1. Area of application
The PhD Programme relates to the course of study for the doctoral degree at
the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Oslo in pursuance of the
Regulations for the Degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of
Oslo. These Regulations were adopted by the University Board on 25.03.03, and
the Programme was adopted on 06.05.03.
The course of study is organised in one programme with a number of subject
areas.
2. Aim
The course of study leading to the doctoral degree in the Faculty of Social
Science shall qualify students for research activity and for other work in society
for which a high level of scientific insight is demanded.
3. Application and admission
Those granted admission to the PhD Programme are normally expected to study
for a period of four years with three years' effective research training. Agreement
may be made to accept admission to a period of study of not more than 5 years.
Decisions on admission are made by the Faculty.
Applications for admission are to be sent to the department which administers
the subject area to which admission is being sought. In exceptional cases a
candidate may be admitted to the Faculty Programme at large, with an individual
study plan. It is nevertheless a requirement that the candidate should seek
and be able to be affiliated to a scientific subject community in the Faculty,
irrespective of programme affiliation or whether the candidate has his or her
place of work outside the Faculty.
Admission normally takes place twice a year, with the closing dates being 1
March and 1 October for admission in the immediately following semesters.
An application for admission shall contain:
For admission to the doctoral degree course, a 5-year Master's Degree or equivalent
education (degree with a main subject, professional degree etc.) is required
within the subject area to which the doctoral degree candidate is to be affiliated.
Applicants may have additional requirements imposed on them prior to or in connection
with admission. The quality of their previous education must also be good.
Admission may also be granted automatically through an appointment as a research
fellow in the Faculty.
Further information about admission, including application forms and precise
details of the admission requirements, is to be found on the Faculty's web pages
concerning the training of researchers.
4. Training component
The course component (the training component) of the programme shall correspond
to no less than half a man-year, or 30 credits. The training shall contain these
components:
The Faculty's web page on the training of researchers provides links to study plans for the individual subject areas, including the requirements laid down with respect to the combination of course components (courses) and the course provision that is offered or planned. The aim is to co-ordinate course provision on a national level. International courses for researchers may also be included. Reference is also made to supplementary provisions relating to what forms of training, documentation requirements etc. apply to all the subject areas. The course plan for the individual candidate is devised in co-operation between the candidate and the supervisor from the department. It is the department that approves the scheme of study for the individual candidate in the light of the prevailing conditions.
5. Supervision
Work on the dissertation shall take place under individual supervision. A principal
supervisor will be appointed for the candidate. If the principal supervisor
is in a post outside the University, the candidate shall also have an assistant
supervisor who holds a permanent appointment in the faculty. The principal supervisor
bears the formal responsibility. Where the principal supervisor is external,
the principal supervisor and the assistant supervisor shall share this responsibility.
The extent of the supervision in total and the distribution between the principal
supervisor and any assistant supervisor shall be clarified at the commencement
of studies.
The rights and obligations of the supervisor and candidate in the supervisory
relationship are described on the Faculty's web page concerning research training.
The candidate has no right to supervision beyond the period for which admission
is granted.
6. Dissertation
The dissertation shall be an independent piece of scientific work that meets international standards within the subject area. The dissertation shall contribute to the development of new knowledge of the subject and represent such an academic level that it will be suitable for publication as part of the academic literature in the subject.
Part of a piece of joint work may be approved as a dissertation provided that the doctoral degree candidate's own independent contribution can be identified and documented. Collections of several minor works may be approved as a dissertation if there is a connection between the parts and an account of this connection has been given.
The dissertation shall be written in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
If the candidate wishes to use another language, application for special permission
for this shall have been made at the time of admission.
The supervisor shall provide a recommendation as to whether the dissertation
has the qualities required for submission. It is however the candidate who is
ultimately responsible for the content of the dissertation and for deciding
whether it shall be submitted.
7. Reporting
Each year the candidate shall submit a written report on his or her work. Further
information on reporting is provided in connection with the individual areas
of study.
8. Submission and evaluation
Provisions relating to the dissertation and the evaluation thereof are to be
found in sections 8 to 14 of the Regulations for the Degree of PhD at the University
of Oslo.
The adjudication committee normally has a time limit of 3 months in which to
submit its report.
Where the adjudication committee finds that the dissertation may be defended without major changes, the doctoral candidate is given written notification of this no later than one month before the disputation, so that it is possible for any necessary changes to be worked into the final dissertation. The disputation takes place without any further consideration of the dissertation by the committee.
Where the adjudication committee finds that after revision the dissertation
may be deemed to be worthy of defence, but that major changes must be made,
the doctoral candidate is given a time limit within which to work such changes
into the final dissertation. This time limit shall normally be set at 6 months.
The committee than undertakes a new evaluation of whether the revised dissertation
is worthy of being defended for the Degree of PhD.
If the adjudication committee finds that the dissertation cannot be brought
up to standard in the course of 6 months, then it shall be rejected.
9. Trial lecture and disputation
If the dissertation is found to be worthy of being defended for the doctoral degree, the course of study concludes with a trial lecture on a prescribed topic, and a disputation.
The departments put forward proposals to the Faculty for a committee that is to propose the topic/title of the trial lecture and evaluate it. Preferably at least one member of the adjudication committee shall be a member of the trial lecture committee.
Practical information about submission of the dissertation, trial lecture,
disputation and creation, intended for adjudication committees, doctoral candidates
and the administration respectively, is to be found on the Faculty's web page.
10. Appeal
Any appeal relating to an application for admission or to the approval of a
training programme is to be addressed to the department that dealt with the
application. Any appeal relating to the approval of the trial lecture or dissertation
is to be addressed to the Faculty.
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