The decision to establish a new subject in doctoral education is taken by the Faculty’s Research Studies Board. The Faculty follows the LU-wide requirements for establishing a new doctoral programme:

• The research environment has to be active and of a sufficient size in relation to the programme.
• There have to be sufficient supervision resources and potential supervisors have to have relevant subject knowledge and educational skills.
• The name of the doctoral programme has to give clear information about its placing in relation both to national standards and to international practice.

If the ability of a subject to admit doctoral students or conduct doctoral education changes, discontinuation may be considered. The decision to discontinue an existing subject in doctoral education is made by the Research Studies Board. Before a discontinuation decision is made, the possibilities for doctoral students already admitted to complete their programme must be investigated.