Doctoral education at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Study guide: In the study guide, you find information about the faculty’s organisation and management of the research training programmes. The study guide will be updated in 2025. 

Study guide for the cultural sciences environment: This version of the study guide focuses on doctoral education in the cultural sciences.

Local regulations for for third-cycle courses and study programmes: This document constitutes part of the fundamental regulatory system for doctoral education at Linnaeus University. The local regulations are based on regulations in the Higher Education Act and the Higher Education Ordinance, as well as on recommendations by the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions

Template for the individual study plan: Your first individual study plan is established when you start your doctoral studies, and is subsequently reviewed and revised at least once a year. The study plan is prepared and approved by the doctoral supervisory committee (handledarkollegiet) and subsequently ratified by the dean.

Annex to the individual study plan –  Goal attainment: When you have completed 50% and 80% respectively of the qualitative targets for a doctoral degree, this is documented in an annex to the individual study plan, and registered and archived together with the plan.

For each subject included in a doctoral programme, there should be a general syllabus. At the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, there are four general syllabi.

Lnu Press provides templates for doctoral and licentiate theses. You find these templates on the pages Checklist for Linnaeus University dissertations series and Checklist for Licentiate Theses respectively.

Doctoral students receive funding for the equivalent of four years of full-time study for a Degree of Doctor, and two years for a Degree of Licentiate. Time is measured in percent, and each six-month period equals 100%. If you have departmental duties, activity is decreased proportionally, so in case of, for instance, 20% departmental duties, 80% activity is reported.

The research secretary will contact you well in time before the activity report is due. Activity is documented in Ladok and in the individual study plan at the subsequent follow-up.

Doctoral student backpack (doktorandryggsäck)

Doctoral students can apply for funds for expenses (e.g. literature purchases and conference travel) from the so-called “doktorandryggsäck”. Doctoral students receive a total of SEK 40,000 during their doctoral period. Half of the amount is available until the mid-seminar, after which the other half can be used until the study period has reached 800%. The doctoral student is responsible for ensuring that the amount is not exceeded.

Contact the support for the head of department for for the application form.

Internationalisation funds

To encourage international research participation, funds are available for doctoral students to cover the costs of material collection, course and field studies during a stay abroad of at least 2 weeks. Before you can apply for the Faculty's internationalisation funds, you should check whether it is possible to apply for central funds. Link to information on mobility for doctoral students.

The application is ongoing and the form below should be used. The assessment of application documents takes into account, among other things, the purpose of the trip and how much funding you have previously been granted.

The form should be sent to: Carina Boman (DE & KV) or Linda Piltz (IFL, MB, SPR, SV). The application is processed by the vice-dean for doctoral education and decisions are made by the dean.

Application form for internationalisation for doctoral students 

Application for reimbursement of visa fees for doctoral students

Costs for visas in connection with employment as a doctoral student at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities are paid by the faculty.

Travelling during employment as a doctoral student

First, applications are made for reimbursement for visa costs from the university's internationalisation funds. Link to information on mobility for doctoral students.

In case no central funds are available, the faculty will pay for a maximum of one visa per year for the duration of the employment. Granting requires the active participation of the doctoral student, for example by presenting a paper at a conference.

In addition to this, the doctoral student's backpack can be used.

Application form for visa fee

Scholarships

On the Swedish staff page you will find a compilation of current scholarships that you can apply for.

Your salary will be increased the month after you have achieved 50% and 80% respectively, of the requirements for a doctoral degree. In the local collective agreement for doctoral students (only available in Swedish) you will find information about salaries.

Are you wondering about what international possibilities you have as a doctoral student at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, or do you want to know more about internationalisation? On the page Internationalisation you will find information pertaining to doctoral students at the faculty. 

Doctoral programmes include a thesis component and a course component. Course content is determined based on the general syllabus for the relevant subject and is documented in the individual study plan. If you log into Ladok, you can see what courses you have completed, on the page “My education”

On Staff and on our external website, there is a page that lists doctoral courses offered at Linnaeus University, as well as links to courses offered at other universities.

At FKH, course descriptions are drawn up for all third-cycle courses, including individual reading courses. Course descriptions and course examiners are prepared by the relevant supervisory college and then decided by the dean. T

Template: Course description for the cultural studies environment

Template: Course description for the environments for film and literature studies and linguistics

The document Guidelines for compensation for course delivery in doctoral education contains information on what compensation is paid for course delivery in doctoral education. 

After completion of the course, doctoral students who have participated must be given the opportunity to express their views through a course evaluation. The course coordinator produces an anonymised summary of the outcome and any suggestions for improvement. These should be fed back to the doctoral students and sent to the research secretary for archiving.

Course evaluation template

All doctoral projects at Linnaeus University are required to have their own page at Lnu.se, so as to make them searchable on our website as well as via search engines.

In order for the Communications Office to be able to create a page for your project, you need to fill in a special form, which you find on the Swedish staff page Doktorandprojekt på Lnu.se. (For information in English, see Doctoral projects at Lnu.se).

As a doctoral student, you should be given the opportunity to influence your education and your study situation. For information about how student influence works for you as a doctoral student at Linnaeus University, please visit the page Student influence – doctoral students.

Guidelines for extending the period of employment for doctoral students in elected positions

The Ethical Advisory Board in South East Sweden: If you have questions about research-ethical aspects of your work, the Ethical Advisory Board is where you should turn for help.

The Swedish Research Council’s publication on good research practice: The Swedish Research Council’s group of experts on ethics, who handle authority-specific, as well as general research-ethical issues, have published the book “Good research practice”, which help researchers make well-founded research ethical decisions.  

The doctoral supervisory committees are drafting bodies for doctoral education. Doctoral education is offered in three environments: one for the cultural sciences; one for film- and literature; and one for linguistics. The doctoral supervisory committees prepare cases at the doctoral level, for subsequent approval by the vice-chancellor, the faculty board, or the dean, in accordance with the current scheme of delegation and our local regulations for third-cycle programmes.

The doctoral supervisory committee for the cultural sciences

The doctoral supervisory committee for film- and literature

The doctoral supervisory committee for linguistics

Notification of licentiate seminar: The notification of a licentiate seminar is endorsed by the Doctoral Supervisory Committee and approved by the dean.

Checklist in preparation for you licentiate seminar: Here you will find information about the production process and timeline for producing a printed licentiate thesis.

Financial guidelines: Here you will find financial guidelines for your licentiate seminar. 

Notification of public defence: The notification of a public defence is endorsed by the doctoral supervisory committee and approved by the dean.

Checklist in preparation for public defence: Here you will find information about the production process and timeline for producing a printed doctoral thesis.

Financial guidelines: Here you will find financial guidelines for your public defence. 

Application for degree certificate: As soon as all the requirements for the qualitative targets are met and registered in Ladok, you may apply for a degree certificate. Remember that this is your responsibility! You get the application form from the Degree Office.

You need to have obtained your degree in order to be able to take part in the doctoral award ceremony at Linnaeus University.