Sociology > Study programmes > PhD student > Curriculum

Curriculum of the PhD programme in Sociology

Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen

The PhD study programme at the Department of Sociology as of 1 June 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Objective of the PhD study programme

II. Framework of the PhD study programme

III. Funding, applications and enrolment
A. Funding

B. Applications
C. Scholarship contracts
D. Enrolment

IV. Content of he PhD programme in Sociology

A. Introduction
B. Supervision

C. The individual study plan
D. Courses and seminars

1.  Participation in seminars etc. at the Department
2.  Conferences
3.  Generic courses
4.  PhD courses pertaining to the subject matter of the PhD project
5.  Interim provisions regarding the award of ECTS credits

E. Working at other research institutions in Denmark or abroad
F. Integration into the department's research community

1.  Collegiate bodies
2.  Study groups
3.  Research groups, focus groups and research centres
4.  Evaluation Seminars

G. Teaching and knowledge dissemination
H. Half-year assessments
I. Evaluation seminars
J. Applications for grants for travel, courses, etc.
K. Extension of enrolment
L. Requirements concerning the thesis
M. Particulars of the 4+4 programme

V. Rights and duties
A. Duties
B. Leave of absence, sick leave, maternity/paternity leave and extension for other reasons

VI. Submission of the thesis and the oral defence
A. Submission of thesis and supervisor's report
B. Composition of the assessment committee
C. Assessment of the thesis
D. Guidelines for the defence of a PhD thesis
E. The Department's responsibilities in connection with the defence
F. Deadline for setting a date for the defence
G. The defence
H. The assessment committee's recommendation after the defence, and the Faculty's decision
I. The PhD diploma

VII. Exemptions

I. Objective of the PhD study programme

The PhD programme in Sociology at the Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen is a research training programme which qualifies the students to a wide range of research and teaching objectives at an international level in both the private and public sector. The main emphasis of the programme is placed on conducting supervised research.

A candidate who has successfully completed the study programme and obtained the PhD degree will have made a significant contribution to the development of new knowledge in sociology, and will have extensive knowledge of the discipline at the highest international level. Graduates will also master the main theories and methods of sociology, with a particular emphasis on the chosen sub-discipline, and will be able to initiate and manage a research project, and to analyse, evaluate and develop new ideas within the subject area. Graduates will also be qualified to contribute to international scientific progress in their chosen subject area, and to communicate academic research results and recent academic achievements to a wide audience. Students will acquire both general and more specific research qualifications by conducting a specific research project within the broader framework of a research community.

The PhD programme has a duration of three years of full-time participation which equals 180 ECTS credits. The three years are measured from enrolment up to and including submission of the thesis. The assessment of the thesis is therefore not included in the three years of programme duration.

II. Framework of the PhD study programme

The legal basis for the PhD programme in Sociology is rules established at different levels in the educational system:

• TheDanish University Act (Universitetsloven) (cf. Ministerial Order no. 1368 of 7 December 2007) 
• Ministerial Order no. 18 of 14 January 2008 on the PhD programme at the Universities (the PhD order)
• General rules and guidelines for the PhD programme at the University of Copenhagen (In Danish).

These rules were compiled by the University of Copenhagen's Research Training Council (KUFUR) and adopted by the University of Copenhagen's Management Team. KUFUR is a standing committee which consists of representatives of all the faculties.

The rules and guidelines for PhD programmes at the Faculty of Social Sciences (http://samf.ku.dk/forskning/phd ) were drawn up by the Copenhagen Graduate School of Social Sciences, which is run by the Head of Faculty Graduate School, assisted by a faculty PhD programme Committee. Each of the Faculty's departments is represented in the committee by one member of the permanent teaching staff and one PhD student.

The Department of Sociology has established an advisory PhD Study Board comprising the head of the PhD programme and one elected PhD student, as well as representatives of the teaching staff and PhD students (nominated by the Head of Department and the PhD students, respectively). The PhD Study Board's responsibilities include the curriculum of the PhD programme in Sociology.  More information about the PhD programme is regularly updated at http://sociologi.ku.dk/english/about/ph.d/ .

III. Funding, applications and enrolment

A. Funding

1. Six different types of funding

The PhD programme can be funded in six different ways:

• The Department's own, internally funded scholarships. PhD applications are submitted to the Department for assessment by an internal academic assessment committee.
• Externally funded scholarships 1 - funded by grants from research councils, foundations, etc. These grants are usually administered by the Department of Sociology, and the PhD student is in terms of financial matters and other regulations administered as internally funded PhD students.
• Externally funded scholarships 2 - funded by independent research organisations or private companies, etc. Enrolment requires an academic assessment of the project by the Department of Sociology, equal to the assessment made for the above types of scholarship. The PhD student's will typically have his/her day-to-day place of work at the institution providing the funding where one or more persons will be responsible for advising the PhD student. However, the formal PhD supervision takes place at and is the responsibility of the Department of Sociology, as per the guidelines described above. A separate contract is drawn up to regulate details of the funding and to ensure that students have sufficient time and adequate working conditions to complete the PhD programme in the prescribed time, cf. point III C below about the scholarship contract.
• Externally funded scholarships 3 - Industrial PhD scholarships. The Industrial PhD programme is described at http://en.fi.dk/research/industrial-phd-programme.
• Jointly funded scholarships - funding comes from several different sources. These scholarships will normally be identical to the scholarships described under externally funded scholarships 2, possibly supplemented by contributions from the Department. For students in these categories, a scholarship contract must be drawn up.
• Self-funded scholarships. The PhD student pays for his/her own studies and pays the University for all costs incurred in conjunction with the PhD programme (e.g. supervision, courses and assessment). As the PhD programme is a full-time study programme, documentation (a bank guarantee) must be provided for an amount equivalent to three years' salary.

2. Scholarships for the 5+3 study programme and the 4+4 study programme
There are two different PhD study programmes for which you can apply for scholarships.

5+3 scholarships
The three-year PhD scholarship follows a five-year Master's programme. All of the regulations in the PhD programme at the department of sociology apply to 5+3 scholarships.

4+4 scholarship
The PhD studies start before the Master's programme has been completed. Special rules apply in this situation.

Upon enrolment, the applicant must have successfully completed a BA in Sociology, plus studies corresponding to 60 ECTS credits in a Master's programme. If the student is not enrolled at Department of Sociology when applying for a 4+4 scholarship, he or she must apply for credit transfer at the Board of Studies for the Bachelor's and Master's programmes. When enrolling in a 4+4 programme, the applicant must have completed 60 ECTS credits that meet the following specific requirements from the curriculum of the Master's programme in Sociology:

1.  A minimum of 40 ECTS credits must be within the subject areas sociological theory, sociological themes and social-science methodology
2.  A maximum of 10 ECTS credits may be transferred for an internship
3.  A minimum of three examinations must have been passed and assessed according to the seven-point grading scale.

For the first two years, PhD students enrolled in the 4+4 programme receive two monthly grant portions (from the Danish state education grant) per month as remuneration. They also complete 140 hours of paid work within the department during the first two years. The Danish state education grant is paid out for a maximum of 24 months. After their Master's degree has been conferred, 4+4 PhD students are transferred to the salary earning PhD programme.

See also point IV M. below.

B. Applications  

Formally, the criteria for applications are not described in the curriculum for the PhD programme, but applications are assumed to include:

• a detailed project description outlining the contents of the proposed research project
• a provisional timetable for the project, including any agreements already entered into for prolonged research periods at other, preferably foreign, research departments.
• possible suggestion for supervisor (principal supervisor and, if needed, secondary supervisors)
• details of any special financial requirements which must be accounted for in detail.

More information regarding the application is available on the Faculty website: http://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen/english/legal/application/ .

C. Scholarship contracts

For all PhD scholarships not 100% funded by the University or a research council/ foundation, a scholarship contract must be drawn up prior to enrolment. The agreement specifies the general terms of the parties' obligations including:

• academic supervision to be provided by the university
• ensuring sufficient time and opportunity for the PhD student to complete the programme within the prescribed time frame
• provisions for the student's duties at the involved organisations
• funding of the scholarship
• ownership and rights to data
• Data confidentiality.

Before an agreement comes into force, the project must be approved by the relevant experts in the Department, the PhD student and the partner, and then submitted to the Head of the PhD programme.

The agreement must be drafted and signed by the Head of Department.

D. Enrolment

Students have formally enrolled in the PhD programme once they receive an enrolment certificate from the Faculty.

IV. Content of the PhD programme in Sociology

The research programme at the Department of Sociology is subject to a number of formalities which are described below (cf. also point M below concerning specific regulations for the 4+4 programme).

A. Introduction

Students whose primary place of work is in the Department will have an office and workstation as well as a telephone, access to photocopier, etc. at their disposal.  

When starting the programme, PhD students are offered a guided tour of the Department. Students are also assigned a "mentor" - a fellow PhD student who will assist in dealing with different academic and practical issues, especially during the early stages of the new student's association with the Department.

An e-mail address will be set up for the new student. This will be added to the Department's e-mail distribution list, which is used to send relevant information to the PhD group. Much of the communication between the Department and the PhD students will take place by e-mail. The PhD student is therefore responsible for maintaining the e-mail account and ensuring that messages are not returned to sender due to the inbox being full.

Further info about the current guidelines for the introduction of new PhD students is available at http://sociologi.ku.dk/english/about/ph.d/welcome/.

B. Supervision

1. Supervisors and their role
The Department of Sociology distinguishes between two kinds of supervisors: the principal supervisor and a possible supplementary supervisor.

The principal supervisor has the academic responsibility for the PhD student during the whole PhD programme and he or she must be an associate professor or a professor in the Department. The principal supervisor must maintain an overall perspective of the individual student's progress during the PhD programme, and ensure that a number of formal stipulations are followed as specified below. The overall supervisory function is exercised on the basis of formal guidelines (ministerial orders, Faculty guidelines, the specific PhD programme and the student's individual study programme). The principal supervisor must be kept informed of the progress with the project at all times and will provide guidance on a number of issues. The principal supervisor's responsibilities are:

• to ensure that, within a maximum of three months of enrolment, an individual study plan is drawn up. This plan is to be drafted by the student following consultation with the principal supervisor and, if relevant, the supplementary supervisor, cf. point IV C below
• to discuss the individual study programme with the student at regular intervals and give the student advice on all related matters, and to ensure that any changes are noted in writing, in the form of a revised individual study plan
• to advise the PhD student on his/her project at regular intervals by reading and commenting on thesis drafts or outlines. This includes guidance on matters relating to design, empirical focus, methodology, interpretation of empirical data, theories, etc.
• to suggest courses and seminars relevant to the student's project, and to identify relevant events, conferences, texts and opportunities for making contact with other researchers
• to regularly be accessible to the student to answer questions regarding the PhD programme
• to ensure that regular half-year assessment reports are drawn up. These reports are made by the student following meetings with his/her principal supervisor, in line with the procedures described in greater detail in point IV H. below
• to ensure that the student obtains the required ECTS credits by taking PhD courses and participating in other activities for which the student is awarded ECTS credits
• to ensure that the student meets the teaching or communication requirements stipulated in the Ministerial Order
• to sign various applications which the student may wish to submit, including official declarations, and to sign the supervisor's report upon submission of the thesis
• if the student has external funding, and his or her day-to-day workplace is not at the Department of Sociology, the supervisor should enquire about the nature and extent of the duties assigned to the student by the external partner. If the student finds these duties too extensive or irrelevant to his/her PhD project, the supervisor must inform the Head of the PhD programme.
  
  

Typically, a couple of meetings will be held with the student per semester at which he or she will outline the general progress made in the individual study programme.

Supplementary supervisors are supervisors who can, by agreement, be part of a project for a limited period of time or for a limited number of hours during the study period in order to supplement the principal supervisor. Supplementary supervisors can be experts from Denmark or from abroad.

2. Criteria for approval of supervisors
The principal supervisor and any supplementary supervisors are appointed upon enrolment by the Head of Department who will consult the PhD student and the Head of the PhD programme. The supervisor must be qualified at the level of professor, associate professor or senior researcher. If nobody with the required qualifications is available, an expert board to assess potential supervisors will be set up by the Head of Department after consultation with the Head of the PhD programme. Agreements about a PhD student having a supplementary supervisor and any fees to be paid to them must be authorised by the principal supervisor, the Head of the PhD programme and the Head of Department.

3. Changing supervisors
Although it is possible to change supervisors, change of principle supervisor should be a rare occurrence. If a student wishes to change supervisor, or if a supervisor no longer wishes to continue in the role, the reasons for this must be briefly outlined and submitted to the Head of the PhD programme.

The Head of the PhD Programme will then initiate one of a several possible procedures, depending on whether a change of supervisor is likely to prove problematic. He or she may opt to approve the change without further ado, or to arrange one or more meetings with the supervisor and/or the PhD student, together or separately. As disagreement between different types of supervisors may be one reason for the change, the opinions of all parties should be sought. The student may need to draw up a new individual study programme if the project has strayed too far from the original plan. Ultimately, it is up to the Head of the PhD Programme to propose a compromise and to make sure that a solution is found relatively quickly, so that the research process is not unduly delayed. In all cases, any change of supervisor requires the approval of the Head of Department.

C. The individual study plan
The student must draw up a written study programme together with the supervisor as soon as possible and no later than three months after enrolment into the PhD programme. The study programme serves as a plan for the whole PhD process and must comprise the following elements:

1) Timetable
2) Agreement about the form of supervision, including specification of supervisors' roles if the student has more than one supervisor
3) Plan for the PhD project
4) Plan for PhD courses
5) Plan for participation in active research environments
6) Plan for teaching and, if relevant, any other form of knowledge dissemination
7) Any agreements about intellectual property rights.

The plan must be signed by the supervisor and the student and approved by the Head of the PhD Programme. Once it has been approved, the plan must be uploaded onto a group forum on KUnet. The procedure for this is described in the guidelines for setting up a group room written the Faculty Secretariat (download the instructions as a PDF).

D. Courses and seminars
Research courses (both in Denmark and abroad) are an important part of the PhD programme. Students must successfully complete courses worth a total of 30 ECTS points (which equals one semester's workload).  The rules distinguishes between different types of courses and activities.

Please note that the number of ECTS points which can be earned for some courses is limited. This is due to the fact that the new PhD system attaches great importance to students taking part in PhD courses related to the subject matter of the project, which do not have a restriction as to the number of ECTS credits which may be earned.

The dates, titles and places of courses and activities, as well as the nature of the student's participation and the ECTS credits sought (in accordance with the guidelines set out) must be clearly indicated in the half-yearly assessment report. Please also note that the conferment of ECTS credits as per the specified standards depends on the supervisor and the Head of the PhD programme approving the course as relevant to the student's individual PhD plan

1. Participation in seminars etc. at the department
A PhD student can accumulate a maximum of 5 ECTS credits through participation in seminars and other activities equivalent to PhD courses. The current activities and the number of ECTS credits for participating in these seminars and activities are listed at http://sociologi.ku.dk/english/about/ph.d/ects/.

2. Conferences
A PhD student can earn a maximum of 6 ECTS credits for participation in conferences. Further information about the rules in force is available on http://sociologi.ku.dk/english/about/ph.d/ects/

3. Generic courses
"Generic" or general courses are typically arranged at faculty level and the subjects of the courses are relevant to all of the Faculty's PhD students. The students are to gain general competence in, e.g. pedagogy, communications, writing scientific papers in English, etc.

A PhD student can earn a maximum of 6 ECTS credits for participation in generic courses. Half an ECTS point per day is awarded for participation in a generic course.

4. PhD courses pertaining to the subject matter of the thesis
The is no maximum to the number of ECTS credits which PhD students can accumulate through participation in courses of this type. However, please note that the total number of points to be earned during the entire PhD programme is 30. No particular courses are compulsory.

Courses are run by a number of different departments. The Department of Sociology's rules for ECTS points apply in all cases, regardless of the number of points stipulated by the department running the course.

PhD students are encouraged to arrange courses for themselves and organise the whole process - including the choice of subject, teachers, structure, collation of material, etc. ECTS credits are awarded to students who organise courses as per the rules outlined below. This system is based on the principle that the students themselves are ideally placed to identify subjects that will attract interest. The work of organising and running courses involves the skills/competences associated with being a researcher.

For more information about the rules about ECTS points currently in force, please check http://sociologi.ku.dk/english/about/ph.d/ects/.

5. Interim provisions regarding the award of ECTS credits

• Credits awarded by PhD heads of the PhD programme at departmental level (i.e. before the establishment of the Graduate School under at Faculty level) and points awarded by heads of the PhD programme prior to the end of April 2008 retain their value, since credits cannot be taken back once they have been awarded.
• Since the beginning of May 2009, points have been awarded according to the new rules, regardless whether the student is under the Ministerial Order No. 18 of 14 January 2008 or Ministerial Order No. 114 of 8 March 2002.

E. Working at other research institutions in Denmark or abroad
Section 7 (2) of the PhD Order stipulates that the programme includes "Participation in active research environments, including residences at other research institutions, mainly abroad". In other words, students are required to participate in research environments other than the institution at which they are enrolled, and preferably abroad.

F. Integration into the department's research community
As part of the research training the the PhD student is to be part of the Department's research community. A number of different activities ensure that students are well integrated into the Department's research community during their programmes. This is to enable them to gain insight into and experience with the institutional aspects of research.

1. Collegiate bodies
PhD students are represented on various committees: the PhD Study Committee at the Faculty level, the advisory PhD Study Board at Department level and the Department Board.

2. Study groups
The PhD Study Committee can launch initiatives for the Department staff to organise regular study groups in which PhD students and one or more other member(s) of staff can discuss particular topics that transcend the students' projects. This type of activity also plays a significant role in the ongoing development of the research environment at the Department (cf. also http://sociologi.ku.dk/english/about/ph.d/ects/) about awarding ECTS credits).

3. Research groups, focus groups and research centres
The Department's research is organised in research groups, focus groups and research centres, as outlined in the sub-points at http://www.soc.ku.dk/english/research/ . PhD students are encouraged to help organise activities in one or more of these groups.

4. Evaluation seminars
Cf. the in-depth description under point IV H below.

G. Teaching and knowledge dissemination
The PhD programme must contain an element of teaching or knowledge dissemination This is achieved inter alia by means of teaching, but also by the presentation of research in other forums, especially to non-expert audiences.

As part of the generic courses (c.f. point IV D.3 above), the Faculty must offer courses in teaching and communication.

H. Half-year assessments
Section 10 of the Order states: "During the course of the PhD programme, the University periodically assesses whether the PhD student is following the PhD study plan, and amends the plan if appropriate." The University has now decided to assess progress every six months. The Faculty will notify students when the semi annual half-year assessments are due to take place. The current procedure, which must be strictly complied with, is described at http://sociologi.ku.dk/english/about/ph.d/halfyear_evaluation/ .

The Head of the PhD programme is responsible for ensuring that the student's principal supervisor confirms in writing that the studies are progressing as planned.

If the student's progress is not approved at the half-yearly assessment, the Faculty Secretariat is informed separately and in detail of the reasons. After a hearing of all the parties, the student is given three months to rectify the inadequacies identified. This three-month period should not per se lead to any extension of the duration of the PhD programme. After three months, the situation is reviewed. If the progress is now approved, the student continues with his/her studies. If, after three months of efforts to redress the situation, the assessment is still negative, then a written explanation is submitted to the Faculty. Following a hearing of all the parties, the Faculty is entitled to withdraw the student's enrolment.

I. Evaluation seminars
The Department of Sociology runs regular evaluation seminars for PhD students during the programme. The idea is for the student to present the broad outlines of his/her project, as well as a draft of an excerpt from the thesis, and to receive feedback from fellow PhD students and expert academic researchers. Further information about the current rules and guidelines for the evaluation seminars is available at http://sociologi.ku.dk/english/about/ph.d/evaluation/ .

J. Applications for grants for travel, courses, etc.
Students funded by the Department of Sociology, or those whose grant is administered exclusively by the Department, should refer to http://sociologi.ku.dk/english/about/ph.d/travelling/ .

K. Extension of enrolment
The Head of the PhD programme is empowered to extend the deadline for submission and consequently the student's enrolment for up to half a year beyond the prescribed period of study (cf. below). This is done upon receipt of a written and detailed application from the student with the recommendation of the supervisor. This procedure is usually takes place by e-mail. Any further extension of the submission deadline, up to a maximum of one year, must be approved by the Head of the Faculty's Graduate School. This application must be signed by the principal supervisor and the Head of the PhD programme. An extra half-year assessment report will be drawn up for the extra period of enrolment. Except in cases of an emergency delaying the application, the applications for postponement must be received by the Head of the PhD programme at the latest 14 days before the deadline. This procedure is usually done by e-mail. The Faculty Secretariat will extend enrolment upon the recommendation of the principal supervisor and the Head of the PhD programme.

"The prescribed period of study" includes extensions due to maternity/paternity/parental leave, adoption leave and extensions due to prolonged illness - i.e. these extensions are not included when calculating if the prescribed period of study has been exceeded. Any extension of enrolment beyond the prescribed period will normally be as full-time study. Part-time study cannot be used to prolong enrolment beyond the maximum of one additional year.

Extensions of enrolment due to other forms of leave, part-time studies and the postponement of deadlines for submission of the thesis will be viewed extensions beyond the prescribed period of study and therefore fall under the permitted one-year maximum. If the thesis is not submitted by the end of the one-year extension of the prescribed period of study at the very latest, the student's enrolment will be terminated and s/he will be asked to submit it in accordance with the PhD Order 15 (2).

L. Requirements concerning the thesis
The thesis may take the form of either a monograph or a series of articles (typically three articles plus a summary list of research work). The required scope of the monograph or articles depends on the nature and quality of the content.

The articles must either have been published or be found suitable for publication in well respected research journals. At least two of the articles ought to be in English or another non-Scandinavian foreign language. If multiple authors are listed for an article, the PhD student's individual contribution must be clearly stipulated; the student is also responsible for the content of the articles. If multiple authors are listed for one or more articles, then the number of articles should be increased accordingly.

Together, the articles and the summary list must constitute a discussion of (1) the project's position in relation to sociology's overarching subject areas and themes; (2) scientific, theoretical and methodological problems highlighted in the project; and (3) the methods used, as well as a summary which outlines the project's specific contribution to international research within the area of research. The length of the summary depends on the extent to which these themes have already been discussed in the articles.

The content requirements listed in the four points above also apply to theses that take the form of monographs.

If the student wishes to write his/her thesis in a language other than Danish, Swedish, Norwegian or English, an application must be submitted in advance to the Head of the PhD programme and approved by the supervisor.

The thesis must include a summary in Danish and English.

The supervisor is responsible for advising the PhD student on the above. The assessment committee is responsible for assessing the extent to which the above criteria have been met, and whether the thesis therefore documents "the author's ability to apply the subject's academic methods and to conduct research corresponding to international standards for PhD degrees" in sociology (cf. the PhD Order, 11).

M. Particulars of the 4+4 programme
PhD students on the 4+4 programme must obtain their Master's degree during the first two years of the PhD study programme. Students who terminate their PhD studies during these two years will be transferred to the general Master's curriculum in Sociology. Under the 4+4 programme, the remaining 60 ECTS points of the Master's degree must be obtained as follows:

1) Examinations related to courses in the Master's programme (30 ECTS points). This cannot include internships.
2) An alternative examination replacing the Master's thesis (30 ECTS points). This will take one of the following forms:

b. Preparation of the Master's project (20 ECTS points): A written assignment of 14-16,000 words followed by an oral examination, both with external assessment. Assessment: Pass/Fail. The work must present the PhD project in its entirety, and include the first elements of the analysis. Students are encouraged to include articles that have already been published or are ready for publication. The Master's project is submitted and assessed by the end of the fourth semester of PhD study.

V. Rights and duties

A. Duties
The rules stipulate that, over the course of the entire three-year programme, the student is obliged to fulfil work duties corresponding to 840 hours. The nature of the work is to be agreed on with the Head of Department and the Head of the PhD programme. Part of this work will be teaching, but other types of work are possible, subject to agreement. This is the case both for students with scholarships from the University of Copenhagen, and for those funded by research councils/foundations. In certain cases other externally funded students must fulfil compulsory duties at the external institution(s) involved (as per the contract between the Department and the external institution(s)). Work that is irrelevant to the student's research project cannot be imposed on him/her. Any doubts or questions should be raised with the Head of the PhD programme.

B. Leave of absence, sick leave, maternity/paternity leave and extension for other reasons
If you check the Faculty rules you will find more information on a number of issues concerning extensions of PhD scholarships and provide links to websites where formal rules are specified.

Enrolment is can be extended for the following reasons:

1.  Maternity, paternity, adoption or parental leave
2.  Sick leave
3.  Part-time employment
4.  Leave of absence without pay
5.  Postponement of deadline for submission of the thesis

PhD students must ensure that they have the necessary permissions and signatures, including the permission of any external funding bodies, before taking any kind of leave. The rules (e.g. for maternity leave) are rather complicated and change frequently. The PhD student should therefore maintain close contact with the Department Secretariat for all matters pertaining to leave illness, maternity/paternity and extensions for other reasons.

NB: PhD students are responsible for ensuring that their e-mail inboxes at the Department of Sociology are not full, and that they are able to receive e-mails. Otherwise, they risk missing out on important information.

VI. Submission of the thesis and the oral defence

A. Submission of thesis and supervisor's report
The student must submit the thesis with a summary in Danish and English no later than the last day of enrolment in the PhD programme. Five copies of the thesis must be submitted to the Faculty Secretariat (four if the author submits a copy directly to the principal supervisor). Furthermore the thesis must be sent as a PDF file to: phd-indlevering@samf.ku.dk.

Collective theses, written by multiple authors cannot be submitted for assessment. Articles included in the thesis may be drafted in collaboration with others on the precondition that each of the co-authors attaches a written statement specifying their contribution.

A supervisor's report, written in both Danish and English, must be submitted to the Faculty Secretariat - preferably together with the thesis, and no later than one week after submission of the thesis. The principal supervisor writes the supervisor's report, along with the supplementary supervisor if the student has one. The student's Cumulative form: Supervision of progress of PhD students and the half-yearly assessments reports, will form the basis of the supervisor's final report. As a minimum, this report must include the following:

• Name and address of the PhD student
• Name of the PhD study programme (i.e. "Sociology"), as well as the title of the individual study programme
• Details of the date on which the study period began, the original period of enrolment, any credit transfers, periods of leave of absence and illness which have extended the study period, periods of part-time studies, and any period(s) spent redressing a lack of progress
• Based on the individual study programme and the half-yearly assessments, it must also be clear how the individual components of the programme were completed, including:
• a. how the requirement for approx. half a year of course participation has been met. The individual elements must be listed. It must be clear whether the participation was satisfactory.
• b. in what way the student participated in multiple active research environments in Denmark and/or abroad
• c. how the student gained experience in teaching or other forms of knowledge dissemination
• The final supervisor's report must acknowledge whether the overall course of study was completed satisfactorily. The supervisor's report must be approved and signed by both the principal supervisor and the Head of the PhD programme.

The Head of the PhD Programme is responsible for ensuring that the supervisor's report is drawn up and fulfils the above requirements. A copy of the report must be sent to the student.

If the principal supervisor states in the report that the PhD programme was not satisfactorily completed, the student has two weeks to submit comments on the report. On the basis of the principal supervisor's report, any comments by the student and the half-yearly assessments, the Head of the Graduate School then assesses whether the overall PhD programme has been completed satisfactorily. If the assessment is that the programme was not completed satisfactorily, the student is granted up to three months to redress the situation, cf. section 4.2. The PhD student may submit an appeal against the decision made by the Head of the Graduate School to the Dean within two weeks of being informed of the decision. If the PhD student opts to do so, the enrolment is extended accordingly and a new assessment will be made. The PhD student also has the option to submit an appeal against the decision by the Head of the PhD School to the Dean within two weeks of being informed of the decision.

If the programme has not been completed satisfactorily, the student's enrolment is terminated. A PhD thesis may only be submitted for assessment if the Head of the Graduate School finds that the overall PhD programme has been completed satisfactorily (cf. the PhD Order, 15).

About the press release:
When the defence of the PhD thesis is announced, a 10-12-line press release must be issued explaining the results of the thesis in an easily accessible language. This must be sent to the PhD Secretary and from there to the Faculty Secretariat. When advertising the defence or upon receipt of enquiries from the general public, the Department must provide a link to this press release.

B. Composition of the assessment committee
A thesis can only be accepted for assessment if the Department finds that the overall PhD programme has been completed satisfactorily.

The Department requests a proposal for an assessment committee from the principal supervisor. The committee consists of three persons, all of whom must be professors or full-time associate professors or possess similar qualifications. At least two must be external members, i.e. not employed at the University of Copenhagen (nor employed by a foundation providing funding for the PhD student). At least one of the members must be from abroad, unless this not possible or relevant from an academic standpoint. Both genders should be represented on the committee.

The proposal is submitted to the Head of Department, who contacts the proposed members. Once the relevant persons accept to become members of the committee, they receive the thesis from the Faculty Secretariat. In order to meet the deadlines for the committee's written report and for the defence, preparatory work for setting up the committee must be done in sufficient time to enable the committee to be set up immediately after the thesis is submitted.

The PhD student's supervisors can not be a full member of the assessment committee, but the principal supervisor will be appointed member of the committee without voting rights. In this capacity, the principal supervisor must be available to answer questions about the PhD programme and about the academic progression in the student's research project. The principal supervisor may therefore be invited to any meetings of the assessment committee.

The composition of the assessment committee is subject to the approval of the Dean.

Once the student has been informed of the composition of the assessment committee, he or she has one week to submit any objections regarding its members. 

When the committee has been appointed, a deadline is set by which it must complete its work. The chairman of the assessment committee must announce a preliminary date for the defence of the thesis to the Faculty Secretariat within 14 days.

A written assessment must be sent to the Faculty Secretariat within two months of the submission of the thesis (cf. below).

C. Assessment of the thesis
The assessment committee is responsible for assessing whether the author through the submitted thesis and its subsequent defence has documented the completion of an academic project that independently applies the subject's methodology thereby making a contribution to the promotion of research reaching the international standard of PhD degrees in the subject area.

Within two months of the submission of the thesis the assessment committee must provide an in-depth account and assessment of its content. This assessment must include a unanimous or majority recommendation as to whether the thesis in its present form is suitable for a public defence and the conferment of the PhD degree.

If the thesis is deemed suitable for defence by the committee, either unanimously or by a majority, the student will be informed and receive a copy of the recommendation. The committee's assessment is also sent to the Dean.

Provided it does not delay the public defence, the chairman of the assessment committee is empowered to accept limited changes or additions to the thesis prior to or during the defence.

If the assessment committee does not consider the thesis suitable for public defence and for the conferment of the PhD degree, the Faculty will communicate the Department's decision to the PhD student and notify him or her that the thesis in its present form cannot serve as basis for a public defence. In this case the PhD student and the principal supervisor have the option to comments on the assessment in writing within a maximum of two weeks. These comments are sent to the Faculty Secretariat who will forward them to the assessment committee for their response. The Head of Graduate School will then make one of the three following decisions:

1.  The defence does not take place.
2.  The PhD thesis is resubmitted in a revised form within a maximum of three months. If the thesis is resubmitted, it will be assessed by the same assessment committee as previously, unless special circumstances occur.
3.  The thesis is assessed by a new assessment committee.

The PhD student can appeal against the decision of the Head of the PhD School to the Dean within two weeks of being informed of the decision. Appeals must be submitted in writing, and the grounds for the appeal must be specified.

If the thesis is resubmitted in a revised form, it will be assessed by the same assessment committee which made the first assessment, unless special circumstances occur. The revised thesis must again be submitted in five copies and as a PDF file. In addition, a document must be included describing where changes were made to the originally submitted thesis. The revised thesis is sent to the assessment committee and a date is found for submission of a new provisional assessment.

D. Guidelines for the defence of a PhD thesis
These guidelines are valid for the defence of PhD theses submitted for assessment at the Department of Sociology at the University of Copenhagen. The guidelines specify the interpretation of the provisions set out in the PhD Order.

The actual defence predominantly takes the form of a dialogue between the members of the assessment committee and the author of the thesis, rather than a lecture on a stipulated topic. The chairman may grant others permission to speak during the defence. It is intended that the defence will serve as a worthy conclusion to the PhD programme, cf. point G below.

E. The Department's responsibilities in connection with the defence
The Department sets the time and place of the public defence. When announcing the defence the Department must indicate the address at which the defence is held and the exact time at which the doors will be closed.

The defence is chaired by a member of academic staff of the department appointed by the Head of Department (an associate professor or a professor). Supervisors are not eligible to chair the defence. The chair has overall responsibility for ensuring that the defence is held in accordance with the PhD Order and with these guidelines.

The Secretariat must reach agreement with the chair of the assessment committee on the following:

1.  The date for the defence
2.  A suitable lecture room
3.  Appropriate inventory in the lecture room. This is  to be arranged by the Technical Division and includes ensuring a reasonable number of chairs, podiums for the PhD student and opponents, chalk, water, a working overhead projector and, if necessary, any additional audiovisual equipment, etc.
4.  The practical aspects of the audio or video recording of the defence
5.  Announcing of the time and place of the defence in the University newspaper, the Faculty's weekly newsletter, on the University of Copenhagen's portal http://www.ku.dk/portal/meddelelser/, on the Department of Sociology's website.

F. Deadline for setting a date for the defence
The defence takes place following the assessment committee's submission of its provisional recommendation, and no later than three months after the submission of the thesis. In special cases, the Faculty may decide to postpone the defence. Any postponement requires mutual agreement between the parties, including with regards to a new date for the defence.

G. The defence
The purpose of the defence is to provide the student with an opportunity to explain his or her work and defend the thesis before the members of the assessment committee and others to whom the chairman of the committee has granted permission to provide input at the defence.

One or two breaks may be held during the defence. These are included in the total time taken. Under normal circumstances, the chair must ensure that the defence does not exceed three hours.

The current guidelines for the defence of theses at the Department of Sociology are available at: http://sociologi.ku.dk/english/about/ph.d/defence/

H. The assessment committee's recommendation after the defence and the faculty's decision
At the end of the defence, the assessment committee makes a final assessment to decide whether the PhD degree can be conferred upon the author of the thesis. Regardless of the outcome of the discussions, the committee must immediately orally notify the author of its final recommendation. If this is not possible, the author is informed when the final recommendation will be made. A final written recommendation must be produced within one week of the defence. The reasons for the recommendation must be stated. If a unanimous decision cannot be reached, the recommendation must be based on a majority vote.

The PhD degree is conferred if the assessment committee so recommends. The PhD degree is conferred by the Academic Council.

If the assessment committee's recommendation is negative, the author has the option, within two weeks of receiving the final written recommendation, to submit comments and request that the thesis be reassessed by a new committee.

Under these circumstances, the Head of the Graduate School may decide to let the thesis be assessed by a new assessment committee, if so requested by the author. The author also has the option of submitting an appeal to the Dean against the decision made by the Head of the Graduate School within two weeks of being informed of this decision. Appeals must be submitted in writing, and the grounds for the appeal must be specified.

I. The PhD diploma
The Faculty issues a diploma to candidates who have obtained the PhD degree. The diploma is made in Danish and an English version and must include information about the thesis's subject area and about the PhD programme completed by the candidate. The certificate is signed by the University Rector and the Dean of the Faculty.

Students who are not awarded the PhD degree may ask the Faculty to provide them with documentation in both Danish and English about the parts of the PhD programme that were satisfactorily completed.

Students enrolled at Danish universities are not normally eligible for joint degrees (i.e. partner universities collectively conferring a single academic degree to a student for satisfactorily completing a course of study).

VII. Exemptions
Subject to the approval of the Dean, the Head of Graduate School may, in special cases, grant exemptions from the Faculty's rules. Please note that exemptions can only be granted in special cases.

Subject to the approval of the Head of Graduate School, the Head of the PhD Programme at the Department of Sociology can, in special cases, grant exemptions from rules that have been set exclusively for the PhD study programme in Sociology.