Regulations
Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at Bodø Graduate School of Business, Bodø Regional University
Passed April 4th 2000 by the Board of Bodø Graduate School of Business.
Revised June 14th 2007.
Section 1 Applicability of these regulations
These regulations apply to the doctoral program at Bodø Graduate School of Business culminating in the degree of philosophiae doctor (PhD) and pertain to admission, participation in and completion of the degree program.
Section 2 Objectives
The doctoral program shall qualify students for research activity at a high academic level and for other types of work in which a high degree of academic expertise is required. The program aims at giving the candidate disciplinary depth and width in business economics and the candidate should be able to evaluate the discipline in a broader social context.
Section 3 Responsibility for the doctoral program
The doctoral program is under the jurisdiction of The Board at Bodø Graduate School of Business, which determines regulations for the program’s organization.
Section 4 Contents of the doctoral program
The doctoral program shall primarily consist of research activity conducted under an academic advisor.
The doctoral program consists of:
· Completion of an independent piece of research in active collaboration with the academic advisor and other researchers
· An approved set of courses or instruction
· Participation in active research environments, both national and international
· Research dissemination that is closely linked to the dissertation in progress.
Section 5 Admission
Admission requirements
In order to be admitted to a doctoral program, the applicant must usually have completed a five-year Master´s program or its equivalent which Bodø Graduate School of Business has approved as a sufficient basis for admission to the doctoral program in question.
Application
The application for admission to a doctoral program shall contain:
· A proposal for the dissertation project
· A plan for the instruction
· A detailed plan for the completion of the project, including interim deadlines, etc.
· An account of project funding
· A description of the necessary infrastructure
· An account of the need for academic advising and the name(s) of proposed advisor(s)
· Any relevant plans for extended stays at other, including foreign, research institutions or organizations
· A plan for publication/dissemination of results
· Documentation of educational background qualifying for admission
· Information concerning any intellectual property restrictions related to the rights of other parties
Each institution sets its own application form. The application for admission must be submitted to Bodø Graduate School of Business who decides the admission and approves the candidates plan for the program and appoint academic advisers.
The detailed plan for completion of the project and the project proposal shall be prepared in collaboration with the principal academic advisor. The proposal shall give an account of the area of research, the research question, and the selection of relevant theory and method. The application may contain a draft proposal, but students are then required to submit a complete proposal within three months of admission.
Decisions concerning admission
Decisions concerning admission are made on the basis of a holistic evaluation of the application. Admitting institutions may stipulate criteria for use in ranking qualified applicants when the number of applicants exceeds the admissions capacity of the institution.
Admission to the doctoral program may be made contingent upon funding, institutional admissions capacity, provision of a detailed plan for completion, completion of additional educational programs or courses, and agreements concerning rights to intellectual property.
The following shall be included in the official notification of admission to the program: the name of the academic advisor, delegation of responsibility for any other specific needs stipulated in the application, and the specific dates of the program contract period. Any extension of the contract period must be related to the rights of employees pursuant to Norwegian law, or be the subject of a separate agreement.
Admission may be denied in the event that:
· Rights to intellectual property prevent the publication of results and an open defense of the dissertation
· The relevant and current agreements pertaining to intellectual property are so unreasonable that the institution should not participate in the research project
Section 6 The contract
Admission to the program is formalized through a written contract for the doctoral program. The parties to this contract are the doctoral student, the academic advisor(s) and the unit (program) to which the student has been admitted. In the event that a student has his/her place of work at an institution other than the admitting institution, a separate contract must be drawn up to cover working conditions, including the amount of work time to be allocated to the dissertation project, funding of operating costs, and the need for equipment. The contract shall guarantee that the student participates actively in a research environment and shall facilitate student completion of the program within the stipulated period.
Section 7 The Doctoral Program
The doctoral program shall be designed such that students are able to complete their studies within the stipulated time frame. The contract period may be extended in the event that a student is granted leave from the program on the basis of his/her legal rights as an employee.
Bodø Graduate School of Business shall provide all doctoral students with courses and instruction at a high academic level. In the event that Bodø Graduate School of Business does not provide all required courses, that institution must facilitate student participation in comparable courses at other institutions or units that provide accredited doctoral instruction. In subjects where there is no course instruction, students may submit individual reading lists for approval in lieu of course participation.
The instruction component of the doctoral program shall include courses amounting to 30 credits, and shall include the compulsory course(s) in the philosophy of science and ethics. Completion of the instruction component shall be approved before submission of the dissertation. Applications for amendment of previously approved plans for the instruction component shall be prepared in collaboration with the academic advisor and be considered by the institution.
Bodø Graduate School of Business may grant exemption from part of the instruction component in the event that the student has completed equivalent and approved instruction or courses at another unit or organization.
Section 8 Affiliation with a research environment
The principal advisor, in cooperation with the institution, is responsible for facilitating the doctoral student’s regular participation in an active research environment involving senior researchers and other doctoral students. For doctoral students attached to other institutions, an agreement is to be set between that institution and the degree-awarding institution in order to regulate working conditions, including active participation by the doctoral student in an active research environment. (See Section 6).
Section 9 The dissertation
Dissertation requirements
A dissertation shall be an independent piece of academic research which meets international standards in the discipline within which it is written. The dissertation shall contribute to the development of new knowledge and achieve a level meriting publication in the literature in the field.
Research carried out in collaboration with others may be approved as part of a doctoral dissertation to the extent that the doctoral student’s individual input can be identified and documented.
Collections of several smaller research papers may also be submitted as a doctoral dissertation to the extent that the doctoral student’s individual efforts can be identified and documented.
Work that may not be submitted
Research work, which has been submitted for previous examination purposes, may not be submitted for assessment as part of a doctoral dissertation unless it is included as a minor part of a dissertation consisting of several related works.
Resubmission
A doctoral dissertation, which has been rejected at the program institution, may be resubmitted in revised form six months after the initial rejection. A dissertation may only be resubmitted for new assessment once.
Public availability
The dissertation shall be available to the public two weeks prior to the public defense, at the latest.
There shall be no restrictions on the publication of a doctoral dissertation. An exception may be made in the event that a prior agreement has been made concerning delayed publication at an agreed upon date. Such an agreement may take place when the doctoral work is partially or wholly funded by an external party, in order that an external party may determine its interest in possible patents or commercialization of research results. An external party may not require that all or part of a doctoral dissertation be withheld from publication or in any way hinder its being made publicly available.
Rights to use of research results
The doctoral student’s rights to the results of his/her own research, the exploitation of patentable findings, copyrights, etc are regulated by the institution’s general regulations pertaining to this area of law as well as the Norwegian Act pertaining to inventions produced by employees.
Section 10 Academic advising
Work on a doctoral dissertation shall include individual supervision which normally involves two academic advisors. The doctoral student shall have regular contact with his/her advisor(s) and shall participate in an active research environment.
At least one of the advisors shall be employed at the admitting institution. The advisor must have a doctoral degree or its equivalent.
If a doctoral student has more than one advisor, one of the advisors shall be appointed principal advisor. The principal advisor is primarily responsible for the academic supervision of the student. The principal advisor shall normally be employed at the admitting institution.
Both student and principal advisor shall submit the required reports and documents, in accordance with the regulations of the institution, see Section 11.
The candidate ought to have (parts of ) the doctoral thesis discussed in research seminar(s).
Section 11 Quality assurance and reporting
Each institution shall maintain a system for quality assurance of its doctoral programs. This system shall include measures to reveal insufficient progress in doctoral work and inadequacies in academic supervision, as well as routines for handling any such deficiencies that might arise. This system shall include annual, individual reporting from the doctoral student and the academic advisor, and shall be designed such that dual reporting is avoided.
Section 12 Termination of the contract
Severe breach of contract, such as lack of progress over time, violation of ethical rules and standards or major changes in the dissertation project may result in the institution’s termination of a doctoral student’s contract prior to term.
Section 13 Awarding of the degree
The doctoral degree is awarded on the basis of:
· An approved doctoral dissertation and a satisfactory public defense
· Completion and approval of required instruction, or equivalent, approved schooling or qualification
· An approved trial lecture on a specified topic
Section 14 Application for assessment for degree
An application for assessment of a doctoral dissertation shall be directed to Bodø Graduate School of Business. The application shall also contain the requisite number of copies of the dissertation and documentation of completion and approval of the instruction part of the doctoral program. If the dissertation is found worthy of public defense, an additional number of copies of the dissertation shall be provided, in accordance with the regulations of the doctoral program.
The dissertation shall be submitted in a standard format and in the form (paper, electronic) stipulated by Bodø Graduate School of Business.
Work or parts of work previously approved for a doctoral degree in Norway or at a foreign institution may not be submitted even if the work has been revised.
Section 15 Appointment of Dissertation Committee
Bodø Graduate School of Business shall appoint a Dissertation Committee consisting of at least three members. The composition of the Committee shall be such that:
· Both sexes are represented, to the extent possible
· At least one of the members has no association with the appointing institution
· At least one of the members is from a foreign institution, to the extent possible
· All members hold doctoral degrees or their equivalent
The doctoral candidate’s own department or research group or unit may propose potential committee members. Grounds for the proposal must be provided and the proposal shall also indicate how the committee as a whole covers the field(s) dealt with in the dissertation.
The institution shall appoint either one of the committee members or another person to serve as committee chair.
The academic advisors and others who have contributed significantly to the dissertation can not be members of the Dissertation Committee.
Section 16 The work of the Dissertation Committee
Withdrawal and reworking
A dissertation, which has been submitted, may not be withdrawn before the Dissertation Committee has determined whether or not it is worthy of public defense. The doctoral candidate may nonetheless correct formalities in the submitted dissertation. In the event that the candidate does so, corrections must be submitted no later than one month prior to the defense.
The above not withstanding, an institution may allow reworking of the dissertation on the basis of the Dissertation Committee’s preliminary comments. If such reworking is allowed, a deadline for completion shall be set, and the period allowed shall normally not exceed six months.
If the dissertation is not approved, resubmission is not allowed until six months subsequent to the Committee decision.
Obligation to provide information
An academic advisor may be summoned by the Dissertation Committee in order to provide information concerning the advising carried out and the dissertation work.
The Dissertation Committee may request that the doctoral candidate submit material and/or data or provide any relevant additional information.
The report of the Dissertation Committee
The Dissertation Committee determines whether the dissertation is worthy of being defended in a public defense. The decision of the Committee is to be presented in an assessment report. The decision presented in the report and any dissenting views must be substantiated.
The report of the Dissertation Committee shall be presented to the doctoral candidate, who is given a period of 14 days in which to submit written comments on the report. If the doctoral candidate does not wish to do so, the Committee shall be promptly informed.
Deadlines
The report of the Dissertation Committee shall be presented no later than three months after receipt of the dissertation, unless the institution has stipulated otherwise. If the Committee allows reworking of the dissertation, a new period commences upon resubmission of the dissertation.
Section 17 The report of the Dissertation Committee and institutional procedure
Procedure with unanimous committee decision
If a Dissertation Committee submits a unanimous report, this report shall be adopted and duly noted by a majority vote in the Board of Bodø Graduate School of Business. If a majority of this body finds that there are grounds to doubt that the dissertation should be approved, in spite of the unanimous report of the Dissertation Committee, the institution shall either request further clarification from the Dissertation Committee, or appoint two new reviewers, who shall submit individual assessments of the dissertation. The doctoral candidate’s comments, if any, shall be appended. The authorized body then votes on the basis of the original report and the subsequent reviews.
Procedure with a non-unanimous committee report
If the Dissertation Committee is not unanimous in its decision regarding the dissertation, the institution may vote on whether or not the dissertation is to be approved, the institution may request further clarification from the Dissertation Committee, or the institution may appoint two new reviewers, who shall submit individual assessments of the dissertation. The institution then votes on the basis of the original report and the subsequent reviews.
Section 18 The trial lecture
Doctoral candidates shall hold a trial lecture on a given topic. The topic for the lecture is determined by the Dissertation Committee and is given to the candidate 10 working days prior to the holding of the lecture.
The trial lecture shall be held after the dissertation is submitted and before the defense of the dissertation and shall be approved by the Dissertation Committee.
Section 19 Defending the dissertation
When the trial lecture has been held and approved by the Dissertation Committee, the doctoral candidate may defend the dissertation in public. The venue and time for the defense shall be posted well in advance, as shall information concerning publication and availability of the dissertation.
The defense shall be held in the language in which the dissertation is written or in Norwegian, unless otherwise stipulated by the institution.
There shall normally be two opposing speakers, or discussants at the defense. These two shall be members of the Dissertation Committee and shall be appointed by the institution.
The defense shall be led by the dean or the academic leader of the doctoral program or his/her representative. The leader of the defense shall give a brief presentation of the procedure completed thus far, including submission of the dissertation, the Committee report and the trial lecture. After this introduction, the doctoral candidate shall give a brief overview of the objectives and results of the dissertation project. The first opposing speaker commences the discussion, and the second concludes the defense. The institution may, however, stipulate a different order and/or division of labor between the doctoral candidate and the first opposing speaker. Members of the audience who wish to pose questions from the floor must notify the leader of the defense of their desire to do so by a designated time in the proceedings.
After the public defense, the Dissertation Committee sends a statement of its evaluation of the defense to the institution. This statement shall conclude either that the defense has been approved or that it has not.
In the event that a defense is not found satisfactory, a new defense may be held. If possible, the new defense shall be evaluated by the original Dissertation Committee. The defense must be found satisfactory before a diploma may be awarded.
Section 20 Awarding of the degree, diploma and transcript
When the Board at Bodø Graduate School of Business has approved the course component, dissertation, trial lecture and defense, a doctoral candidate is awarded the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) by the University Board after a report from Bodø Graduate School of Business.
A diploma and transcript are issued by Bodø Graduate School of Business. Bodø Graduate School of Business shall determine the information to be provided on the transcript. The transcript shall contain information concerning the academic program in which the candidate has participated.
Section 21 Appeals
Appeal of application and admissions proceedings
Decisions regarding admission to the doctoral program (with reference to Section 5) may be appealed in accordance with the provisions of Section 28 and following of the Norwegian Public Administration Act. Appeals, which shall include mention of the grounds for the appeal, shall be submitted to the institution. If the original decision is maintained, the appeal shall be sent to the institution’s central Appeals Board for consideration.
Appeal of decision regarding approval of courses and instruction
In appealing decisions regarding approval of courses or instruction as part of the doctoral program’s instruction component, Section 12, subsection 1 of the Norwegian Public Administration Act pertains. In appeals of decisions regarding examination or test grades, the Norwegian Universities Act pertains.
Appeal of decision regarding application for assessment or non-approval of dissertation, trial lecture or defense
Decisions involving non-approval of a dissertation, trial lecture or defense may be appealed in accordance with Section 28 and following of the Norwegian Public Administration Act. Appeals, including mention of the grounds for the appeal, must be submitted to the institution. The institution may reconsider all aspects of the appealed decision.
Appendix
Guidelines for the writing of the “research proposal” for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor in business studies at Bodø Graduate School of Business
Requirements to content:
- The first page with the title, name and contract information.
- The abstract on its own special page
- The introduction (approx. 2 pages)
Presentation of the problem complex including definition of central concepts
Putting the case for choice of problem complex and specification of the dissertation’s scientific contribution.
Is the problem complex of an exploratory, descriptive or causal nature?
- The main overview of relevant literature that can shed light on the problem complex.
A tentative lining-up of research issues and/or hypotheses (approx.10 pages)
- Science philosophical and methodological reflections.
A discussion of scientific approaches and a consideration of methodological anchoring. A discussion of concrete method access and a consideration regarding research design. Possible specification of independent variables and possible consideration of analysis units, data collection etc. if this is possible/desirable (8-10 pages).
- A discussion of relevant research ethics problem complexes.
A specification of the type of dissertation- monography or article collections with a rationale (cross-reference §4.4. in the regulations). (1-2 pages).
- The progress plan, budget and financing.
Specification of the doctorate degree courses planned taken (cross-reference §4.2 in the regulations)
Proposals for main and assistant tutors. (approx. 2 pages).
Formal requirements:
1. The proposal is to be written in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English (otherwise a special application must be made).
- The proposal must be of a maximum of 25 pages (double line distance, pitch 12).
The first page, abstract, reference list and possible attachments/appendices are additional.
Footnotes and/or closing notes are permitted. Paragraphs are to be indicated by an inset (not a page shift).
3. Titles: 1st level: centered (not bold). 2nd level: Left-adjusted (bold). 3rd level: Italic (not
bold).
4. Use of the Harvard system for references: http://www.aom.pace.edu/amr/style.htm.
5. Figures and tables are, as far as possible, to be worked into the text. The figure number and name are to be placed above the figures concerned, whereas table numbers and names are to be placed below the tables concerned.
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