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For doctoral students in Disability Research

This page provides you with information about your doctoral education and links to different forms that you may need.

According to the Higher Education Ordinance, every student admitted to doctoral education shall annually establish an individual study plan (ISP). The plan should be established together with your supervisor within two months after you have been admitted. The individual study plan can be seen as a contract between you and the university about how your doctoral education is to be carried out. It is also an important planning tool for you and your supervisor and a way for the university to follow up on your studies. Your research plan and the general syllabus (ASP) is the basis for the planning of the ISP. The individual study plan must be signed by the doctoral student and the supervisor. Use the link below to find more information about the ISP, as well as links to the ISP template and a guide with examples to help you to fill it out.

Change/addition of supervisor

If you want to change, remove or add a supervisor, you, the doctoral student, must fill out the application below.

Change of general syllabus

You follow the general syllabus which was valid on the day you were admitted to doctoral education. Should the general syllabus change during your study period, you may apply for transfering your studies to the newer general syllabus. Please fill out the form below.

Change rate of study

Rate of study can mean either the planned or the actual level of activity, depending on the context. You cannot have a study activity lower than 50 per cent of full time. If you want to change your pace of study you need to fill out the application form below. 

Extension of study period

You have the right to request an extension of your study period if, for example, you have been on parental leave or sick leave. The extension is made after you have been on parental leave/sick leave and usually in connection with revising your individual study plan. You, as a doctoral student, are responsible for documenting your parental leave/sick leave in your individual study plan. For doctoral students with employment at Örebro University, information on parental leave/sick leave is obtained from the HR department based on the dates and extent reported in Primula. Doctoral students with external funding must send a certificate from the employer or the Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) showing between which dates and to what extent you were on parental leave/sick leave. Based on the information received, the research administrator calculates a new preliminary end date for the programme using the university's common calculation template. The calculations in the calculation template are made based on calendar days.

It is also possible to fill in the form below and send it together with a certificate from the employer or the Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) to the research administration.

Termination of studies

If you for some reason want to terminate your doctoral studies, you must report it in writing. Contact the study and research administration or the Director of studies for more information.

The general syllabus on which you were admitted states how many credits you need to take during your doctoral education to meet the degree requirements. Örebro University offers doctoral courses but you can also choose to attend courses at other universities or institutions. On the subject page (Disability Research) you will find information about which courses are available at Örebro University.

When you attend and pass a course given by Örebro University, your credits will automatically be registered in the study documentation system Ladok. However, if you attend and pass a course given by the University Library, you must apply for credit transfer.

You may also attend courses at other universities or institutions, in Sweden or abroad. Once you have passed such a course, you must apply for transfer of credits.

If you attend courses outside of Örebro University you need to apply for a credit transfer after you finished the course in order for it to count towards your future doctoral degree. Along with a properly filled-out application you must also submit a certificate of your participation, as well as a course syllabus or similar. Note that it is always individually assessed whether or not an application is approved (completely or partly).

According to "Guidelines for credit transfer for the subject areas of Medical Science, Disability Research and Sport Science" (ORU 1.2.1-06176/2017) shall an application for credit transfer for courses/thesis work completed prior to admission be made in connection with the approval of the doctoral student’s first ISP (Individual Study Plan). For courses completed whilst on the doctoral programme, an application for credit transfer should be made no later than at the time of the next ISP revision.

The research study administrator forwards the application to the head of subject who reviews and makes the relevant decisions. If the specialisation head of subject is of the opinion that the course for which credit transfer has been applied, does not fall within the scope of third-cycle courses and study programmes, the application shall be rejected. On rejection, the decision must include the grounds for the decision.

It is important to start work on the kappa in good time. Below is Ingemar Engström's presentation from the Doctoral Student Day in spring 2023 with tips on how to succeed with your kappa writing.

All doctoral students in Disability Research, both those who intend to complete their studies with a licentiate seminar or with a doctoral degree, must hold a 60% review seminar. The 60% seminar is held when about 60% of the doctoral work has been completed. It is planned by the main supervisor in consultation with the doctoral student, the Head of subject and other supervisors.

The main supervisor, and normally other supervisors as well, must participate in the mid-way review.

The final review seminar aims partly to give a thorough response to your studies and partly to test the quality of work that has been done. 

A licentiate degree of 120 credits (two years of full time studies) can be an independent degree, or a step on the road towards a doctorate. The licentiate thesis shall be defended at a public seminar.

On the University's central pages you can find more information about thesis production.

A doctoral education of 240 credits (four years of full time studies) is concluded by you defending your thesis at a public defence.

It is your principal supervisor’s responsibility to plan your public defence together with you. Remember to start planning and preparing well in advance; there is much to be done. We recommend that you inform the study and research administration as soon as you have a preliminary date for your defence, so that the availability can be checked. It is also important that you contact the printing office Repro as soon as possible to establish a time plan for your thesis production.

The proposal for public defence, complete with all appendices, shall be submitted in original version to the study and research administration 15 weeks - at the latest! - before the proposed date of the public defence. All appendices that are to be included are listed on the proposal form. Note that all the documents shall be printed single-sided.

Financial support

Financial support

Information about additional financial support for doctoral students (login needed).

Lunch seminars

Lunch seminars

Here is the calendar for the Doctoral Student Section's upcoming lunch seminars.

Research

Research

Read more about the research at the School of Health Sciences

Contact

The Director of Studies for postgraduate education in Disability Research, Stephen Widen, is responsible for, among other things, assisting doctoral students with overall postgraduate education issues and for following up course evaluations in postgraduate education. You can contact him if you have questions regarding, for example, the individual study plan, supervision or if problems arise within the education.

The Head of Subject for Disability Research, Elina Mäki-Torkko, is responsible for the subject's quality and development, both in terms of research, education and collaboration. You can contact her regarding, among other things, questions about validation of external postgraduate courses and comments about our own courses.

Are you uncertain about who to contact? You can always turn to the study and research administrator Lisa Elliot with your questions about doctoral studies and she will either help you find the answer or guide you towards the right person.