Ph.d.-program i samfunnsvitenskap

Admission must be in accordance with the Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Agder and the supplementary regulations for the PhD degree at the Faculty of Social Sciences. The applicant must normally have completed a five-year master’s degree in a relevant subject area from a Norwegian university or qualifications approved as equivalent. The degree must normally consist of at least 90 ECTS credits in the relevant subject area the PhD candidate is admitted to. At least 30 of these ECTS credits earned from the fourth and fifth year of study. Applicants must also demonstrate sufficient knowledge in social science methodology.

Generally, an applicant should not be considered for admission to the PhD programme if their average mark for modules in the relevant subject area is lower than B, if their mark for graduate modules is lower than B, or if their mark for the master’s thesis or equivalent is lower than B.

In individual cases, the PhD committee may review the application if the documentation provided indicates that the applicant will be able to successfully complete the PhD programme.

Admission must either be financed through employment in a three-year Research Fellow (Candidate) position, or through financial guarantee from an employer/organisation. Such a guarantee normally includes 3 years of salary, operating costs, office space and supervision. The University of Agder does not accept private financial support (own savings, funding by spouse/family, etc.) as a basis for admission to a PhD programme.

Admission to the programme is typically to the PhD specialisations offered by the faculty. The PhD specialisations offered at the faculty have supplementary admission requirements to their relevant fields. Please refer to the specialisation descriptions for more information.

Admission is continuous.

The PhD programme consists of two main components: a coursework component of minimum 30 credits and the completion of a thesis. The research for the thesis is conducted under the supervision of faculty members.
The coursework component is delivered through seminars, which include reading assignments, class discussion and presentation of papers. It is expected that the candidates take full responsibility for their own learning and personal progress. Self-study is a crucial part of achieving the learning objectives. Detailed information about the courses can be found in the course descriptions. All teaching will be conducted in English.

Assessment in the coursework component of the programme is typically based on term papers, which are graded as pass or fail. A passing grade is equivalent to a grade B or better.

The doctoral programme concludes with a public trial lecture on a prescribed topic and a public defence (disputation). During the defence, the candidate presents the main findings of the thesis and engages in a discussion with two opponents.

Ph.d.-programmet i samfunnsvitenskap har fire spesialiseringer:

• Spesialisering i informasjonssystemer
• Spesialisering i offentlig administrasjon
• Spesialisering i global utvikling og samfunnsplanlegging
• Spesialisering i sosiologi og sosialt arbeid

The Faculty of Social Sciences provides a comprehensive PhD programme, which includes a doctoral education within the faculty’s four departments and relevant fields of research. The programme aims to equip PhD candidates with a thorough theoretical and methodological knowledge, as well as experience in completing a substantial piece of original scientific work - the PhD thesis - to international standards.

The PhD degree is awarded based on:

• Approved completion of required coursework and training component
• Approved academic thesis
• Approved trial lecture on an assigned topic
• Approved public defence of the PhD thesis (disputation)

The doctoral degree programme is equivalent to three-year full-time studies and encompasses a total of 180 study points.
The PhD programme provides specialisations in the following fields:

• Specialisation in Global Development and Planning
• Specialisation in Information Systems
• Specialisation in Public Administration
• Specialisation in Sociology and Social Work

Detailed descriptions of the specialisations offered are provided below, along with information on the courses and training components.

The faculty strongly encourages the PhD candidates to incorporate short periods of study abroad into their programme.

The coursework component

To complete the coursework component, candidates must earn a minimum of 30 ECTS credits, half of which should be dedicated to philosophy of science and methodology, while the other half should be in their chosen core or specialisation field. ME-631 Researching Social Sciences: Philosophical and Methodological Foundations (10 ECTS) is a mandatory course that all faculty candidates must complete.

Core courses specific to specialisation are provided within the respective fields of study. Further details on these courses can be found in the descriptions of each specialisation provided below.

Year

First semester

Second semester

1

Coursework and beginning of thesis work

Coursework and thesis work

2

Coursework and thesis work

Coursework and thesis work

3

Thesis work

Completion of thesis and defence

Suggested PhD Timeline: Coursework and Thesis Work by Semester

The PhD thesis

During the mandatory coursework, PhD candidates will also begin their thesis project under the guidance of their assigned supervisors. To support the development of their thesis work, candidates may participate in thesis seminars, which provide a platform for presenting and discussing their research with other PhD candidates and faculty members.

The PhD thesis can take two forms: a monograph or an article- based collection. An article-based collection must include a comprehensive summary that outlines the coherence of the thesis. The summary should not only summarise, but also compile the issues and conclusions presented in the articles in an overall perspective, and in that way document the coherence of the thesis. Each specialisation may have specific requirements regarding the composition of the thesis.

Associate Professor Hege Wallevik – Head of the PhD programme in Social Sciences.

Senior Adviser Cecilie Mawdsley - Administrative PhD coordinator, Faculty of Social Sciences.