Courses and individual undertakings

• Graduate studies in biology: the science and its philosophy (1.5 credits, on our external website)
• Evolutionary processes (2 credits, on our external website)
• Faculty-wide introductory course for doctoral students (0.5 credits, on the faculty’s internal website)
• Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - Theory and Practice (4.5 credits, on the faculty’s internal website)
• If the doctoral student works with laboratory animals, Training in Laboratory Animal Science (on Lund University's Staff Pages) is compulsory.

• Graduate studies in biology: the science and its philosophy (1.5 credits on our external website)
• Evolutionary processes (2 credits on our external website)
• Research ethics (3 credits, in the faculty’s internal webpage)
• Faculty-wide introductory course for doctoral students (0.5 credits, on the faculty’s internal website)
• Course on teaching in higher education, or corresponding course that meets the general outcome of supporting the learning of others (3 credits), for instance, Learning and Teaching in Higher Education – Theory and Practice (4.5 credits, on the faculty’s internal webpage), a shorter version of the same course (3 credits, or the course Teaching and learning in higher education run by the Division for higher education development (3 credits, online). Courses on teaching in higher education on the faculty's internal website.
• If the doctoral student works with laboratory animals, Training in Laboratory Animal Science (on Lund University's Staff Pages) is compulsory.

Besides the compulsory courses the department also arranges these courses:

• Electron Microscopy for life scientists (4.5 credits)
• Microscopy – bioimaging (7.5 credits)
• Sensory ecology (6 credits)
• Statistics for biologists (7.5 credits)

Information about the courses on our external website.

• Courses offered by the Faculty of Science (external website)
• Courses offered by the graduate research school Geneco (external website)
• Courses offered by the graduate research school ClimBEco (on Centre for Environmental and Climate Science's website)
• Courses offered by the Life Science Courses Platform (on Department of Chemistry's website)
• Courses offered by the Faculty of Medicine (external website)
• Courses offered by the Faculty of Engineering (external website)

To actively participate in international conferences, symposia and workshops is an essential part of the PhD education. Such participation in a weeklong conference gives 1.5/3 credits (see the general syllabus you are admitted to). Active participation in BLAM gives 1.5 credits. For PhD students admitted from 2021, active participation in at least one international conference is compulsory. 

For conference participation to be examined and giving credits, the PhD student should:

• have presented his/her own research in an oral presentation or a poster presentation
• have participated in all relevant components of the conference (oral sessions, poster sessions and other activities)
• make a written or oral reflection around the most important new learning and insights, for instance, if the view of the research area and the student's research has changed
• make a written or oral reflection of the presentation the student gave, any response received, and the research communication in a wider sense during the conference
• give a written or oral account of new relevant research environments identified, acquaintances made or contacts established
• to present the same poster or to give the same oral presentation at another conference does not generate additional credits

The studies should promote a broader and deeper understanding of the research area to which the thesis work belongs. The PhD student should be able to put the thesis work into a bigger context and should have a more thorough understanding of the theories and methodology which characterize the research area. For each activity, more specific outcomes should be defined.

The studies should be teacher lead. The studies can be organised through seminars around books and other literature, lectures, excursions, exercises, or a combination of these. The studies should be activating and if it takes place in a group of students, which is preferable, the individual efforts should be possible to separate. Written tasks or oral student presentations may be included.

Active participation, and that any oral or written assignments are approved, is required for credits to be awarded. A closing reflection in relation to the defined outcomes, with an oral or written presentation, should be part of the examination.