Examiner and Examination Board
The information on this page is intended for those who have been appointed as examiners at licentiate seminars and for those who have been appointed as members of the examining committee at dissertations.
The time of the examination
Licentiate seminar
The examiner cannot be the supervisor of the doctoral student. However, the examiner may also chair the licentiate seminar if the subject tradition allows the same individual to hold both roles.
The examiner participates in the entire seminar regardless of the role as chair of the seminar.
More information about the licentiate seminar can be found in the Guidelines for doctoral studies at the University of Gävle. pdf, 1.1 MB.
Thesis defences
At the University, an examining committee consisting of three members and a reserve member decides on the grade of a doctoral thesis. The examining committee participates in the entire defense.
More information on the conduct of the defense can be found in the Guidelines for doctoral studies at the University of Gävle.
Grading protocols
Licentiate seminar
After the seminar, you as examiner meet with the opponent and the doctoral student's principal supervisor in a grading meeting. The principal supervisor and the opponent have the right to speak and discuss the grade with you, but do not participate in the decision.
The following questions may be considered during the examination:
- Does the licentiate thesis (the framework thesis and the sub-theses, or the monograph) meet the quality and scope that can be expected of a licentiate thesis in the subject?
- Does the licentiate thesis make a contribution to knowledge in the subject?
- Is the doctoral student's discussion with the opponent and ability to answer questions and discuss the significance of their results in the research field acceptable?
Your assessment and grading is documented at the grading meeting in a protocol signed by you.
The grading should be announced immediately after the decision and the signed protocol is given to the chairman of the seminar, or the person he/she appoints, who is responsible for sending the protocol to the registrar for registration/archiving.
The registrar distributes it to UBS for registration in Ladok and to the academic secretary for payment of fees to those concerned.
Thesis defences
The forms for the examining committee's decisions are regulated in the University's regulations on public defense and grading of doctoral theses. It states that the decision must be documented in a protocol, signed by all members and that the majority decision applies. It also states what applies in the event of a member's reservation against the majority decision and dissenting opinion.
The following questions may be discussed at the examination meeting:
- Does the thesis (the framework narrative and the sub-works, or the monograph) meet the quality and scope that can be expected of a doctoral thesis in the subject?
- Does the thesis make a contribution to knowledge in the subject?
- Is the doctoral student's discussion with the opponent and ability to answer questions, as well as to discuss the significance of their results in the research field approved?
The grading shall be announced immediately after the decision and the signed protocol is given to the chairman of the seminar, or the person he/she appoints, who is responsible for sending the protocol with the internal mail to the registrar for registration/archiving. The registrar distributes it to UBS for registration in Ladok and to the academic secretary for payment of fees to those concerned.
Protocol template
Here you will find the protocol template that you use at both the licentiate seminar and the defense
Laws, ordinances, regulations and internal rules
Doctoral education is regulated by laws and ordinances as well as the University's internal regulations and other rules. As a government authority, the University is obliged to comply with the provisions of the Higher Education Act and the Higher Education Ordinance.
The laws and ordinances that govern doctoral education are
In addition, there are also local rules and internal support material, including
Sidan uppdaterades 2025-12-03