The PhD-degree with its study program
Overview of study program, courses and subjects revised by the Research Committee in 2014-2016:
PhD-thesis (150 ECTS, 83 % of the total)
An independent research project
including contributions and discussions in PhD thesis seminars (3 ECTS).
All PhD-projects are subject to mid-time evaluation at half of the period.
There is also the possibility of 90% seminars, voluntary or required.
REL9061
The chosen discipline(s) (10 ECTS, often in the form of 5 + 5)
Research positions and current frontiers
sources, central texts methods and research history in the chosen discipline(s)
including two international conferences, dissemination,
and an essay in the discipline(s) if not otherwise fulfilled
OT
Studies / NT
Studies / Church
History / Rel.
Studies / Syst.
Theology / Missio-logy / Practical
Theology / Religious
Education / Psychol.
of rel. / Sociology of rel. / Etc.
Either
MET9021 (5+5 ECTS)
Methods and theories on historical and exegetical research
A: Text, materiality,
context
B: Sources, text-production and transmission / Or
MET9031 (5+5 ECTS)
Empirical/ social science methods and theories
A: Research design
and collection of data
B: The phase of analysis
and writing / Or
MET9041 (5+5 ECTS)
Systematic theological methods
A: Hermeneutics, dogmatics, and ethics
B: Philosophy and theology
VIT9021 (5 ECTS)
Religion and Values as field of research
[Into the field: basic questions in theology and religious studies]
Either
VIT9011H (5ECTS)
General Theory/Philosophy of Science
in the Humanities
with research ethics and conduct of research
[General theory of science, logic, and argumentation;
the field within university/academy] / VIT9011S (5ECTS)
General Theory/Philosophy of Science
in the Social Sciences
with research ethics and conduct of research
[General theory of science, logic, and argumentation;
the field within university/academy]
The course work part of the PhD-program at MF Norwegian School of Theology sums up to 3 x 10 = 30 ECTS (or 17 % of the total). This part is divided into the subjects and courses listed in the above.
The courses and seminars will be arranged mainly at MF, partly by national co-operation, partly internationally, but the majority of the courses are to be attended at MF. Courses and seminars attended elsewhere will be fitted in, either fully or partially. All PhD-students are required to attend two international conferences or to have similar international learning experiences during their PhD-education. The PhD-program insists on academic socialization, by taking part in courses and seminars, as well as in research groups in the institution as well as outside it.
All course units are 5 ECTS ideally. The courses are normally in three full continuing days with preliminary short paper and subsequent course paper. With smaller groups the courses can be grouped differently, up to two days per year in three years (= six days). But even in the smaller disciplines two papers will be required. Alternatively a longer essay will be required. Papers are approved by course responsibles, alternatively by supervisors.
Approval will be on the basis of preparation and reading connected to the courses, active participation, and course work by preliminary short paper and a subsequent course paper. The final course paper must be within deadline for exam and approved if the total of 5 ECTS can be credited. Participation only will give 1 ECTS credited.
1 ECTS (= European Credit Transfer System, ’studiepoeng’) will require 25-30 hours work from the candidate. 3 ECTS will require 2 weeks of work from the candidate. 5 ECTS will require approximately 3 weeks of work from the candidate.
Qualifications Framework
The PhD-program at MF has integrated and implemented the European Qualifications Framework (EQF)/ the National Qualifications Framework (NKR) in the research education. i.e. 3rd cycle/ level 8. The 11 aims of leaning outcomes as defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence are integrated in the individual PhD-courses and their contents (cf. Research Committee 2011, items 27/11 and 41/11). The Qualifications Framework describes the contents of the total qualification. It is the totality of the completed PhD-program, PhD-education and the achieved PhD-degree which will sum up to the qualification.
Shortly, the aims of the PhD-education at MF can be described as follows:
Knowledge. The PhD-candidate…
1) is in the forefront of knowledge within his/her academic field and masters the field’s philosophy of science and methods.
2) can evaluate the expediency and application of different methods and processes in research and scholarly development projects.
3) can contribute to the development of new knowledge, new theories, methods, interpretations and forms of documentation in the field.
Skills. The PhD-candidate…
1) can formulate problems, plan and carry out research and scholarly development work.
2) can carry out research and scholarly research work of a high international standard.
3) can handle complex academic issues and challenge established knowledge and practice in the field.
General competence. The PhD-candidate…
1) can identify new relevant ethical issues and carry out his/her research with scholarly integrity.
2) can manage complex interdisciplinary assignments and processes.
3) can communicate research and development work through organized Norwegian and international channels.
4) can participate in the field in international forums.
5) can assess the needs for, initiate and practice innovation.
In the course-plan to the PhD-education all the above 11 components are accounted for. Sometimes the same element is applicable to several courses. The PhD-education is a hermeneutical whole where the interplay between the different factors is essential.
Interplay
In the PhD-education the individual components are prepared and trained. The research education is to a large extent an individual and specialized study, where the PhD-student and supervisors co-operate. The individual research work and the resulting research report, the PhD-thesis, makes up for the major part of the education (150ECTS, 83 %). The course component is more limited (30 ECTS, 17 %). The course component supports, informs and inspires the individual PhD-research. The two parts combined in an interplay trains the PhD-candidate to become researchers.
The qualification process
It is the task of the supervisors and the research groups to specify and apply the general competences to their own field and the corresponding area of research within the PhD-education. The qualifications are to be developed in and by the individual PhD-student in co-operation with the academic supervisors and the research groups. The qualification process is a process of socialization into research.
The learning of the various qualifications does primarily take place in the form of actual work and activities connected to the PhD-research and the work with the PhD-thesis. In this the following elements take place:
- design of the project, with research question
- providing research material, be it texts, other sources, interviews of informants, statistics, or other data to be chosen and collected
- assessment and evaluation of the material
- application, testing and development of relevant methods and relevant theory in the research project
- academic and methodological maturation and development, academic discussions, co-working, co-operation
- presentation and dissemination both in writing and orally
- etc.
The total qualification in the PhD-education is tested primarily at the end and completion of the PhD-program, where the assessment/report from the examination committee, the defense of the PhD-thesis, and the trial lecture indicate whether the qualifications are achieved (passed) or not.
The overall aim is to make a qualified “early stage researcher”. This is visualized and documented in the PhD-thesis and the public defense of it.
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2014/Studieplan 2014/11Program-overview PhD 2014.doc