For doctoral students in Medical Science with a Specialisation in Healthcare Sciences

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 implemented. 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.

• Information and form - Individual Study Plan (ISP)

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. You will find the University's doctoral courses here.

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 (more information about credit transfer follows below).

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.

Below you will find links to doctoral courses at faculties of medicine at other universities in Sweden.

• Karolinska Institute
• Linköping University
• Lund University
• Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University
• Umeå University
• Uppsala University

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 Science 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 specialisation coordinator/head of subject who reviews and makes the relevant decisions. If the specialisation coordinator/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.

• Form for application for credit transfer

One important part of your doctoral education is to participate in various seminars. Here you can read more about research seminars at the School of Health Sciences.

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.

• How to write a good introductory chapter

Mid-way review is a mandatory element in doctoral education. The mid-way review shall be held no later than when half of the doctoral study programme has been completed, i.e., after two years for full-time studies, or earlier if two papers have been accepted for publication in a refereed journal. The mid-way review is planned by the supervisor in consultation with the doctoral student and other supervisors, as well as with the specialisations coordinator.

• Guidelines and checklist for the mid-way review
• Proposal for and decision on mid-way review
• Instructions for mid-way summary
• Assessment at the mid-way review in medical science
• Status report on the development of the doctoral student’s learning in relation to the intended learning outcomes for the doctoral degree (word)

Please note that Örebro University's PowerPoint templates and logos shall be used for your material presented at the mid-way review, they can be found here (ORU account log-in required).

The faculty would like the doctoral thesis to be quality assured prior to the public defence through a final review seminar or an introductory chapter seminar. At a final review seminar, both the introductory chapter and published articles and manuscripts are examined, while an introductory chapter seminar focuses on the dissertation's comprehensive summary. Doctoral students and senior colleagues at the university are suitably hired as examiners.

You who wish to have a final seminar or introductory chapter seminar will propose the date and time that suits you and the reviewers. Contact fouadm.HV@oru.se for help to book a room for the seminar. Notify fouadm.HV@oru.se your preferred date and time, type of seminar, thesis title,  reviewers (name, title and affiliation) and seminar leader. The research administrator publishes the seminar in the calendar for the School of Health Sciences with a registration link in order to be able to send out scripts to pre-registered participants.

You who hold the seminar are responsible for advertising for the seminar and for sending the material to selected reviewers in accordance with agreement. You send the current script no later than 8 days before the seminar to fouadm.HV@oru.se, the research administrator then sends it on to the registered participants 7 days before the seminar.

The seminar begins with the doctoral student briefly presenting the work. This is followed by a discussion, first with the reviewers, then with the participants.

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.

• Guidelines and checklist for licentiate thesis preparation and licentiate seminar
• Proposal for the public defence of a licentiate thesis

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