The PhD programme includes:

A research project, which is concluded with a thesis and a public defense of the thesis
The research project of the PhD student is the main element of the training programme, and is carried out under supervision by one or more supervisors. At the Faculty of Engineering the principal supervisor must be Professor, Senior Associate Professor or Associate Professor at the University of Southern Denmark, Faculty of Engineering.

A PhD thesis based on the PhD project
A PhD thesis must as a main rule contain publishable articles of the highest academic level.

Completion of PhD courses equivalent to 30 ECTS
All PhD students must complete course work (PhD courses), conference participation, summer schools, etc. The courses must be approved by the PhD committee. The courses aim at giving the student academic width as well as forming the basis og their project. The academic width aims at improving the job opportunities of the PhD student after award of the degree.

Participation in active research environments, including stays at other, mainly foreign, research institutions (change of research environment)
Change of research environment must last at least three consecutive weeks, but the faculty encourages longer stays.

Teaching or other forms of knowledge dissemination
According to the PhD Order, the PhD student must gain experience in teaching or other forms of knowledge dissemination. The faculty rules state that 300 dissimination hours is a minimum in the PhD study.

The plan for completing all the study elements must be described in the student´s PhD plan.