Study plan - PhD programme School of Business and Law

General description and profile

The programme consists of three main components: coursework component, writing of a PhD thesis, and a public defense.

Coursework

A thesis consists of coursework and writing of a dissertation. The coursework consists of mandatory and elective courses making up a minimum of 30 ECTS credits (students often end up taking more courses). The course-package for each student is defined in coordination between the student, the supervisor and the programme director and is approved by the PhD committee

The coursework is divided into two main areas: theory courses and methods courses:

• Theory courses are intended to give the students a thorough grounding in the main literature of his/her research area and to get an overview of major theories applied in the field. At the School of Business and Law we also offer a unique course titled “Theory of Knowledge and Core theories in Management” which covers theory of science, research ethics and a dive into some of the main theories typically applied in management research.
• The purpose of the methods courses is to provide students with a solid methodological foundation and an insight into what constitutes science. All candidates should take at least 10 ECTS of method courses covering quantitative methods and qualitative methods. It is often needed that students take additional method courses covering the specific methods applied in their dissertations.

Candidates in the programme is therefore required to do coursework as outlined in the following list:

In addition to courses mentioned in the table the School of Business and Law frequently organizes other PhD courses fitting the needs of enrolled candidates. The candidates should also take a minimum of 5 ECTS credits in an elective course from UiA or another recognized institution within their field so the coursework component is a minimum 30 ECTS. Throughout the coursework it is emphasized to provide the students with knowledge on how to publish academic research in their fields. The PhD programme also offer a specific course in “Writing and Publishing Business Research” where the aim is to guide participants through all steps when writing up one of their first papers. A directed reading course may also be offered to some students if needed.

The elective courses that are offered at the School of Business and Law (by demand) is outlined in the following list:

Students involved in research in Innovation and Entrepreneurship are normally enrolled at the Nordic Research School in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (www.norsi.no) where The School of Business and Law is a member.

Most coursework should be finished by the end of the first year of studies. The courses enable students to write the thesis, as well as develop strong research skills. Approvals of PhD courses are normally Pass/Fail on course papers where Pass must be equivalent to the letter grade B or better. Some PhD courses are assessed with written exams.

The dissertation

The aim is to finish the dissertation within three years. Students start working on their dissertations immediately after admission. Collaboration between the student and the supervisor(s) is close and normally most of the research is co-authored with the supervisor(s) or other researchers. Nevertheless, the main key for a completed dissertation is the student’s own efforts and dedication. The dissertation is primarily the project of the student himself/herself and ability to work independently is required.

A dissertation normally consists of three to four papers whereof at least one is authored by the student alone. The importance of publishing in high ranked International peer-reviewed journals is stressed and students are encouraged to get their papers published even though the review process can be time consuming. All papers need to be of publishable quality to be included in the thesis.

During the dissertation process students are encouraged to build their own research networks, to have longer stays with other academic institutions and to participate at international research conferences. To enable this, and to learn about accessing research funding, students are expected to apply for funding from external and internal parties.

Progression

Students are expected to take active part in daily life at the School of Business and Law and are responsible for documenting that progress is being made according to expectations. By the end of year one students should normally have finished all coursework as well as their first working paper. In case the dissertation cannot be finished within 36 months the student has to apply to the PhD committee at the School of Business and Law to remain in the programme, as per our supplementary regulations.

Defense of the thesis

When finishing the dissertation, the thesis is evaluated by a committee consisting of two external and one internal member. If the evaluation committee find the thesis worthy to be defended, the School of Business and Law organizes a public defense where the candidate is examined by the external evaluators.

International orientation and cotutelle agreements

The School of Business and Law has a strong focus on Internationalization. It is expected that all candidates participate at international academic conferences, aim at publishing in internationally recognized journals, as well as being visiting scholars for at least 2-3 month at other international business schools in the supervisors’ networks.

Moreover, an increasing number of PhD-candidates are organized in cotutelles, including joint supervision in partnership with other international Business Schools and Universities. Cotutelle-candidates are appointed supervisor, they take courses and normally spend at least one year at each institution. The candidates receive their PhD titles and diplomas from each of the institutions.

You may read more about cotutelles here: https://www.uia.no/en/research/phd-programmes/cotutelle

Learning outcomes

The overall competency goal for the PhD programme is that “our candidates become competitive international researchers producing innovative and responsible research”. After completing the PhD program candidates should have the knowledge, skills and the general competence needed to be at the research frontier of their field. Some of these elements are described below.

General competences:

• being at the forefront of knowledge on international dimensions related to the core themes in the program
• being able to evaluate how new ideas, concepts or products emerge within relevant fields and being able to contribute to innovation processes and research
• being able to contribute to ethical reasoning in research processes and identify how organizations can act responsibly
• being able to think independently and critically
• being able to communicate research in written texts and oral presentations
• being able to solve research problems

Knowledge:

• having the knowledge needed to be at the research frontier of his/her field and should master the theories and methods of the field
• being able to contribute to developing new knowledge, theory, methods, interpretations and forms of documentation within his/her research field
• being able to evaluate the expediency and application of different research methods
• being able to list relevant outlets to publish his/her research

Skills:

• being able to formulate research questions, plan and conduct research
• being able to write academically according to the norms in their field of research, and reflect on the research and writing process
• being able to critically evaluate and pass constructive judgment on scholarly work within their field of research

Admission requirements

To qualify for the programme candidates should normally:

• have a master’s degree, including a master thesis, from an academic institution with good reputation, preferably in Economics, Finance, Business Administration, Innovation Studies, Management, Marketing, Development Management, International Business or a related business or management discipline (300 ECTS credits), obtained at least with honours (B or better). Generally, at least 90 ECTS credits must be core subjects from business studies.

• Be fluent in written and oral English

• have strong qualifications in applied research methods, and preferably have experience from studying abroad.

• have a research proposal fitting the research interest of one of our professors at the School of Business and Law, https://www.uia.no/kk/tlf?search=&dep=46&fag=

Applicants should include a letter of motivation including suggested supervisor, a CV and transcripts of grades (the transcripts should be translated if not in English, and include conversions to Norwegian grading scale and ECTS system), an approx. four-page research project proposal, list of relevant scientific publications including a resume of the master thesis, academic references as well as results from tests like GMAT/GRE/TOEFL etc. with their applications.

Admission to the program is normally biannual in cohorts, but fully funded students may be accepted outside cohorts. For more information on admission, please see our supplementary regulations.

Teaching methods

Most of the coursework is based in active participation and interaction in the courses. Normally, the final assessment is done in form of a paper or an analysis. In the course Survey of statistical methods there is also a portfolio assessment and a home exam.

Requirements for continuing in programme

The aim is to finish the dissertation and submit it for evaluation within three years. Progression is closely monitored according to an established system of milestones and progress reports. Candidates who do not make sufficient and steady progress may be screened out from the program by the PhD committee. In case the dissertation cannot be finished within three years the candidate can apply for an extension of up to 12 months from the Program Director. Additional extensions can only be granted by the PhD committee. The maximum time to finish a dissertation is normally five years as per our supplementary regulations. Time for maternity leaves, sick leaves or other pre-agreed leaves come in addition to the mentioned time limits.

After submitting the thesis to the faculty, the Dean will appoint an evaluation committee consisting of two external and one internal member. If approved by the evaluation committee, the public defense of the dissertation will normally take place approximately 6 months after the submission of the thesis.

At the day of the public defense, the candidate is also obliged to give a public lecture on a topic decided by the evaluation committee.

Occupational profiles / further studies

The PhD degree will qualify for careers both in private and public sector, as well as academia.

Qualification awarded

Upon successful completion of the PhD program, the candidate is awarded the degree of PhD at the School of Business and Law.

Evaluation

Study programme evaluation is conducted annually in the programme committee in accordance with the Quality System, section 4.2. Before the meeting of the study programme committee, the student representative may obtain suggestions and ideas from fellow students.

Contact person

Gunvor Guttormsen

PhD coordinator

Email

gunvor.guttormsen@uia.no

Phone

+47 38 14 16 48

Anders Emil Tobias Otterbring

Head of the PhD programme

Email

tobias.otterbring@uia.no

Phone

+47 38 14 23 97