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Courses and seminars - PhD

PhD Candidates must complete an educational component equivalent to six months’ work, or 30 credits. The educational component is made up of compulsory activities and elective courses/seminars.

Female lecturer in front of an auditorium full of students. Photo.
Photo: Benjamin A. Ward/UiO.

As a PhD Candidate you have significant freedom in building your educational component. You can participate in courses offered at all departments and also take cources externally. Courses and training activities are offered by a wide variety of universities and research schools in Norway and internationally.

The Faculty of Humanities (HF) recommends completing the educational component during the first four semesters of the PhD program. PhD-courses and training activities at HF are offered throughout the year.

The PhD week 

HF organizes a PhD week each semester with courses and training activities designed for candidates in their first semester as well as with more advanced candidates and early-career scholars in mind. Each week offers all of HF's compulsory courses, while elective, advanced courses in methodology, philosophy of science and research ethics vary from semester to semester. Most of the elective courses reappear within 12 to 24 months. The researcher skills courses normally reappear within 6 to 12 months.  

Candidates may want to plan their participation in courses in the PhD weeks this way:

1. semester: Prioritize introductory courses and skills training. This includes the HF compulsory introductory courses in philosophy of science and research ethics and some of the researcher skills courses, in particular reference and data management. Candidates may consider taking additional courses, especially if particularly relevant advanced courses in research ethics or methods are offered.

2nd-4th semester: This is when you normally take advanced courses in philosophy of science, research ethics, and methodology. In addition, we recommend taking skills courses: Academic publishing, academic CV and advanced reference management are particularly relevant.

4th (or 3rd or 5th semester): By now you are ready for the Hf compulsory course in media communication. In addition, we recommend taking skills courses: Academic presentations and writing the "kappe" are particularly relevant.

5th semester or after submission of thesis: Take some time to join skills courses: Academic CV and academic publishing are particularly relevant.

Courses at other times 

HF and the departments also offer courses and training activities at other times:

- Academic English (every semester)

- Programming (every semester)

- Statistics (every year)

- Writing successful applications for external research funding (recommended from 4th semester and later, offered once a year)

- Additional HF compulsory courses may be offered (announced at the same time as the program for the PhD week is published).

- Thematic/topical courses by departments and research groups (often offered one time only)

PhD Week Spring 2024

Image may contain: Vertebrate, People in nature, World, Sharing, Organism.Welcome to PhD week - a learning festival for early career researchers! The program offers courses in theories of knowledge, research ethics and methods, as well as writer's hours and skills-oriented courses and workshops - and a number of social events.

Full program

Compulsory introduction courses

All PhD candidates must take the faculty’s introductory courses in theories of knowledge and research ethics, and the faculty course on dissemination. The courses are obligatory and worth a total of 4 ECTS credits. The courses are given each semester in the PhD week.

Elective courses

Different units offer practical elective courses or so-called generic courses adapted to the PhD candidates’ needs.

Dissemination courses (Faculty of Humanities)

The Faculty of Humanities holds dissemination courses for PhD candidates. Course content and dates vary. The courses are announced in the events calendar and via e-mail.

Writing courses (Faculty of Humanities)

The Faculty of Humanities holds writing courses for PhD candidates. Course content and dates vary. The courses are announced in the events calendar and via e-mail.

Reference tools - EndNote (University of Oslo Library)

Course overview

Qualitative methods (University Centre for Information Technology)

Course overview

Academic English

Research Schools

The Faculty of Humanities is involved in several national and Nordic research schools for PhD students. The research schools offers courses and an available network for PhD students and researchers with similar research interests.

PhD students can join and participate in courses/seminars organized by the research schools. The Faculty is involved in the following research schools:

National research schools

Authorative Texts and Their Reception (ATTR)

Text, Image, Sound, Space (TBLR)

Norwegian Graduate Research School in Linguistics and Philology (LINGPHIL)

The Research School on Peace and Conflict

The Norwegian Research School in History

Nordic research schools

Nordic Graduate School in Archaeology: Dialogues with the Past (DIALPAST)

Research and Education initiatives

The Faculty of Humanities promotes five research and education initiatives, several of them offering relevant events and PhD courses.

HEI: Heritage Experience Initiative

Literature, Cognition and Emotions (LCE)

Oslo School of Environmental Humanities (OSEH)

Screen Cultures

Centre for Philosophy and the Sciences (CPS)