Guidelines for seminar on a self-selected topic (MAT930) and trial lecture

Seminar on self-selected topic (MAT930)

The seminar on a self-chosen topic is an optional component in the dissemination part of the PhD study plan (part 2) and is awarded 1 credit under the course code MAT930. It is evaluated by a committee of two scientific staff members from the department and graded on a pass/fail scale.

Candidates wishing to give a seminar must submit their topic proposal three weeks before the proposed seminar date. The candidate and their main supervisor are responsible for scheduling the seminar and finding a committee. The seminar should be announced two weeks in advance.

The candidate's presentations should last 45 minutes. The committee will have the opportunity to ask questions afterwards.

Trial Lecture

The trial lecuture is held after the thesis submission and at least three weeks before the defence. The topic is given to the candidate 10 working days (two weeks) prior to the lecture date.

The trial lecture is evaluated by a committee of three members of the department permanent scientific staff, where the comittee chair is the internal member of the PhD defence committee. The lecture has no course code, but will be evaluated passed or failed.

The trial lecture shall have a length of 45 minutes. The purpose of the trial lecture is to give the PhD candidate an opportunity to document their ability to disseminate research-based knowledge. The lecture should normally be structured so that it can be followed by an audience with previous knowledge one could expect to find among master's students in the field of study. Both academic content and the ability to disseminate are emphasised in the assessment of the trial lecture.

If the committee does not approve the trial lecture, the candidate is given an opportunity to try again. The date of the new trial lecture and any new date for the public defence must be arranged as soon as possible and must take place within a timeframe of six (6) months. The new trial lecture will normally be held on a new topic and, to the extent possible, with the same committee. In cases where the committee does not approve the test lecture, the committee's report shall give the candidate clear instructions on the matters that must be corrected. An approved trial lecture must be held before the public defence can be held.

The Research Education Committee at the Department of Mathematics has agreed upon these additional guidelines:

The first part of the trial lecture should always be an introduction of the theme and it should be understandable for master's students in the same area of research. The second part can be more specialized and technical. The research education committee would advise that the seminar on a self-chosen topic can be more technical compared with the trial lecture. The candidate should in the trial lecture focus more on passing on knowledge for a wider audience. The main goal of both lectures is for the candidate to effectively communicate knowledge to their audience.