Doctoral student
Doctoral students divide their time between:
- a research project leading to a Degree of Licentiate or Degree of Doctor;
- introductory, specialist and general doctoral courses; and
- where applicable, departmental duties such as assisting teaching at basic (Bachelor’s) and advanced (Master’s) level.
All doctoral students shall have adequate funding to cover their entire study period and this is to be guaranteed by the department responsible for the programme. Further information on funding for doctoral students
Planning and monitoring
The planning and monitoring of doctoral studies is a joint responsibility of the doctoral student, their supervisors and those responsible for doctoral studies at the department. This is mainly achieved via the individual study plan, which is reviewed and revised on an annual basis, and regular performance reviews conducted by the head of department or the person to whom the head of department delegates the task.
Should the doctoral student’s research idea be deemed to have commercial potential, some form of agreement should be concluded between those involved and UU Innovation should be involved at an early stage, before any results are published.
Working and study conditions
The following is a summary of rights and obligations related to the working and study conditions of doctoral students. Doctoral students inhabit a grey zone between studies and employment, although closer to the latter. The category a doctoral student formally belongs to depends on how their studies are financed.
- Working conditions and terms of employment for doctoral students, see Staff Portal
- Funding doctoral students
- Work environment and equal opportunities. The University has an agreement with an occupational health service that covers all doctoral students who are active at least 20% of an FTE, including those funded by a scholarship.
- Supervision and the supervisor-doctoral student relationship, changing supervisor
- Continuing professional development. Just like other members of staff, doctoral students are entitled to participate in internal training courses. Information on continuing professional development and the range of courses is gathered in the Staff Portal. The Council for Educational Development at the Faculty of Science and Technology (TUR) also arranges courses.
- Withdrawal of supervision and other resources, see the Univerity´s Guidelines for Doctoral Studies.
Parenthood
The basis for extending employment due to parental leave shall be the total number of days of parental leave taken; however, the Faculty Board may, after a period of at least four consecutive months of full-time parental leave, grant up to an additional three months of net study time (per child) to compensate for the time it takes to commence research activities. Such an extension, which is funded by the department, can only be granted until such time as the doctoral student successfully defends their dissertation.
- Information on parental leave and leave to care for a sick child (VAB) is available in the Staff Portal.
- Uppsala University’s Parental Policy
- Application form for extending employment
Discontinuation of studies
Discontinuation of studies in doctoral education at the doctoral student's request refers to the situation where the doctoral student chooses not to continue his or her studies (without having completed a degree), see the University’s Guidelines for Doctoral Studies.