Supervision

Main Supervisor

Requirements for Appointment as Main Supervisor

* The following individuals may be appointed as main supervisors:

* Those employed at KTH as professors or guest professors.

* Those employed at KTH as adjunct professors who are also accredited as docents.

* Those employed permanently at KTH as lecturers, assistant lecturers, or researchers who are also accredited as docents.

* Those employed as associate lecturers at KTH who are also accredited as docents.

The intended main supervisor should have completed pedagogical training in research-level supervision or possess equivalent competence. Main supervisors should be active in the research field or in a related field to the doctoral subject.

In the cases mentioned in points 1-4 above, the intended main supervisor should have an employment at KTH that covers at least 20 percent of full-time work. In cases where the intended main supervisor has a fixed-term employment, the remaining employment period should be considered in relation to the remaining education time of the doctoral student. Other circumstances, such as retirement, should also be taken into account.

SCI-Specific Requirements

In addition to the rules applicable at KTH, the SCI School specifies that main supervisors in the school's doctoral programs should have their academic home at the SCI School, i.e., be active within the school, and be actively involved in one of the doctoral programs.

Furthermore, at the SCI School, a supervisor may not be the main supervisor for more than ten doctoral students simultaneously.

Assistant Supervisor

Requirements for Appointment as Assistant Supervisor

An assistant supervisor may be appointed if they have obtained a doctoral degree or have equivalent scientific or artistic competence, or possess other professional skills that are of essential significance. Equivalent scientific or artistic competence refers to (1) completed foreign postgraduate education or (2) scientific or artistic works equivalent to a doctoral thesis within the subject area and documented research experience equivalent to meeting the central learning objectives for research-level education in the subject area.

The intended assistant supervisor should have completed pedagogical training in research-level supervision or possess equivalent competence.

Supervisor's Responsibilities

It is the main supervisor's responsibility to ensure that studies and thesis work progress at an appropriate pace. Together with the doctoral student, the main supervisor should develop and update an individual study plan, eISP, at least once a year. Read more about eISP here.

Furthermore, the main supervisor should propose examiners for the licentiate seminar, as well as an opponent and examination board for the thesis defense.

Application for Changing Supervisor Doctoral students have the right to change their supervisors. A request for a change should be made in writing to the program coordinator.

The doctoral student applies for a change of supervisor using the form Change of Supervisor form (FO-BYHA) (docx 71 kB) . The doctoral student and the new or outgoing supervisor sign the form. The form is sent to the Program Director (PA), which reviews and forwards it to the SCI Education Office, where the case is prepared for the Director of Third Cycle Education (FA) to decide on.

If the head of doctoral education is the supervisor, the request should instead be made to the school director.