In order for a doctoral degree or licentiate degree to be earned, all degree objectives specified in the Higher Education Ordinance regarding knowledge and understanding, skills and abilities, judgment and attitudes must be met, and the doctoral student must have completed a scientific thesis (a doctoral thesis or a licentiate thesis).

How can the goals for doctoral education be achieved?

For each doctoral programme, there is a general syllabus that contains information about the content of the programme, its activities, courses, and degree requirements. The syllabus also contains admissions requirements, selection rules, and assessment criteria. Exactly how the goals for doctoral education, according to the Higher Education Ordinance, are intended to be achieved must be described in the individual study plan (ISP) for each doctoral student, and goal fulfilment must then be followed up on in connection with annual follow-up meetings conducted during the course of the educational programme. As an aid in the planning of the doctoral programme, and to ensure that all doctoral students achieve the degree objectives, the doctoral student and supervisor must ensure that activities for all objectives in a learning goal matrix are addressed.