Get an overview and information of the various stages in the PhD programme. If the candidate, through the course of the programme, requires information that cannot be found in this guide, we recommend that they contact thesis supervisor, or alternatively their employer/the Head of Department or the faculty’s PhD coordinator.
Coursework
The required coursework must consist of at least 30 credits (ECTS). Within the regulatory framework for required coursework, (PhD Regulations § 4-1) the faculty decides which subjects are to be included in the coursework component of each programme. The requirements for content and scope will vary from programme to programme.
Requirements regarding training in scientific theory and research design/ethics, as well as in methodology are common to all studies. The remaining credits represent thematic/elective courses at the PhD level. Faculties maintain a directory of approved PhD courses. An overview of the courses offered for the various studies, both compulsory and elective, are listed on the PhD studies’ website.
Courses completed at another institution can be also be approved as a part of required coursework. Such courses must be approved by the faculty’s doctoral committee/research school prior to their implementation.
Supervisor(s) should be involved in the selection of topics by suggesting topics and discussing what would be most useful and practical in terms of subject matter and approach.
Supervision
The PhD degree is supervised doctoral education. The candidate is therefore required to have regular contact with their supervisor(s) and must also participate in an active research community.
The PhD candidate normally has at least two supervisors, one of whom is appointed as the main supervisor. The main supervisor has the primary academic responsibility for the candidate. At least one of the supervisors must be employed at UiS.
All academic supervisors must hold a doctoral degree or an equivalent qualification in the relevant research field and be active researchers. At least one of the appointed supervisors must have successfully guided at least one candidate through a PhD, from start to public defence. If this requirement cannot be met, supervisors are required to undergo training as PhD supervisors during the first two years of supervision (PhD Regulations § 3-2).
In Part B of the ABC Agreement, it is stated that the supervisor shall:
- advise on the formulation and refining of the subject and its challenges, as well as discuss and evaluate hypotheses and methods
- discuss the programme and the implementation of the project description (outline, language, documentation, etc.)
- discuss results and the interpretation thereof
- keep abreast of the candidate’s progress and assess it in relation to the planned progress
- assist in the candidate’s integration into a relevant academic community, including facilitating research stays abroad during the course of the PhD
- provide guidance regarding academic dissemination
- provide the candidate with guidance on issues of research ethics related to the thesis
The supervisor has the overall responsibility for ensuring the highest quality of academic work within the timeframe for the PhD programme. In addition, the supervisor must keep the candidate informed about matters of importance regarding the completion of the programme, and help to facilitate an opportunity to conduct research abroad at an institution that can contribute academically to the PhD project.
Both the supervisor and the candidate shall separately submit an annual progress report on a stipulated form.
In the event of a supervisor’s long-term illness, the Head of Department and the Academic Head of the PhD programme are responsible for finding a temporary supervisor for the candidate.
Termination of supervision
During the course of a long mentoring relationship, it is natural to have productive and creative phases and also more challenging phases. If either a candidate or supervisor fails to fulfil their obligations, this shall be taken up with the other party. The parties will jointly seek to find a solution to the difficult situation. Upon mutual consent, the PhD candidate and supervisor may request the doctoral committee to appoint a new supervisor for the candidate. If, after discussion, the parties have not reached an agreement regarding a resolution of the dispute, the candidate and supervisor may jointly or separately request the appointment of a new supervisor. The supervisor cannot be relieved of their duties before a new supervisor is appointed. The head of department must approve the change in the supervisor relationship before a decision is made.
Conditions governing changes in supervision are described in Part B §7 of the ABC Agreement.
Publication
The results of a doctoral thesis must meet superior scientific standards and contribute to the development of new knowledge.
The high quality of a thesis should be irrespective of whether it is a monograph or a compendium of shorter manuscripts - a so-called article-based thesis. Certain subjects may be well served by the coherent treatment that only monographs allow for, but the monograph form may limit the possibilities for feedback from peers while the work is in progress. In certain disciplines it is common to submit monographs based on articles published during the course of the study. A thesis based on scientific articles offers a PhD candidate the benefit of independent peer review and editorial control. The articles will also force the work to move in stages, which may be positive for the overall progress of the project.
At an early stage in the process, it is important that the candidate and the supervisor take a stand on the form that is most suited to the research project.
If the thesis consists of several individual works, the question of whether the content of the thesis comprises a coherent whole must be documented and assessed. In such cases, the doctoral candidate must produce a separate section of the thesis (commonly referred to as “kappe”) that summarises and compares the research questions and conclusions presented in the individual works, thereby placing these in a holistic perspective and documenting the coherence of the thesis.
The articles must be of a high standard, meriting publication in peer-reviewed journals. Please contact your PhD coordinator to get an overview of content requirements for an article-based thesis.
If the thesis includes joint work, the PhD candidate must obtain declarations from the co-author(s), specifically granting consent for their works to be used as part of the PhD thesis. There is a stipulated form for declaring co-authorship, which must be submitted to the faculty, along with the candidate’s application for thesis evaluation (The form can be found on the UiS PhD website). Supervisors are also considered as co-authors and must therefore also complete the co-authorship declaration forms (as per co-authorship recommendations such as the Vancouver Recommendations, NENT and NESH guidelines for co-authorship etc.). The summary section of the thesis (kappe) must be authored solely by the PhD candidate.
The thesis should also be published electronically in the knowledge archive, UiS Brage, so that it is publicly available.
This is in line with the Norwegian government's recommendations for publicly funded research and the university’s Open Access policy. Contact the university library for more information about publication.
There can be no restrictions placed on a doctoral thesis being made publicly available, except in the event that a prior agreement has been reached concerning delayed public access at an agreed upon date (PhD Regulations § 7-11). Any delays must be stated in a separate agreement to be submitted with the application for admission to the PhD programme.
The thesis must be printed in the prescribed UiS template. It can be extremely time-consuming to transfer a finished manuscript to the template. Candidates are therefore recommended to use the UiS template from the start of the writing process. The template and its associated user manual can be obtained by contacting IT support. See also the guidance for printing the thesis, available on the intranet.
Study Abroad
Normally, PhD candidates spend at least three months of study at a reputed foreign educational or research institution (PhD regulations § 4-2), where it is possible to work on research questions in the doctoral thesis.
A stay at a corresponding Norwegian institution can substitute a research stay abroad if the stay is deemed to be relevant for the PhD project.
A research stay abroad primarily helps to establish and develop international research collaboration and gives new impetus for work on the thesis. It is therefore crucial that the research institution and the research community are carefully selected in collaboration with the supervisor. To increase the likelihood that the stay will be professionally useful and relevant, it should preferably be at an institution where the candidate, the supervisor, or the concerned academic department at UiS already has established cooperation relationships and contacts.
Even though a research stay abroad can be quite demanding, we strongly recommend it. A stay abroad guarantees new perspectives. Academic benefits aside, there are also significant personal benefits in terms of networking, language, culture and social interaction. Many researchers support that study abroad gives excellent opportunities for uninterrupted research. A research stay abroad in an English-speaking country will also give increased language competency, which will in turn benefit thesis writing.
There are many ways to fund a research stay. Some of the most common ways are through the Norwegian Research Council grant schemes, funding from the research project, or funding from the employer.
UiS also has a scholarship scheme for study abroad, available for candidates who cannot obtain funding from other sources. The mobility scheme (pdf) covers all PhD candidates who are admitted to UiS and the scholarships granted are in line with the Research Council of Norway's current tariff rates for overseas scholarships. The funds will be used to cover the initial set-up costs and additional expenses related to a research stay abroad. Read more about the mobility scheme in the Guidelines for the granting and use of Allocation and Use of UiS PhD Mobility Scholarships (pdf).
The Mobilty Portal on the UiS’ Intranet Forskningstøtte page gives you more advice and guidance on how to plan your research stay abroad.
Compulsory Duties
PhD candidates who are appointed to UiS will normally be employed for either three or four years. The Ministry of Education and Research’s Regulations on employment in academic positions states that a regular, fixed term of tenure for fellowship positions is four years, including 25 percent compulsory duties. The period of employment covers three years of pure research.
Compulsory duties are normally carried out at the department. The employer, in this case the Head of Department, is responsible for the research fellow’s entire period of study and advises them of the time to be allocated to teaching duties.
Compulsory duties must be planned collaboratively by the candidate, supervisor and employer, before completing Part A of the ABC Agreement. The work that comprises compulsory duties must be clearly defined. Such work should, if possible, be meritorious assignments, relevant to the PhD programme, such as teaching, conducting research projects, administration of projects, or participation in departmental/ institutional committees. Administrative duties should be limited to the greatest extent possible and should not exceed ten percent of the total annual working hours. The employer must ensure that the duties do not exceed the specified limit for compulsory work.
Research Ethics
Research ethics encompass ethical aspects such as integrity, competence and independence in one’s role as a researcher and one’s research conduct.
It is a priority for UiS that those enrolled in a PhD programme have a clear awareness of ethical standards and guidelines. The various research areas at UiS have their specific ethical challenges. Both the PhD candidates and their supervisors have a joint responsibility to ensure that candidates are familiar with current research ethics and relevant ethical guidelines in their respective fields, with particular emphasis on the ethics of citation and the rules for co-authorship (Vancouver Recommendations). In the admission agreement (part B), both the candidates and supervisors must sign that they are familiar with this responsibility.
The Norwegian National Research Ethics Committees has developed guidelines to help researchers and society to reflect on their ethical beliefs and attitudes, become conscious of norm conflicts, promote good judgement and the ability to make informed choices when facing conflicting considerations. More information about ethics at UiS is available on our website.
Progress Report
The PhD candidate and the supervisor report annually to the doctoral committee on the progress of the PhD project.
The PhD candidate and the supervisor submit separate annual reports on electronic forms that can be found on Studentweb (check with your faculty). The report must be based on the approved work plan for the PhD programme, and will state any deviations from the plan, including changes in funding, coursework, publication plans, study abroad, possible delays and other factors that might affect the progress of the project. The faculty's PhD coordinator sends out a reminder and link well before the reporting deadline, and ensures that the Head of Department gets access to those reports, indicating deviations, before they are discussed in the doctoral committee or followed up by the vice-dean for research.
The annual deadline for reporting is the 31st of January. The first report is to be submitted and approved three months after admission.
The committee will review the submitted reports and enquire about missing or inadequate reports. In those cases where the progress is too slow in relation to the approved work plan, and this is not due to a legitimate leave of absence from the programme, the doctoral committee, in cooperation with the Head of Department, will seek to identify measures to improve progress. The PhD candidate, the Head of Department and/or supervisor will actively participate in this process.
The candidate and the supervisor are equally responsible for submitting the reports. A lack of, or inadequate, progress reports from the candidate can result in involuntary termination of the candidate’s
participation in the doctoral programme, prior to expiry of the period of admission (PhD Regulations § 2-7). Supervisors who fail to comply with the reporting requirements may be relieved of their supervisory duties.
Like all employees at UiS, PhD candidates will also receive a formal appraisal. The Head of Department carries out the appraisal interviews for candidates employed at UiS. The progress report can be a natural basis for these conversations.
Mid-term evaluation/ 50 and 90%-seminar
A mid-term evaluation of doctoral thesis work will be conducted either in the third or fourth semester. The candidate will present their work for assessment by an evaluation team, consisting of at least two persons appointed by the faculty (PhD Regulations § 5-2).
Mid-term evaluation is of great significance to the candidate's work process. It opens up a possibility to discuss the PhD project with peers and offers candidates a chance to refine and develop all the elements of the research design and its internal consistency.
Mid-term evaluation is usually conducted in the form of a public seminar. The duration is usually about two hours, while this may vary across faculties. Composition of the evaluation team may also vary. At the Faculty of Arts and Education, it is compulsory to have at least one external member. It is important that the supervisor(s) and candidate make themselves familiar with the guidelines at their faculty.
If the evaluation team reports significant weaknesses in the research work, measures must be taken to rectify the situation.
90 % seminar and Final Seminar
At the Faculty of Social Sciences and Health Sciences a 90% seminar will be held towards the end of the PhD course, prior to the candidate submitting their thesis for evaluation. The 90% seminar is public; it is essentially a conversation between the candidate and a commentator, whose task it is to evaluate and provide critical and constructive feedback on the thesis. This gives the candidate an opportunity to refine work in the final phase and to prepare for the thesis defence.
The Final seminar is a compulsory element in the PhD programme at the Faculty of Arts and Education.
The seminar is designed for PhD candidates who are about to submit the thesis for evaluation. The seminar provides information in the procedures for submission, the defence and conferral of doctorates and other useful advice.
Skills development courses, support services and regular events
At UiS, there are academic and social activities and events for PhD candidates and supervisors, both at the institutional level and at the faculty and departmental level. Some events and schemes are of a temporary nature and advertised on our website as and when they happen.
Leave of absence and illness
Candidates must correctly report approved leaves of absence, spanning a certain duration, to extend both their funding and their period of research accordingly.
This information is also required for candidates to register the correct time of completion of their doctoral degree. Approved leaves of absence, longer absence due to illness, compulsory duties and part-time studies with prior approval are not taken into account when calculating the completion time that the university reports to the ministry. As an employee at UiS, you have access to physical and psychological help through occupational health services.
Studentombud
The Studentombud is an independent entity at UiS who assists and advices students and PhD candidates in matters related to their study situation. The Studentombud contributes to that these matters are solved at a level as low as possible. The Studentombud does not comment on technical/scientific matters. You find the Studenombut at Kitty Kjellands Building, 2nd floor. The email address is: studentombudet@uis.no.
Checklist for the PhD Candidate
If you need further information after reading this guide, contact your supervisor, Head of Department, the faculty's PhD coordinator or your employer.
Checklist for Supervisors
- The supervisor advises the candidate about proposed courses, both courses offered at UiS and externally. The doctoral committee must approve the courses that are part of the coursework component.
- Begin planning a research stay abroad as early as possible and advise PhD candidates wisely regarding the selection of institution and research community, to ensure a positive contribution to the project in question and also the best possible research outcomes.
- The annual progress report must be handed in by the 31st of January, on the stipulated form.
- Make the candidate aware of current research ethics guidelines
