🎓 Graduation Requirements

Duration

A PhD thesis typically takes 3–4 years to complete.

Credits

To graduate, 30 ECTS are required — see the Curriculum.

Dissertation Format (Current AAU Regulations)

An article-based doctoral dissertation typically consists of 2–3 scientific articles.
A licentiate dissertation must include at least one article.
In addition to what is outlined in this procedure, doctoral programmes may provide programme-specific guidelines for article-based dissertations.

The following are considered scientific articles: - Published articles
- Articles accepted for publication
- Unpublished manuscripts that have undergone peer review or been accepted for publication
- Unpublished manuscripts submitted for peer review

Number of Articles

The articles constitute the main scientific contribution of the dissertation.
The number of articles depends on their scope, scientific significance, and quality, the publication platform, and the author’s individual contribution in the case of co-authored articles.

At least one article must be accepted for publication.
In exceptional cases, the Head of Department may approve the submission of a dissertation with fewer articles than recommended, provided that the scope and quality are sufficiently high.

Preliminary examiners will pay particular attention to articles that have not yet been accepted for publication.

Doctoral Programme Recommendations

Within our doctoral programme, we recommend the following to emphasize quality over quantity:

A typical thesis consists of two high-quality papers, with at least one paper as a first-author publication.
≥50% of the included work should be published (or accepted).
The decision to proceed to the PhD defence is made by the supervisor and the head of subject.
For each manuscript included in the thesis, the contribution of the PhD researcher must be clearly explained and justified:
Avoid vague statements.
List specific figure panels and contributions (data generation, analysis, etc.)
Use a template signed by the supervisor.

Full Regulations

📄 AAU PhD Regulations (PDF)

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