A Danish doktorgrad (dr. phil.), or higher doctoral degree, is the most advanced academic degree awarded in Denmark. The degree is normally taken by researchers who have already obtained the PhD degree. The doktorgrad is thus not equivalent to the PhD degree.
A higher doctoral dissertation is a major work of academic writing on which the award of a higher doctoral degree is based. The award of a higher doctoral degree constitutes recognition of the fact that the author has considerable academic insight and maturity, and that the dissertation represents significant academic progress (section 3 subsection (2) of the Danish executive order on higher doctoral degrees). The dissertation is defended at an oral defence to which the public is granted access.
Anyone who has acquired a Master’s degree or a PhD degree within the subject area concerned is entitled to submit a higher doctoral dissertation for assessment.
Authors should submit five copies of their higher doctoral dissertation. The guidelines for doing this are described under each main academic area.
A special assessment committee will be set up to assess each higher doctoral dissertation. This will normally be done within three months of receiving the higher doctoral dissertation. The assessment committee is made up of two-three members who are specialists within the field of the higher doctoral dissertation. The members must be professors, or alternatively they must possess specialist insight of an equivalent standard. No later than eight months after being set up, the assessment committee will issue a written statement including its arguments as to whether the dissertation should be accepted for defence with a view to achieving a higher doctoral degree, or whether it should be rejected.
The public defence will be led by a chairperson. Two of the assessment committee members will be appointed as official opponents. Any unofficial opponents may also announce their participation (for further details, please see each main academic area). The higher doctoral candidate is entitled to introduce the defence with a lecture lasting up to ½ hour containing a summary of the topic of the dissertation and the research results submitted for assessment. If the oral defence has been satisfactory, the Academic Council will then confer the higher doctoral degree.
The Danish executive order on higher doctoral degrees contains the formal framework for higher doctoral degrees and honorary higher doctoral degrees. The Danish executive order on higher doctoral degrees is supplemented by the Rules for obtaining a higher doctoral degree at Aarhus University.