From 1 January 2010 the higher education institutions may apply for entitlement to award third-cycle qualifications in a specific field. The institution itself specifies the field in which it wishes to arrange a third-cycle programme and applies to the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education for the appropriate degree-awarding powers. These applications normally involve PhD programmes or doctorates in the fine, applied or performing arts.

The Swedish Nation Agency of Higher Education has awarded the University of Borås the right to examine doctoral students in the following fields:

Doctor of Philosophy:
Library and Information Science
Resource Recovery
Textile and Fashion
The Human Perspective in Care

Doctor of Fine Arts:
Design - with specialisation in textile design/fashion design/textile interaction design

General qualifications

Licentiate [Licentiatexamen]

Scope
A Licentiate is awarded either after a third-cycle student has completed a study programme of at least 120 credits in a subject in which third-cycle teaching is offered, or after a third-cycle student has completed one part comprising at least 120 credits of a study programme intended to conclude with the award of a PhD, if a higher education institution decides that a licentiate of this kind may be awarded at the institution.

Thesis
For a Licentiate the third-cycle student shall have been awarded a pass grade for a research thesis of at least 60 credits.

Doctor of Philosophy

Scope
A Doctor of Philosophy is awarded after the third-cycle student has completed a study programme of at least 240 credits in a subject in which third-cycle teaching is offered.

Research thesis (doctoral thesis)
For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy the third-cycle student shall have been awarded a pass grade for a research thesis (doctoral thesis) of at least 120 credits.

Qualifications in the fine, applied and performing arts

Licentiate  in the fine, applied and performing arts [Konstnärlig licentiatexamen]

Scope
A Licentiate in the fine, applied and performing arts is awarded either after a third-cycle student has completed a study programme of at least 120 credits in a subject in which third-cycle teaching is offered,

or after a third-cycle student has completed one part comprising at least 120 credits of a study programme intended to conclude with the award of a doctorate in the fine, applied and performing arts, if a higher education institution decides that a licentiate in the fine, applied and performing arts of this kind may be awarded at the institution.

Documented artistic research project
For a Licentiate in the fine, applied and performing arts the third-cycle student shall have been awarded a pass grade for an artistic research project of at least 60 credits.

Doctorate in the fine, applied and performing arts

Scope
A Doctorate in the fine, applied and performing arts is awarded after a third-cycle student has completed a study programme of at least 240 credits in a subject in which third-cycle teaching is offered.

Documented artistic research project (doctoral thesis)
For a Doctorate in the fine, applied and performing arts the third-cycle student shall have been awarded a pass grade for a documented artistic research project  (doctoral thesis) of at least 120 credits.