Last updated 10 June 2025

Percentage seminars at the Artistic Faculty
At Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts the doctoral students have percentage seminars. With the aim of securing the quality of the thesis/dissertation work, the ongoing work shall be publicly discussed at three percentage seminars: a 25% seminar, a 50% seminar, an 80% seminar, and a final seminar (the final seminar is not mandatory for doctoral students in Music education and Arts education). For work on licentiate theses a 50%-seminar and a final seminar may be held. At all of these seminars at least one especially appointed external or internal discussant should take part.

At the 25% seminar and at the 50% seminar there might be a doctoral student from the presenting doctoral student’s own Department acting as a co-discussant.

The percentage seminars are not examining. They should primarily be seen as work seminars, aiming to secure the quality of the reflective and practical/artistic parts of the dissertation work.

Most of the subjects at the Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts include two different exams: Doctor of Philosophy, and Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Arts (konstnärlig doktorsexamen). For more information about the different exam forms, see the general syllabuses.

The external discussant must hold a doctorate (though there might be exceptions).

In addition to any presentation of artistic works, it is recommended that the seminar does not take more than 180 minutes. For special reasons one can have longer, for example, at two discussants.

After the seminar, ther will be held an internal post seminar where the doctoral student, the main supervisor, the assisting supervisor, and doctoral examiner participate. The external discussant does not have to participate in the post seminar.

The external discussant’s role
The thesis/dissertation presented at progression seminars is work in progress, and the external discussant shall therefore make sure the presentation contains constructive criticism. Within artistic research, preferably questions both regarding reflexive and artistic parts of the work are to be asked. The discussant could be asked by the supervisor to start their presentation giving a short summary of the project. The presentation might evolve around central aspects of the research presented such as previous research, aim, research questions, ethics, methods, material aspects/data, theory, context, results and other central perspectives of the different parts of the dissertation work. The discussant can choose if questions to the doctoral student are asked under or after the presentation. The time frame for the discussant’s presentation and questions is approximately 60-120 minutes.

Form of a percentage seminar (the form is tentative and can be changed in accordance to different requirements):

The chairperson (often the main supervisor) introduces the doctoral student, the external discussant, and, if applicable, the co-discussant
If applicable: The doctoral student presents the basic outline of part of the project and if necessary any errors.
If applicable: The external discussant gives a short summary and discuss the project
The main discussion between the external discussant and the doctoral student
If applicable, the co-discussant discusses the project
Questions and comments from the audience
The chairperson closes the seminar
A post seminar

The seminars are open to the public.

HDK-Valand has adopted a new protocol that more closely defines the structure and process of the 25% and 50% seminars.

Percentage seminars and expectations on the doctoral student’s thesis/dissertation work
At the Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts, the following is expected from the doctoral student’s thesis/dissertation work at each progression seminar:

25% seminar, there shall be a project plan and parts of the work available – equivalent to approximately 25 % of the thesis/dissertation.

50% seminar, a substantial part of the project equivalent to at least half of the work shall be available.

80% seminar should be implemented no later than one year prior to the defence, but instead of a regular percentage seminar with external discussant it may be held as an internal audit and/or within the department’s seminar series. 80% of the thesis/dissertation work is supposed to be available.

If applicable: Final seminar (before public defence), the doctoral thesis/dissertation, or the licentiate thesis, shall be available in its entirety as a preliminary version.