***THE PORTFOLIO 2.0 - IMPROVEMENTS UNDER WAY!!****
The course syllabus was revised during summer-25 and during the fall-25 we are launching some (rather small) changes in the course. The goal is to make the portfolio work easier for both students and examiners. The most important change for you as a student is that there will be clearer instructions about what to include in the assessment portfolio. During the fall, there will be large flexibility. As of February 1st 2026, all students are asked to adhere to the new instruction.
WELCOME TO THE COURSE!
The principal objective of the course "Generic knowledge and skills - portfolio" is for you to, through continuous documentation and reflection in a portfolio, gain insight into your learning and the extent to which you progress towards the outcomes for the PhD degree - with a focus on generic knowledge and skills. This part of the portfolio is termed the "LEARNING PORTFOLIO".
The portfolio also forms the basis for examination of your achievement of the learning outcomes at the end of the PhD programme. When presenting your portfolio, you will create an "ASSESSMENT PORTFOLIO".
You are admitted to the course at the same time as you are admitted to PhD studies. You are then expected to work independently and continuously with the with the portfolio throughout the programme.
Under the link below you will find a talk given as part of the digital Introductory course for PhD students, and gives a brief description of the purpose and structure of the course.
Olga Göransson, Course director
PURPOSES
1. A support to achieve the learning outcomes of the PhD degree (LEARNING PORTFOLIO)
Several of the learning outcomes for the PhD degree are not necessarily practiced through your thesis work, and are often not examined at the public defense of your doctoral thesis.
Examples of such PhD learning outcomes are:
- “demonstrate an ability to identify the need for further knowledge”
- “demonstrate the ability in both national and international contexts to pres1ent and discuss research and research findings authoritatively in speech and writing and in dialogue with the academic community and society in general”
- “demonstrate the capacity to contribute to social development and support the learning of others both through research and education and in some other qualified professional capacity”
- “demonstrate specialised insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used.”
The portfolio helps you to keep track of your progress towards the different goals, and to identify what more you need to do to reach them.A concrete and important way in which the portfolio can be used is therefore as a basis for the discussion when you and your supervisor follow-up and revise the individual study plan (ISP), which is to be done at least once per year. In this way, the reflections you have made in the portfolio will result in a better ISP and higher quality in your research studies.
Another reason to keep a portfolio is for pure documentation purposes– regardless of the PhD degree. To document experiences and impact is important for professional development in general, for example in future applications for employments or grants.
2. A tool to demonstrate progress and achievement (ASSESSMENT PORTFOLIO)
The portfolio is your tool to demonstrate progress during the PhD programme, for example at the half-time review. Finally, when you approach the dissertation, the portfolio is your way to support that you have achieved goals of the PhD degree that are often not examined by writing and defending a thesis. Ie, the portfolio is an important instrument in the examination of your PhD studies.
COURSE GOALS
The course goals, defined in the syllabus (new as of 250603!), are tightly linked to the goals for the PhD degree as a whole. When it is time for you to be examined on the Generic knowledge and skills course, it is your achievement of the course goals that will be assessed.
How the goals are linked to each other is shown in the files below (in Swedish and English respectively). Here you can also find the older version of the course syllabus. The old and the revised version of the syllabus will be used in parallell during fall-2025.