Principles for systematic quality assurance in doctoral education

KI has a quality assurance system (QA-system) based on the Swedish Higher Education Act and Ordinance, the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Sector (ESG) and it embraces the goals described in KI’s Strategy 2030.

Quality assurance in doctoral education forms part of the KI QA-system decided by the University President. Instructions regarding quality assurance in doctoral education are decided by the Committee of Doctoral Education.

KI’s QA-system includes two main processes: 

  • Internal ongoing monitoring
  • Periodic external review 

These processes aim at identifying strengths and the need for quality development.
 

The picture shows how the two main processes in KI’s quality assurance system, ongoing monitoring and periodic review, are linked together.

Ongoing monitoring

The quality of doctoral education is monitored in the following ways: 

Exit poll survey

A questionnaire is sent to all doctoral students soon after their thesis defence.

Information on purpose, content, handling and result

Steering document: Instructions for exit poll survey (in Swedish)

Dialogues

Purpose:

  • To create relationships and to build a mutual trust
  • To gain information on the challenges and priorities the departments are faced with
  • To identify good practices
  • To contribute to the yearly quality analysis of KI’s doctoral education and to identify areas in need of quality development.
  • To inform and implement new quality development activities

When the dialogue includes more than one department:

  • To find consensus between the departments
  • To contribute to peer learning

Steering document: Instructions for the doctoral education dialogue (in Swedish)

Follow-up the departments’ responsibility for doctoral education

Purpose:

That those responsible for doctoral education at each department reflect in a self-evaluation on their responsibilities, and to assure that routines and processes are working satisfactory.

Follow-up departments, doctoral education
The picture shows how the result from the departmental follow-up is used in the ongoing quality work.

Statistics

The following statistics are produced yearly:

  • Number of active doctoral students
  • Number of newly admitted doctoral students and number of examinations
  • Net and gross study time
  • Number of “clinical” doctoral students (i.e. performing the doctoral education within an employment at the medical/health care sector)
  • Number of applications for advertised doctoral positions 
  • Number of applications for faculty funds for financing doctoral students

All statistics are presented with gender breakdown and with comparisons with previous years.

Evaluation of courses

Read about quality assurance in doctoral courses

Periodic external review

Every 8 years, KI’s doctoral education is reviewed by external reviewers.

KI uses the same assessment areas as the Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) do when they evaluate doctoral education. Focus is on how KI assure that all doctoral students have the prerequisites needed to achieve the degree outcomes, and on how KI make sure that the outcomes have been achieved at the time of examination. 

The external reviewers will base their assessment on:

  • a university-wide self-evaluation
  • interviews with representatives of different groups and roles
Follow-up external review doctoral education
The picture shows how the result from the external review is handled and contribute to quality development.

The first external review will be performed during 2025.

Steering document for external review of KI´s doctoral education

Quality report

The Committee of Doctoral Education (KFU) reports annually to the Faculty Board in accordance with the principles of KI's quality system:

  • Quality development work that has been carried out during the year
  • Results from the follow-up activities during the year
  • Strengths and areas for improvement
  • A plan for the further future work

Identifying an area as an area for improvement means that it is the subject of follow-ups for the coming year, e.g. within the dialogue, and determines which investigations or evaluations will be carried out.

Quality reports from the Committee of Doctoral Education (in Swedish)

Structures to provide conditions for high quality  

In order to provide the conditions for doctoral students at KI to achieve their degree objectives/outcomes within the specified time, KI has developed regulations, processes and structures for doctoral education.

Examples of structures and processes to provide the conditions for high quality: