Individual study plan and ISP seminar at GPH
Within one month after the studies have started, the supervisor and student should submit the ISP to the doctoral educational administration at the Department of Global Public Health, for a first review by the Director of Doctoral Education.
Within three months a mandatory ISP seminar must have been held and the ISP should be approved by the Director of Doctoral Education. Since Fall 2024, an adjustment concerning the ISP seminar has been made by the Research and Doctoral Education Office in the steering document "Rules for doctoral education at Karolinska Institutet". In cases where the seminar cannot be conducted within the set 3-month period, the study plan can be established before the ISP seminar. The request should be submitted to the director of doctoral education who makes the decision.
The individual study plan should describe the scientific project, the courses and other learning activities planned. The ISP should also show how the student, within the research field of the specific project, will attain the intended learning outcomes of the doctoral education.
Submit the ISP
As soon as the PhD studies have started, the doctoral student and the main supervisor should start working on the individual study plan. The ISP is done digitally in the ISP module in Ladok. The manuals and support information are available here.
ISP seminar at the Department of Global Public Health
The main supervisor is responsible for arranging the ISP seminar, and for inviting attendees as well as a reviewer who is not involved in the research project. The ISP seminar is not an examination but it should be held in English.
Please announce the seminar to the doctoral educational administration at GPH and your research group.
During the seminar the doctoral student will present the research project. The presentation should be followed by a discussion were the reviewer pose questions on the project plan and ISP.
The purpose of the seminar is:
- to welcome the doctoral student
- to allow the student to present the research project from his/her own perspective and gain feedback on the research project and the ISP
- to serve as a learning opportunity for the doctoral student
- to help the department make sure that all doctoral students have an ISP
Seminar protocol
The ISP seminar protocol is to be completed and signed by the main supervisor and reviewer.
Submit the signed ISP protocol to the doctoral educational administrator who will take care of the signature of the Director of Doctoral Education.
Protocol
Frequently Asked Questions on ISP in Ladok
1. How does the ISP process in Ladok work?
The ISP process consists of three steps:
- Update version: The doctoral student, principal supervisor and Study Director can work on and update the ISP.
- Review version: The principal supervisor reviews the ISP and either approves it for establishment or sends it back for completion.
- Establish version: The Study Director reviews and establishes the ISP or sends it back if further changes are needed.
2. Who can update the ISP?
During the Update version step, the doctoral student, principal supervisor and Study Director can work in the ISP simultaneously and update most sections. However, some information can only be updated by a specific role. For example, information under Supervisor and decision-maker can only be updated by the principal supervisor.
3. Who submits the ISP for review?
The doctoral student is responsible for approving the ISP and submitting it to the principal supervisor for review. Once submitted, the student and the main supervisor can no longer edit the ISP unless it is sent back to the Update version step.
4. What happens if the ISP needs to be changed after it has been submitted?
The principal supervisor or Study Director must send the ISP back to the Update version step. The fields will then reopen for editing. Once the necessary changes have been made, the doctoral student must approve and submit the ISP for review again.
5. What should I do if a course or other result is missing from my ISP?
First, check My education in Ladok. Only approved results reported within the research subject linked to your ISP are displayed in the ISP. If a result is available in Ladok but does not appear in the ISP, contact the doctoral education administrator at your department.
Please note that activities and courses completed before 2025 can’t be seen in the study plan in Ladok. This is due to a change of research subject. The ISP in Ladok is linked to the latest research subject and therefore only displays the courses and activities completed from 2025. Previous activities, courses and credits are still available under “My education”. All courses and activities from the registration date to doctoral education still count for the defence application and doctoral degree.
6. What happens after the ISP has been established?
After the Study Director establishes the ISP, a new version is opened. The doctoral student and principal supervisor can then start working on the new version. The expected establishment date for the new version is automatically set to 12 months after the previous established version, and a reminder is sent two months before the expected establishment date.
7. Can I access previous versions of my ISP?
Yes. Previously established versions remain available in Ladok and can be viewed and downloaded as PDFs. An established version cannot be changed.