Content, background and aim
This policy document is a general description of the postgraduate education at the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics (HGEN). It gives a brief overview of the framework we have to follow, the objectives as specified by SLU and with our additions, the relationship between research and postgraduate education at HGEN, the process of supervision and the roles of the supervisors and postgraduate students, respectively. Finally, it includes a timetable for formal matters ? when and how to do what. Subject specific as well as more detailed information is included as appendices.
The policy document and the appendices are results of discussions to which all PhD-students and supervisors have been invited, and many have contributed. A working group consisting of three supervisors (including the director of postgraduate studies at HGEN) and two postgraduate students wrote it. The head of department decided that we should work according to the directions given in the policy. We hope and believe that this policy document will help PhD-students and supervisors to improve the postgraduate education on the individual level as well as for the department.
General framework of the Higher Education Ordinance
The postgraduate education is completed by a Doctoral or PhD-degree, which comprises 160 credit points where one credit point equals one week of full-time studies, i.e. an equivalent of four years of full time studies. If the student wishes, the education can also be finished by a Licentiate degree that is equivalent to two years of full time studies.
The student is enrolled to postgraduate education in a specific subject, for which there is a general study plan describing the content and disposition of the studies, the basic and specific qualifications required for admission as well as the examination. For admittance there must be a designated supervisor, hereafter called the main supervisor. Each postgraduate student must also have an individual study plan describing the course work, research project, time plan and commitment of the student and main supervisor. After admission, the study plan is to be revised on a yearly basis and signed by the student and the supervisor. The student is entitled to supervision and appropriate conditions of study throughout the postgraduate education as long as the study plan is followed. Also the financing of the student is guaranteed in form of a scholarship (utbildningsbidrag), stipends, employment as doctoral studentship (doktorandtjänst), or at some other position allowing postgraduate studies.
At the department, we presently have three subjects for postgraduate studies: Animal Science (Appendix 1), Molecular Genetics (Appendix 2) and Genetics (Appendix 3).
Objectives
The Rector formulated the Objectives of the Postgraduate Studies at SLU in 1996 (Dnr SLU 17.31-1940/96, Appendix 4). According to these, ?the aim of postgraduate studies at SLU is to prepare the students for careers in basic and applied research, teaching and administrative duties at universities, the business world and in the public sector?. At the department of Animal Breeding and Genetics we want the students to develop their strong sides further and to strengthen their weak sides in order to fulfil these goals concerning knowledge and capabilities. Furthermore, the postgraduate training should help the students to develop their self-esteem, self-reliance and ability to communicate.
Our efforts are devoted to ensure a postgraduate education with high qualities such that the students appreciate it during their studies as well as after having obtained their degree. To achieve this, the department should provide a ?good learning climate? with possibilities for participation and interaction and a sense of belonging.
It is also crucial that the students through their own research contribute to new knowledge in their respective subject areas and that they are good at communicating their knowledge to their colleagues, peers, industry and society, and thus act like ambassadors for their subject, our department and SLU.
Postgraduate education and research
While undergraduate education should be scientifically based, the postgraduate training is in addition a fully integrated part of the research programme. This fact has a great impact on the choice of research project for the PhD-thesis, on supervision and forms for conducting the work as well as on contacts and cooperation with colleagues.
The choice of subject for the thesis should be based on scientific criteria and defined such as it can be completed within the set time frame. Moreover, the subject area has to be fully agreed upon between the student, the supervisors and the department. The formulation of the scientific problem for the PhD-project is very important for the outcome and is therefore emphasised in the individual study plan. Most often, and preferably, the student?s research is part of an ongoing research programme. This means that the definition of the student project in relation to other parts of the programme is essential for the student and for the coming cooperation with colleagues within the programme. The close interaction with other researchers includes mutual advantages and responsibilities. One practical consequence of the integration could be that several projects have to be carried out simultaneously. Therefore, a PhD-project may have to be revised if the student is on leave for a long period. There must also be a backup plan for the PhD-project in case it is inhibited by lack of progress for other parts of the research programme.
The scientific quality of the research at the department will strongly influence the quality of the student?s thesis and vice versa. The four years of PhD-studies offer continuous possibilities for scientific discussions, formulation of hypotheses for research, communication of results, planning of new projects etc. The advantage of working and studying in a creative research environment should be fully utilized by the postgraduate student and the supervisory group. The department should invite the postgraduate students to all activities and welcome the vitalizing aspects that the students contribute to the scientific discussion.
The process of supervision
The process of supervision should be based on openness, mutual respect and professionalism. The supervisor and the student shall cooperate with each other to fulfil the goals of the PhD-education.
Every PhD-student shall have at least one co-supervisor in addition to the main supervisor, i.e. a supervisory group. The PhD-student and at least one of the supervisors shall have planned meetings at least once per month during terms. It?s the PhD-student?s responsibility to call to these meetings, but if the PhD-student for some reason does not call for a meeting for a long time, the main supervisor should react and take contact. In addition to meetings with the whole group, parts of the group should feel free to have separate meetings. The supervisors may, for example, want to meet to discuss their individual supervisory roles. The supervisory group may be expanded with ?resource persons?, having special competence needed for parts of the project.
Every PhD-student shall have an individual study plan (Appendix 5). As this is discussed and revised once a year it is an important tool for planning and evaluating the PhD-education. The individual study plan shall include personal data, intended degree and subject of PhD-education, names of supervisors and intended PhD-student activity per year. It shall also briefly describe the research plan, expected timetable, commitments of the student and supervisors, planned publications as well as financing and a listing of courses and international experiences. The study plan shall be agreed upon and signed by the PhD-student and all supervisors.
As a complement to the individual study plan each postgraduate student should have a written agreement with the supervisors on issues regarding goals, work habits, distribution of work etc. within the group. This Postgraduate student contract (Appendix 6) is only to be used internally within the group (PhD-student and supervisors) and will thus differ between groups. The appendix is a checklist intended as a help when constructing the contract. All points need not be included but they should at least be discussed when setting up the contract.
However, it is of particular importance to formulate the roles and responsibilities of the student and the different supervisors, the authorship on papers etc.
In the beginning of the PhD-period the PhD-student needs supervision in form of instructions and information about available methods required to solve the research task (or about development of novel methodologies that may be required), relevant courses, conferences, how to apply for travel grants etc. It is also important that training in scientific writing is included early in the education. In later part of the PhD-studies the most important role of the supervisors is to be discussion partners. At this stage the PhD-student should be able to take his or her own decisions on many things regarding the education and the project. How the increasing independence proceeds has to be individually adapted to each PhD-student and his or her project. In the last year of the PhD-project it is important to put emphasis on discussions on the future professional life of the postgraduate student.
Rights and obligations of the supervisor(s)
The main supervisor must be approved Associate professor (docent), and the co-supervisor(s) should have a PhD-degree. The genus aspects should be regarded, and both genders should if possible be represented in the supervisory group. The supervisors shall be accessible, take responsibility for the PhD-education as well as for the progress in the PhD-research project. A supervisor should not accept to supervise more students than he or she has available time for. All supervisors have the responsibility to take active part in discussions about the postgraduate education in the department and faculty, or at least to keep updated about the commitments that are linked to their position as a supervisor.
Within the supervisory team, an open attitude and respect towards each individual?s competence is critical. All members of the supervisory group should keep / be kept updated about the progress of the student?s course work, research project and other activities related to the PhD-studies. The supervisors have the right to demand that the student works on his/her project in accordance with the study plan (and keeps the supervisors informed about the progress of the PhD-research project and ?education).
The supervisors are responsible for introducing the student to the research area and when the PhD-project is part of a research programme, the main supervisor should keep the student well informed about the development in the programme. The supervisors shall assist in planning of the research and discuss problems, results, and manuscripts and stimulate the students to write manuscripts (for scientific and popular publication) and to attend international conferences as early as possible. They shall consider the personal development of the PhD-students and continuously and in a positive manner provide constructive feedback on their work and achievements.
Members of the supervisory group should encourage and facilitate external contacts for the student by introducing colleagues at conferences, supporting international visits etc. External contacts are of great importance for the research work and future career of the PhD-student.
In due time before the examination (dissertation) the supervisors shall discuss the timing and preparation of the oral defence, and together with the PhD-student propose an external examiner (opponent) and members of the examination committee to the head of department.
Rights and obligations of the PhD-student
The postgraduate students shall take responsibility and initiative for their own education and for keeping the supervisors informed about the progress of their work. The PhD-students shall actively take part in departmental activities and are encouraged to attend postgraduate student meetings and engage in working groups at the department. Teaching experiences are useful for strengthening subject knowledge, development of communication skills and for personal development. However, teaching and other departmental duties should not exceed a few percent (?5%) of the working time, unless it is agreed upon with the supervisory group and stated in the study plan. The postgraduate student shall not be expected to work more than on average 40 hours per week in total.
Upon admission, each postgraduate student shall be offered at least one ?fadder?, i.e. a PhD-student chosen by the postgraduate student group at HGEN, who can give advice in various practical matters. Thus, all PhD-students have the responsibility to act as ?fadder? for at least one new student. Furthermore, all students should support each other during the education by sharing information, knowledge and experiences.
The PhD-student shall discuss the choice of courses within the PhD-program with the supervisory group. In addition to subject courses, the student has the right to take courses for personal development such as basic pedagogic and leadership courses.
The student should actively search for relevant courses and conferences. All PhD-students should have some international experience during their education. This could consist of a longer visit to a research centre in addition to participation at international conferences, courses etc. It is the responsibility of the postgraduate student to apply for travel grants and/or scholarships for attending international conferences or courses. The student should be prepared to represent and inform about SLU and his/her department at visits, conferences and meetings.
The postgraduate student is responsible for following the scientific development in the area of the project by continuous literature studies and shall take part in writing applications for research grants if it is relevant for his/her research project.
The student has the right to choose to finish the education with a Licentiate degree or even without a degree. The decision should be discussed during at least one supervisory meeting.
If there are conflicts in the supervisory group, the PhD-student has the right to get assistance from the director of postgraduate studies at the department, the head of department, and/or the PhD-student commissioner. If there are conflicts that cannot be solved, if the PhD-project is changed towards another area of research, or if the main supervisor leaves his or her position at the department, the PhD-student has the right to change supervisors.
Time table of formal matters
Recruitment and admission
In general, all doctoral studentships shall be announced openly in newspapers with nationwide coverage; the recurrent advertisement by SLU is recommended. This should be done even if qualified candidates for the position are known. This practice is used in order to recruit the most qualified candidates, to provide information to the research community and society in general about our research activities and to make the new PhD-students understand that they have been selected in open competition.
For admission, the supervisor and student must have written a preliminary version of the individual study plan. This shall include personal data, intended degree, a brief description on the research project and a financing plan. Other documents needed are the application form (supplied by the director of postgraduate studies at HGEN) and copies of the certificate from the basic degree (unless it is issued by SLU). The head of department makes the formal admission after the working group for postgraduate studies has processed the application.
When the student has been appointed for the PhD-position, he/she should meet with the director of postgraduate studies for general information about the department, the contents and conditions of PhD-studies, useful courses and websites etc. At that time, the student and supervisory group should also have a meeting to set up a postgraduate student contract.
Each term
The student should give a copy of all course certificates to the director of postgraduate studies for reporting to the student documentation system, Ladok. When courses have been reported, the student gets a printout from Ladok for confirmation.
Financing (scholarship, studentship or other appointment) and degree of activity in postgraduate education (100% reduced by time for teaching, parentage- or sick leave etc. if this constitutes 10 % or more) are reported for all students at the end of each term. When a student has fulfilled 50% of the requirements for the degree (decided at half-time assessment) and 80% (one year before expected dissertation), respectively, this is also reported to Ladok. The director of postgraduate studies should get the information needed for the reports from the main supervisors.
Each year, August-September
At a special supervisory meeting (attended by the whole supervisory group) the PhD-student should thoroughly report the progress of the year and changes in the individual study plan and contract shall be discussed and decided upon. The revised, dated and signed study plan should be handed in to the director of postgraduate studies in September. The working group for postgraduate studies should check the revised study plans, and contact the student if they see any important problems, e.g. concerning publication or time plans.
When the study plan is revised for the first time (or maximum one year after admission) the PhD-student shall give a seminar presenting the research project at a department seminar.
Two years after admission
When a time equivalent to two years of full-time studies has passed, a half-time assessment (Appendix 7) shall be performed. The aim is to evaluate the progress in the PhD-education, to find ways to improve the remaining parts of the PhD-studies and thus increase the possibilities to fulfil the goals within the stipulated four years study period. The assessment includes revision of individual study plan and contract, half-time seminar and a meeting with the student, main supervisor and two teachers/researchers from the department?s working group for postgraduate studies.
At the prospect of dissertation?
Not less than three weeks before the public examination (dissertation), a printed thesis should be available for public scrutiny. In a public seminar, an examiner (opponent) appointed by the faculty board, and in most cases invited from another university, will critically examine the thesis and the student (respondent) will defend it. An examination committee will award the thesis either a pass or fail.
However, preparations for the thesis and dissertation have to be made by the student and main supervisor in good time before the examination. There are general rules describing the formalities, contacts with the faculty, format of the thesis etc. on the home page of SLU-education- postgraduate studies. Rules that are specific for the subject are given in the general study plan. And in the middle of all these preparations ? do not forget to discuss the future for the new PhD!
Appendices
Appendix 1. General study plan for post-graduate training in Animal Science
at the Faculty of Agriculture, Landscape Planning and Horticulture, SLU
Appendix 2. General study plan for post-graduate training in Molecular Genetics
at the Faculty of Agriculture, Landscape Planning and Horticulture, SLU
Appendix 3. General study plan for post-graduate training in Genetics
at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, SLU
Appendix 4. Objectives of Postgraduate Studies, SLU
Appendix 5. Individual study plan for postgraduate studies ? template, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics
Appendix 6. Postgraduate student contract ? checklist, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics
Appendix 7. Half-time assessment in PhD-studies at the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics