The numbering refers to the corresponding articles in the Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Agder.
To article 5.1 Admission requirements
To be admitted into the PhD programme, the applicant must hold a second-degree education (Master's degree or equivalent) from a Norwegian or foreign university or university college in a subject area which is considered relevant for the research and education at the faculty.
Admission to Specialisation in Health and Nursing Science and Specialisation in Psychosocial Health, requires at least 90 ECTS (1 ½ years of study on a master level) in subjects related to health and/or nursing subjects / - in subjects related to psychosocial health.
The criteria for admission are a grade B or above on the master’s thesis and normally an average grade of B or above in relevant courses in the master’s program. In special cases, the application may be assessed on an individual basis if the applicant clarifies scientific competence beyond the master’s degree and is able to document that it is likely that the applicant will be able to complete the current research project and the PhD programme.
Applicants who are found to have insufficient prior knowledge in methodology, statistics or other relevant subject areas may be required to sit for additional examinations at the graduate level or be given a list of required reading which will then be tested by a paper or an oral examination. In cases where the required prerequisite knowledge is not met at the time of admission, this must normally have been tested and approved within six months of admission.
The project description (maximum ten pages) is the basis for the specialisation committee’s assessment of the applicant’s ability to complete the programme, and the faculty’s competence and capacity to provide the necessary teaching and supervision.
Applications for admission are accepted throughout the year.
To article 6. The PhD contract
Any substantial changes affecting the PhD contract must be approved by the PhD committee. The candidate and the supervisor must submit an annual progress report to the specialisation committee.
The PhD contract normally runs for three years full time. The candidate must apply every year after the contracted period for a maximum of six years in total.
To article 8. The coursework component
The coursework component is equivalent to 30 ECTS credits. More information about the coursework component can be found in the programme description, specialisation description and the course descriptions. It is assumed that courses in the coursework component are not part of the candidate’s basis for admission or in other ways included in previous parts of the candidate’s education. The content and the work schedule of the candidate’s coursework component must be approved by the PhD committee. The candidate must engage in various dissemination activities, for instance by participating in national and international conferences and by writing scholarly articles and newspaper chronicles etc.
The PhD programme is an organised research education, and except for periods abroad in connection with the PhD programme, the candidate must normally be based at the University of Agder. The faculty may agree to exceptions to this general rule.
The courses included in the course component are assessed as ‘passed’/ ‘not passed’ where ‘passed’ signifies a high level of achievement.
To article 10. The PhD thesis
The PhD thesis should be an independent piece of academic work that meets international academic standards in the subject area. It must contribute to the development of new scholarly knowledge and must achieve a level of academic quality meriting publication as part of the literature in its field.
The thesis may consist of a monograph or a set of at least three peer-reviewed articles in general with a comprehensive thesis summary and discussion of the research contributions from the papers. When the thesis consists of articles, in general at least two of the articles must have been accepted for publication. The candidates must be the primary author of the majority of the articles in the thesis.
To article 13. Submission
The candidate for the doctorate submits an application for assessment of the thesis according to current regulations. The thesis must be attached to the application as a PDF file. If the doctoral thesis is approved for public defence, it is printed in a certain number of copies decided by the faculty at a given time. The public defence of the doctoral thesis must be announced in accordance with the University of Agder regulations.
Adopted by the Central Research Education Committee at the University of Agder 27 November 2012 with statutory basis in the Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Agder. Revisions adopted by the Research Committee 31.5.2018, 7.9.2021 and 18.4.2023.