STUDY PLAN FOR THE PHD-PROGRAMME IN SOCIOLOGY 2007/2008
The study plan is founded on the Regulations concerning the philosophiae doctor degree (PhD) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), passed by the Board of NTNU on 22 May 2003. The study plan for the PhD Programme in Sociology was authorized by the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management on the 15th January 2007.
The PhD Regulations as well as internal faculty procedures and administrative guidelines that are common to the Faculty’s Study Programmes may be found on the Faculty’s web pages.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAMME (§ 2 in PhD Regulations) The PhD Programme in Sociology research is prescribed as 180 ECTS credits (3 years). The final course plan for the PhD Programme is to be shaped in joint consultation between candidate, supervisor and the Department depending on the thesis area of research and the candidate’s individual requirements and wishes.
Objective for the PhD Programme in Sociology The PhD Programme in Sociology aims to develop the candidate’s qualifications in work that requires an advanced degree of scientific expertise. The PhD Programme in Sociology consists of two parts, one shorter part constituting the organized academic training component, and the PhD thesis. The whole programme is estimated to three year’s full time study.
ADMISSION (§ 5 in Regulations) The applicant must have a Master’s Degree or equivalent in Sociology. The main requirement for admission is a completed Cand.Polit Degree/Master’s Degree in Sociology. Admission may be granted if equivalent competence is documented in other ways.
The applicant must have a weighed average ECTS grade of the Master’s Degree (or equivalent education) of B or higher. Applicants who are unable to meet these criteria may only be admitted if they can document that they are suitable candidates for education leading to a PhD degree
In special cases, applicants with other backgrounds than a Master’s Degree or equivalent in Sociology may be admitted. Applicants may in such cases be required to attend particular courses as a prerequisite for admission.
Application requirements Applications for admission are to be made through the application form which is found on the Faculty’s web pages, or by enquiry to the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management. The PhD plan, including the project description, is composed in consultation with the applicant’s main supervisor. The applicant must therefore make contact with a qualified person at the Department when working on the application.
Admission procedure The Faculty will consider applications for admission on recommendation from the Department.
Procedures for admission and the follow-up of incomplete applications are described on the Faculty’s web pages.
Decision of admission The decision concerning admission is based on a collective evaluation of the application. Admission to a PhD Programme is formalised by a written contract, in accordance with § 6 of the Regulations concerning the philosophiae doctor degree (PhD) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
PHD PLAN (§ 5.2 in Regulations) The project description is to give an account of which issues that are being considered, approaches to problems, as well as the choice of theory and method. The description of the research project should normally be between 5 and 10 pages.
FUNDING PLAN ( § 5.2 in Regulations) For applicants who are not fully funded through scholarship schemes, it is normally required that 50% of the working hours during participation in the PhD Programme may be used for study, and that a minimum of 1 year can be allocated to full time studies.
SUPERVISION (§§ 5.2 and 8 in Regulations) Work on the PhD thesis constitutes active research under supervision. The supervisor’s total use of time is stipulated to 210 working hours for the entire period. This is equivalent to approx. 70 working hours per year for 3 years. In addition to the contact period stated between candidate and supervisor, these hours include preparation, reading, complementary work etc. If a supplementary supervisor is appointed, the number of working hours must be divided between the principal and supplementary supervisor.
Procedures for the appointment and changing of supervisor(s) is described on the Faculty’s web pages.
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT ( §§ 5.2 and 7.2 in Regulations) A plan for the meeting of residency requirements is to be presented in the application and in the agreement on supervision. In certain instances, the Department may grant dispensation from the residency requirements.
ACADEMIC DISSEMINATION (§§ 2, 4 and 5.2 in Regulations) The dissemination requirement consists of the candidate’s formulation of a paper which is to be presented and discussed at an international academic conference.
REPORTING (§ 9 in Regulations) The candidate and supervisor are to deliver separate annual reports on progress, in accordance with the PhD plan. Procedures for submission and processing of candidate and supervisor reports are found on the Faculty’s web pages.
ORGANIZED ACADEMIC TRAINING (§ 7.3 in Regulations) The organized academic training has a prescribed duration of one semester’s full time work. The organized academic training component must be completed and approved before the candidate may submit the thesis to the Faculty for assessment.
Structure and implementation A plan for the organized academic training component, composed in consultation with the supervisor(s), should be included in the candidate’s application.. It is recommended that the organized academic training is completed at an early stage of the Programme. The candidate is responsible for signing up for courses within the given deadlines. External courses that are to be a part of the organized academic training must be approved by the Department. For procedures concerning the signing up for courses and approval of external courses, consult the Faculty’s web pages.
The total work load per ECTS credit is normally the equivalent of 29 hours. The organized academic training component must in total cover at least 30 ECTS credits, of which 20 ECTS credits must be selected from the PhD catalogue. Contact the Department for further information on the national cooperation between the sociology departments at Norway’s universities concerning the organized academic training. Applications for changes in the accepted plan for the organized academic training component will be determined by the Department on recommendation from the supervisor.
The organized academic training component consists of three elements:
a. The Theory of Science, 10 ECTS credits b. Methodological courses, 10 ECTS credits c. Theoretical/substantial courses, ECTS 10 credits
Under ‘a’ the Department offers the course SOS8000 Theory of Science for the Social Sciences, which is a joint course for all PhD candidates at the Faculty of Social Science and Technology Management. Under ‘b’ the Department offers the course SOS8001 Advanced Methods for the Social Sciences each autumn semester. The course discusses various social scientific methods. The content will vary from semester to semester. Contact the Department for further information. Under ’c’ the Department offers a number of theoretical/substantial courses, see course list below. Each course is credited by 10 ECTS provided they are passed with a grade B or higher and are not part of the candidate’s Cand.Polit/Master’s Degree. Courses must normally be completed after admission to the PhD Programme. If 6 or fewer students sign up for the course during the first 2 teaching weeks, the course will be offered as an instructed reading course For further information on which semesters the various courses are offered, see course list below.
Courses that are to/may be part of the PhD Programme in Sociology:
Code
Title
Credits
Semester
The Theory of Science/Methodological Courses:
SOS8000
Theory of Science for the Social Sciences
10
S*
SOS8001
Advanced Methods for the Social Sciences
10
A
Theoretical/Substansial Courses:
SOS8501
Work and Organization
10
S
SOS8502
Rural Sociology
10
S
SOS8503
Culture and Media Sociology
10
A
SOS8504
Welfare, Inequality and Integration
10
S
SOS8505
Sociology of Family and Childhood
10
A
SOS8506
Sociological Theory II
10
S
SOS8508
Resource Management: Institutions and Institutional Design
10
A
SOS8509
Ethics, Society and Medical Technology
10
A
*The course is normally offered each academic year. The course is offered when there are available teaching resources.
Seminars and courses that may replace the courses above must be approved by the Department. Individual curricula may be approved as part of the organized academic training component, if access to research seminars makes it difficult for the candidate to assemble a course programme that complements the work with the thesis within a reasonable time frame. Form of evaluation is normally a research paper.
THESIS (§ 7.4 in Regulations) Requirements for the thesis and rules for evaluation are given in Regulations concerning the philosophiae doctor degree (PhD) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), which can be found on the Faculty’s web pages.
FINALIZATION Procedures for submission, appointment of an evaluation committee, the committee’s report and assessment of the thesis, revision for new assessment, trial lecture and public defence, as well as conferment of the PhD Degree are described on the Faculty’s web pages.
Overview over PhD level courses offered at the Department:
Code
Title
Credits
Semester
SOS8000
Theory of Science for the Social Sciences
10
S*
SOS8001
Advanced Methods for the Social Sciences
10
A
SOS8501
Work and Organization
10
S
SOS8502
Rural Sociology
10
S
SOS8503
Culture and mediasociology
10
A
SOS8504
Welfare, Inequality and Integration
10
S
SOS8505
Sociology of Family and Childhood
10
A
SOS8506
Sociological Theory II
10
S
SOS8508
Resource Management: Institutions and Institutional Design
10
A
SOS8509
Ethics, Society and Medical Technology
10
A
POL8501
Political Behaviour and Public Opinion
10
*
POL8502
Causes of War
10
*
POL8503
International Political Economy
10
*
POL8504
Environment, Technology and the Future
10
*
POL8507
Policy Analysis
10
*
POL8508
Foreign Policy
10
*
POL8509
Media, Opinion and Political Behaviour
10
*
POL8510
East European Systems since 1740
10
*
POL8511
The Catholic and Protestant Churches in World Politics
10
*
POL8512
The Soviet Union and Russia since 1917
10
*
*The course is normally offered each academic year. The course is offered when there are available teaching resources.
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Be aware that the following PhD courses overlap with Master’s Degree courses.
