How to apply
The application should contain:
- a completed online form;
- a project description;
- a list of published and unpublished work, if any;
- a CV and copies of relevant certificates/transcripts
- documentation of external funding
- documentation of English language proficiency, if applicable (read more about accepted tests and exemptions from the documentation requirement)
Applications and all attachments are submitted through the an online form:
Apply for admission
Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis. Applicants can normally expect a reply within 4-8 weeks. Please note that processing time is longer for applications sent just before or during the summer holidays (approx. 15 June - 1 August).
All applicants should make themselves familiar with:
- Template for research proposals
- Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo
External funding
External funding includes
- research fellowship at a university college/other university,
- other employment in a research institution with time allocated to research
- study grant from your home university, or research institution
- The Research Council of Norway’s Industrial PhD or public sector PhD
In order to apply for admission with a study grant from an university or institution outside Norway, the Department to which you apply must be able to offer an office space for the whole or a part of the period of admission. This must be discussed with the relevant Department before you apply.
The external funding must cover all living expenses and necessary operating costs for the candidate, and costs for research travel as necessary. There is no tuition fee for PhD candidates at the university of Oslo.
Admission will normally be granted for up to 4 years with 3 years (net) research training.
Affiliation with an academic community
Admission with external funding assumes that the applicant is affiliated with a relevant and active research community. Such affiliation includes
- employment at a university college, university or other research institution considered academically relevant, or
- office space in one of the Faculty's departments. This assumes that the department is willing and able to offer the applicant an office. You must contact the relevant department to discuss this.
Admission with external funding allows you to participate in research training actives in the PhD programme and you will receive supervision in the Faculty of Humanities. You will receive no financial support from the Faculty.
Admission requirements
To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Oslo, applicants must, as a minimum, have completed a five-year graduation course (Master’s degree or equivalent). In special cases, the Faculty may grant admission on the basis of a one-year Master course following an assessment of the study programme’s scope and quality.
A Master’s degree (or equivalent) must have been completed and the final evaluation must be available at the time of application. Certificates and transcripts cannot be submitted after the deadline.
The admission of candidates implies that the Faculty can offer the necessary supervisory expertise and capacity in the field in which the applicant wishes to write his/her dissertation.
Admission with external funding assumes that the applicant is affiliated with a relevant and active research community.
Project description
The admission to the doctoral programme is based on an individual project description and an assessment of the applicant’s qualifications for completing the project.
The project proposal must not exceed 14,000 characters including spaces. (The bibliography may be included as an addition.) The project description must be prepared in accordance with the guidelines for research proposals.
Template for research proposals
The supervisor is assigned after admission
Candidates submit their applications without a formal relationship with a supervisor and without approval from a supervisor. Successful applicants will be assigned a supervisor at the relevant department/centre. As a general rule, supervisors should be Faculty staff. An admission to the PhD programme implies that the Faculty has the necessary supervisory expertise and capacity in the field in which the applicant wishes to write his/her dissertation.
PhD Programme and choice of Department
The Faculty has one PhD programme in Humanities. This programme includes research training in disciplines that are part of the scientific subjects at the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Oslo. The programme is open to cross-disciplinary projects rooted in one or more of the scientific subjects covered by the programme.
All candidates are given admission to, and may participate in, academic activities of the same general programme. However, applicants must choose which Department they want to be affiliated with. Applications for admission will be assessed by the chosen Department.
Processing of applications
The applications are assessed according to the following criteria:
- Suitability: The applicant’s academic background and results, progression of study, time span since final examination and relevant academic activity.
- Project quality: The project’s scientific merit, research-related interest and innovation, relevance for the academic community at the Faculty of Humanities, connection with academic networks and feasibility within the framework of the PhD programme and a possible research fellowship.
The assessments are exempt from public access and will not be sent to the applicant.
A decision regarding admission is taken by the Faculty itself. The decision regarding admission is based on an overall assessment of the application.
Admission
The admission to the PhD programme is formalised through an admission agreement. The agreement is sent to the candidate as soon as possible after admission. The candidate must sign the agreement and hand it over to the department in question, which appoints a supervisor. The supervisor and the department sign the agreement. If the candidate has a workplace at an employer outside the University of Oslo, a separate agreement must be entered into between the Faculty and the external party.
The period of admission for the PhD programme will normally be equivalent to the period of funding. The admission to the programme is continuous, and the candidate may start the programme as soon as the admission agreement has been signed.
External funded candidates may be given admission for up to four years, with a net research training period of three years.