Adopted by the Executive Board of the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration on 26 April 2007 pursuant to the Act of 1 April 2005 relating to Universities and Colleges, sections 3-3, 3-6, 3-7, 3-9, 3-10, and 3-11.
Section 1-1.
Scope
These regulations apply
to the organised doctoral programme leading to a Philosophiae Doctor (PhD)
degree at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH).
Section 1-2. Aim
The aim of the doctoral
degree programme is to qualify candidates for research activities at a high
international academic level and other work in the international community
requiring a high level of scientific insight. The programme shall conclude with
independent research work in the form of a scientific dissertation of a high
academic standard.
As the basis for work on their dissertations, doctoral candidates shall be given advanced theoretical and methodological training in order to provide them with deeper and broader insight into their field of study and place this field in a broader perspective. In addition, the programme shall provide the candidate with training in the dissemination of academic work.
Section 1-3.
Responsibility for the doctoral degree programme
The Doctoral Programme Board (PDU) bears the
overall responsibility for the doctoral degree programme, which includes
responsibility for ensuring that the academic content and resources of the
programme are adapted in the best way possible to meet the competence
requirements the programme is intended to fulfil. The PDU supervises,
coordinates and approves the departments' instruction and supervision
activities, and it can initiate changes in the courses offered, as well as in
instruction and examination methods.
The departments have academic responsibility for the provision of instruction and supervision.
Section 1-4. Content of the doctoral degree programme
The doctoral degree programme consists
primarily of active, independent research work under supervision.
The doctoral degree programme consists
of:
- Independent research work (scholarly dissertation) in cooperation with
supervisors and other researchers
- Active participation in national and
international research communities, including conferences
- An approved training component
Section 2-1. Applicants' formal qualifications
To be admitted to a doctoral degree
programme, applicants must have completed a five-year Master's degree programme
or other equivalent education. The education must be
academically relevant to the applicant's doctoral degree programme.
To qualify for admission candidates should normally have an average grade
equivalent to a B or better.
The Doctoral Programme Board (PDU) may grant exemptions from the admission requirements in special cases for applicants who only wish admission to certain components of the programme.
Section 2-2. Contents of the application
The application should provide the best
possible basis for assessing the applicant's qualifications and ability to
complete the doctoral degree programme.
Applications for admission should
normally include:
- Documentation of previous education and other academic background
- A tentative project description with details of the research topic and
issues to be addressed
- A plan for the course component of the doctoral degree programme
- Any plans for sojourns at other, including foreign, research institutions or
establishments
- A schedule for completion of the programme
- Any wishes concerning supervisor(s) to be included in the dissertation
committee
- Financing plan
- Information on any intellectual property right restrictions
Applications for permission to use a language other than English for the dissertation, trial lecture and public defence proceedings must be submitted with the application for admission.
Section 2-3. Admission procedure
Supplementary regulations relating to
application deadlines, admission requirements, and the processing and ranking of
applications for admission will be stipulated by the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU)
and they will be included in the description of the programme.
Section 2-4. Admission decisions
Admission decisions are based on an
overall assessment of applications.
Admissions can be made subject to the admission capacity, financing, additional educational qualifications and intellectual property agreements.
Normally, decisions on admission will include the appointment of a principal supervisor and confirm the supervision period.
Section 2-5. Contract
Candidates who
have been admitted to the organised doctoral degree programme must sign a
written contract regulating the relationship between the doctoral candidate, the
principal supervisor, the department to which the candidate will be affiliated,
and any external financing institutions.
The contract shall regulate:
- the subject of the dissertation
- the contract period
- the financing plan
- the training component
- supervision-related matters
- reporting to the department/milestones
- the place of work
- the parties' mutual rights and obligations in addition to those listed
above
The Doctoral Programme Board (PDU) shall approve the contract before it is signed by the parties. Any subsequent amendments of the contract shall be submitted to the PDU for approval.
The parties to the contract can present allegations concerning breach of contract to the PDU. PDU will consider the claims and make a decision on the matter.
Section 3-1. Study right
The doctoral degree programme shall normally be organised so that it can be
completed within an effective study period of three years.
The right to study is limited to a period of six years from admission to submission of the dissertation.
Section 3-2. Leaves of absence, sickness absence and parental leave
Any leave of absence due to pregnancy or prolonged illness must be documented to the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU), and will constitute grounds for an extension of the study period.
Applications for leave of absence for other reasons than the ones listed above must be made to PDU.
Normally, leave of absence will not be granted for periods exceeding one year.
Section 3-3. Training component
The training component shall include the academic training that is desirable for
work on the candidate's dissertation and to qualify the candidate for
professions requiring a high level of scientific insight. The training component
must be equivalent to a minimum of 45 credits, and it must include training in
the philosophy of science/ethics.
The school is responsible for giving all doctoral candidates training at an advanced scientific level. If the school cannot provide the entire training component itself, it must arrange for the candidate to participate in corresponding training at another institution offering recognised doctoral degree training.
The training may consist of regular lectures or seminars, short intensive gatherings, or any other type of training approved by the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU). In instances where no suitable course is available, a supervised individual self-study programme may be approved as part of the course programme.
All applicants admitted to the doctoral degree programme must follow the training programme. The candidates must document that they have acquired the necessary academic knowledge. Such documentation can be provided in the form of obligatory practical exercises, written or oral examinations, lectures, seminar presentations, written work, or by any other means approved by the PDU.
A candidate is normally allowed up to two examination attempts for doctoral degree courses. Further attempts must be in accordance with the ”Regulations for examinations at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (full-time programmes)”.
The Doctoral Programme Board (PDU) may grant exemptions from participation in parts of the training programme if the corresponding requirements have been fulfilled at our own or another institution providing organised doctoral degree training.
The training component must be completed prior to submission of the dissertation.
Section 3-4. Supervision
The Doctoral Programme Board (PDU) shall appoint a dissertation committee based
on the department's proposal. The principal supervisor shall chair the
dissertation committee. The committee shall consist of at least one person in
addition to the principal supervisor. Members of the committee shall have a
doctorate or equivalent academic qualifications. At least one member of the
committee shall be a person who is not employed by the Norwegian School of
Economics and Business Administration (NHH) in a full-time position.
If it is desirable or necessary to change the principal supervisor/dissertation committee, a proposal must be submitted to the PDU with the department’s recommendation. PDU will make a decision on the matter.
The PDU may decide, on the recommendation of the department, to extend the supervision period in special cases.
Section 3-5. Progress
The doctoral degree contract shall contain milestones. The department is
responsible for monitoring that the candidate reaches the determined milestones.
If agreements on milestones are not kept, the department can submit the matter to the PDU. The PDU will consider whether material breach of contract has taken place and make a decision.
Both the supervisor and the doctoral candidate are obliged to submit annual progress reports.
Section 3-6. Termination of the right
to study
The PDU can, independently or based on a recommendation from the department,
decide that the candidate shall forfeit the right to continue the doctoral
programme at NHH.
Decisions
to terminate the right to study can be made on the following basis:
- Repeated material breach by the
candidate of his/her duties concerning disclosure, follow-up or reporting.
- A material delay in the progress of
the research project of a kind giving rise to justified doubt as to whether the
candidate will be able to complete the project within the stipulated deadline.
In order for this to constitute grounds for enforced termination, the delay must
be due to factors under the candidate’s control.
- A material delay in the training
component, due to factors under the candidate’s control.
- Violation of the research-ethical
rules that apply to the field of study.
- Behaviour on the part of a candidate
that is in breach of the trust which must exist between the school and the
candidate during completion of the programme, including criminal acts in
connection with the doctoral programme.
- This list is not exhaustive.
If the doctoral candidate is employed by the school, then the right of study can only be terminated if the requirements for dismissal set out in the Civil Service Act are met.
Section 4-1. Dissertation requirements
Dissertations shall represent independent
scientific work of a high academic standard that meets the international
publication standards in the subject area with respect to the formulation of the
issues raised, definition of concepts, methodological and theoretical basis,
documentation and form of presentation.
A dissertation can be a self-contained piece of work or the continuation of previous work. Under normal circumstances, only work published during the past five (5) years prior to submission of a dissertation may be included as part of the dissertation.
Part of a joint work may be accepted for evaluation, and it may also be accepted as one of several works, provided it represents an independent, identifiable contribution. In such cases, declarations shall be obtained from all the co-authors and others who have followed the work, so that the contribution of the doctoral candidate is identified and documented.
Several minor works may be accepted as part of a doctoral dissertation when they make up a collective whole based on their content, provided that the doctoral candidate's independent contribution can be identified and documented. In addition to the individual parts, a summary explaining the overall content of the dissertation shall be prepared.
Dissertations must be written in English, unless special permission has been granted to write a dissertation in another language.
Section 4-2. Unacceptable work
Work accepted as the basis for previous
examinations is not admissible for evaluation unless the work constitutes only a
minor part of a dissertation consisting of several connected works.
Work may not be accepted for individual evaluation if it has previously been accepted as a thesis at second degree level or as a thesis or dissertation for a Master’s, magister or licentiate degree, unless the work constitutes only a minor part of a dissertation consisting of several connected works.
Work previously accepted for a doctoral degree at a foreign university or college may not be accepted for evaluation, even if the work is submitted in a revised version.
Section 4-3. Resubmission
In cases where a dissertation is not approved, a new piece of work or the original dissertation in a revised version may not be submitted for new evaluation until six (6) months after the decision to reject the dissertation was made. A new evaluation may be made once only.
Section 4-4. Public availability
The dissertation shall be made publicly
available no later than one (1) month prior to the public defence.
No restrictions may be placed on the release or publication of a doctoral degree dissertation with the exception of a postponement of the date of release or publication that is agreed on in advance. Such a postponement may be made when the doctoral degree programme is financed in part or entirely by an external party, so that the external party can decide on patenting or commercialisation. The external party may not stipulate that all or part of the doctoral degree dissertation shall not be released or published.
Section 4-5.
Right to commercial use of own results
Candidates’ right to use
their own results commercially is governed by general rules in this area unless
other arrangements have been agreed upon.
Section 5-1. Evaluation
Doctoral degrees are awarded on the basis of
an approved:
- training component,
- scientific dissertation,
- trial lecture on a prescribed topic and
- defence of the dissertation at public defence proceedings
Section 5-2. Submission
The application for evaluation of
dissertations shall be submitted to the PDU. Proof of completion of the training
programme and 15 copies of the dissertation shall be enclosed with the
application.
If the dissertation is accepted for defence at public defence proceedings, 35 additional copies must be submitted to the school. An abstract that can serve as a press release when the public defence is announced shall be submitted together with the dissertation.
The dissertation shall be submitted in a standardised format in the form (paper, electronic) determined by the school.
Section 5-3. Appointment of an evaluation committee
To evaluate the dissertation, trial
lecture and defence of the dissertation, an expert evaluation committee
consisting of at least three members shall be appointed by the Doctoral
Programme Board (PDU) based on a proposal from the relevant department.
The committee shall be composed so that:
- both genders are represented whenever possible,
- at least one of the members has no affiliation with the Norwegian
School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH),
- two of the members are normally recruited from a foreign institution that is
internationally recognised within the subject area in question and
- all the members have a doctorate or equivalent academic qualification
A chairman shall be appointed from among the committee members by the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU) based on a proposal from the relevant department.
The appointed principal supervisor and others who have made a significant contribution to the dissertation may not be a member of or chair the evaluation committee. The remaining members of the dissertation committee should not be members of the evaluation committee if at all possible.
The doctoral candidate shall be notified of the composition of the committee.
Section 6-1. Withdrawal and reworking
A work that has been submitted may not be
withdrawn until a final decision has been made as to whether it is worthy of
being defended for a doctoral degree. The doctoral candidate may nevertheless
correct formal errors in the dissertation after submission. In such case, a list
of the corrections shall be submitted no later than one (1) month prior to the
public defence.
Section 6-2. Duty of disclosure
The principal supervisor may be summoned to
meetings of the evaluation committee to explain the supervision provided and the
work on the dissertation.
The committee may demand that the doctoral candidate's source material be submitted, as well as additional or clarifying information.
Section 6-3. Recommendation
The committee shall submit a recommendation
on whether the work is worthy of being defended for a doctoral degree. Grounds
shall be given for the conclusions in the recommendation and any dissent.
The evaluation committee's recommendation shall be issued no later than three (3) months after the committee receives the dissertation, unless the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU) has decided otherwise.
The evaluation committee's recommendation, including any dissent and individual statements, shall be submitted to the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU), which will subsequently forward the recommendation and statements to the doctoral candidate as soon as possible. The doctoral candidate shall be given a time limit of two (2) weeks to submit written comments on the recommendation. If the doctoral candidate does not wish to submit any written comments, the PDU shall be notified of this as soon as possible.
Section 7-1. Procedure in the case of a unanimous recommendation
A unanimous committee recommendation shall
be approved, provided a majority of the members of the Doctoral Programme Board
(PDU) vote for approval. If a majority finds, in spite of a unanimous committee
report, that there are grounds for doubting whether a dissertation should be
approved, the PDU shall seek further clarification from the evaluation committee
or appoint two new experts to make individual statements on the dissertation.
The doctoral candidate's comments shall be enclosed. After this, the PDU shall
decide itself on the matter on the basis of the recommendation and statements
obtained.
The doctoral candidate shall be notified of the results of this procedure.
Section 7-2. Procedure in the case of a divided recommendation
If there are dissenting opinions in the
committee, the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU) may itself make a decision on the
matter without obtaining any further evaluation, or it may seek further
clarification from the evaluation committee, or appoint two new experts to make
individual statements on the dissertation. The doctoral candidate's comments
shall be enclosed. After this the PDU shall decide itself on the matter on the
basis of the recommendation and statements obtained.
The doctoral candidate shall be notified of the results of the procedure.
Section 7-3. Trial lecture and public
defence
If the work is found to be worthy of being
defended for a doctoral degree, the doctoral degree programme is concluded with
a public trial lecture on a prescribed topic and a public defence.
The topic of the trial lecture on a prescribed topic shall be determined by the evaluation committee and announced to the candidate two (2) weeks prior to the lecture. The Doctoral Programme Board (PDU) may stipulate another time limit on application from the doctoral candidate.
The trial lecture shall be held prior to the public defence. If the evaluation committee finds that the trial lecture is acceptable, the doctoral candidate shall defend his or her doctoral work at a public defence.
The public defence shall normally be held within six (6) months after the dissertation was submitted for evaluation. The time and place for the public defence shall be announced well in advance along with information about how the dissertation has been made publicly available.
The trial lecture and public defence must be conducted in the same language that the dissertation is written in, unless special permission to use another language has been granted by the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU).
The public defence is chaired by the Dean or a person authorised by the Dean. The public defence takes place as a discussion of the dissertation between the members of the evaluation committee and the doctoral candidate. The chair of the public defence proceedings shall give a brief account of the submission and evaluation of the dissertation, and the trial lecture. The doctoral candidate then gives a brief account of the purpose and results of the scientific study. The chair of the public defence proceedings shall decide the order and division of duties between the doctoral candidate and opponents in consultation with the opponents. Any other persons present who wish to speak as opponents ex auditorio must give notice to the chairman during the defence no later than the time limit he has set for giving such notice.
As soon as possible and no later than two (2) weeks after the public defence, the evaluation committee shall submit a report to the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU), in which it gives an account of its evaluation of the dissertation, trial lecture and defence of the dissertation. The report must conclude whether the examinations as a whole are deemed to be approved or not approved.
Section 7-4. New evaluation
If the trial lecture is not approved, a
new evaluation can be made no earlier than three (3) months after the decision
not to approve the trial lecture is made.
If the public defence is not approved, a new evaluation can be made no earlier than six (6) months after the decision not to approve the public defence is made. If the public defence is not approved, the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU) can give the candidate an opportunity to submit the dissertation in a revised form, cf. first paragraph.
New examinations shall be evaluated by the original evaluation committee whenever possible.
Section 7-5. Conferment and diploma/certificate
When the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU)
has approved the training, dissertation, trial lecture and public defence, the
degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) is conferred on the doctoral candidate. The
PDU advises the school's Executive Board of the doctoral degrees conferred twice
a year.
A diploma and certificate are issued by the school. The certificate must state the title of the dissertation and the topic of the trial lecture, and contain information that the training programme completed by the doctoral candidate has been approved.
Section 8-1. Appeals
Individual
decisions by the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU) can be appealed. Appeals shall
be submitted to The Appeals Committee for NHH, if PDU upholds its decision.
Appeals will be processed in accordance with the Public Administration Act.
If the Doctoral Programme Board (PDU) or The Appeals Committee finds that it is justified, a committee or individual persons may be appointed to undertake an evaluation of the decision made and the underlying criteria, or to make a new or supplemental expert evaluation.
Section 9-1. Entry into force
These regulations enter into force with
immediate effect and replace previous regulations.
Sist oppdatert: 2006-08-07. Kontakt om innhald: Studieadministrasjonen
