Guidelines for third-cycle education (PhD Programmes) at the Faculty of Theology

Guidelines adopted by The Board of the Faculty of Theology, revised 27.05.2025.

Please note that this document is a translation. If the content differs from the Swedish version, the Swedish version always takes precedence.

The Board of the Faculty of Theology at Uppsala University has established the following guidelines for third-cycle education at the Faculty. The guidelines are based on the Higher Education Ordinance (Higher Education Ordinance, SFS 2010: 1064), Guidelines for third-cycle education at Uppsala University (RUF, UFV 2022/728), Admission regulations for third-cycle education at Uppsala University (AFUU, UFV 2022/729), Guidelines for extension of employment and study time for doctoral students with positions of trust (UFV 2021/2081). In addition to these regulations, doctoral education is also affected by rules on gender equality, equal treatment, rules against sexual harassment and victimization, and the Work Environment Act, as well as the university’s and the faculty’s operational plans and gender equality plans and plans for equal treatment. The Faculty of Theology’s guidelines for third-cycle education constitute implementing regulations for the Higher Education Ordinance and Uppsala University’s local regulations for third-cycle education. The guidelines also contain the Faculty of Theology’s specially adopted rules for third-cycle education. Previous guidelines for third-cycle education established by the Faculty of Theology Board hereby cease to apply.

1. General Regulations

1.1 Responsibility for education

According to Chapter 2, Sections 2 and 3 of the Higher Education Ordinance, responsibility for third-cycle education rests ultimately with the Consistory and the Vice-Chancellor . By delegation, the responsibility has been assigned to the area board or faculty board in each area. The area board/faculty board has overall responsibility and supervisory responsibility, but the day-to-day work is carried out by the department where the doctoral student is registered. Area boards, faculty boards, departmental boards and supervisors are responsible for ensuring that doctoral education is conducted with high quality and efficiency, and that the rights and obligations of all concerned are taken into account (RUF, § 2).

1.2 Research subjects

Since 2020-12-01, third-cycle education is organized in the following subjects at the Faculty of Theology (TEOLFAK 2020/71):

• History of Religions and World Christianity
• Social Sciences of Religion and Practical Theology (formerly Empirical-Practical Studies of Religion and Theology)
  
• Biblical Studies
  
• Church History and Mission History
• Ethics
• Philosophy of Religion
• Systematic Theology

Education at the doctoral level is conducted in the above subjects and during a transition period also within the former subjects of the Faculty of Theology:

• Empirical-Practical Studies of Religion and Theology (from 2023-11-07, Social Sciences of Religion and Practical Theology)
• History of Religions
• Sociology of Religions
• Psychology of Religions
• Old Testament Exegetics
• Exegetics of the New Testament
• Church History
• Ecclesiology
• Missiology
  
• 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 study plan

Chapter 6, Section 26 of the Higher Education Ordinance There shall be a general syllabus for each subject in which third-cycle education is organized.

Chapter 6, section 27 of the Higher Education Ordinance A general syllabus shall specify the following: the main content of the education, requirements for specific qualifications and other necessary regulations.

The Faculty Board delegates the establishment of a literature list for courses in third-cycle education to the respective subject collegium. Determination of the literature list for the interdisciplinary introductory course is delegated by the Faculty Board to the Head of Department.

2. Application, Admission and Eligibility

2.1 Basic eligibility

Chapter 7, Section 39 of the Higher Education Ordinance Basic eligibility for third-cycle education is granted to those who have

1. completed a second-cycle degree,
   
2. completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 higher education credits at second-cycle level, or
3. in some other way, within or outside Sweden, acquired essentially equivalent knowledge.
   
   The university may grant an exemption from the general entry requirements for an individual applicant if there are special reasons.
   

Applicants with a second-cycle degree from a university or university college within the EU and EEA are considered to have basic entry requirements for third-cycle education in cases where the second-cycle degree confers such entry requirements in the country in which it was awarded.

2.2 Specific entry requirements

Chapter 7, Section 40 of the Higher Education Ordinance: The specific entry requirements must be absolutely necessary for the student to be able to benefit from the education. The requirements may relate to

1. knowledge from higher education or equivalent education,
2. specific professional experience, and
3. necessary language skills or other conditions required by the program.[1]

Specific eligibility for admission to third-cycle education is specified in the general study plan for each of the faculty’s research subjects. Applicants with a second-cycle degree from another country within the EU and EEA, which in the country where the degree was awarded qualifies for third-cycle education in the subject in question, shall be considered to meet the requirements for specific eligibility for third-cycle education in this subject at the Faculty of Theology.

2.3 Application to third-cycle education

Chapter 7, Section 37 of the Higher Education Ordinance: Questions of admission are decided by the university. Anyone wishing to be admitted to a doctoral program shall apply within the time and in the order determined by the university. When a higher education institution intends to admit one or more doctoral students, the institution must provide information about this through an advertisement or equivalent procedure. However, no information need be provided

1. when admitting a doctoral student who is to complete the education within the framework of employment with an employer other than the university,
2. when admitting a doctoral student who has previously started his/her doctoral studies at another higher education institution, or
3. if there are similar special reasons.

The admission procedure is further regulated by Uppsala University’s local Admission Regulations and Regulations for Grades in Doctoral Education (AFUU).

Section 1 of the AFUU: Each faculty board shall provide information on

• how the admission process works
• when places in third-cycle education are advertised
• the documents to be attached to the application for admission
• the structure of the program
• the funding arrangements for the course
• the general study plans for each subject.
  
  The announcement of the opportunity to apply for admission to doctoral studies shall be available locally and on the university’s website (www.uu.se) at least three weeks before the application deadline. The announcement should also be given appropriate national and international dissemination. The local regulations formulated here refer to new admissions to doctoral education.

The Faculty Board may only admit applicants to doctoral education for whom there is a plan for study funding for the entire duration of the education, normally through employment as a doctoral student. However, the Faculty Board may admit applicants who have some other form of study funding, if the Board assesses that the funding can be secured throughout the education and that the applicant can devote so much of their time to the education that it can be completed within four years for licentiate degrees and eight years for doctoral degrees (cf. SFS 2010:1064, Higher Education Ordinance 7 ch. 36 §, AFUU 4 §).

At the Faculty of Theology, students are only admitted to the doctoral degree. However, students are free to complete their studies with a licentiate degree. Instructions for application to third-cycle education are established and announced annually before the application period. Applications for admission to doctoral studies are submitted to the Department of Theology at the beginning of the spring semester. The deadline for application varies from year to year. Decisions on admission are made by the Faculty Board in May or June. At the same time, those who expect to finance doctoral education through external grants or own funding also apply. In exceptional cases, admission may take place outside the regular admission period, if external funding has been obtained through competition and scientific review by research councils or similar.

Admission to doctoral education and the distribution of study support is open and competitive. Applications for admission should be addressed to the Faculty Board of Theology but submitted to the Department of Theology and made via Uppsala University’s electronic application system. The call for applications for admission to and financial support for doctoral studies includes information on how to apply, when places in doctoral studies are advertised, the documents that must be attached to the application, the structure of the study program and its forms of financing.

As a general rule, the application must contain the following documents:

• a completed application form
• register extracts that prove general and specific eligibility for third-cycle education at the Faculty of Theology. Register extract from doctoral education (if applicable),
• a thesis at advanced level,
• a project description of 6 pages with the following headings: purpose, problem, material, method, theoretical framework, the study’s relationship to previous research,
• submitted thesis sections (if applicable)
• proposal for the financing plan for the program,
• the applicant must indicate who has been appointed as the main supervisor.

Prior to submitting the application, the professor or chair of the subject in which the applicant wishes to undertake doctoral studies should be contacted to find out more about current research profiles in the respective subjects. More detailed information on the admission procedure can be found on the Department of Theology website www.teol.uu.se.

However, the mere fact that an applicant is deemed to be able to have previous education or professional experience credited for the education may not give the applicant priority over other applicants in the selection process (cf. SFS 2010:1064, Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7, Section 41).

2.4 Admission, selection and distribution of faculty study support

According to Chapter 7, Section 35 of the Higher Education Ordinance, admission to third-cycle education requires that the applicant meets both general and specific entry requirements. In addition, it is required that the applicant is deemed to have the ability that is otherwise required to benefit from the education.

Chapter 7, Section 35 of the Higher Education Ordinance To be admitted to third-cycle education, the applicant must

1. have the general entry requirements and the specific entry requirements that the university may have prescribed, and
2. be deemed to have the ability in other respects needed to benefit from the education.

The Higher Education Ordinance also states that only applicants who can be employed as doctoral students or who are granted education grants for doctoral students can be admitted.

Chapter 7, section 36 of the Higher Education Ordinance The university may only admit to doctoral education applicants who are employed as doctoral students or who are granted education allowance for doctoral students. However, the university may admit an applicant who has some other form of study funding if the university assesses that the funding can be secured throughout the education and that the applicant can devote so much of their time to the education that it can be completed within four years in the case of a licentiate degree or artistic licentiate degree and eight years in the case of a doctoral degree or artistic doctoral degree.

The Higher Education Ordinance also allows a decision to be made that a doctoral student who has been admitted to another higher education institution may transfer to their own higher education institution and complete their education there, in cases where the main part of the education has been located at the other higher education institution.

Chapter 7, Section 38 A higher education institution that has been granted permission to award third-cycle degrees in a field may decide, without a new admission, that a doctoral student who has been admitted to another university or higher education institution may transfer to the higher education institution and continue his or her education and be examined there. However, this only applies if the doctoral student has had the majority of his or her doctoral studies at the higher education institution in the field to which the permission to award degrees relates.

The provisions of the first paragraph shall also apply if a higher education institution, by being designated a university, has been granted the right under Chapter 1, Section 11 of the Higher Education Act to award third-cycle degrees.

Applicants shall be selected on the basis of their ability to benefit from the education, based on well-defined quality criteria, regardless of the form of funding.

Chapter 7, Section 41 of the Higher Education Ordinance Selection of applicants who meet the requirements of Sections 35 and 36 shall be made with regard to their ability to benefit from the education. The Faculty Board determines the assessment criteria to be applied in the examination of the ability to benefit from the education. However, the mere fact that an applicant is deemed to be able to have previous education or professional experience credited for the program may not give the applicant preference over other applicants in selection.

Section 3 AFUU Assessment criteria are specified in the general study plan for the third-cycle subject. The same assessment criteria shall be applied to admission regardless of the form of funding.

4§ AFUU The period of study for a licentiate or doctoral degree may not be started or extended by the doctoral student de facto pursuing doctoral education (so-called shadow doctoral student) without being formally admitted.

Chapter 5, Section 3a Higher Education Ordinance Employment as a doctoral student shall relate to full-time work. If a doctoral student so requests, the employment may be part-time, but not less than 50 % of full-time.

The decisive factor for admission to doctoral education shall, according to Higher Education Ordinance, be the ability to benefit from doctoral education. The number of doctoral students who can be admitted is determined by the number of available study support spaces and available supervision capacity. Prior to admission, the head of department determines the supervisory resources within each research subject. The Head of Department is responsible for this assessment to the Faculty Board. Funding opportunities and available supervisory resources therefore determine how many doctoral students can be admitted to doctoral studies each year. The applications received by the faculty are sent to the respective research subject. In the joint admission to doctoral education and the distribution of the faculty’s study support, all applicants are ranked according to the quality of the application.

In some cases, the faculty can co-finance approved major external projects linked to the faculty with advertised doctoral positions that are linked to the projects. When appointing project-associated doctoral positions, the faculty’s advisory group for doctoral education (AGFU) must rank the applicants and propose to the head of department which of the applicants should be employed.

Admission of doctoral students shall be based on well-defined quality criteria. The purpose of the assessment criteria is to ensure a fair application of the provision of the Higher Education Ordinance that admission to doctoral studies shall be made taking into account the applicants’ ability to benefit from the program. The criteria applied are: analytical ability; methodological rigor; theoretical awareness; ability to think critically; good familiarity with the literature and primary material relevant to the subject of the thesis; independence and originality; broad prior knowledge relevant to the subject of the thesis; and written communication skills. In addition, the relevance of the project in relation to the research subject’s profile and research program is also assessed. These criteria shall govern the supervisors’ assessment, the review panel’s proposal and the Faculty Board’s decision on admission to doctoral studies. Applications for study support shall also be assessed according to the above criteria for admission to doctoral studies. For those already admitted, the criterion of progression in relation to total study time is added.

In cases where a full assessment cannot be made of the extent of the credit transfer at the time of admission, admission or transfer to doctoral education from another higher education institution shall be made conditional, provided that the applicant normally presents documentation to support that the planned education has been completed. It is the responsibility of the principal supervisor to make a preliminary assessment prior to admission of the scope of studies in third-cycle education from another higher education institution.

All teachers in the research subject who are involved in the doctoral education must jointly submit an opinion on the applicants to the faculty’s review group for doctoral education (AGFU). The ability to benefit from the education shall be assessed on the basis of approved theses at second-cycle level (or equivalent) and the project description to be attached to the application. The possibility of funding other than the faculty’s study support may not entail a less rigorous assessment of general and specific eligibility and ability to benefit from the education. Nor may lower requirements be set in these respects when assessing applicants with funding than when assessing applicants whose admission requires faculty funding.

The advisory group must draw up a joint ranked list for the faculty for admission to the program. This will include an assessment of the funding plan indicated in the application. In order to obtain additional information for assessing motivations and ability to benefit from the program, the review panel may, if it deems it necessary, conduct interviews among the applicants. The review panel then submits a proposal for a decision on admission to the Faculty Board, which decides on admission to third-cycle education in late May/early June.

The education begins the following fall semester. Employment as a doctoral student must be full-time. If a doctoral student so requests, the employment may relate to part-time work, but must cover at least 50 % of full-time work.

2.5 Funding

Admission to doctoral studies requires a plan for funding according to one of the three options below.

A. Admission to doctoral education at the Faculty of Theology requires funding within the faculty’s allocation for student support in doctoral education.

B. Admission to doctoral studies at the Faculty of Theology is made possible through external funding.

• The external funding body must be stated.
• A certificate from the funding body must be attached to the application. The certificate must state the size and scope in time (4-8 years) of the current study support.
• If additional funding from the faculty is required, this must be stated in the certificate.

C. Admission to third-cycle education at the Faculty of Theology is made possible through own funding.

• Own funding/form of funding must be stated.
• A certificate from the funding body must be attached to the application. The certificate must state the scope in time (4-8 years) for the study support in question.
• The guarantee must cover a minimum financial level corresponding to study grants for full-time studies for four years, or half-time studies for eight years. This also applies to students who are supported by scholarship funds.

The award of study grants financed through faculty funds (option A) implies doctoral studies for four years.

Scholarship funding of third-cycle education is regulated by the Higher Education Ordinance

Chapter 5. 4 Higher Education Ordinance: A doctoral student whose study funding consists of a scholarship shall, upon application, be employed as a doctoral student no later than when, according to the individual study plan, a period of study corresponding to three years of full-time doctoral education remains that is intended to lead to a doctoral degree or artistic doctoral degree. However, this does not apply if the Vice-Chancellor has decided to withdraw the doctoral student’s resources under Chapter 6, Section 30.

Section 4a Higher Education Ordinance A doctoral student whose study funding consists of a scholarship need not be employed in accordance with section 4 if the scholarship is provided within the framework of

1. an aid and capacity-building program where scholarships are an accepted
2. a European Union funded program or other cooperation, where scholarships with reasonable scholarship conditions are an accepted form of funding and where the requirement of funding through employment becomes an obstacle to the participation of the Adopting Higher Education Institute (HEI).

Uppsala University defines capacity building as the processes through which individuals, organizations, and society as a whole develop, strengthen, adapt and sustain capacity over time. An aid and capacity building program should aim to build capacity in a country that is on the DAC/OECD list at the time of the PhD student’s admission.

At Uppsala University, funding through scholarships under Section 4a(1) is permitted if 1) the scholarship organization is based in one of these countries or 2) if the scholarship organization has the express purpose of promoting capacity building in one of these countries. Which programs and other collaborations funded by the European Union fall within the scope of the exemption under section 4a(2) is determined within the faculty, where applicable) and shall be documented and communicated in a clear manner (RUF 6b).

3. Structure and Content of the Program

3.1 Individual study plan

Chapter 6, Section 29 of the Higher Education Ordinance An individual study plan shall be drawn up for each doctoral student. The plan shall contain the university’s and the doctoral student’s commitments and a timetable for the doctoral student’s education. The plan shall be decided after consultation with the doctoral student and his or her supervisor.

The individual study plan shall be regularly monitored and, after consultation with the doctoral student and his or her supervisor, amended by the university as necessary. The duration of the studies may be extended only if there are special reasons for doing so. Such reasons may be leave due to illness, leave for service in the armed forces or for positions of trust in trade unions and student organizations or parental leave.

An individual study plan is drawn up for the first time in direct connection with the decision on admission to third-cycle education. The individual study plan is followed up at least four times a year by the supervisor and the doctoral student together. During the follow-up, any deviations and their causes should be noted. In the event of major deviations, the study plan should be revised during the academic year. Minor deviations should be noted in the next year’s study plan. The individual study plan, including evaluation and updating, must be sent to the department at the beginning of each fall semester. The study plans are prepared by the director of studies for third-cycle education and the head of department, and are approved by the head of department, or in cases where the head of department is the supervisor, by the deputy head of department. The individual study plan also constitutes an agreement between the doctoral student, supervisor and department, and can also be an instrument in assessing questions of withdrawal of the right to supervision and other resources.

According to the Guidelines for Doctoral Education at Uppsala University (RUF 5§), the individual study plans shall contain information on

1. the intended degree (doctor, licentiate or both). For admission to education that concludes with a licentiate degree, a special justification is required,
2. a timetable for the doctoral student’s education. The plan should include an outline plan for each year and an estimated time for the defense. The plan should indicate the courses planned. The design is of particular importance so that the plan well describes the expected dissertation work including timed and monitorable goals/subgoals,
   
3. funding plan for the entire net study period. When funding other than employment as a doctoral student finances the education, the special considerations made at the time of admission shall be appended to the individual study plan as well as, where applicable, the agreement with the funding body,
4. planned teaching and other departmental duties,
5. the organization of the supervision, where both the scope and forms should be specified as well as the various commitments the various parties have to ensure effective supervision,
6. if there are other special conditions that apply to the studies, these should be stated.

The template for individual study plan available at the faculty shall be used and updated annually. The study plan must be signed by the doctoral student, supervisors and head of department. For a doctoral student who is going to teach, pedagogical training is mandatory and it should normally be a scored element in the individual study plan or take place within the framework of the doctoral student’s departmental service.

The individual study plan is an active document where both deviations and achieved milestones are continuously documented. Doctoral students are given an annual opportunity for a performance review with the director of studies for the doctoral program or equivalent who does not have a personal interest in the thesis work.

3.2 Study time, study breaks and leave of absence

The length of study funding is regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance. The maximum length of study is 16 semesters for a doctoral degree and 8 semesters for a licentiate degree, including the estimated time for the public defense. Study activity each academic year must amount to at least 50 % of full-time. Study breaks are granted in accordance with the provisions of Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5, Section 7, i.e. the period of study may only be extended if there are special reasons for it, such as leave due to illness, for service in the armed forces or for positions of trust in trade unions and student organizations or parental leave.

Chapter 5, Section 7 of the Higher Education Ordinance An employment as a doctoral student shall be for an indefinite period, but no longer than a certain date and never for longer than one year after the completion of a doctoral degree or artistic doctorate. The first appointment may be for a maximum of one year. The appointment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

A person may be employed as a doctoral student for a maximum total of eight years. However, the total period of employment may not be longer than the equivalent of four years of full-time doctoral studies.

For studies to be completed with a licentiate degree or artistic licentiate degree, the total period of employment may not exceed the equivalent of two years of full-time doctoral education. The period of study during which the doctoral student has not been employed as a doctoral student shall be deducted from these periods.

However, the total period of employment may be longer than that specified in the third paragraph, if there are special reasons. Such reasons may be leave due to illness, leave for service in the armed forces or for positions of trust in trade unions and student organizations or parental leave.

Guidelines for extension of employment as a doctoral student and for doctoral students with positions of trust have been established by Uppsala University (UFV 2021/2081). The guidelines on the extension of education grants and employment as a doctoral student are directly related to the University’s organization with regard to boards and review bodies.

The Faculty Board may extend the period of study due to illness, leave for service in the Swedish Armed Forces or for positions of trust in trade unions and student organizations or parental leave. This type of extension is made on a regular basis by delegation from the Department of Theology. In the case of this type of leave, the doctoral student’s ability to maintain activity in the thesis project shall be facilitated. The period of study for doctoral students who teach in the undergraduate program is extended by the time corresponding to the teaching, so that the net period of study corresponds to a maximum of 4 years full-time and the total period of employment does not exceed 8 years. According to the Swedish Agency for Government Employers’ agreement, ALFA General Salary and Benefits Agreement, doctoral students have no right to be on leave of absence for other employment. The Department of Theology has, on the basis of Chapter 5, Section 3a of the Higher Education Ordinance, which states that a doctoral student must work full-time and at least 50 % of full-time, a policy regarding the possibility of doctoral students taking leave of absence for secondary employment. Applications for leave of absence for reasons other than illness, parental leave or possible civil defense service will be granted extremely restrictively and only with the approval of the principal supervisor. Applications for leave of absence to teach at other universities or institutions that in some way compete with the Department of Theology will not be granted. Any planned leave of absence decided by the Head of Department must be included in the individual study plan for the new academic year.

3.3 Procedures in case of major changes to the thesis project

In cases where a doctoral student and a principal supervisor together consider that a doctoral project cannot be carried out because the project has already been carried out by another researcher or because the research object/material is no longer available, the principal supervisor and the doctoral student shall promptly make an inventory of the possibility of designing the new thesis project close to the doctoral student’s knowledge and based on the courses already completed in doctoral education.

If, after such an inventory, the principal supervisor and doctoral student believe that a major change to the project is required, the director of studies for doctoral education shall be involved in the process. The supervisor, doctoral student and director of studies then present the case to the vice-dean, who makes an official note in the diary that the meeting has taken place and summarizes the main points.

Meetings with both the director of studies and the vice-dean must take place before any decision is made on major reorientation or change. Only if these procedures are followed can any application for extension of study support due to a major reorientation or change of project be processed by the Faculty Board.

3.4 Supervision

Chapter 6, Section 28 Higher Education Ordinance At least two supervisors shall be appointed for each doctoral student. One of them shall be appointed as principal supervisor. The doctoral student is entitled to supervision during the program as long as the Vice-Chancellor does not decide otherwise on the basis of Section 30.

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

The Guidelines for Third-Cycle Education at Uppsala University (RUF) also state that the principal supervisor shall have completed supervisor training no later than during their first year as supervisor. The same is recommended for the assistant supervisor. University-wide supervisor training courses are organized regularly. Principal supervisors shall undergo supervisor training no later than during their first year as supervisor. The form and scope of such training is decided by the Faculty Board.

The Department of Theology’s guidelines for calculating working hours state that the supervision time for a full-time doctoral student is 48 hours for the first year (normally 16 contact hours) and 60 hours for year 2-4 of the program (normally 20 contact hours). For each doctoral student, a principal supervisor and an assistant supervisor shall be appointed. The main supervisor is appointed by the faculty board in connection with the decision on admission to the program. The assistant supervisor can be appointed by the faculty board in connection with admission. If not, the assistant supervisor is appointed at the start of the program by the head of department deciding on the individual study plan for the academic year. Any change of principal or assistant supervisor must be made before a new academic year and decided by the head of department deciding on the individual study plan for the academic year.

External assistant supervisors are appointed in the same way and the department also draws up a remuneration agreement with them. In exceptional cases, supervisors may be changed during the academic year. In such cases, the head of department makes a special decision and the change must be entered retroactively in the individual study plan.

At least one of the supervisors must be qualified as a docent. The principal supervisor must be employed at or adjunct to Uppsala University. Agreements on external supervision are decided by the head of department after this has been included in the individual study plan and decided by the head of department. The head of department decides on the supervisor and the allocation of working hours between the main supervisor and assistant or external supervisors. Agreements on external assistant supervisors are decided on an academic year basis and reconciled after the end of the academic year.

Supervision capacity is determined annually by the Head of Department. The individual study plans and service plans form the basis for calculating space for possible admission of new doctoral students and for planning supervision during leave of absence and so-called coherent time for research among the department’s teachers.

Supervisors and doctoral students must maintain close contact throughout the period of study. It is incumbent on supervisors to fulfill their obligations under the Higher Education Ordinance and the individual study plan, which at the Faculty of Theology means

• providing advice and guidance on research methods and the conditions of research, including qualitative requirements and available material
• determine, in consultation with the student, the subject of the dissertation, taking into account that the studies shall comprise 240 credits
• in consultation with the student, continuously plan the thesis work and the forms of supervision and analyze deviations from the plans made
• encourage and facilitate contacts with Swedish and foreign researchers and institutions, and work to ensure that the student is given the opportunity to undertake study visits and conference trips,
• be available for reviewing manuscripts and for discussion and advice,
• ensure that the student is clear about the extent to which the research work is progressing in an acceptable manner and that the research performance is of acceptable quality.

The Faculty Board has overall responsibility for doctoral education, including supervision. If the doctoral student and supervisor do not agree on whether both parties have fulfilled their obligations and commitments, the faculty board is thus ultimately responsible for investigating the matter and taking any necessary measures.

3.5 Research seminars and graduate schools

In each research subject, seminars are regularly held on selected themes and dissertation sections. Regular attendance at research seminars is normally mandatory. Doctoral students are encouraged to participate in relevant research schools within the faculty, at other faculties and universities. Decisions on the crediting of research schools within the doctoral education are made by the supervisor concerned and must be registered in Ladok.

3.6 Literature courses and the interdisciplinary introductory course

At the Faculty of Theology, the course component of third-cycle education corresponds to 90 credits for a doctoral degree and 60 credits for a licentiate degree. The various courses included in doctoral education are listed in each subject’s general study plan. Literature lists within the individual research subjects are established by the subject colleges and must be made available to the doctoral student. At the Department of Theology, the main supervisor is the examiner of the literature courses within the program, but can delegate the examination of individual courses to the assistant supervisor or to another teacher within the subject. The examiner for the interdisciplinary course is the director of studies for the doctoral program. The exams shall be assessed with one of the grades pass or fail. In addition to the regular literature courses in each subject, in some cases, research courses are offered with teaching in individual subjects or jointly with other subjects or faculties.

Once a year, a joint theory and methodology course of 7.5 credits is given for the research subjects of the Faculty of Theology. The literature list for the course is determined by the Head of Department. The course is compulsory for newly admitted students, but can also be taken by previously admitted doctoral students, subject to availability. The director of studies for the doctoral program is the examiner for the interdisciplinary course. The course can be given in English if necessary.

3.7 Credit transfer

Chapter 6, Section 6 of the Higher Education Ordinance If a student at a higher education institution in Sweden has successfully completed certain higher education courses, the student is entitled to credit this for higher education at another higher education institution. This does not apply, however, if there is a substantial difference between the courses. The same applies to students who have successfully completed a particular course

1. at a university or other institution of higher education in Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway or in a party to the Council of Europe Convention of 11 April 1997 on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region, or
2. at the Nordic School of Public Health.

Chapter 6, section 7 Higher Education Ordinance A student is entitled to transfer credits for education other than that referred to in section 6, if the knowledge and skills claimed by the student are of such a nature and scope that they essentially correspond to the education for which they are intended to be transferred. A student may also be credited with equivalent knowledge and skills acquired in professional activities.

Chapter 6, section 8 Higher Education Ordinance The university shall examine whether previous education or activities can be accepted for credit transfer. Only a student may be considered for credit transfer, unless otherwise stated by law or regulation.

RUF 10 § Credit transfer of courses may be relevant at the time of admission, but may also be relevant later in the program. The possibility of credit transfer may not constitute an advantage in the merit evaluation in connection with admission. An application for credit transfer is made on the doctoral student’s initiative. The extent of the credit transfer shall be assessed on a course-by-course basis. Standardized crediting of several courses, for example in the form of the second year of a second-cycle programme, a so-called block crediting, is not permitted. In order to ensure progression in the education, an assessment must also be made of the number of credits that may be credited in relation to the original scope of the course. A credit transfer may not be linked to a requirement for a shortened period of study. The requirement for secured funding throughout the net study period remains unchanged. Decisions on credit transfer are made in the order decided by the area board/faculty board. In the case of admission to a later part, credit is granted for previous education.

Assessment of courses for credit transfer is usually done by the main supervisor. Decisions on the transfer of credits are made by the head of department after presentation by the principal supervisor. A generous principle shall be applied when crediting third-cycle education from another higher education institution. A special form for this is available on the Department of Theology’s website.

3.8 Pedagogical merit

Doctoral students shall be given the opportunity to gain teaching experience and training during their studies. Basic university pedagogical training should be included in the course requirements for the doctoral program and completed before teaching takes place.[1] For the doctoral student who teaches in the undergraduate program within the framework of his/her doctoral education, the first semester and the last year shall be free of teaching unless the doctoral student has special reasons for teaching at the end of his/her education. A maximum of 20 % of the doctoral student’s employment may be taken up by teaching.

The chair of the subject board to which the doctoral student belongs shall, together with the subject’s pedagogical mentor, draw up a plan for how the doctoral students are trained in teaching. The subject’s pedagogical mentor has a special subject didactic responsibility for the teaching doctoral students. The doctoral students should be encouraged to participate in the pedagogical days to gain pedagogical merit. The period of employment taken up by teaching constitutes the basis for extension of employment.

3.9 Language policy

Language use in doctoral education at the Faculty of Theology is regulated by a decision from 2018 (TEOLFAK 2018/40). At research seminars at the Faculty of Theology, both English and Swedish are used. The use of languages should be guided by the needs of doctoral students. This means that the basic rule should be that doctoral students who write in Swedish present texts in Swedish and discussions are conducted in Swedish. Doctoral students who do not yet speak Swedish participate and this constitutes skills training in the Swedish language. Similarly, the basic rule is that an English-speaking (non-Swedish-speaking) doctoral student presents a text in English and discusses the text in English. When Swedish-speaking students write in English, it is the responsibility of the doctoral student and the supervisor to decide in which language the discussion will be conducted in the seminar. The language to be used must be specified prior to a seminar, although it is always possible to speak in the language that is not used on the specific occasion.

In order to give non-Swedish-speaking doctoral students the opportunity to qualify for future lectureships, they may be given the opportunity to teach on courses where the syllabus allows elements to be conducted in English.

A doctoral student normally spends at least four years in Sweden. It is reasonable that each doctoral student receives support in learning the Swedish language. Doctoral students can participate in Swedish language courses (Swedish for Academics) given each semester by the Department of Nordic Languages. Participation in these courses is paid for by the Department of Theology, but is not eligible for extension.

For the everyday work at the department, it is required that relevant documents are translated into English. However, Swedish is the working language at Uppsala University and all documents are normally in Swedish. Participation in formal bodies therefore requires a basic knowledge of Swedish to be able to read documents and follow discussions at meetings. However, as a non-Swedish speaker, you can express yourself and discuss in English.

4. Study Breaks, Withdrawal of Entitlement to Resources and Separation from Education

4.1 Study breaks and interruption of studies

Chapter 5, section 7, fourth paragraph of the Higher Education Ordinance: The period of study may only be extended if there are special reasons for it. Such reasons may be leave due to illness, leave for service in the armed forces or for positions of trust in trade unions and student organizations or parental leave.

A doctoral student has the right to request a study leave for a limited period. Requests for study leave must be submitted to the department and approved by the head of department. If the third-cycle education is interrupted prematurely, the doctoral student must report the interruption of studies.

4.2 Withdrawal of right to supervision and other resources

Chapter 6, Section 30 of the Higher Education Ordinance: If a doctoral student substantially neglects his or her obligations under the individual study plan, the Vice-Chancellor shall decide that the doctoral student shall no longer be entitled to supervision and other resources for the education. Before such a decision is made, the doctoral student and his or her supervisor shall be given the opportunity to be heard. The assessment shall be made on the basis of their statements and other available evidence. The assessment shall take into account whether the university has fulfilled its own obligations under the individual study plan. The decision must be in writing and justified.

Resources may not be withdrawn for the period during which the doctoral student is employed as a doctoral student or receives a doctoral student education grant.

If a doctoral student substantially fails to fulfil their obligations under the individual study plan, the resources for the doctoral education shall be withdrawn. Such an assessment should relate to cases where the doctoral student does not conduct their education in accordance with the individual study plan, such as when the doctoral student, despite access to adequate supervision and necessary other resources for the planned work, the doctoral student does not demonstrate the ability to in a reasonable manner. If the deviation is significant, the head of department/equivalent shall request both the doctoral student and the supervisor to submit a written statement.

Withdrawal of resources requires careful consideration and must be done in such a way that the reasons for and against withdrawing supervision and other resources are clearly stated. Cases involving the withdrawal of resources must be treated with respect and due consideration for the personal integrity of the doctoral student.

In the event that the doctoral student has significantly neglected his or her obligations under the study plan, the head of department shall propose to the faculty board to take action and, where appropriate, request that the Vice-Chancellor withdraw the resources. Decisions on the withdrawal of resources are made by the Vice-Chancellor after preparation of the case by the faculty board.

Chapter 6, Section 31 Higher Education Ordinance If the resources for the education have been withdrawn in accordance with Section 30, the doctoral student may, upon application to the Vice-Chancellor , regain their right to supervision and other resources. The doctoral student must then demonstrate that he or she can fulfill his or her remaining obligations under the individual study plan by demonstrating additional study results of considerable quality and scope or in some other way.

Chapter 6, section 36 of the Higher Education Ordinance The Vice-Chancellor may not delegate decisions under sections 30 and 31.

A request to regain supervision and other resources must be submitted to the head of department, who submits the case to the faculty board together with his or her own opinion prior to a decision by the Vice-Chancellor . The fact that a doctoral student has been deprived of the right to resources is not the same as deregistration. The doctoral student can continue to study but then entirely on their own. The doctoral student is still admitted and can notify the faculty board of their intention to submit a thesis. Decisions to withdraw resources for a doctoral student under Chapter 6, Section 30 of the Higher Education Ordinance and decisions that a doctoral student shall not receive back the resources under Chapter 6, Section 31 may be appealed to the Higher Education Appeals Board under Chapter 12, Section 2, point 6.

4.3 Separation from education

Dismissal from third-cycle education is regulated by Chapter 4, Section 6 of the Higher Education Act and the Ordinance on the Dismissal of Students from Higher Education (SFS 2007:989). Dismissal means that the doctoral student no longer has the right to continue the education or to take a doctoral degree. The decision can be reconsidered after two years. Decisions can also be appealed to the General Administrative Court.

5. Thesis and Degree

5.1 Licentiate and doctoral theses

The licentiate thesis is equivalent to 60 credits. The doctoral thesis is equivalent to 150 higher education credits. Licentiate theses and doctoral dissertations are usually designed as uniform and coherent works, so-called monographs. Composite theses are a relatively new phenomenon in theology and religious studies. The Faculty of Theology has therefore specified its own criteria and guidelines for this form of thesis, which is basically based on already published peer-reviewed research articles.

The requirement for independence and that it is possible to distinguish the respondent’s contributions is fundamental to the Faculty of Theology’s guidelines for compilation theses (and corresponding licentiate theses). The form of the compilation thesis partly changes the research task for the doctoral students compared to the form of the monograph. A compilation thesis is required to present a series of thematically related but distinct research results, whereas the monograph thesis essentially presents one research result. Against this background, the Faculty recommends not resorting to the compilation thesis as a form when it is not clear that the task is so constructed as to generate thematically related but mutually independent research results. Furthermore, for this reason, it should be decided very early in the doctoral student’s education which dissertation form is intended to be used.

The faculty further emphasizes that peer review neither replaces the usual seminar discussion of texts, nor reduces the importance of the examining committee’s/examiner’s task in the final assessment.

General guidelines for doctoral thesis in compilation form as of 2018-04-10 (TEOLFAK. 2018/13):

• The thesis must consist of at least four articles, ready for publication, of which at least two are published or finally accepted for publication in international scientific journals or anthologies where peer review is applied.
• The articles must be published in journals or equivalent where it is clearly stated that a referee system is applied. The main rule is a double-blind peer review system.
• At least one of the published articles and two of the total of four articles must be solely authored.
• In cases where there are co-authored articles, the title page of the thesis must clearly state what is the author’s own research contribution and what is the contribution of other authors.
• The articles are preceded by a connecting section, known as a kappa, which summarizes and discusses the content of the articles, with particular reference to the overall theoretical and methodological aspects of the research task.
• The length of the chapter should not exceed 50 % of the total length of the printed thesis.

General guidelines for licentiate thesis in compilation form:

• The thesis must consist of at least two articles, ready for publication, of which at least one is published or accepted for publication in an international scientific journal or equivalent where peer review is applied.
• The articles must be published in journals or equivalent where it is clearly stated that a referee system exists and how it works. The main rule is a double-blind peer-review system.
• In cases where there is a co-authored article, it must be clearly stated in the title page of the thesis what is the author’s own research contribution and what is the contribution of other authors.
• The articles are preceded by a connecting section, known as a kappa, which summarizes and discusses the content of the articles, with particular reference to the overall theoretical and methodological aspects of the research task.
• The length of the kappa should not exceed 50 % of the total length of the final thesis.

Other recommendations:

For articles that have already been published, the thesis should include information on the publication status, preferably in the initial list of publications included in the thesis. The thesis should have a continuous page numbering, 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 belonging to the current thesis pagination.

There are significant differences between the research subjects of the Faculty of Theology in terms of how natural it is to work with the compilation thesis as a thesis form.

Grants for the production of doctoral theses are provided by the Faculty up to an amount determined annually in the operational plan. Prior to the printing of the thesis, an agreement shall be drawn up between the department and the doctoral student, in which the department undertakes to pay for printing costs and language editing up to the amount determined by the Faculty Board. Archival copies shall be submitted to the department for both the doctoral thesis and the licentiate thesis.

5.2 Degrees and examination

Appendix 2 of the Higher Education Ordinance sets out what applies to degree titles and their translation. Appendix 2, Higher Education Ordinance also states the scope and objectives of the doctoral degree.

Higher Education Ordinance, Appendix 2

Degree title

A degree title consists of a degree as specified in these degree regulations and, where appropriate, a prefix or suffix, or both, indicating the focus of the degree. The university decides which prefix or suffix to use. For certain degrees, as stated in the degree descriptions, the university shall determine a specialization.

Translation

The university decides on the translation of the prefixes and suffixes used by the university. The university shall notify the Swedish Council for Higher Education of the prefixes and suffixes in Swedish that the university has decided shall be used for each degree and the translation of them into English. The university may also notify the Swedish Council for Higher Education of the translation of degree titles into languages other than English.

The Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University has decided on degree titles and their translation. The degree at the Faculty of Theology is called Teologie doktor. The English translation is Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Theology) (UFV 2010/318).

Higher Education Ordinance, Appendix 2

Objectives

Knowledge and understanding

For a doctoral degree, the doctoral student shall

• demonstrate broad knowledge and a systematic understanding of the research field, as well as deep and up-to-date specialist knowledge in a limited part of the research field, and
• demonstrate familiarity with scientific methodology in general and with the specific

research area in particular.

Skills and abilities

For a doctoral degree, the doctoral student must

• demonstrate the ability to scientifically analyze and synthesize and to independently critically review and assess new and complex phenomena, issues and situations,
• demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate questions critically, independently, creatively and with scientific rigor, and to plan and use adequate methods to conduct research and other qualified tasks within given time frames and to review and evaluate such work,
• demonstrate with a thesis his/her ability to contribute significantly through his/her own research to the development of knowledge,
• demonstrate the ability to present and discuss research and research results with authority in both national and international contexts, orally and in writing, in dialog with the scientific community and society in general,
• demonstrate the ability to identify the need for further knowledge, and
• demonstrate the ability to contribute to the development of society and to support the learning of others, both in research and education and in other qualified professional contexts.

Values and attitudes

For a doctoral degree, the doctoral student must

• demonstrate intellectual independence and scientific integrity and the ability to make make ethical research assessments, and
• demonstrate in-depth insight into the possibilities and limitations of science, its role in society and people’s responsibility for how it is used.

Chapter 6, Section 32 of the Higher Education Ordinance Examinations included in third-cycle education shall be assessed according to the grading system prescribed by the university.

Chapter 6, Section 33 of the Higher Education Ordinance The degree descriptions for doctoral degrees and artistic doctoral degrees state that these degrees require, among other things, an approved doctoral thesis.

The doctoral thesis must have been defended orally at a public defense. There must be an opponent at the public defense.

Section 5 AFUU Examinations included in third-cycle education shall be assessed with one of the grades pass or fail.

6. Ventilation and public defence

Rules for doctoral disputation are found in Chapter 6, Sections 33, 34 and 35 of the Higher Education Ordinance and are supplemented by the Guidelines for Doctoral Education at Uppsala University (RUF) and the Admission Regulations for Grades in Doctoral Education at Uppsala University (AFUU).

Chapter 6, Section 33 of the Higher Education Ordinance: The degree descriptions for doctoral degrees and doctoral degrees in the arts state that these degrees require, among other things, an approved doctoral thesis. The doctoral thesis must have been defended orally at a public defense. There must be an opponent at the defense.

Chapter 6, Section 34 of the Higher Education Ordinance: At least one person who is not active at the university where the doctoral student is being examined shall participate in the grading of the doctoral thesis.

Chapter 6, Section 35: The university may issue regulations on the grading system to be used and on the public defense and grading in general.

RUF 11 § The Vice-Chancellor has decided to delegate the right to decide on the time and place of the public defense to the chairperson of the area board/faculty board or equivalent body responsible for doctoral education. This decision must be announced at least three weeks before the public defense. The public defence and licentiate seminar may take place during the semester and during the summer break, with the exception of the period June 15 to August 15. The area board/faculty board or equivalent body responsible for third-cycle education decides who appoints the examining committee, the opponent and the chairman for a public defense.

Section 5 AFUU Decisions on grades for a doctoral thesis are made by an examining committee that shall be appointed separately for each individual thesis. The examining committee shall consist of three or five members, the majority of whom shall be drawn from outside the department to which the doctoral student belongs. In cases where the board consists of three members, a reserve should be appointed. The members of the examining committee shall normally represent different legal genders. The examining committee is quorate when all members are present. A person who has been the doctoral student’s supervisor may not be a member of the committee. The board shall appoint a chairperson from among its members. The opponent and the supervisors are entitled to participate in the meeting of the examining committee but shall not be present at the decisions. A doctoral thesis shall be assessed with one of the grades pass or fail. The opinion of the majority of the members of the examining committee shall be taken as the decision of the committee. If a member of the examining committee has entered a reservation against the majority’s decision, this shall be recorded in the minutes or other decision document, but not in the degree certificate. The board shall decide whether the decision should be justified. Such a justification shall be appended to the minutes, but not in the degree certificate.

6.1 Ventilation of licentiate thesis

Section 5 AFUU The subject area board, faculty board or body jointly for a faculty or field of science responsible for third-cycle education decides on the forms for licentiate seminars in each area.

The licentiate degree comprises 120 credits and can be either a final degree or a partial degree towards a doctoral degree of 240 credits. The licentiate thesis must be ventilated at a research seminar in the subject, which on this occasion is public. The course requirement of 60 credits must be completed before the thesis is ventilated.

The licentiate thesis can be designed either as a single coherent thesis or as a compilation of scientific papers with a short summary of these that the doctoral student has written alone or jointly with another person. In co-authored papers, it must be possible to distinguish the independent contributions of the authors.

The thesis must be available for a period of three weeks before the thesis defense date. Announcement of the ventilation must also be made at least three weeks in advance on the department’s notice boards and through an announcement to the professors of the Faculties of Theology in Lund and Uppsala, and to other departments that conduct doctoral education in religious studies.

The notification of a licentiate thesis is submitted by the principal supervisor to the Theology Faculty Board at least 4 weeks in advance on a special form. The principal supervisor submits a proposal for the chairperson for the ventilation, the opponent, the examining committee and the date for the ventilation. The ventilation must take place during the semester.

For the opponent and examining committee, the same order applies as for doctoral disputation. Thus, the opponent must be at least an associate professor (qualify as a docent), and the examining committee must consist of three persons, all of whom must be associate professors (qualify as a docents). The majority of the members must be drawn from outside the Department of Theology. The opponent shall not be a member of the examining committee (see also point 6.5).

Minutes with decisions on grades for the licentiate thesis are written by the examining committee.

The same form as for the doctoral degree is used for notification of ventilation and for minutes with decisions on grades.

6.2 Before the public defence: course requirements and final seminar

Before a doctoral thesis is submitted for public defense and the Faculty Board appoints an opponent and an examining committee, a final seminar must be held where a final version of the thesis must be examined in its entirety with the help of a specially appointed examiner. The examiner must not have been the doctoral student’s supervisor and must not be the prospective opponent at the public defense. After the final seminar, the supervisor, assistant supervisor and reviewer discuss what corrections should be made to the manuscript before it is submitted for printing. The doctoral student should then, in consultation with the supervisors, consider the comments of both a substantive and formal nature that have been raised. Thereafter, the principal supervisor shall, in a discussion with the doctoral student, state whether the thesis should be printed or not. The principal supervisors and the doctoral student decide on the date of the public defense. Before a doctoral thesis is submitted for public defense to the Faculty Board, courses of at least 80 credits must be completed unless there are special reasons.

If, according to both parties in a doctoral project, the doctoral student and the supervisor/department, there is a need to assess the overall quality of a doctoral thesis, the Faculty of Theology has developed guidelines for a so-called Preliminary Assessment of Doctoral Theses. In such an assessment, scientific quality is assessed in terms of 1) choice of topic and research problem, 2) conceptual and theoretical clarity, 3) research methods, 4) material, 5) presentation of results, 6) conclusions and 7) the work as a whole (see also TEOLFAK 2019/29).

6.3 Notification of the public defence

The notification of the public defense is submitted by the principal supervisor to the Faculty of Theology Board at least three months in advance on a special form. The principal supervisor submits a proposal for the chair of the defense, opponent, examining committee, defense date and venue for the defense. The defense must take place during the semester.

Before notification of the defense is made, the doctoral student must contact the Unit for Dissertation Services at the university. The Dissertation Services Unit will provide information on what applies to the printing of the thesis in an Acta series, but also on the regulations on procurement of printing services that apply if the doctoral student wants to use a printing company outside the university. Note that in this case, Uppsala University’s framework agreement for printing services applies. These two requirements do not apply to theses published by a publisher, or included in a thesis series published jointly with another university, or published by a foreign publisher or in a foreign thesis series. In these cases, the doctoral student must contact the publisher themselves.

A contract for the printing of the thesis is concluded between the doctoral student and the Department of Theology, represented by the Head of Department. The doctoral student may not enter into any binding agreement on printing with a printer before the head of department has approved the offer and signed the agreement.

6.4 Premises

The principal supervisor contacts the room booking manager at the department, who books the room before the notification of the public defense is submitted to the Theology Faculty Board.

6.5 Appointment of chair, examining committee and opponent

The matter is dealt with by the Faculty of Theology Board, which appoints the examining committee, the opponent and the chair of the public defense and, on delegation from the Vice-Chancellor , decides on the time and place of the public defense. If the Faculty Board finds that the application was submitted too late or does not follow the guidelines that apply to the public defense, the case is referred back to the principal supervisor. The chairperson should be a teacher employed at the Faculty of Theology, usually the principal supervisor. The opponent must have at least docent competence or equivalent. The opponent may not be based at the Faculty of Theology at Uppsala University. The person appointed as an opponent must not have been involved in any significant way in the creation of the thesis, nor must he or she be identical to the opponent at the final presentation in the research seminar.

If the opponent finds such serious deficiencies in the thesis during his/her preparatory work that he/she fears that the thesis may be rejected, he/she must notify the chair of the public defence as soon as possible and in good time before the public defence. It is the responsibility of the principal supervisor to inform the dean. The principal supervisor is also responsible for informing the opponent of this.

6.6 Examination committee

The examining committee shall consist of three members and the committee shall appoint a chairperson from among its members. The examination committee must be composed in such a way that the thesis can also be assessed from an interdisciplinary perspective. The majority of the members must be drawn from outside the Department of Theology. At least one of the members must be from outside Uppsala University, while one may be from another faculty at Uppsala University. It is desirable that the examining committee is composed in such a way that two of the members represent the research subject in question, one of whom should be from outside Uppsala University.

The members should represent different genders. When this latter goal cannot be achieved, the principal supervisor shall state the reasons for this to the faculty board. The members of the examining committee shall normally be associate professors or equivalent (qualify as a docent) and at least one member shall be a professor or equivalent. The person who was the principal supervisor or assistant supervisor of the doctoral student may not be a member of the examining committee. In cases where it is objectively justified to deviate from these guidelines, and in cases where these objectives cannot be achieved, the principal supervisor shall provide the faculty board with the reasons for this.

If a member of the examining committee finds such serious deficiencies in the thesis during his/her preparatory work that he/she fears that the thesis may be rejected, he/she shall inform the chairman of the public defense as soon as possible. It is the responsibility of the principal supervisor to notify the dean. It is the responsibility of the principal supervisor to inform the members of the examining committee of this.

6.7 Form of doctoral thesis

A doctoral thesis may be written either as a single coherent work (monograph thesis) or as a compilation of scientific papers with a short summary of these (compilation thesis) that the doctoral student has written alone or jointly with another person. In co-authored compilation theses, it must be possible to distinguish the independent contributions of the authors.

The doctoral thesis must be written in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, English, German or French. The faculty board may allow the doctoral thesis to be written in another language. This must be notified in connection with admission to doctoral studies.

The doctoral thesis must have a summary in English, German or French. In addition, a short summary of the content of the thesis in English (abstract) must be attached. This, together with information about the actual defense, constitutes the ”spikblad”, which must be published electronically on the university’s website. Further information about templates, nailing, electronic publication etc. can be found on the university’s website under Dissertation Service.

6.8 Printing grants and other costs

The Faculty Board decides on the minimum number of copies of the thesis for the public defense and on compensation for the production costs for this edition. At present, this number is 120 copies. This also applies to digitally published theses. If more than 120 copies are required, the doctoral student must request partial invoicing from the printer, where the excess amount is invoiced to the doctoral student. The doctoral student can apply to the head of department for an extra printing grant if there are special scientific reasons for more expensive printing, such as the need for color images.

After the principal supervisor has approved printing, an agreement is drawn up between the department and the doctoral student, in which the department undertakes to act as the client and pay for the production costs of the thesis, up to the amount determined by the Faculty Board.

The doctoral student may choose to present the thesis in a limited and preliminary version (”stencil edition”) at the public defense and only then publish it in a printed edition. The stencil edition shall also be printed in 120 copies. In the event that the doctoral student wishes to use the printing grant awarded by the department also for the production of the stencil edition, the grant for the printed book is reduced by the corresponding amount. In such cases, the appropriation for the printed book must be used no later than one year after the doctoral thesis is defended. The head of department may, on special application, grant an extension of the time limit.

The author is not entitled to sell any of the copies of the thesis for which a grant has been paid by the department.

6.9 Distribution of copies of the thesis

A revised manuscript of the thesis or the final version of a stencil thesis shall be distributed to the examining committee and the opponent no later than 5 weeks before the public defense.

No later than three weeks before the public defense, the thesis must be available at the university library in the required number of copies. No later than two weeks before the public defense, the thesis must be available at all Swedish departments that conduct doctoral education in theology and religious studies.

The 120 copies shall be distributed as follows:

• 4 copies to the opponent and examining committee
• 5 copies to the University Library
• 3 copies for the department’s archiving
• 20 copies for distribution in connection with the defense
• 63 copies for distribution according to what are currently called A and B lists
• 25 copies for the doctoral student

Approximately 20 copies of the thesis must also be freely available to the audience at the defense. The remaining copies belong to the author for their own use. The author must contact the department’s administrator for doctoral education in good time before nailing and distributing the thesis to obtain the necessary information to clarify the distribution procedure.

6.10 Digital storage and publication of the thesis

All doctoral theses are stored digitally in DiVA. The doctoral student decides if and when the thesis is to be made freely available in DiVA, so-called digital publication. If the thesis has been published in another way than through the Thesis Service, the doctoral student must deliver the thesis as a PDF file to the Thesis Service. The doctoral student is responsible for digital archiving.

6.11 Announcement of time and place for the public defense

Announcement of the time and place of the public defense must be made by electronic nailing (mandatory) and traditional nailing in the university building (optional) no later than three weeks before the public defense. Nailing must be done between August 16 and January 18 and January 19 and June 14. Since nailing must be done no later than three weeks before the defense date, those who defend their thesis earlier than September 5 in the autumn semester must do the nailing during the spring semester before June 15. More information about digital nailing can be found on Uppsala University’s website under Dissertation Service.

6.12 The public defense

At the public defense, at least 20 copies of the thesis must be freely available to the audience. The public defense can only begin if all members of the examination committee are present. If a member is absent, the chair of the defense must immediately notify the dean, who will then appoint a substitute member of the examining committee. The defense is led by the chairman with the entire examining committee present. It is conducted as follows:

• The act begins with the chairman introducing the respondent, the title of the thesis, the research topic, the opponent and the members of the examining committee.
• The Chair declares the disputation session open.
• The chairman gives the floor to the respondent, who is given the opportunity to make corrections and amendments (errata).
• The opponent briefly presents the thesis and checks with the respondent that the content has been correctly understood.
• The actual opposition then takes place. This may vary in form and scope, but should consist of a critical review and examination of the scientific results of the thesis. It should consist of a dialog between the opponent and the respondent, where the opponent criticizes the thesis and the respondent answers the criticism. The opposition ends with the opponent giving a summary assessment of the thesis. However, the reviewer does not comment on the grade of the thesis.
• After the opponent has completed his/her examination, the chairman declares the floor free and anyone who so wishes may, in the order decided by the chairman, make comments on the thesis (opposition ex auditorio). The respondent shall reply to the comments made. When no one else wishes to speak, the chairman declares the disputation closed.

There is no maximum time limit for a disputation. It is desirable if the opponent can give the supervisor an idea in advance of how long his/her opposition is expected to take.

6.13 Meeting with the examining committee

When the examining committee begins its deliberations after the public defense, it must appoint a chairperson from among its members. All members must be present for the examining committee to have a quorum. The person appointed as chair of the examining committee is responsible for ensuring that the committee’s decision is communicated to the person who defended the thesis. The opponent and the principal supervisor and the assistant supervisor are entitled to participate in meetings of the examining committee and in the deliberations, but not in the decisions.

A doctoral thesis shall be assessed with one of the grades fail or pass. The grading shall take into account the content of the thesis and its defense. The board’s decision shall be the opinion on which most people agree. The examining committee decides whether any decision to fail the thesis should be justified in the minutes. If a member of the examining committee has entered a reservation against the majority’s decision, this shall be stated in the minutes or other decision document, but not in the degree certificate.

Should remarks of such an extraordinary nature come to light during the defense that the examining committee finds it necessary to conduct special investigations or checks prior to its decision, it may adjourn its meeting for this reason.

After the meeting of the examining committee has ended, the grade of the thesis shall be reported to the Vice-Chancellor . This is done by sending the minutes of the examining committee, signed by the chairman of the examining committee, to the Faculty of Theology Board. The chairman of the defense is responsible for ensuring that this notification is made.

6.14 Remuneration to the external examiner

The opponent’s fee is paid through the department. The opponent also receives compensation for travel and subsistence in connection with the public defense. Members of the examining committee receive compensation for travel, accommodation and fees, unless the member is employed at Uppsala University.

7. Degree Certificate

Chapter 6, Section 9 Higher Education Ordinance A student who fulfills the requirements for a degree shall, upon request, receive a degree certificate from the university.

At the Faculty of Theology, the licentiate degree in theology and the doctoral degree in theology may be awarded in postgraduate education. The English name of the degree is Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Theology). In special cases, the Faculty Board may, upon application from the doctoral student no later than at the Faculty Board meeting that takes place before the notification of the public defense is submitted to the Board, grant dispensation for the completion of the Doctor of Philosophy and Licentiate degrees.

7.1 Doctoral degree

A doctoral degree is awarded by the Vice-Chancellor on application by the student. A doctoral degree requires a passing grade in both the third-cycle courses and the doctoral thesis. Application for a doctoral degree is made on a special form. A degree certificate is obtained from the Degrees Unit at Uppsala University after submission of the documents required to obtain a doctoral degree.

7.2 Licentiate degree

A licentiate degree is awarded by the Vice-Chancellor upon application by the student. A licentiate degree requires a passing grade in both the third-cycle courses and the licentiate thesis. Application for a licentiate degree is made on a special form. A degree certificate is obtained from the Degrees Unit at Uppsala University after submission of the documents required to obtain a licentiate degree.

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