Here you will find information about the possibilities for cooperation agreements with foreign universities in the PhD program, so-called joint and double degrees.
Section 22(3) of the PhD Ministerial Order provides the opportunity to enter into cooperation agreements on joint or double degrees with foreign universities in PhD programs.
In connection with the institute’s considerations regarding the initiation of a cooperation agreement with a foreign university regarding PhD programs, the individual PhD school's secretariat must be contacted regarding clarifications of formal requirements. In this respect, the institute should specifically consider/clarify the following:
1. Whether it should be a joint or double degree (one or two documents)
2. Which institution should be the primary enrolment institution (read more about this below)
3. How long the enrolment period must be (if a four year course or more is desired, the primary enrolment institute must be the foreign one, and thus it must be possible according to the foreign institution's national rules)
4. Agreement on assessments, defence and PhD certificate (including the composition of the assessment committee, possible pre-defence, etc.)
Agreements on binding cooperation on PhD education with foreign institutions - double/joint degrees
The PhD school at the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences can issue joint and double PhD degrees to PhD students who have acquired qualifications, which can be equated with a Danish PhD program if mutually binding cooperation has been entered into with a foreign institute for PhD education, including study stays, assessment, defence, issue of degree, etc. according to Ministerial Order s 15(3) and 23(3)-(5). This applies both to where the PhD school at the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences is the main institution and the PhD student completes study stays at the cooperating institution and in cases where the foreign collaborating institution is the main institution and the PhD student completes a study stay at the University of Southern Denmark.
General information
The following conditions regarding the assessment committee, defence, and PhD certificate apply to all PhD students who complete a PhD program in binding collaboration between the PhD school at the faculty of Business and Social Sciences and a foreign institution. In the cooperation agreement between the PhD school, the foreign institution, and the PhD student, it must be stated how the procedure for completing the PhD program will be organised - including the composition of the assessment committee (according to the Ministerial Order s 26(1), when the preliminary assessment must be available (according to s 26(2), and when the defence must take place (according to s 29(3)). The cooperation agreement must also state whether the thesis must be defended by a joint defence, or whether two defences are to be held before the PhD student is awarded the PhD degree from the cooperating foreign institution (according to Ministerial Order s 15 (3) and 26). It must be agreed whether the PhD student is awarded a joint degree (according to s 23 (3) and (4)), or is awarded a diploma from each of the institutions (double degree, according to s 23(5)).