Principles for systematic quality assurance in doctoral education

KI has a quality assurance system (QA-system) to provide systematic quality assurance 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 as gearwheels.

Ongoing monitoring

The quality of doctoral education is monitored in five ways: 

•    Exit Poll survey
•    Dialogues
•    Written reflections of the quality assurance work at the departments
•    Statistics
•    Evaluation of courses

Periodic external review

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

One entity

The entire KI’s doctoral education is reviewed as one entity. The doctoral student’s research projects cover different research areas, but there are only one doctoral education subject at KI, Medical Science, to which all doctoral students are admitted to. 

Assessment areas 

KI uses the same assessment areas as UKÄ do when they evaluating doctoral education. Focus is on how KI assure the all doctoral students have the prerequisites needed to reach the degree outcomes, and on how KI make sure that they have reached the outcomes at the time of examination. 

Basis for the assessment

The external experts will base their assessment on:

  • KI’s written self-evaluation
  • Interviews with representatives of different groups and roles

Time plan

The first external review will be performed during 2025.

Quality development

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

Once a year the Committee of Doctoral Education (KFU) present a quality report which includes:

  • Presentation of the quality development work during the year
  • Results from the follow-up activities during the year
  • Strengths and development areas
  • A plan for the future quality development

Quality reports from the Committee of Doctoral Education: 

KFU's quality report 2022 (in Swedish)
KFU's quality report 2021 (in Swedish)

Structures to give prerequisites for high quality  

To assure that all doctoral students have the prerequisite to reach the learning outcomes in the designated time frame, KI has over several years developed rules, processes and structures. It is these structures that are evaluated and monitored within the quality assurance system. 

Information on doctoral eudcation:

Doctoral education
Rules for doctoral education at KI

KV
Content reviewer:
Clara Ersson
24-04-2023