Employment opportunities at Umeå University
Doctoral studies
You can apply in the first instance for doctoral studies, i.e. postgraduate studies for 240 ECTS, in a postgraduate subject that has been determined by the faculty board. The degree requires all doctoral courses to be passed and an approved doctoral thesis of at least 120 ECTS.
Forms regarding doctoral studies (in Swedish and English)
Licentiate courses
If your doctoral studies are financed wholly or partly by a company, you may also apply for a licentiate course, with the final goal of at least 120 ECTS in postgraduate studies. The degree requires all doctoral courses to be passed and an approved scientific thesis of at least 60 ECTS.
According to the government bill "The open college" (2001/02:15), it is important not to create a two-step model, i.e. students who intend to take a doctor's degree being generally admitted to study for a licentiate degree and then being allowed to continue studies for a doctor's degree. The licentiate course is mainly aimed at people who are professionally active and who wish to obtain professional development through post graduate studies.
There is also the possibility of taking a licentiate degree after gaining 120 ECTS, as an intermediate goal in the doctoral studies.
Admission requirements
Requirements for admission to postgraduate studies are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance. (HEO Chapter 7 Section 39).
Basic eligibility for postgraduate education is fulfilled by those who have:
1. passed an examination at the advanced level
or
2. completed course requirements of at least 240 ECTS, of which 60 ECTS at
advanced level 5.
or
3. in some other way, in or outside Sweden, acquired essentially the equivalent knowledge. The majority of subjects also have requirements for special eligibility that are specified in the study plan for postgraduate studies in the subject (usually 90 ECTS in the subject). If there are special reasons, the faculty board may grant exemption from the requirement for basic eligibility for an individual applicant.
Postgraduate students will only be admitted for postgraduate studies if they:
• Fulfil requirements for basic and special eligibility
• Are judged to have the ability to complete the studies
• Can be guaranteed funds during the entire period of study
It is the faculty that formally admits applicants to doctoral (postgraduate, third-cycle) studies, but practical preparations with respect to doctoral admissions are delegated to the department. Admission to postgraduate studies with a licentiate degree as the final goal is the task of the faculty board.
A doctoral student may only be admitted for doctoral studies if adequate resources in terms of supervision, finance and generally good study conditions can be offered. The number of doctoral students that can be admitted to a department may be limited by the availability of workplaces and funding options, even though requirements for the study plan and supervisors are met.
Doctoral students who have been admitted will be employed as postgraduates in the first instance. In exceptional cases, doctoral students may be funded through education grants and scholarships. On admission, the department must be able to guarantee funding for the entire period of study.
After you have been granted a place for doctoral studies, you must fill in a special form, "Application for admission to postgraduate studies". Attach your individual study and financing plan, compiled with the help of your supervisor, to the application form. The form and the plans must be submitted to your department administrator. The department is responsible for the registration of the admissions information in the administrative data registry, Ladok, and from that point the postgraduate student will receive information from the Students' Union. Admissions information contains, among other things, information about supervisors, subjects and areas of specialisation.
It is the responsibility of the doctoral student to continuously give information on his/her performance to the department administrator and the director of studies for postgraduate education at the department. What work results in credits and how many credits the courses have may vary between different departments. Every doctoral student can print out a registry extract from Ladok via the Students' Portal. If this function does not work, an extract can also be obtained from the department administrator or the Student Centre.
Forms for admission to doctoral studies (in Swedish and English)