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Degrees and post-docs
Prior to the public defence or Licentiate degree
For a Licentiate or PhD, students are required to have passed the tests that are a part of the postgraduate programme and have written an academic thesis or thesis that has been accepted.
PhD
To be awarded a PhD, students must pass the courses that are included in the doctoral programme and have written a thesis corresponding to at least 120 higher education credits that has been approved by the department.
Printing the thesis
Previously, issues related to printing were regulated in a special ordinance; now, instead, the faculty board (or the body that the board delegates decision-making powers to) will decide what is suitable in each case. Decisions thus vary between universities and between research topics.
Nor is it obligatory any longer to provide libraries with copies, but many universities have adopted local rules, which are often similar to those previously stipulated in the ordinance.
Posting of the thesis
The vice-chancellor is to decide far enough in advance the time and place of the public defence. The thesis should be available in a sufficient number of copies three weeks before this date to enable the academic community and the general public to study it prior to the public defence. This is done in part by 'posting the dissertation'. In the past, dissertations were actually posted on the university's official notice board; today most departments are content to post information about the time and place of the public defence.
Press release
One way of disseminating research findings is by issuing a press release - the information department of a university is usually able to help with this. Remember to write clearly, present the new findings first, provide contact details for further information, and if possible explain what the research means in a broader perspective.
Every university and most other institutions of higher education in Sweden belong to ExpertSvar - a service for journalists who need rapid access to researchers. Using ExpertSvar, information departments will be able to disseminate their press releases to a large number of journalists in Sweden, and receive any help with required international dissemination. Furthermore, most of these press releases are also available at the forskning.se website, and a selection is published in the e-mail newsletter issued by forskning.se once a fortnight.
The public defence
The defence of the thesis is oral and public.
Supervisors should ensure that the thesis is good enough to be approved before the student is recommended to defend it. For compilation theses , the articles have often already been published in refereed journals. In other words, it is unusual for a student to fail at a public defence.
Appointment of an opponent and chair
Prior to the defence, the faculty board names an opponent and someone to chair the public defence.
Chair opens
Below is a description of a public defence given in the student handbook for doctoral studies at the Lund Institute of Technology:
'The public defence is opened by the chairman, who describes the structure of the defence. The chairman then presents the doctoral student, the title of the thesis, the opponent and the members of the examination board.
The student then takes the floor and can report any errata or other corrections in the dissertation.
General presentation
The opponent and/or in some cases the student gives a general overview of the topic with a description of how the thesis can contribute to knowledge in the field and a presentation of its contents.
Discussion
Then there is a discussion, with the opponent offering questions and views on the scientific relevance, methods and results and the student then orally defending his or her thesis in relation to the questions raised by the opponent.
Question session
The members of the examination board then have the opportunity to ask the student questions. The floor is then opened up to the audience, with the public having the right to ask the student questions in the order determined by the chairman. Students always have the right to express themselves in Swedish or English.
The opponent
The opponent should have good command of the thesis topic and study the thesis in detail. If the opponent comes from another country and is not certain about the Swedish educational system, it is the duty of the chairman to inform him or her about what requirements and expectations are entailed.
The examination board
The examination board consists of three or five members. The faculty board will decide the number of members and name them. At least one of the five should come from another of the faculty board's areas of responsibility or from another university. The student's supervisor may not be included on the board unless there are extenuating circumstances.
The opponent and the supervisor are entitled to participate in meetings with the examination board. They may participate in the deliberations, but not in the decision.
Normally, theses are awarded either a pass or fail.
Degree certificate
Students awarded a PhD or Licentiate degree will be given a degree certificate from their institution of higher learning upon request.
Conferment ceremony
The conferment ceremony is the major academic celebration in which all students who have been awarded their PhD during the year can receive their insignia: a ring, a diploma and a mortarboard or laurel wreath. (However new PhDs must pay for their ring and mortarboard.)
BEAR IN MIND
PhD students who have not paid their student union dues can be refused their Licentiate degree or PhD.
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A Licentiate degree of 120 higher education credits with an academic essay or thesis corresponding to 60 higher education credits may be a degree in its own right or a stage in the programme leading to award of a PhD. Nearly 30 per cent of the qualifications awarded in doctoral programmes are Licentiate degrees.
Writing a Licentiate thesis naturally takes extra time, but many people find that in return the time is used more effectively after getting the Licentiate; taking notes becomes more systematic, and students have the training to write and an understanding of how much time it requires.
For students who do not complete their doctoral studies for some reason, the Licentiate degree is valuable proof of what they have achieved. The Licentiate degree is also recognised in the private sector.
Since 1 May 2002, it is possible to admit applicants to doctoral studies who intend to take only a Licentiate degree. This opportunity was primarily created to increase the opportunities of people in employment to enhance their qualifications. A study undertaken by the National Agency Antagning till forskarutbildning med licentiatexamen som slutmål, (Reg. nr 30-1455-06), only in Swedish, Enrolment to doctoral programmes aiming at licentiate degrees) shows, however, that some applicants are being enrolled in doctoral programmes aiming at licentiate degrees even though they really want to take PhD's.
The Ordinance does not stipulate how the academic essay is to be examined, but it is customary that students seeking a Licentiate degree hold a seminar and discuss their work. Listeners can present their views and any criticism - it is like a mini-defence.
There must be an examiner who studies the essay, but in many instances there is an opponent as well as a more or less official examination board.
As a rule those awarded doctoral qualifications quickly find a footing in the labour market. Of those awarded PhD's in 2000, 85 per cent were employed three years later. Today this figure is probably even higher - in fact 90 per cent of those awarded PhD's in 1993 had established themselves in the labour market ten year later. It is also worth noting that the figure of 85 per cent includes individuals who received post-doctoral scholarships or other scholarships.
The National Agency has published a report that shows that those with more advanced educational qualifications also have a stronger footing in the labour market. This report is available on the Agency's web-site Forskarutbildades etablering på arbetsmarknaden, 2007:56 R (only in Swedish).
One of the reasons for the decline in the number of new admissions to third-cycle programmes is believed to be that there are limited career possibilities in higher education for those recently awarded PhD's.
The National Agency's extensive questionnaire survey Survey of doctoral students, 2008:23 R, (summary in English) reveals that just over 30 per cent of the doctoral students worry about being unemployed after taking their degrees, which is a rise compared with the survey undertaken five years earlier. Natural scientists are the group that worry most. The greatest fear of unemployment can be found among doctoral students who come from abroad.
70 per cent of those with research qualifications are employed in the public sector and less than one quarter work in the private sector. The major employers are the higher education institutions. One of the reasons for the Government's investment in the extension of third-cycle programmes a few years ago was to raise the number of people with research qualifications in industry. But traditionally those acquiring research qualifications have set their sights on higher education and a survey of those graduating in 2000 and 2002 showed that about one in three were working as teachers in higher education. Many work in other public sector areas, such as government agencies. Only 30 per cent were to be found in the private sector. You can find out more in the Agency's report Forskarutbildades etablering på arbetsmarknaden, 2007:56 R (only in Swedish).
Those with PhD's in medicine, the social sciences and technology find work most rapidly, while graduates in the humanities and social sciences face the greatest difficulties.
The differences between the establishment of men and women in the labour market have diminished in recent years. Of those awarded PhD's in 2000 87 per cent of the men and 81 per cent of the women were established three years later, while for those awarded their degrees in 2002 the difference is only on percentage unit. The largest gender difference can be found in those graduating in the humanities: 85 per cent of the men but only 75 per cent of the women were established in the labour market three years after graduation.
In the private sector most of those with research qualifications are working in research and development.
Sweden needs more teachers with PhD's, barely 60 per cent of those teaching in higher education currently have doctorates.
The major focus on the extension of first and second-cycle courses and study programmes in recent years has led to a demand for more teachers with research qualifications. The rising number of retirements and the anticipated increase in the involvement of teachers at higher education institutions in research and supervision also helps to make the overall demand for graduates from third-cycle programmes greater than the supply.
About 45 per cent of the teaching and research staff in higher education are expected to retire during the 15-year period beginning in 2005. The most frequent way of enhancing the qualifications of teachers in higher education is to replace those who lack research degrees with those who possess. But a quicker alternative may be to provide professional development for those without research qualifications. This applies mainly to the lecturers, the largest category of teachers in the higher education institutions, of whom 90 per cent lack research qualifications. You can read more about this in the National Agency's press release, Nära 10 000 högskolelärare utan forskarutbildning (only in Swedish).
Postdoctoral research, as a post-doc, offers newly qualified PhD's the chance to acquire further research experience. The most usual thing is to find a post-doc position at a university or research institute abroad. The vast majority of post-docs are funded through scholarships. About a quarter of all PhD's who want to take up a post-doc post are able to do so in one way or another. In addition, more PhD's manage to acquire posts at foreign universities for a number of years.
Most post-doc scholarships are awarded by the Swedish Research Council, Vetenskapsrådet. These are offered in all subject areas and may be awarded for at least one year and no more than two. The scholarships are not taxable and are based on the general cost of living in the country concerned.
The Licentiate degree
A Licentiate degree of 120 higher education credits with an academic essay or thesis corresponding to 60 higher education credits may be a degree in its own right or a stage in the programme leading to award of a PhD. Nearly 30 per cent of the qualifications awarded in doctoral programmes are Licentiate degrees.
Greater efficiency
Writing a Licentiate thesis naturally takes extra time, but many people find that in return the time is used more effectively after getting the Licentiate; taking notes becomes more systematic, and students have the training to write and an understanding of how much time it requires.
Valuable corroboration
For students who do not complete their doctoral studies for some reason, the Licentiate degree is valuable proof of what they have achieved. The Licentiate degree is also recognised in the private sector.
Professional development
Since 1 May 2002, it is possible to admit applicants to doctoral studies who intend to take only a Licentiate degree. This opportunity was primarily created to increase the opportunities of people in employment to enhance their qualifications. A study undertaken by the National Agency Antagning till forskarutbildning med licentiatexamen som slutmål, (Reg. nr 30-1455-06), only in Swedish, Enrolment to doctoral programmes aiming at licentiate degrees) shows, however, that some applicants are being enrolled in doctoral programmes aiming at licentiate degrees even though they really want to take PhD's.
Licentiate seminar
The Ordinance does not stipulate how the academic essay is to be examined, but it is customary that students seeking a Licentiate degree hold a seminar and discuss their work. Listeners can present their views and any criticism - it is like a mini-defence.
There must be an examiner who studies the essay, but in many instances there is an opponent as well as a more or less official examination board.
Future prospects
As a rule those awarded doctoral qualifications quickly find a footing in the labour market. Of those awarded PhD's in 2000, 85 per cent were employed three years later. Today this figure is probably even higher - in fact 90 per cent of those awarded PhD's in 1993 had established themselves in the labour market ten year later. It is also worth noting that the figure of 85 per cent includes individuals who received post-doctoral scholarships or other scholarships.
Stronger footing in the labour market
The National Agency has published a report that shows that those with more advanced educational qualifications also have a stronger footing in the labour market. This report is available on the Agency's web-site Forskarutbildades etablering på arbetsmarknaden, 2007:56 R (only in Swedish).
Limited career possibilities
One of the reasons for the decline in the number of new admissions to third-cycle programmes is believed to be that there are limited career possibilities in higher education for those recently awarded PhD's.
Extensive questionnaire survey
The National Agency's extensive questionnaire survey Survey of doctoral students, 2008:23 R, (summary in English) reveals that just over 30 per cent of the doctoral students worry about being unemployed after taking their degrees, which is a rise compared with the survey undertaken five years earlier. Natural scientists are the group that worry most. The greatest fear of unemployment can be found among doctoral students who come from abroad.
What do people with research qualifications do?
70 per cent of those with research qualifications are employed in the public sector and less than one quarter work in the private sector. The major employers are the higher education institutions. One of the reasons for the Government's investment in the extension of third-cycle programmes a few years ago was to raise the number of people with research qualifications in industry. But traditionally those acquiring research qualifications have set their sights on higher education and a survey of those graduating in 2000 and 2002 showed that about one in three were working as teachers in higher education. Many work in other public sector areas, such as government agencies. Only 30 per cent were to be found in the private sector. You can find out more in the Agency's report Forskarutbildades etablering på arbetsmarknaden, 2007:56 R (only in Swedish).
Most difficult for graduates in the humanities and natural sciences
Those with PhD's in medicine, the social sciences and technology find work most rapidly, while graduates in the humanities and social sciences face the greatest difficulties.
Men find work more rapidly
The differences between the establishment of men and women in the labour market have diminished in recent years. Of those awarded PhD's in 2000 87 per cent of the men and 81 per cent of the women were established three years later, while for those awarded their degrees in 2002 the difference is only on percentage unit. The largest gender difference can be found in those graduating in the humanities: 85 per cent of the men but only 75 per cent of the women were established in the labour market three years after graduation.
Increasing demand for generalists
In the private sector most of those with research qualifications are working in research and development.
There appears to be a rising demand, above all in industry, that PhD's should be preferably be generalists who have received a multi-faceted education to prepare them for a variety of careers. They should of course be able to adopt a scientific approach to problems but should also be able to take on project management and use language, IT effectively and communicate fluently in speech and writing. You can read more about this in SUHF's report, En genomlysning av svensk forskarutbildning (only in Swedish)
Teachers with research qualifications are needed
Sweden needs more teachers with PhD's, barely 60 per cent of those teaching in higher education currently have doctorates.
Sweden needs more teachers with research qualifications, barely 60 per cent of the teachers at higher education institutions have doctorates. The number has risen slightly in recent years but this development is taking time. There are major differences between the different higher education institutions in the proportions of their staff with research qualifications. The largest proportion can be found in the natural sciences, the lowest in the humanities and social sciences. But there are major variations within the different disciplines as well.
Demand is greater than supply
The major focus on the extension of first and second-cycle courses and study programmes in recent years has led to a demand for more teachers with research qualifications. The rising number of retirements and the anticipated increase in the involvement of teachers at higher education institutions in research and supervision also helps to make the overall demand for graduates from third-cycle programmes greater than the supply.
About 45 per cent of the teaching and research staff in higher education are expected to retire during the 15-year period beginning in 2005. The most frequent way of enhancing the qualifications of teachers in higher education is to replace those who lack research degrees with those who possess. But a quicker alternative may be to provide professional development for those without research qualifications. This applies mainly to the lecturers, the largest category of teachers in the higher education institutions, of whom 90 per cent lack research qualifications. You can read more about this in the National Agency's press release, Nära 10 000 högskolelärare utan forskarutbildning (only in Swedish).
Post-docs
Postdoctoral research, as a post-doc, offers newly qualified PhD's the chance to acquire further research experience. The most usual thing is to find a post-doc position at a university or research institute abroad. The vast majority of post-docs are funded through scholarships. About a quarter of all PhD's who want to take up a post-doc post are able to do so in one way or another. In addition, more PhD's manage to acquire posts at foreign universities for a number of years.
Scholarships
Most post-doc scholarships are awarded by the Swedish Research Council, Vetenskapsrådet. These are offered in all subject areas and may be awarded for at least one year and no more than two. The scholarships are not taxable and are based on the general cost of living in the country concerned.
In addition scholarships are offered by a large number of other organisations, large and small, private and state-funded.
Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, for instance, concentrates all its support to the postdoctoral level and above.
Another major source of post-doc funding is the Wenner-Gren Foundations.
BEAR IN MIND: If the period you spend abroad exceeds 365 days, you lose your entitlement to National Insurance in Sweden, which means that a qualifying period is required on your return before you have the right to parental benefits.
Nor do you acquire any pension entitlement during the scholarship period.
The effects of a post-doc period abroad
Sister, the Swedish Institute for Studies in Education and Research, has published an interesting pamphlet on post-docs, Effekter av postdoktorala utlandsvistelser, 2003:29 R, The Effects of Postdoctoral Appointments Abroad (summary in English), The authors point to many positive effects of post-doc studies but also demonstrate the concrete problems that arise from the scholarship system: lack of security, loss of national insurance benefits after some time and the difficulties experienced by post-docs in combining family life with their careers.
Postdoctoral posts
In 2005 the Swedish Research Council also established national post-doc appointments. This programme applies to those with doctorates awarded in Sweden and abroad. The universities can therefore choose either to recruit researchers with foreign PhD's or Swedish researchers from another faculty or university. This funding will also provide entitlement to social benefits such as parental benefits and unemployment benefit.
Research assistants
Another way of travelling abroad as a post-doc is open to those who have been appointed to a postdoctoral research post at a higher education institution (post intended to enhance their qualifications) in Sweden for a period not exceeding four years.
Posts as research assistants are for newly graduated PhD's who want to continue to work in higher education as teachers and researchers. It is then possible to travel abroad within the framework of the post. You are most likely to be appointed to a post of this kind if your PhD was awarded no earlier than five years prior to the final date of application. It is however possible to be appointed even if a longer period has elapsed, especially if you can cite special reasons - leave because of sickness, commitments in the defence services, time spent working actively for a trade union or student union, parental leave or similar circumstances.
The number of PhD's awarded has doubled in the last ten years. However there has been no corresponding increase in the number of research assistant posts. As a result the number of PhD's who have gone on to posts as research assistants (within six years of the award of their degrees) has declined from 22 per cent to just under 14 per cent during the period. Attention was focused in the government bill on research policy Research for a better life in 2004, Forskning för ett bättre liv, 2004/05:80 (only in Swedish) on the difficulties associated with post-doctoral careers. Measures were proposed that could increase the number of appointments offering further qualifications for PhD's, both additional funding for the higher education institutions for research and doctoral programmes for 2005-2008 and also increased funding for the research councils and Vinnova.
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Last updated: 2009-12-21
Contact person: Anna Sandström, e-mail: forename.surname@hsv.se
Contact person: Anna Sandström, e-mail: forename.surname@hsv.se
Swedish National Agency for Higher Education www.hsv.se, Luntmakargatan 13 Box 7851, SE-103 99 Stockholm
Phone: +46 8 563 085 00, Fax: +46 8 563 085 50, Mail: doktorand@hsv.se
Phone: +46 8 563 085 00, Fax: +46 8 563 085 50, Mail: doktorand@hsv.se
