PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION FOR THE PhD PROGRAMME IN EDUCATION 2007/2008
The programme description 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 programme description for the PhD Programme in Education was authorized by the Faculty Board of Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management on 5 February 2007.

The PhD Regulations as well as internal faculty procedures and administrative guidelines that are common to the Faculty’s study Programmes are to be found on the Faculty’s web pages on research.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAMME, (§ 2 in Regulations)
The PhD Programme in Education is prescribed as 180 credits (3 years). The final course plan for the PhD Programme is to be shaped in joint consultation between candidate, supervisor and Department depending on the thesis area of research and the candidate’s individual requirements and wishes.

The Programme is associated to the Department of Education and Programme for Teacher Education. The use of the term “Department” in this programme description constitutes these two units.

Objective for the PhD Programme in Education
The PhD Programme in Education aims to qualify the candidate for research activity in education matters and for other work concerning education that requires an advanced degree of scientific expertise. The main aim of the Programme is an independent piece of research presented as a thesis achieving an advanced academic level. In addition, it aims to give insight into social and pedagogical theory. Through participation in the Programme the candidate is to receive practice in communicating her/his research and gain academic insight into the subject matter.

ADMISSION ( § 5 in Regulations)
The applicant must have a Master’s degree within Education. The applicant must have a weighed average grade of Master’s or equivalent education with a grade of B or higher, in accordance with NTNU’s grading system. 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 may be admitted to the PhD Programme. Applicants may be requested to take specified courses and/or pass specified tests prior to admission.

Application requirements
Applications for admission are to be made on the application form which is to be found on the following web site: http://www.svt.ntnu.no/adm/forskning/ or by enquiry to the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology. Application requirements are stated in Regulations concerning the philosophiae doctor degree (PhD) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), on the Faculty’s web pages. When preparing the application, the PhD plan, including the project description, is to be composed in consultation with one of the Department’s qualified academic staff.

The Faculty considers applications for admission based on the recommendation of 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 are being considered, approaches to problems, as well as the choice of theory and method. The description of the research project is normally to be between 5 and 10 pages.

FUNDING PLAN (§ 5.2 in Regulations)
For applicants who are not fully funded through scholarship schemes, it is required that 50 % of working hours during participation in the PhD Programme can 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 supervising is stipulated to 210 worker-hours for the entire period. This is equivalent to approx. 70 worker-hours per year for 3 years. In addition to the contract period stated between candidate and supervisor, this includes preparation, reading, complementary work etc. If a supplementary supervisor is appointed, the number of worker-hours must be divided between the principal and supplementary supervisor.

Procedures for the appointment and changing of supervisor (s) are 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)
Training in dissemination may occur in a number of ways, by following courses in dissemination, by formulating papers which are presented at a conference, by writing an article or similar methods.

REPORTING, (§ 9 in Regulations)
The candidate and supervisor are to deliver separate annual reports on progress, in accordance with § 9 of Regulations concerning the philosophiae doctor degree (PhD) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). (Procedures for submission and processing of candidate and supervisor reports are to be found on the Faculty’s website.

ORGANIZED ACADEMIC COURSE WORK, (§ 7.3 in Regulations)

Objective of the organized course work
The aim of the organized academic course work is to provide insight into theories and methodologies that complement the work with the thesis, and contribute to the general training required for the candidate’s research in Education.

Structure and implementation
The candidate is to state in her/his application, a plan for the organized academic course work component in consultation with the supervisor (s). It is recommended that the organized academic course work is completed at an early stage of the Programme. External courses/subjects that are to be a part of the organized course work must be approved by the Department.

The organized academic course work component must cover at least 30 credits in total, of which 20 credits are to be taken from the PhD course catalogue. An application concerning changes in the original approved plan for the organized academic course work component is decided by the Department on recommendation by the supervisor.

The organized academic course work component consists of three elements:

¿ The Theory of Science, 10 credits

¿ Methodological courses, 10 credits

¿ Theoretical/substantial courses, 10 credits

The courses on scientific theory, research methodology and theory/substance may be taken as a combination of a number of smaller courses or as a more comprehensive course of 10 credits.

Documentation of courses
The courses are to be documented by attendance in class, and supplemented by contributions made by the candidate in the shape of exercises, essays, popular scientific or scientific articles, written versions of conference contributions, seminars and so forth. Smaller courses may consist of an individual self study curriculum which as been approved by the Department.

PhD candidates who so wish, may follow courses exceeding the required 30 credits. The passing grade for such courses to be accepted as part of the organized academic course work component, is a grade B or higher. The course leader/lecturer, or supervisor, is responsible for controlling the documentation requirements.

Other information
The courses will predominately be offered as 2-3 day courses, possibly as week courses. Candidates on the PhD Programme have priority. National research seminars in pedagogic and PhD courses offered at other universities are automatically approved. Courses offered at international institutions may also be approved. Courses offered by other institutions, may in deliberation with the supervisor, be approved as part of the organized academic course work component.

Code	Title	Credits	Semester
SOS8000	Theory of Science for the Social Sciences	10	*
PED8004	From Modern to Post-Modern Education (Introduction to Central Themes in Social Science and Philosophy of Education) with paper	10	Autumn
PED8005	From Modern to Post-Modern Education (Introduction to Central Themes in Social Science and Philosophy of Education) withot paper	3,5	Autumn
PLU8000	Introduction to International Higher Education	10	Autumn
PLU8001	Higher Education Management	10	Autumn

*See programme description for the PhD Programme in Sociology

If access to research courses is limited and males it difficult for the candidate to assemble a course Programme which complements work with the thesis within a reasonable time scale, an individual study syllabus may be approved as part of the organized academic course work component. Assessment will normally be based on written work.

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).

The main element of the course is the independent work with a scientific thesis. The thesis may consist of a coherent research report of a number of smaller pieces of work or a combination of these with a defined thematic relation which can be established and discussed in a separate paragraph. Before the thesis is presented for public defence, the candidate is to give a trial lecture with a given topic.

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 in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management’s website.