PhD Studies Support and Obligations

PhD students in SOAR may be enrolled at any university and thus follow the regulations of that university. In addition PhD students attached to SOAR follow the rules for SOAR PhDs.

 

Many things apply to all PhD students irrespectably of university, while some procedures differ between universities. As an example, KU/LIFE recommends a start-up seminar after approximately 6 months. At  LIFE a status seminar is mandatory after 2 years' study, while this is not the case at DTU. Thus, below list should not be taken as a complete list of your obligations!

 

Each university has its own regulations, which you will find from their web-sites:

Aarhus University / Faculty of Agricultural Sciences PhD web-site

Aalborg University PhD web-site

Copenhagen University / Faculty of Life Sciences PhD web-site

Roskilde University PhD web-site

Technical University of Denmark PhD Web-site

University of Southern Denmark PhD Web-site

 

LIFE has a small publication - Good PhD Practice - which has useful advice for all PhD students.

Furthermore we recommend the book by Estelle Phillips and Derek Pugh: How to get a PhD, see Supervision

 

Summary of expectations and obligations for SOAR PhD students

Activities	Comments
Clarifying expectations	It is important to clarify expectations mutually between PhD and supervisor in the beginning of the PhD study
Supervision meetings	meet regularly!
Project plan	should be submitted to the PhD office after 3-6 months
Supervision course	is highly recommended for PhD students, and expected of SOAR key supervisors. SOAR arranges supervision courses for both PhD students and supervisors
Biannual evaluations	Filled by PhD student and supervisor, and submitted by supervisor to university every half year.
Status reports	submitted by PhD student to SOAR/DARCOF once a year
Biannual seminars	Arranged by SOAR for SOAR PhD students. Networking, presenting research, small courses
Summer Schools	Arranged by SOAR/Agroasis. Usually 4 ECTS. SOAR PhD students should participate in 2 SOAR summer schools
PhD courses	30 ECTS in total
Teaching experience	‘Duty work’ is an opportunity to get valuable teaching experience or experience in supervising Masters’ students.
Conferences	are part of communicating research
Studies abroad	is recommended to expand network and experience other research environments
Publications	is what you research is evaluated on. May be part of the thesis. Publications should be uploaded to Organic Eprints.
Thesis	Product documenting your research capabilities :-)
Press release	in Danish and/or English should be sent to DARCOF to communicate research results broadly, in connection with defence
Popular publication	it is expected that the research is also communicated to lay people through popular media.
Announcement of defence	should be sent to SOAR when date of defence is settled
Defence	Presentation and discussion of the research project :-)