Doctoral students are not permitted to enter into a binding agreement with a printers to print their thesis before the head of department has approved the tender and signed the agreement.

6.4 Venue

The principal supervisor contacts the department’s premises administrator to book a venue before notification of the defence of a doctoral thesis is submitted to the Board of the Faculty of Theology.

6.5 Appointment of chair, examining committee and opponent

The matter is dealt with by the Board of the Faculty of Theology, which will appoint the examining committee, opponent and the chair of the defence and, by delegation from the vice-chancellor, decide on the date and place of the defence. Should the Faculty Board find that the notification has been received too late or does not comply with the guidelines for defences of doctoral theses, the matter will be referred back to the principal supervisor.

The chair should be a member of staff at the Faculty of Theology, as a rule the principal supervisor. The opponent shall at least be qualified for appointment as a docent or have equivalent competence. The opponent shall not work at the Faculty of Theology at Uppsala University. The person appointed as opponent shall not have been involved in the development of the thesis, nor shall she or he have served as the opponent at the public presentation of the thesis at the final review.

Should the opponent in their preparations find such serious flaws in the doctoral thesis that they fear that the thesis will be receive a failing grade, they should without delay and in good time prior to the planned defence inform the chair of their concerns. It is then incumbent on the principal supervisor to inform the dean and the opponent of this situation.

6.6 Examining committee

The examining committee shall consist of three members and shall appoint a chair from within its ranks. The composition of the examining committee shall be such that the thesis can be assessed from an interdisciplinary perspective. The majority of members must be appointed from outside the Department of Theology. At least one of the members shall be from outside Uppsala University, while one may be from another faculty at Uppsala University. It is desirable to compose the examining committee so that two members represent the research subject in question, one of whom should be from Uppsala University. Committee members shall represent different genders. When the latter is not the case, the principal supervisor shall justify this to the Faculty Board.

Examining committee members shall normally be qualified for appointment as a docent or have equivalent competence and at least one shall be a professor or equivalent. Those who have served as the doctoral student’s principal or assistant supervisor are disqualified from appointment to the examining committee. In the event that it proves impossible to follow these guidelines, or it is deemed objectively justified to deviate from them, the principal supervisor shall justify this to the Faculty Board.

Should the committee members in their preparations find such serious flaws in the doctoral thesis that they fear that the thesis will be receive a failing grade, they should without delay inform the chair of the defence of their concerns. It is then incumbent on the principal supervisor to inform the dean and opponent of this situation.

6.7 Designing a doctoral thesis

A doctoral dissertation can be designed as either a single coherent scientific paper (monograph) or a compilation of scientific papers with a linking theme and a brief introductory section (compilation thesis) that the doctoral student has written alone or jointly with another person. In the case of coauthored compilation theses, it must be possible to distinguish the authors’ autonomous input.

Doctoral thesis may be written in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English, German or French. The Faculty Board may permit a doctoral thesis to be written in another language. This should be notified in conjunction with admission to the PhD Programme.

The doctoral thesis shall have a summary in English, German or French. In addition, a brief summary of the main points (abstract) shall be attached to the dissertation. This, together with information about the defence of the thesis, constitutes the so-called nailing page, which shall be posted on the University’s website. Further information regarding templates, posting, electronic publishing, etc. is available on the University Library website under Publish your thesis.

6.8 Printing grants and other costs

The Faculty Board decides a minimum number of copies of a thesis to be made available prior to the defence and the remuneration for the production costs of this edition. At present, the print run is 120 copies. This also applies to digitally published theses. If additional copies are required, the doctoral student shall request the printers to issue a separate invoice for copies in excess of 120, payable by the doctoral student. The doctoral student may apply to the head of department for an additional printing grant if there are exceptional scientific reasons for a more expensive printing process, such as colour images.

Once the principal supervisor has authorised printing, an agreement is drawn up between the department and the doctoral student, in which the department undertakes to meet the production costs of the thesis to the amount determined by the Faculty Board.

The doctoral student may decide to make a limited and preliminary version (stencil edition) of the thesis available at the defence and publish the thesis in a printed edition at a later date. The stencil edition shall also have a print run of 120 copies. Should the doctoral student wish to use the printing grant from the department to produce the stencil edition, the grant for the printed book will be reduced by the equivalent amount. In such cases, the grant must be used to print the book no later than one year after the defence of the thesis. On application, the head of department may grant an extension to the period for disposing of these funds.

The author is prohibited from selling any copies of the thesis printed using funds granted by the department.

6.9 Distributing copies for the defence of the thesis

A formatted manuscript of the thesis or the finished version of a stencil edition shall be distributed to the examining committee and opponent no later than five weeks before the defence.

The required number of copies of the thesis shall be available in the University Library no later than three weeks before the defence. No later than two weeks before the defence, the thesis shall be available at all Swedish departments that offer third-cycle courses and programmes in theology and religious studies.

The 120 copies shall be distributed as follows:

• 4 copies to the opponent and examining committee members
• 10 copies to the University Library
• 3 copies for the department’s archives
• 20 copies for distribution in conjunction with the public defence
• 63 copies for distribution according to what are currently known as the A and B lists
• 20 copies to the doctoral student

In addition, approximately 20 copies of the thesis shall be freely available in the auditorium during the public defence. The remaining copies are set aside for the author’s own use. In good time prior to posting and distributing their thesis, the author shall contact the department’s administrator for PhD Programmes to obtain the necessary clarification regarding the distribution procedure.

6.10 Digital storage and publication of theses

All doctoral theses are stored digitally in DiVA. It is for the doctoral student to decide if and when the thesis is to be made available in DiVA via digital publication. If the thesis has been published in a manner other than through the University’s Thesis Production Unit, the doctoral student must deliver the thesis to the unit as a PDF file. The doctoral student is responsible for ensuring that digital archiving takes place.

6.11 Announcing the date and venue for the public defence of a thesis

The date and venue of the public defence of a thesis shall be announced by electronic posting (compulsory) and the traditional nailing of the cover sheet in the University Main Building (optional) no later than three weeks before the defence.

Theses shall be posted during the periods 16 August–18 January and 19 January–14 June. As posting must take place no later than three weeks before the defence, anyone defending their doctoral thesis earlier than 5 September during the autumn semester must post the thesis during the spring semester, before 15 June.

Further information about electronic posting is available on the University Library website under Publish your thesis.

6.12 Defending a doctoral thesis

A minimum of 20 copies of the thesis shall be freely available in the auditorium during the defence of a doctoral thesis. The defence can only commence once all members of the examining committee are present. If a member of the committee is prevented from attending, the chair of the defence shall immediately notify the dean, who will appoint an alternate member to the examining committee.

The defence proceedings are led by the chair in the presence of the entire examining committee. The procedure is as follows:

• The public defence begins with the chair introducing the author and title of the thesis, the research subject, opponent and members of the examining committee.
• The chair declares the public defence open.
• The chair gives the floor over to the author of the thesis to inform about any corrections or amendments (errata).
• The opponent briefly presents the thesis and verifies with the author that the content has been correctly understood.
• The opposition then begins. While this may vary in form and scope, it should consist of a critical review and examination of the results presented in the thesis. This shall consist of a dialogue between opponent and author, in which the opponent criticises the thesis and the author responds to that criticism. The opposition concludes with the opponent offering a brief assessment of the thesis. The opponent does not however express any opinion regarding the grade the thesis should be awarded.
• Once the opponent has completed their review, the chair opens the floor to anyone wishing to express an opinion on the thesis, in the order decided by the chair (opposition ex auditorio). The author shall respond to the comments. Once anyone wishing to speak has had the opportunity to do so, the chair declares the public defence closed.

There is no time limit placed on a public defence. It is desirable that the opponent give the supervisor some idea in advance of how long her or his opposition is expected to take.

6.13 Examining committee meeting

On commencing deliberations, the examining committee shall elect a chair from among its ranks. All members must be present for the examining committee to have a quorum. The individual appointed as chair is responsible for notifying the doctoral student of the committee’s decision. The opponent, principal supervisor and assistant supervisor retain the right to participate in the meeting and deliberations but not in the decision.

A doctoral thesis shall be assessed with one of the grades Pass or Fail. In setting a grade, consideration shall be given to the content of the thesis and to the defence thereof. The opinion on which the majority agrees is to constitute the committee’s decision. The examining committee decides whether to justify a failing grade in the minutes of the meeting. If a member of the examining committee has expressed reservations about the majority decision, this may be noted in the minutes of the meeting.

The meeting may be adjourned if criticism is raised during the public defence of such an extraordinary nature that the examining committee finds it necessary to conduct an investigation or perform checks before reaching a decision.

Once the examining committee meeting is concluded, the grade shall be reported to the vicechancellor. This is done by submitting the minutes of the examining committee’s meeting, signed by the chair of the committee, to the Board of the Faculty of Theology. The chair of the public defence is responsible for ensuring that this notification takes place.

6.14 Remuneration to the opponent

The opponent’s fee is paid by the department. The opponent also receives expenses for travel and subsistence in conjunction with the public defence. A fee and expenses for travel and accommodation (if the committee member is not employed at Uppsala University) are paid to examining committee members.

7. Degree Certificates

Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 9 A student who fulfils the requirements for the award of a qualification shall, upon request, be provided with a certificate.

The Faculty of Theology awards the third-cycle qualifications Degree of Licentiate of Theology and Degree of Doctor of Theology and, upon application for a dispensation, Degree of Licentiate of Philosophy and Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Applications for dispensation are submitted when applying for admission to third-cycle education.

7.1 Degree of Doctor

The Degree of Doctor is awarded upon application to the vice-chancellor by the student. The award of a Degree of Doctor requires a passing grade for both the courses within the study programme and a doctoral thesis. An application for the Degree of Doctor is submitted on the official form. Degree certificates are issued by the Graduation Office at Uppsala University after the submission of the requisite documents for obtaining a Degree of Doctor.

7.2 Degree of Licentiate

The Degree of Licentiate is awarded upon application to the vice-chancellor by the student. The award of a Degree of Licentiate requires a passing grade for both the courses within the study programme and a licentiate thesis. An application for the Degree of Licentiate is submitted on the official form. Degree certificates are issued by the Graduation Office at Uppsala University after the submission of the requisite documents for obtaining a Degree of Licentiate.

[1] Entry into force and transitional provisions to SFS 2006:1053, Note 11