PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION FOR THE PhD PROGRAMME IN HEALTH SCIENCE 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 Health Sciences for the 2007/2008 academic year, was authorized by the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management on 26 January 2007.
The PhD Programme in Health Sciences is an inter-faculty study programme offered by the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management (SVT) and the Faculty of Medicine (DMF). The Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management is the host faculty for the PhD Programme.
Joint Faculty procedures and administrative guidelines for the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management are to be found on the Facultys’ web pages for the PhD education, and for The Faculty of Medicine, on http://www.ntnu.no/forskning/dmf/dmf_forskning_phd .
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAMME (§ 2 in Regulations) The PhD Programme in Health Science consists of 180 credits (3 years). The individual student's curriculum and research plan are put together in collaboration between the candidate, supervisor and the Department, depending on the thesis area of research and the candidate's individual requirements and wishes.
Areas of study As an inter-faculty Programme, the PhD Programme in Health Sciences covers a wide range of areas of study. Common to these areas of study is the focus on human health issues, both on a social, human-interactive and individual basis. Three university units contribute to the Programme:
The Department of Social Work and Health Science, the Faculty of Medicine and the Programme for Human Movement Science. The PhD Programme has two main foci: 1. Patient proximity and user orientation (for example at the clinic, in society, the consequences of technology); and 2. Preventative health care and health promotion (for example health care services, health/society/individual).
Objective of the PhD Programme in Health Sciences The PhD Programme in Health Sciences aims to develop the candidate's qualifications in work that requires an advanced degree of scientific expertise. The most important element of the Programme is an independent piece of research achieving an advanced scientific standard. The Programme emp¬hasises knowledge which is necessary in order to accomplish studies of preventative health care, health promotion or of a clinical nature related to common health issues. The candidate is to carry out course work which is to complement research work with the thesis, as well as contributing to necessary academic depth and width. The Programme is to provide the basis for an independent, creative and critical perception of one's own and others' research, as well as providing practice in communicating research results in academic and other forums.
ADMISSION (§ 5 in Regulations) The applicant must have a 2-year Master's degree or equivalent education within the fields of Health Sciences, Medicine, Human Movement Science or Social Sciences. Admission may be given if the applicant can document equivalent qualifications. The applicant must have a weighted average grade of Master's or equivalent education with a grade 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 the PhD education. In special cases, applicants with other backgrounds may be admitted to the PhD Programme. Applicants may be requested to take specific courses and/or pass specified tests prior to admission.
Application requirements Applications for admission are to be made on the application form or by enquiry to the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management. Application requirements are stated in Regulations concerning the philosophiae doctor degree (PhD) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). It is preferred that the PhD plan, including the project description, is drawn up in consultation with the main supervisor. The application is to be sent to the Department where the candidate and supervisor have their affiliation.
Admission procedure The Faculty to which the student belongs, will treat applications for admission after evaluation from the relevant department/unit and the recommendations from the Programme Committee. Normally, the candidate and the academic supervisor will belong to the same department. Procedures for admission and the follow-up of incomplete applications are described on the Facultys’ 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 plan should emphasis which themes and research questions will be studied, preferably related to relevant theory and ongoing research. Further, an explanation is to be given of methods, implementation and possible ethical challenges in the research. 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 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. Candidates without funding must give an account of how they will complete the Programme without funding. An assessment of this will be made for each candidate upon application and compared to requirements stated in the paragraph above.
SUPERVISION (§§ 5.2 and 8 in Regulations) Work on the PhD thesis constitutes active research under supervision. The supervisor's total use of time as a supervisor is stipulated to 210 hours for the entire period. This is equivalent to approx. 70 hours per year for 3 years. In addition to direct contact hours between candidate and supervisor, this includes preparation, reading, complementary work etc. If a second supervisor is appointed, the total number of supervision hours must be divided between the principal and second supervisor. Procedures for the appointment and changing of supervisor (s) are described on the Facultys’ web pages.
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT (§§ 5.2 and 7.2 in Regulations) A plan for how the residency requirements will be met 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. The main intention concerning the requirement of residency is that the candidate is to actively participate in an academic environment at, or affiliated to, NTNU. Provided this intention is achieved, dispensation may be granted.
PARTICIPATION IN ACTIVE RESEARCH GROUPS IN NORWAY AND INTERNATIONALLY (§§ 4 and 5.2 in Regulations) The cooperating university units in the PhD Programme in Health Science have a comprehensive network of contacts with both national and international research groups. Candidates are encouraged to partici¬pate in these groups in order to establish and make use of the contacts with acknowledged researchers nationally and internationally.
ACADEMIC DISSEMINATION (§§ 2, 4 and 5.2 in Regulations) In addition to the publication of the PhD project, it is required that the candidate communicates PhD work in the form of a presentation at a national or international academic conference. A written version of the paper presented, normally in English, serves as documentation and the basis for approval. Approval is made by the Department, based on the recommendation of the supervisor.
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 Facultys' web pages.
ORGANIZED ACADEMIC COURSE WORK (§ 7.3 in Regulations)
Objective of the organized academic course work The organized academic course work is to complement the research work with the thesis, as well as provide scientific and methodical training.
Structure and implementation The candidate is to state in her/his application, a plan for the organized academic course works in consultation with the supervisor (s). The candidate is responsible for signing up for evaluation in the courses within the given deadlines. External courses/subjects that are to be part of the organized academic course work, must be approved by the Department before enrollment. For procedures concerning the sign up for courses and approval of external courses/subjects, consult the Facultys' web pages.
The mandatory organized academic course work equals one semester's full time work, i.e. a minimum of 30 credits, of which 20 credits are to be chosen from the courses on the curriculum in the PhD course catalogue at NTNU. The course work must be completed before the thesis is handed in for assessment. As part of the organized academic course work, a minimum of 7.5 credits must consist of a “Theory of Science” component. At the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management, the course “Theory of Science in the Social Sciences” is offered, and at the Faculty of Medicine,”Medical Research in Theory and Practice” and "Communication of Science" are offered (see plan for the organized academic course work at the Faculty of Medicine). The candidates are free to choose among these courses, but equivalent courses at NTNU or at other universities may also be chosen. In the latter case, an application must be submitted to the Department.
If access to research courses is limited, making 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 typically be based on written work. The Department may also consider other forms of evaluation.
In special cases, also courses that are at Master's level can be approved. These cannot have been part of the candidate's Master degree. When taken at the PhD level, Master courses count for 2/3 of the Master credits. This use of Master's courses must be approved by the Department upon recommendation of the supervisor.
In a few cases, it may be pertinent to approve external courses/Master's courses provided that certain additional criteria are met, for example that an essay related to the course is submitted, even though this is not a requirement in the course itself. In these cases, the essay is submitted to the Department, and assessed by the supervisor.
Complete overview of all courses offered in the PhD Programme in Health Sciences:
Code
Title
Credits
Semester
HLS8000
PhD Seminar in Health Sciences with presentation A
5
A/S
HLS8001
PhD Seminar in Health Sciences without presentation A
2.5
A/S
HLS8002
PhD Seminar in Health Sciences with presentation B
5
A/S
HLS8003
PhD Seminar in Health Sciences without presentation B
2.5
A/S
HLS8004
PhD Seminar in Health Sciences with presentation C
5
A/S
HLS8005
PhD Seminar in Health Sciences without presentation C
2.5
A/S
SMED8002
Epidemiology II
7.5
A
SMED8003
Health Services Research
7.5
A
SMED8004
Introduction to Research
5
A/S
SMED8005
Communication of Science
3
A/S
KLMED8004
Medical statistics, part I
7.5
A
KLMED8005
Medical statistics, part II
7.5
S
KLMED8006
Applied Medical Statistics
5
V
IDR8000
Research Seminar in Movement Science
3
A/S
IDR8001*
Modern Perspectives on Motor Learning and Development
5
S
IDR8002*
Electromyography with application to Ergonomics and Kinesiology
5
S
* The course is offered when teaching resources are available and sufficient persons are registered.
The organized academic course work at the Department of Social Work and Health Sciences Be aware that the organized academic course work component consists of 30 credits and has 3 elements:
At least 7.5 credits of the methodological and theoretical training will consist of seminars organised by the Department. A two-day seminar will be held each semester. The content of these will vary, but over a two-year period, several central theoretical and methodological subjects will be treated. Each seminar will be a blend of teaching and presentations by the participants. A curriculum of 250 pages will be arranged for each seminar. Each seminar awards 5 credits if the candidate makes a presentation, and 2.5 credits without a presentation.
The presentations take the form of essays/papers. They should be connected to the theme of the course, but simultaneously connected to the doctoral thesis, for example by discussing the theoretical grounding of one's own work, or the possible status of knowledge of own one's area of research. A draft of the presentations is to be handed in before the seminar, presented and discussed orally at the seminar, and to be completed in written form within a given deadline. The completed essay/paper must be passed by the seminar leader at a grade B or higher.
It is mandatory to participate in two of these seminars, one of them by giving a presentation. This is to ensure contact with the Department and the rest of the doctoral candidates. The remaining credits are to be chosen freely depending on individual wishes and in agreement with the supervisor. One may participate in additional seminars offered by the Department, but it may also be useful to attend PhD courses in Health Science offered at other Nordic universities. The courses may be assembled so that the methodological training constitutes at least 7.5 credits and that the theoretical/substantial training constitutes at least 7.5 credits. The assembling of the remaining credits is determined by the candidate in consultation with the supervisor. Courses taken that are not part of the Departmental series must be approved by the Department after recommendation by the supervisor.
Courses:
Code
Title
Credits
Semester
Mandatory courses:
HLS8000
PhD Seminar in Health Sciences with presentation A
5
A/S
HLS8001
PhD Seminar in Health Sciences without presentation A
2.5
A/S
Recommended courses:
HLS8002
PhD Seminar in Health Sciences with presentation B
5
A/S
HLS8003
PhD Seminar in Health Sciences without presentation B
2.5
A/S
Optional courses:
HLS8004
PhD Seminar in Health Sciences with presentation C
5
A/S
HLS8005
PhD Seminar in Health Sciences without presentation C
2.5
A/S
Note that it is the same series of seminars. Each session will have a unique content, so that there is no overlap. Coding is used for reasons of study plan formality.
The organized academic course work at the Faculty of Medicine Note that the organized academic course work component consists of 30 credits. Theory of Science (minimum 7.5 credits) is a mandatory element. It can be either both courses SMED8004 and SMED8005 or the course SOS8000. SOS8000 will be the most adequate course for candidates who already have completed fundamental theory of science. For more and updated information about courses at the Faculty of Medicine, see the Facultys’ web pages.
Courses:
Code
Title
Credits
Semester
Mandatory courses:
SMED8004
Introduction to Research
5
A/S
SMED8005
Communication of Science
3
A/S
Optional courses:
SMED8002
Epidemiology II
7.5
A
SMED8003
Health Services Research
7.5
A
KLMED8004
Medical statistics, part I
7.5
A
KLMED8005
Medical statistics, part II
7.5
S
KLMED8006
Applied Medical Statistics
5
S
The organized academic course work at the Programme for Human Movement Science Be aware that the organized academic course work component consists of 30 credits and has 3 elements:
Modern Perspectives on Motor Learning and Development
5
S
IDR8002*
Electromyography with application to Ergonomics and Kinesiology
5
S
SMED8004
Introduction to Research
5
A/S
SMED8005
Communication of Science
3
A/S
* The course is offered when teaching resources are available and sufficient persons are registered.
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).
In accordance with the requirements, the thesis may consist of a larger piece of work (monograph), or a collection of articles. The final form and extent is to be clarified with the super¬visor. Independent of form, the thesis is to be at a level which equals the standard for publication within the academic literature of the subject area, and in accordance with existing standards at the supervisor's Department.
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 awarding the PhD degree are described on the Facultys’ web pages.
