LAST YEAR

OFYOUR PHD

Here's some information that might be good to know when you approach the defense of your dissertation.

FUNDING

​

 

 

As a PhD student, you have 4 years of full-time funding (including annual expenses,

office costs, supervision etc.). If you haven't defended your dissertation within those

4 years, you are responsible for finding your own alternative income.

 

If your dissertation is finished on time, you are entitled to a dissertation disposal

(currently 55 000 SEK). The disposal is meant to cover publication costs, language

checks and opponent expenses (remuneration, travel, hotel). 

 

A FEW WORDS OF ADVICE FROM FORMER PHD'S

Consider if you want to have your thesis printed by an external publisher - the rules are a bit tricky, but perhaps it might be worth it if you want your thesis to be more public.

Carefully plan who you want to have as the reader on your final seminar. This is your last chance to get external (and thorough) feedback on your thesis.

Don't forget to plan for a proper party when your'e done!

KEY EVENTS DURING YOUR FINAL YEAR

Recruitment of opponent and reader for final seminar.

Writing the 'kappa' or 

introductory/concluding chapters.

Recruitment of examination

committee.

Final seminar

 

Revision of thesis based on

critique from the final seminar.

Language check, reference check + writing summary and abstract.

DEFENSE!

TIME SCHEDULE

Here's an estimation of what your last three months 

as a PhD might look like. 

1st MONTH

1. Full manustript is finished

2. Collegial reading

3. Final corrections

4. Final language check

5. Proof/print preparations

2nd MONTH

(first half)

2nd MONTH

(second half)

6. Proof is sent to printer

7. Thesis is ready to publish

3rd MONTH

(first half)

 8. Thesis is printed

 9. Press release

10. Library deliveries

11. Thesis is 'nailed' (or 'spikad')

3rd MONTH

(second half)

DEFENSE!

WHAT TO DO NEXT?

TURN YOUR DISSERTATION

INTO A BOOK?

From Dissertation to Book by Germano Williams offers good advice on how to proceed. You might also want to have a look at a presentation called "Writing for Readers" that Ken Wissoker once held at HUMlab.

Apply for funding to do more research?

The grants office at Umeå University knows a lot about how to get research funding, and reviews grant proposals (for free). Gothenburg University also offers one of the best grant overviews in the country.

head for the

academic

job market?

Have a look at this list which outlines questions to prepare for/think about when going to an interview (it's written for American readers but still good to have a look at). Also read A Dozen Sentences That Should Appear In Your (Academic) Job Application Letter, by Phillip N. Howard.

head for the

non-academic

job market?

Here's a decent blog post that gives advice on how to de-academize your CV. Also check out this post, which outlines some of the major pitfalls for grad students who move into non-academic spheres.