The research conducted during your studies will be published in different ways and compiled in a thesis. The thesis is the written examination that will show that the soon-to-be doctor is able to present their work in a scientific way and that they have met their programme objectives.

The thesis is presented and then defended orally during a public defence. The defence is an open seminar in which an appointed expert from the faculty and an external reviewer discuss and question the content of the thesis. The aim is for the author of the thesis – the soon-to-be doctor – to discuss and address these questions with help from their scientific knowledge. An examining committee will observe and participate in the discussion. It is the committee that then determines if the doctoral student’s thesis and public defence have shown that they have achieved the programme objectives.

It might feel like you have a long way to go before your thesis is finished and ready to defend – but remember: time flies! Your principal supervisor will determine if you have met your qualitative targets and that your thesis meets the required standards. During the public defence, it is the task of the external reviewer to provide the examining committee with the best conditions to be able to assess if you have attained the qualitative targets. Hence, the examining committee will conduct the final assessment of your thesis and oral defence and determine whether your public defence has been approved – not the external reviewer.

It is also worth mentioning that it may already be time to check which degree you will be able to achieve. At SLU, third level qualifications are named after the preceding qualification at first or second level. For example, someone who is a veterinarian can become "Doctor of Veterinary Medicine" and someone who is a civil engineer can become "Doctor of Technology". More information about this can be found in the link at the bottom of this page.

Links:

You will find the rules for a SLU thesis in the SLU guidelines for doctoral education.

Information on thesis and public defence/licentiate seminar at the SLU staff web

Information on doctoral degrees at the SLU staff web.