Norway

To do a PhD in Norway takes normally four years of full-time work that includes the PhD thesis and the educational program. The PhD consists of three main components: the thesis, the educational program, and teaching of higher education students. All of the students are enrolled in a PhD program that is governed by a faculty. The funding for PhD positions is sourced from the university or through research projects financed by the Research Council of Norway (RCN). A PhD position is a full-time, paid position. Students are admitted to the PhD program

by a committee of appointed faculty members.

The educational program requires a minimum of 30 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits and consists of coursework in areas such as philosophy of science, research ethics, research-related legal issues, quantitative and qualitative methods, and in specific knowledge domains.

The PhD thesis typically consists of three or four articles published in international peer-reviewed journals or

“To become a PhD in Norway means taking part in the modern system of apprenticeship.”

books. Today, most PhD theses are written in English. In addition to the articles, the thesis contains an extended abstract that frames the thesis. The extended abstract typically ranges from 40-60 pages and consists of theory, methods, literature review, summary of findings, and a discussion in which the whole thesis is positioned as a research contribution to a specific field of knowledge or discipline. To become a PhD in Norway means taking part in the modern system of apprenticeship. Candidates work with the experts in specific fields of knowledge and often meet international scholars during travels to conferences. Through this trajectory, one develops expertise that can be used to continue to a post doc position, in the educational sector, ministries and directorates, the private sector, or as an independent researcher.

Short summary of the historical development of PhD education in Norway

At the University of Oslo, a PhD program started in the late 1980s. Other universities established PhD programs in subsequent years. All new PhD programs received approval from the national educational authorities. The PhD programs became increasingly formalized during the 1990s, with coursework and visiting international scholars who gave courses. Until around the year 2000, the PhD thesis was either a monograph or an article-based thesis. However, in many educational sciences areas, the thesis was typically a monograph written in Norwegian, with some exceptions.

PhD programs and research schools

As part of an international trend, some universities in Norway started PhD research schools. At the University of Oslo, the Faculty of Education was one of the first faculties to establish a specialized research school, which ran for five years. One of the important

elements in the specialized research program was collaboration with international partners. In addition, it became gradually normal for PhD students to have two supervisors.

Starting in 2009, the Faculty of Education at the University of Oslo took the lead, together with seven other universities, to establish a national PhD school in educational sciences. The National Graduate School in Educational Research (NATED) offered specialized education and training in thematic fields central to educational knowledge. The Research Council of Norway financed NATED. The construction of NATED was inspired by the ICO in the Netherlands. Since 2017, the universities that are approved to organize a PhD program in educational science have been responsible for their program and for collaboration with national and international partners.

PhD supervision

The faculties normally appoint supervisors in collaboration with the research group in which the PhD work is organized. A PhD student has two supervisors, one of whom serves as the main supervisor. The supervisors can be a professor or an associate professor. Supervising a PhD student over a period of four years is intensive work. The supervisor often works together with the PhD students on a research project or the PhD student may establish a more independent project. The supervisors are often co-authors on two to four articles with the PhD candidate. Other colleagues may also be part of the team of authors. When multiple authors are involved, the authors need to document who is responsible for which part of the article and how the collective responsibility is distributed.

“After two and half years, the supervisors organize a meeting with a faculty member or an invited scholar who acts as external reader.”

The PhD thesis: progress and quality control

As mentioned previously, the thesis consists of three or four articles and the extended abstract. Thesis research passes through two important points of quality control. After two and half years, the supervisors organize a meeting with a faculty member or an invited scholar who acts as external reader. In this event, the external reader points out the strengths and weaknesses of the work at that time. The PhD candidate writes a summary of the feedback that needs to be approved by the faculty

representatives (supervisors, external reader, and the head of the PhD program at the faculty or in some cases the department). This process is called the midterm evaluation.

After around three and half years, when the thesis is close to completion, the faculty appoints an external reader from the faculty. The external reader and the supervisors give feedback to the PhD student. After this event, the PhD student writes a summary of the feedback that must be approved by the representatives of the faculty/department. The PhD students and their supervisors make a plan for the last period of the PhD work before it can be submitted to the faculty. This evaluation is often called the end-of-term evaluation of the PhD period.

Figure 1. Examples of published theses at the University of Oslo Approval of the thesis

The PhD candidate is primarily responsible for submitting the thesis for committee approval. However, this happens in collaboration with the supervisors, who give advice on how to frame the thesis for consideration as a research contribution to a specific field of knowledge. To submit the thesis, the educational program has to be approved by the faculty, with at least 30 ETCS. One of the articles should be published or accepted for publication. The other articles should be submitted in a format that is acceptable for publication. In most theses, more than one article is published before the defense (Figure 1).

The dean of the faculty appoints the committee that will do the evaluation of the thesis. Typically, the committee consists of three professors or associate professors who have been suggested by the supervisors. Two of the three must be external, and the third member most often is a professor at the faculty. The evaluation report should be written within approximately three months after the PhD thesis is sent to the committee. The report should elaborate on the strengths and weaknesses of the thesis and specify the research contribution of the thesis.

The committee will write a report based on the criteria for a PhD degree. The report is usually three to six pages, sometimes a bit longer. The dean then approves the report. The committee can recommend three forms of evaluation: accept as is, revision within six months, or reject. Most of the theses are accepted as is. When the thesis is accepted, the PhD students must write a short summary of the main findings, which are published online and, in some cases, sent to the media.

The defense

The requirements for PhD thesis defense consist of a formalized set of rules and a less formalized set of expectations for the external committee members. The dean of the faculty leads the defense (or an experienced faculty member acts as the dean’s representative). The first opponent presents a summary of the main points in the thesis in 20-25 minutes, and begins the questioning of the PhD candidate. The first opposition typically lasts an hour and a half, and the expectation is that the opponent will engage the candidate in critical conversation about important issues in the thesis. The opponent and candidate are expected to test the boundaries of the thesis with regard to its contribution to a field of knowledge. The second opponent follows and is expected to similarly raise critical questions for the candidate to address, often focusing more on methodological issues. The second opposition is expected to last around one hour.

Private picure. P. Pierroux

Figure 2. Department reception at Faculty of Education, the University of Oslo. From left: Supervisor Palmyre Pierroux, First Opponent Chris Hoadley, PhD candidate Rolf Steier, Second Opponent Marianne Achiam.

“The PhD program rules mandate that the candidate host a formal dinner for representatives from the faculty and the committee, and traditionally, colleagues, friends, and family are invited.”

The defense is an open and public event that lasts around five hours, including a break for lunch. The participants who attend the event can ask the leader of the defense for permission to pose a question ex auditorium. The participants in the event are usually colleagues, PhD students, and family members.

The critical conversations and dialogues between the PhD candidate and the opponents represent the essence and goal of the PhD trajectory. After the defense, the committee holds a short meeting to discuss the quality of the defense, and they sign a protocol to approve the thesis and the defense. This is reported to the faculty and, in an informal manner, immediately communicated to the PhD candidate. After the defense, the PhD candidate’s department holds a short reception to honor the PhD candidate, the supervisors for their work, and the contributions of the committee (Figure 2).

The doctoral dinner

The PhD program rules mandate that the candidate host a formal dinner for representatives from the faculty and the committee, and traditionally, colleagues, friends, and family are invited. The degree of formality involved in the dinner varies; however, formal speeches are expected. Most dinners involve a lot of humor within a relaxed atmosphere. A doctoral dinner can involve a range of 15 to more than 100 participants.

© Jarli&Jordan/UiO

Figure 3. Graduation ceremony at the Aula, University of Oslo. From left: Education Faculty Dean Sten Ludvigsen, distinguished PhDs, Rector Svein Stølen.

The graduation ceremony

In most universities in Norway, one may be called a PhD following formalization at a graduation ceremony. This ceremony usually takes place three months after the defense, and is held at a special location like an aula at the university (Figures 3, 4). Here, PhD candidates from all the faculties who have successfully defended their thesis take part. Deans from the respective faculties present each PhD candidate by reading a short summary of the thesis, and the doctoral diploma is presented by the university rector. The ceremony usually lasts about an hour and a half and features classical music and a procession in and out of the aula. The graduation ceremony is followed by a reception with drinks and finger food.

© Jarli&Jordan/UiO

Figure 4. Graduation ceremony at the Aula, University of Oslo, with murals by Edvard Munch.