1) Educational component
The educational component shall, together with the thesis work, provide an education of a high academic standard and include the completion of a scientific research project, training in the dissemination of academic knowledge and an introduction to research ethics, the philosophy of science and scientific methods.
The nominal length of study of the PhD programme is 3 years. The educational component corresponds to 30 credits and the dissertation 150 credits. Credits are allocated based on the ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System). Thirty credits correspond to six months’ work, i.e. 750–900 hours. One credit corresponds to 25 to 30 hours of work. Research courses that are included as part of the educational component must be of such a scope that they are worth at least 1 credit. Half credits are not given. Credits shall not be given more than once for the same activity within the same degree. In practice, this means that PhD candidates shall not be given credits that count toward the educational component for time spent writing texts that are to be included in their dissertation, as this work is included in the 150 credits awarded for the dissertation part of the PhD program. The number of ECTS credits and the distribution of the elements in the educational component across categories shall be documented.
Elements in the educational component
Research ethics
All candidates at the Faculty of Humanities must be ensured training in research ethics. This includes central ethical principles for research, as well as knowledge of relevant legislation and institutions. Parts of the training must be an in-depth study of ethical issues and dilemmas.
Theories of knowledge
Through Faculty courses and advanced courses in scientific theory, candidates will learn about central questions in theories of knowledge and be challenged to formulate their own epistemological positions.
Dissemination
All candidates must have training in dissemination that will provide realistic preparation for research communication and include reflection on academic freedom of expression.
Conference
All candidates must participate in international conference(s). An international conference is defined as a conference at which participants represent institutions from several countries.
Text development
All candidates will receive training in text presentation and criticism by presenting their own text and commenting on others’ texts.
Methods
Method is a planned procedure for knowledge formation. All candidates must have training that expands their methodological experiences and skills and provides a critical approach to what knowledge different methods can provide.
Other courses or activities
The individual department may determine additional compulsory courses or activities. Additionally, candidates may design the remaining portion of the Educational Component themselves, subject to approval from the department's Head of Research Training.
| Faculty | Advanced | |
|---|---|---|
| Research ethics | 1 ECTS | Min. 1 ECTS |
| Theories of Knowledge | 1 ECTS | Min. 2 ECTS |
| Dissemination | 2 ECTS | |
| Conference | 4 ECTS | |
| Text development | 4-6 ECTS | |
| Methods | Min. 4 ECTS | |
| Other courses/activities | Max. 11 ECTS |
Other obligatory activities
These are 0 credit activities.
Welcome seminar
All PhD candidates at HF must attend a compulsory welcome seminar which will provide an introduction to the PhD programme, the faculty and the university. A major part of the seminar will deal with supervision, the candidates' supervisors are expected to attend this part of the program.
Midway assessment
All candidates on the PhD programme at the Faculty of Humanities are subject to a midway assessment. The midway assessment is a compulsory part of the PhD programme. The purpose of the midway assessment is to assess the progress of the project in relation to planned completion. See description below.
2) Approval and documentation
Candidates are responsible for obtaining approval and documentation for all credit-bearing participation and for the safekeeping of copies of all documentation throughout their PhD education.
Before submitting the thesis for assessment, candidates must complete the documentation form listing all documented courses, seminars, etc. with details of the title, type of participation, credits etc.
The form must be signed by the PhD leader, who will then confirm that the educational component of the PhD programme has been completed.
Candidates must enclose this form with the application for assessment of the thesis. It is not necessary to attach any additional documentation.
Documentation form (rtf) (in Norwegian only)
3) Studentweb
In the online service Studentweb you can update your contact information, obtain an overview of the information connected to your doctoral agreement, as well as access your registered data.
Other courses must be approved by the department in advance before you can get credit for participating. In Studentweb, you will find your number of approved credits (ECTS), so that you can keep track of your educational component. An overview of completed courses can be found under the tab Status and overview.
For every compulsory course, Studentweb will suggest a semester. If the suggested semester does not fit into your plan, please contact the PhD officer at your Department.
We kindly remind you of the importance of updating your contact information in Studentweb. If not, you risk missing out on important information.
To log in, please use Feide (UiO user name and password). You will find more information here.
If you have trouble logging in, questions regarding functionality or data in Studentweb, please contact the research officer at the faculty.
4) Progress reports
All PhD candidates are required to submit an annual report to the PhD leader at the department. The deadline is 15 December.
Prior to the reporting deadline, candidates will be notified about how and what to report.
Failure to report will result in the candidate losing their place on the programme.
5) Midway assessment
All candidates on the PhD programme at the Faculty of Humanities are subject to a midway assessment.
The midway assessment is a compulsory part of the PhD programme.
The departments are responsible for conducting midway assessments for candidates employed by the department. This includes candidates with an external employer.
At the start of the programme, the department, candidate and supervisor agree on when the midway assessment will take place, in line with the schedule of work, research trips etc.
Purpose
The purpose of the midway assessment is to assess the progress of the project in relation to planned completion.
The assessment will identify any measures than may be needed to help complete within the nominal length of study and improve the quality of the research work.
The assessment will take place after some of the work has been done, but early enough to allow for adjustments of direction and progress. The assessment will also provide an opportunity to obtain external input to the project.
The midway assessment will be a central and compulsory part of the department’s follow-up of the candidate, in addition to ordinary supervision, annual progress reports and any one-to-one work dialogues.
Procedure
The midway assessment committee will normally consist of two academics; one of whom should have no connection to the candidate’s department or immediate research environment.
Academics who participate in the midway assessment are not necessarily disqualified from adjudicating before the public defence, but the department must exercise discretion and caution.
If, during adjudication of the candidate’s completed thesis, the department wants to use a member of the midway assessment committee as a member of the adjudication committee, the department must assess the member’s impartiality and comment on the relationship in the committee proposal.
The candidate presents an outline, schedule of work and, where applicable, a status report to the committee, in addition to a draft text (chapter or article).
Part of the midway assessment can be open to PhD candidates and research groups, but only the candidate, supervisor and committee can attend the summing up and concluding parts of the assessment.
The committee concludes its work with a brief written report, which is sent to the candidate, supervisor and the department’s PhD leader.
6) The thesis
The scope of the doctoral thesis must enable it to be written within the framework of the PhD programme, with a nominal length of study of 3 years net.
The thesis may consist of a single work, or several shorter works.
Read more about the scope, articles and abstracts, language and co-authors.
Departmental rules
Each department has its own courses, routines for approval and requirements for participation and composition of the educational component.
Department of: