The PhD-Supervisory Qualification Programme at UiS is offered to academic employees from all faculties at the UiS. Each spring, 36 participants, both potential, new and experienced supervisors, complete the course.

UiS PhD-Supervisory Qualification Programme
The goal of the course is to provide knowledge and skills that qualify and provide security for new PhD supervisors, while simultaneously providing experienced supervisors with tools and inspiration to do an even better job.
Course structure
The course consists of three modules, each with two full-day sessions held in Sola Strand Hotel, outside Stavanger. The sessions run from 09.00 to 16.00. The course modules are all placed within one semester. The course is open for employees from all faculties at the UiS.
Application
The course is offered once a year. The course details will be published on the university intra-net (ansatt.uis.no), and by e-mail to the departments and faculties. The announcements will outline application procedures in detail.
Target group
Academic staff at the UiS.
Prerequisites
Applicants must have a doctoral degree or an equivalent qualification. The applicant will benefit more from the course if they already are doing some supervision (or have done some).
Language
English
Workload and participation
The course implies a high degree of activity from the participants, and when applying for the course, participants must confirm that they will be present at all sessions. The three modules and the assignments before and between the modules is estimated to a workload of approximately 100 hours.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course the participant should have knowledge of:
- Research education in national and international contexts
- Regulations and ethics relevant for research and supervision
- Different supervision approaches
- Relationship building and communication in supervision
The participant should be able to:
- Plan and carry out individualized supervision
- Facilitate a working relationship when supervising in pairs
- Elaborate on the role and responsibilities of a supervisor and how these change during the course of a PhD-project.
- Work within a scholarly framework to propose approaches to manage commonly occurring conflicts in connection with research education.
The participant should gain a general competence to:
- Identify challenges and reflect upon the role as a supervisor
- Place themselves as research supervisors in a local, historical and international context
- Discuss commonly occurring ethical and legal issues associated with doctoral supervision
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching and learning methods will include lectures, case work, group work and individual assignments. Active participation is expected. The course content follows two interrelated workflows, where each day is divided between an overall topic and its corresponding theme related to the different phases in the process from starting to finishing a PhD-project. See below for more details on this.
Academic content
Module 1) To be a supervisor
a) Research training in national and international context
b) Approaches to supervision and the supervisor’s role
c) Regulations and guidelines for research ethics
PhD-process I: Recruitment and selection
II: Role clarification
Module 2) Communication and collaboration
a) A professional relationship
b) Challenges: Motivation, abilities and opportunities during the process
c) Handling cultural diversities
d) Conflict management
PhD-process III: Building and maintaining relationships
IV: Monitoring and mentoring progress
3) Supervision and the PhD as part of the organizational framework:
a) Supervising the writing process
b) Formal, informal and non-formal organizing elements of the PhD and their influence on doctoral supervision
c) Learning contexts in doctoral education
PhD-process V: Developing texts and thesis
VI: Performing revisions and dissemination
Requirement for course approval
- Participation on all three modules. Lost modules cannot be re-taken at a later stage, as the entire course must be completed within one semester.
- Completing the preparations and assignments between the sessions
Course certificate
The course certificate is awarded after satisfactory completing all three modules and the requirements for the assignments. After completing the course the participants are qualified to supervise PhD candidates in compliance with §7-1 in “Forskrift for graden philosophia doctor ved Universitetet i Stavanger”.
UiS PhD-Supervisory Qualification Programme 2022
All modules will be held at Sola Strand Hotel
Module 1: 9 - 10 February
Both days: 0830 - 1600
Module 2: 28 - 29 April
Both days: 0830 - 1600
Module 3: 9 - 10 June
Both days: 0830 - 1600
Literature, course material and assignments
Participants will receive course material and practical information approximately three weeks prior to the first course day. Practical information will also be published in the Teams group for participants.
- Taylor et al (2018), A handbook for doctoral supervision, 2nd edtition, Routledge ISBN 978-1-138-19479-3
- Anne Lee (2012), Successful research supervision: Advising students doing research, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-66353-3
Course coordinator: Professor Trude Furunes, The Faculty of Social Sciences
Administrative coordinator: Marit Fosse, Central Research Department
The course is lead by by a group of academic UiS-staff and mainly run by using internal lecturers covering different topics of their expertise. The following lecturers will be teaching the course in 2022:
Academic staff
Professor Trude Furunes, The Faculty of Social Sciences
Professor Per Dahl, Faculty of Performing Arts
Professor Kristin Armstrong-Oma, Museum of Archaeology
Professor Eric Christian Brun, Faculty of Science and Technology
Professor Bjørn Ivar Kruke, Faculty of Science and Technology
Professor Ingunn Studsrød, Faculty of Social Sciences
Professor Atle Skaftun, Faculty of Humanities
Professor, Kolbjørn K. Brønnick, Faculty of Health Sciences