Supervision of PhD Students
The overall aim of the course is to help supervisors make their supervision practices more effective, targeted at the individual PhD student and at the same time supportive of the PhD student’s competence development. You will get the opportunity to meet with other PhD supervisors and exchange ideas, concerns and experiences regarding PhD supervision.
Intended learning outcomes
Throughout the course, you are provided with tools, ideas and a range of techniques in order to:
- navigate in the rules and regulations of PhD supervision in general and in the faculty
- adapt your supervision to the needs of the doctoral student and the phase in the doctoral studies
- align expectations with PhD students, thus preventing problems
- provide feedback on texts and presentations
- engage in cross-cultural supervision
- use questioning techniques and active listening in the supervision situation
- develop your supervision practice continuously
- engage in discussions about research education at the participant's institution and faculty while drawing on theoretical justifications and reasoning
You will be doing an assignment between each of the course days. Therefore, you may need to make some arrangements prior to the course.
- The first assignment involves you and your PhD student. Therefore, you should make sure that you could have a supervision meeting with your student between the first and second course day.
- The second is a group assignment where you in peer groups are to supervise each other supervising your PhD students. For this, you should make sure that you could have a supervision meeting with your student sometime between the second and third course day.
If you will not be supervising or co-supervising a PhD student at the time of the course, you can make the exercises with a master’s student, if you are currently supervising or being the co-supervisor of a master’s thesis. If you will not be supervising any students at all, we strongly recommend that you postpone your participation in the course, until you do.
Should you fall ill or for some other imperative reason be prevented from participating in the first course day, we suggest that you postpone your entire participation for a future course. For the second and third days, you are welcome to follow that day on one of the following courses, while remaining on the current course. In any of these events, please contact Katrine (Katrine.lindvig@ind.ku.dk) as soon as possible to find an arrangement that allows you to pass the course.
We warmly welcome PhD supervisors at all levels, including principal supervisors and co-supervisors, whether you are just beginning your supervision journey or bring years of experience – from postdocs to full professors. Please note that all new PhD supervisors at the faculty of SCIENCE are required to complete this course when beginning supervision of their first student. PhD supervisors from the faculty of HEALTH should kindly note that they are expected to participate in the courses offered through their own PhD school.
The course is free for members of the faculty of SCIENCE.
For others DKK: 2000,-
Department of Science Education, Rådmandsgade 64, 2200 Copenhagen N
Download the Inspiration Sheet (pdf) for clarifying mutual expectations between PhD and supervisor about supervision.
More information
Dates
The course is structured as a full course day followed by two half days, with interim periods for individual and group assignments.
The total work load is estimated to be around 25-30 hours. In order to pass the course, you have to participate in all the course days.
Spring course 2025
Day 1 Wednesday 5 February 09:00 - 15:00
Day 2 Wednesday 5 March 09:00 - 12:30
Interim day (to be decided in peer groups)
Day 3 Wednesday 9 April 09:00 - 12:30
Deadline for registration for the spring course was 31 January 2025
Autumn course 2025
Day 1 Tuesday 16 september 09:00 - 15:00
Day 2 Tuesday 21 October 09:00 - 12:30
Interim day (to be decided in peer groups)
Day 3 Tuesday 4 November 09:00 - 12:30
Please make your registration for the autumn course here
Deadline for registration for the autumn course is 26 August 2025
Language
English
Teachers
Course responsible Katrine Lindvig
Teachers Lars Ulriksen and Marie Larsen Ryberg