Trial lecture and defence
The trial lecture and public defence normally takes place on the same day, on a Friday. The trial lecture normally begins at 10.15 am and the defence at 1.15 pm. If the department/basic unit should wish so, the trial lecture can take place the day before the defence. In those cases, the trial lecture normally begins at 4.15 pm.
The person who chairs the trial lecture (normally the Head of Department, committee administrator or chair of the defence) will extend a welcome to the trial lecture and introduce the candidate.
The public defence shall normally not exceed a period of three and a half hours.
Course of the public defence
The times indicated in parentheses are for guidance only:
- The procession enters the auditorium: The doctoral candidate walks first, followed by the first opponent, the second opponent, the third member of the committee and the person presiding at the defence (For their placement, see below).
- The person presiding gives a brief introduction
- The doctoral candidate presents his or her thesis and gives an account of the purpose and results of the scientific investigation (approx. 20 min.).
- The first ordinary opponent presents his or her opposition (this usually takes the course of a discussion between the opponent and the doctoral candidate (approx. 60 min.))
- The procession leaves the auditorium
- Interval (approx. 15-30 min.)
- The procession enters the auditorium
- The second ordinary opponent presents his or her opposition (this usually takes the course of a discussion between the opponent and the doctoral candidate (approx. 60 min.))
- Any opponents ex. auditorio present their opposition (max. 10 min. each)
The candidate must pass both the trial lecture and the public defence before the degree and diploma can be conferred.
Recommended venues
The Faculty of Humanities has a regular booking for public defences in auditorium 2, Sophus Bugges hus every Friday.
Gamle festsal in Domus Adamecia is also frequently used for doctoral defences.
Other recommended venues are auditorium 3, Sophus Bugges hus, auditorium 2 and 3, Helga Engs hus, and auditorium 7/Trygve Haavelmos auditorium, Eilert Sundts hus.
If the department wants to use Gamle festsal or other auditoriums/venues, they must book the rooms themselves.
Social celebration
The department pays for lunch, before or after the public defence, for the doctoral candidate, the person presiding at the defence, the committee and the supervisor, if there is a wish for this.
If the doctoral candidate so wishes, he or she may invite guests to a doctoral dinner. This has been a common custom in a number of communities in the Faculty, but on this point it is entirely up to the doctoral candidate. If the doctoral candidate belongs to a community in which it is felt appropriate to have a social celebration of this kind, it is the doctoral candidate