Standards and Requirements for the Quality of Doctoral Programmes

• Agreement on the organisation of the doctoral programme. At the beginning of the doctoral programme at the University of Iceland, the student and supervisor shall sign an agreement regarding the organisation of the studies. This agreement shall stipulate the mutual rights and responsibilities of the student and the supervisor, ownership of data, publication rights and intellectual property rights, etc.
• Study plan. Within a year from the start of the programme, a written study plan shall be produced. The study plan shall include the following: a description of the doctoral research project and proposed schedule for progression, a funding plan, a description of study facilities and, where applicable, details on the involvement of companies and institutions outside the University of Iceland.
• Progress report. Doctoral students shall submit regular progress reports to the administrative supervisor, which have been reviewed by the doctoral committee. The report must include information on thesis progress, completed credits (ECTS), meetings between the student and supervisor, publications, participation in conferences, teaching, and project funding. It must also include a plan for the next period and a proposed date of completion. The progress report shall be submitted through the PhD Portal, the online management system for doctoral studies. The administrative supervisor is responsible for submitting progress reports to the faculty.
• Interim evaluation. The doctoral committee is responsible for conducting a thorough evaluation of the doctoral student's knowledge once during the programme in the schools where such an evaluation is required and in accordance with each faculty's rules.
• Length of study. A doctoral programme following completion of a Master's programme is 180–240 credits (ECTS). Based on full-time study, a doctoral programme should therefore take 3–4 years. Faculties are authorised to enrol doctoral students in part-time study, in which case the study plan should be based on 50% progression and the programme is extended accordingly. A student may switch their enrolment to and from part-time study at any point during their studies, subject to the approval of the doctoral committee as well as the standing committee at the faculty or school.

• Doctoral students shall be provided with research and work facilities suitable for their project.
• Doctoral students are guaranteed regular access to their supervisors.
• Efforts shall be made to bolster the international dimension of a doctoral programme, e.g. by the student taking part of the programme at a university abroad or by inviting a representative of a university abroad to sit on the doctoral committee.
• Doctoral students shall have the opportunity to attend academic conferences and present their work there.
• Doctoral students shall have the opportunity to attend regular seminars and organised forums where they can present and discuss their work.
• Doctoral programmes shall be clearly defined, including descriptions of the knowledge, skills and competences that students should possess on completing the programme. It shall be stated by what means (coursework and other programme components) the student is expected to achieve these outcomes.

Doctoral students shall

• always be registered at the University and pay registration fees during the entirety of their studies,
• submit a progress report to their administrative supervisor through the PhD Portal – the online management system for doctoral studies,
• obtain approval from the standing committee regarding all significant changes to the study programme – e.g. extending the length of the programme or taking a leave from it – and inform the committee if withdrawing from the programme,
• attend to their studies conscientiously and actively participate in the academic community which they have joined,
• follow health and safety rules and working procedures at the University of Iceland and/or partner institutions, including provisions on confidentiality.

The supervisor (leiðbeinandi) guides the doctoral student throughout the thesis project, helps the student as much as possible in obtaining funding, and supports them in acquiring the knowledge, skills and competences required of doctoral graduates. A faculty may permit a student to have an external supervisor, provided that this individual meets the requirements set here and in the rules of the relevant faculty.

A supervisor shall generally

• have completed a doctorate or equivalent qualification in the relevant field. Professorial competence may stand in lieu of a doctorate,
• be a recognised and active specialist in the relevant field and have published works on subjects related to the student's thesis in rigorous academic venues,
• have experience of research collaboration with internationally recognised specialists in the relevant field working outside the University of Iceland.

Each doctoral student must, from the outset of their programme, have an administrative supervisor (umsjónarkennari) who is a permanent member of academic staff at the University in the relevant subject. If the academic supervisor (leiðbeinandi) has such an appointment at the University, then he normally serves as the administrative supervisor as well. If the academic supervisor is not permanent academic staff at the University, then an administrative supervisor is appointed who has this permanent academic affiliation to the University. The role of the administrative supervisor is to be the student's point of contact with the University. The administrative supervisor has access to the PhD Portal – the management system for doctoral studies – and is responsible for delivering the student's progress report to the faculty once it has been approved by the supervisor. The administrative supervisor sits on the student's doctoral committee and must meet the requirements for committee members, cf. Section 4.6 of this document.

The faculty shall appoint a doctoral committee for each doctoral student. The doctoral committee shall be appointed within one year of the start of the programme.

• The doctoral committee comprises the supervisor, the administrative supervisor and one to three other specialists.
• At least one member of the doctoral committee shall be external, i.e. not an academic staff member at the faculty in question. Whenever possible, at least one member shall be a specialist at another university or research institute.
• Doctoral committee members must have a doctorate or equivalent. Professorial competence may stand in lieu of a doctorate. Ideally, doctoral committee members should also meet the other requirements for supervisors of doctoral students, in accordance with Section 4.4.

The purpose of the doctoral committee is twofold; first, it ensures that the student has access to the expertise required to complete their research and, second, it monitors the student's academic progression.

The doctoral committee

• meets with the student to discuss the status and progress of the thesis, typically around the time the student submits their progress report, at the very least, but more often if deemed necessary.
• is responsible for conducting a thorough evaluation of the student's knowledge once during the programme (e.g. a defence of the research plan or an interim evaluation) in the schools where such an evaluation is required and in accordance with each faculty's rules.
• When the doctoral committee judges the doctoral candidate ready to defend their thesis, the committee sends a written justification to the faculty arguing that the candidate should granted the opportunity to submit the thesis for the defence.

If it deems the doctoral thesis fit to be defended, the faculty appoints, upon approval by the Graduate School, two opponents for the oral defence of the thesis. Following the oral defence, the faculty head, together with the opponents, shall decide whether the title of Doctor will be awarded.

Opponents shall

• be recognised specialists in the subject of the doctoral thesis. have published work on subjects related to the student's project in rigorous academic venues and be capable of participating in scholarly debates on the topics of the doctoral research.
• have a doctorate or equivalent. Professorial competence may stand in lieu of a doctorate.
• not be members of the student's doctoral committee or have worked in the same research team.
• not have professional connections to the doctoral student, supervisor or doctoral committee of such a nature that they could call the opponent's impartiality into question. Examples of such connections include joint publication of academic papers in peer-reviewed journals (recent publications and/or a high number of papers over the years) or recent scientific collaboration (e.g. joint research grants).

Where possible, at least one opponent shall be a specialist or member of teaching staff at another university or research institute.