Linköping University
Department of Economic and Industrial Development (IEI)
Graduate Studies
31/01/2015
Checklist for doctoral candidates
The following are important points to consider when you are accepted for graduate studies:
Advisor Role
All graduate students must have a designated secondary advisor, in addition to their mainly advisor.
As a doctoral candidate, you have the right to change advisors during the course of graduate study.
Individual Study Plan
Every student admitted to graduate studies shall follow an individual study plan (ISP), which is
prepared together with the advisors. ISP is the most important guidance document for graduate
studies and shall be considered a contract between the graduate student and the advisors. The study
plan shall be prepared in connection with admission, or during the first month. Please contact
Lena.Sjoholm@liu.se for template for the study plan. The plan shall be revised annually and followed
up by the director of graduate studies. The plan shall be signed by the student, the supervisor and
the head of the department and then Lena Sjöholm will upload it to the graduate studies portal (see
more below) at each update. Major deviations from the plan shall always be reported to the director
of graduate studies, because this information will be followed up by the faculty.
Introduction Day
Once each semester IEI arranges an introduction day for all newly admitted graduate students. We
encourage all newly admitted students to participate in order to get information about core issues
related to graduate studies.
Instructional Goals for Graduate Studies
The majority of instructional goals for the licentiate and doctoral degrees, as formulated by the
National Agency for Higher Education (see www.hsv.se) are tested through the dissertation and
defense. There are a few instructional goals, however, which advisors and graduate students must
observe and work with in order to fulfill in other ways. For the doctoral degree the following
instructional goals apply:
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Show capacity to authoritatively present and discuss, orally and in writing, research and research
results in dialog with the scientific community and society in general, in national as well as
international contexts.
Show prerequisites for contributing, in research and education as well as in other qualified
professional contexts, to the development of society and supporting the learning of others.
Show intellectual independence and scientific integrity as well as the capacity to make ethical
assessments related to research.
Show advanced insight on the possibilities and limitations of science, its role in society and human
responsibility for how it is used.
For the licentiate degree the following instructional goals apply:
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Show capacity to clearly present and discuss, orally and in writing, research and research results in
dialog with the scientific community and society at large.
Show the kind of knowledge that is required to independently participate in research and
development work and to independently work in other advanced activity.
Show capacity to make ethical assessments related to research in the student's own research.
Show insight about the possibilities and limitations of science, its role in society and human
responsibility for how it is used.
It is important that these goals be handled on an ongoing basis during graduate study.
General study plans
All graduate study subjects have a general study plan for graduate studies. Qualification
requirements are regulated in this study plan, as is how large a part of graduate study consists of
doctoral candidate courses and courses that are mandatory in the subject. The general study plans
for subjects in the technical faculty are found at www.lith.liu.se/fu/shd and for subjects in the faculty
of arts and sciences at www.filfak.liu.se/forskarutbildning/utbildningar.
Graduate studies portal
Administration of graduate study issues are handled to a large extent through IEI's doctoral
candidate portal: http://doktorandportalen.iei.liu.se/. Advisors as well as doctoral candidates log into
the portal with their LiU ID.
Doctoral courses
All doctoral courses offered for the first time at IEI shall be created in the Graduate Study Council
(FUR). For this purpose a template for the course plan has been developed; see IEI's graduate study
website. Twice a year the department’s common course offering will be announced through the
doctoral candidate portal, with the opportunity to submit interest in the courses you want to take.
Transfer credit
Credits for courses that have been completed in undergraduate studies at an advanced level, at
another educational institution, as individual “reading courses” or as projects are made upon
application by the graduate student. Forms for transfer credits can be retrieved at the IEI graduate
study website. The graduate studies submit his/her application to the mainly advisor, who will
recommend or oppose granting the credit. Evidence of the completed course plus course plan or
other documentation of the course/ activity shall be attached to the application. A decision on
granting of credit will then be made by the director of graduate studies. A course that is necessary
for a particular qualification to be accepted to the graduate study subject cannot be given credit.
Employment conditions and benefits for doctoral candidates
Information about conditions for doctoral candidate employment are found at
http://www.liu.se/insidan/anstallningsvillkor/anstallningsvillkor-doktorander
Wage scale
For those graduate students who have a doctoral candidate position there is a wage scale. The wage
scale is divided into three stages: 1) entry-level wage; 2) when 30% of the requirements for the
doctoral degree are achieved; and 3) when the licentiate degree is taken or when 60% of the
requirements for the doctoral degree are achieved. The application for an increase is done on a form
that is found on IEI's graduate study website.
Departmental service
Within the framework of doctoral candidate service there can be a maximum of 20%
departmental service, e.g. teaching or performing administrative tasks. These tasks shall be
planned and followed up in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies, the doctoral
candidate and the advisor. The outcome will be reported in connection with the activity report at
the end of every term.
Activity report
The activity report is initiated by the department and entails that the percentage of doctoral
candidates who have been active in graduate education and other activities shall be stated, and
how much total progress the doctoral candidate has made in his or her graduate education. The
report is made in the doctoral candidate portal, where the doctoral candidate, advisor and director
of undergraduate studies shall submit information which is then compiled. The activity report is an
important instrument for ensuring that graduate studies proceed at a planned pace as well as that
the doctoral candidate has the opportunity to make use of intended time for his or her graduate
studies.
Doctoral candidate network
IEI’s graduate students are organized in a doctoral candidate network that arranges activities for
doctoral candidates. More information about the network is available at
http://www.iei.liu.se/forskarutbildning/doktorandnatverket.
Career Conversation
Well in advance before the licentiate or doctoral degree, the advisor and/or subject representative
shall hold a career conversation with the graduate student, to investigate both parties' view of the
future. During this conversation, desires and opportunities for continuation in the subject or in the
department shall be discussed. A reminder about this conversation will be sent to advisors and
graduate students, who, according to the individual study plan, have less than six months before a
planned exam.
Miscellaneous
For questions, unclear issues or problems about graduate study, advisors and research students can
turn to either of the department's two graduate student directors (Sara Gustafsson and Hans
Andersson). For administrative matters Lena Sjöholm, administrator of graduate study, may also be
contacted.
Patrik Thollander, patrik.thollander@liu.se, 013-285745
Hans Andersson, hans.andersson@liu.se, 282994
Lena Sjöholm, lena.sjoholm@liu.se, 013-282357
The IEI department has a Research and graduate study council with representatives from advisors
and doctoral candidates, to which questions and suggestions regarding graduate study can also be
directed.
During the time period from 1/1/2015 to 12/31/2017 the following individuals are part of the
Research and graduate study council:
Elin Wihlborg, chairman
Hans Andersson, director of PhD studies
Patrik Thollander, director of PhD studies
Mats Björkman, supervisor, Industrial Production
Staffan Brege, supervisor, Industrial Economics
Sara Gustafsson, supervisor, Environmental Technology and Management
Jan Kellgren, supervisor, Business Law
Nicolette Lakemond, supervisor, Project, innovation and entrepreneurship
Kjell Simonsson, supervisor, Solid Mechanics
Erik Sandberg, coordinator for the Graduate School, Logistics
Elisabeth Lång, doctoral candidate, Economics
Ksenia Onufrey, doctoral candidate, Industrial Management
Siri Wassrin, doctoral candidate, Information Systems Development
Reserve: Emelie Eriksson, doctoral candidate, Industrial Economics
Josefine Rasmussen, doctoral candidate, Business Administration
Mohammad Eslami, doctoral candidate, PIE
Lena Sjöholm, secretary