General rules and guidelines for the PhD programme at the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen
Table of content
4. Semi-annual assessment
The PhD order requires that the University assesses, at regular points in time during the PhD programme, whether the PhD student is following the PhD plan (cf. section 10 of the PhD order). This requirement is met at the University of Copenhagen through semi-annual written assessments. Each faculty lays down its own detailed rules for this.
4.1 Assessments
Every six months, the PhD school assesses whether the PhD student is following the PhD plan. The assessment is based on a semi-annual written opinion from the principal supervisor who confirms that the PhD student is following the PhD plan or justifies in writing what adjustments are necessary. Prior to preparing his or her opinion, the supervisor must consult the PhD student to discuss the progress of the PhD programme. The PhD student has the opportunity to submit his or her comments on the opinion within a deadline of two weeks. The hearing of the PhD student may be omitted if both the supervisor and the PhD student have signed an unqualified positive opinion.
The assessment must document in writing which parts of the programme have been completed and which parts remain to be completed. The supervisor must account for and specify any inadequacies and elements of the PhD plan not completed to ensure that the PhD can deal with them specifically. The assessment must take into account any documented illness, maternity/paternity leave and other approved leave, and other factors, including academic matters, may also be taken into consideration. (Back to table of content)
Half-year assessment The principal supervisor is responsible for ensuring that a half-year (on 1 March and 1 September) assessment of the progress of the PhD programme is submitted to Study and Students’ Affairs via the department (Form S12). At the same time, the department must submit a copy to the grant recipient at LIFE or at an external institution. The assessment must reflect to which extent the PhD student fulfils the requirements set out in the PhD plan, placing special emphasis on adherence to the schedule. This assessment is based on an opinion from the principal supervisor, who, after having consulted the PhD student and any co-supervisors, confirms with his or her signature that the PhD programme is following the PhD plan or gives an account in writing of any adjustments made. The assessment of whether the progress of the programme is satisfactory must take account of documented illness, parental leave and other approved leave of absence. The PhD student must be given the opportunity to submit his or her comments on the opinion within a deadline of at least two weeks. At the same time, stays abroad completed within the past six months (more than eight days per stay), teaching and dissemination activities and PhD status seminar must be reported. Basis for payment of scholarship/remuneration The half-year report forms the basis for the payment of scholarship/remuneration. Start-up seminar In connection with the preparation of the final PhD plan, it is recommended that a start-up seminar be held (within three months of enrolment at the latest) (Form F2). The seminar is for supervisors, collaboration partners and colleagues. The purpose of the seminar is to present and discuss the final PhD plan. Three-month interview After approx. three months, the department’s PhD coordinator will hold an interview with the PhD student to ensure that the PhD student has got off to a good start and that no problems have occurred. Form F11 must be used. PhD status seminar Approx. one year before the expected submission of the PhD thesis, a PhD status seminar is held, unless special circumstances dictate otherwise. At the PhD status seminar, the student must present a written presentation of his or her project and account for the outline of the PhD thesis and any planned publications. The supervisors and the department’s PhD coordinator will participate in the PhD status seminar. The stakeholders in the project, including collaboration partners, are invited to the seminar. In connection with the first half-year report following the PhD status seminar, the supervisors and the department’s PhD coordinator must inform Study and Students’ Affairs that the seminar has been held and whether it was approved (Form F12). If the seminar has not been approved, the supervisor and the PhD coordinator must immediately after the seminar take steps to ensure that a new PhD status seminar is held within three months which must be approved to avoid expulsion, cf. Chapter 4.2. (Back to table of content) |
4.2 Rectification and expulsion
If the head of the PhD school assesses that the PhD student is not following the PhD plan, in spite of any adjustments made to the plan, the student must be informed in writing that the student has three months to get back on course. The letter should clearly state what the student is expected to resolve during the rectification period. The three months must not give rise to an extension of the PhD programme (cf. section 10(2) of the PhD order).
As soon as possible after the end of the three-month period, the head of the PhD school makes a new assessment based on a new opinion from the supervisor. The PhD student must be given the opportunity to submit his or her comments on the opinion of the supervisor within a deadline of two weeks. If the assessment is still negative, the PhD student will be expelled from the PhD programme (cf. section 10(3) and (4) of the PhD order). The PhD student may appeal the decision by the head of the PhD school to the Dean within a period of two weeks from the day the student was informed of the decision.
The Faculty will inform any other employer(s) of the expulsion of the PhD student from the PhD programme (cf. section 10(4) of the PhD order). (Back to table of content)
4.3 Satisfactory completion
The last assessment takes place in connection with the submission of the PhD thesis. The principal supervisor must submit, no later than at the time of the submission of the PhD thesis, an opinion on the progress of the PhD programme as a whole. The opinion must be accompanied by a list of the individual elements of the PhD plan, including teaching and knowledge dissemination, affiliation with other research environments, participation in courses, including specification of ECTS points etc. The opinion is prepared in collaboration with any other supervisors.
If the principal supervisor states in the opinion that the PhD programme has not been completed satisfactorily, the PhD student has a period of two weeks within which to comment on the opinion (cf. section 14(2) of the PhD Order). On the basis of the opinion of the principal supervisor, any comments submitted by the PhD student and the semi-annual assessments, the head of the PhD school will determine whether the entire PhD programme has been completed satisfactorily. If the head of the PhD school assesses that the PhD programme has not been completed satisfactorily, the student has a period of three months in which to rectify this, see chapter 4.2. The PhD student may appeal the decision of the head of the PhD school to the Dean within a period of two weeks from the day the student was informed of the decision. If the PhD student agrees to the three-month period, the enrolment in the PhD programme is extended accordingly. A new assessment will then be made. The PhD student may appeal the decision of the head of the PhD school to the Dean within a period of two weeks from the day the student is informed of the decision.
If the PhD programme has not been completed satisfactorily, the PhD student is expelled from the PhD programme.
The PhD thesis can only be accepted for assessment if the head of the PhD school assesses that the PhD programme as a whole has been completed satisfactorily (cf. section 15 of the PhD order). (Back to table of content)
In connection with the last half-year assessment where six months or less remain of the prescribed study period, the principal supervisor must, following consultation with any co-supervisors, submit a detailed account, including a schedule, for the completion of the PhD thesis. Form F13 must be used. (Back to table of content) |
Jeppe Berggreen Høj , - last update:1 March 2012