Structure of the educational component
Effective from 1 January 2023. Candidates admitted to the programme before 1 January 2023 may choose to adhere to the old programme structure.
| Faculty |
Department or external |
|
|---|---|---|
| Research ethics | 1 | Min. 1 |
| Theories of knowledge | 1 | Min. 2 |
| Dissemination | 2 | |
| Conference | 4 | |
| Text development | 4-6 | |
| Methods | Min. 4 | |
| Other courses/activities | Max. 11 | |
| Number of credits in total | 4 | 26 |
Numbers refer to ECTS credits. The basis for calculating credits, where this has not already been stated, is that 1 ECTS corresponds to 25-30 hours of work.
The educational component must be completed before the candidate's dissertation is submitted, and candidates are recommended to complete the majority of the ECTS required in their first two years. Planning of the educational component should be agreed upon with your supervisor in the beginning of your project period.
The 30 ECTS are merely the minimum number required to complete the educational component and, for that reason, does not provide a complete measure of your overall experience and competence. Other activities you participate in, but which do not yield ECTS, may have a positive impact on your doctoral project and future career.
Category descriptions
Research Ethics
All candidates at the Faculty of Humanities must be ensured training in research ethics. This includes central ethical principles for research, as well as knowledge of relevant legislation and decision-making bodies. Parts of the training must consist in an in-depth study of ethical issues and dilemmas.
Theories of knowledge
All candidates will receive training in the task of addressing central question relating to theories of knowledge through the joint mandatory courses all must attend, and the advanced courses we offer. Through these courses, they will also be challenged to formulate their own epistemological positions.
Dissemination
All candidates will receive training in dissemination. This will be aimed at providing them with a realistic preparation for research communication, and the ability to reflect on academic freedom of expression. A dissemination course is organised regularly by the faculty.
Conference
All candidates must participate in international conference(s). An international conference is defined as a conference at which participants represent institutions from more than one country.
Text development
All candidates will receive training in text presentation and text critique by presenting their own text and commenting on the texts of others.
It is obligatory for candidates at IMK to complete an inaugural seminar and a final seminar that falls under this category.
Methods
Method is a planned procedure for the formation of knowledge. All candidates must receive training that expands their methodological insights and skills, and that provides them with a critical approach to the forms of knowledge different methods produce.
Other courses or activities
Alongside the compulsory activities, candidates must collect a maximum of 11 ECTS to complete the requirements for the Educational Component. For this, you have a greater degree of freedom, but note that these non-compulsory activities are subject to the approval of the department's PhD-coordinator, and otherwise must conform with the rules set out for the Educational Component.
Further description of the categories at IMK
International conferences and seminars
You should have 4 (four) ECTS earned from presenting your paper at an international conference. An ordinary participation in a conference (without paper presentation) gives no credits.
Please note that participation in national conferences does not give you credits in this category. However, participation in the Medieforskerkonferanse counts as 2 ECTS in "thesis seminars" as it involves a thorough peer-review process and presentation of your own text.
Every activity is evaluated individually, and we encourage our candidates to apply for preliminary approval well in advance before the conference has taken place.
The main criteria and factors are as follows:
- The paper should be an original paper written for this conference. If you present the same paper on several occasions, the credits will be given only once.
- Paper presentations on peer reviewed conferences gives up to 2 credits
- Paper presentations without any form of peer-review normally gives 1 credit
- Poster presentation normally gives 1 credit
- 1 extra credit can be given if you present a paper on a workshop/panel session with opponents / discussants providing you with feedback on your paper
- 1 extra credit can be given for participation on a workshop/panel session where you, in addition to a paper presentation, act as a discussant, comment or give feedback to others' papers.
Please note that the duration of the conference has no effect on the number of credits.
Thesis Seminars, incl. IMK compulsory seminars
The IMK Candidates must attend the following department’s compulsory seminars:
- Inaugural seminar (1 ECTS)
- Midway seminar (no credits)
- Final seminar (1 ECTS)
In addition, the candidates shall present his/her text and receive comments twice (on two different seminars) and comment on other texts at least twice. IMK arranges thesis seminars on a regular basis, and you can also present your paper on the seminars arranged by the IMK research groups.
Criteria:
- Comments on other candidates' text gives 1 credit. You are expected to comment on other candidates' texts at least twice.
- Presentation of own text gives 1 credit. You should present your text at least two times.
You can have a total of 4-6 credits in this category, including 2 credits for the mentioned compulsory seminars.
Elective research training courses (national and international)
If the IMK does not have current training courses, we advise you to check the PhD Annual Calendar, as well as the following:
You may take both PhD courses at UiO and external courses at other institutions in Norway and abroad as a part of your PhD training (and get credits for it), provided they are relevant for your research. This is why we strongly advise you to apply for a preliminary approval, before registering for a course.
Some PhD courses state the number of points in the programme, and IMK approves these points in their entirety as long as the course is considered relevant to you.
If the number of credits is not specified in the course program, it will be up to the IMK to estimate it on case-by-case basis, depending on the following:
- Requirements for the syllabus to be read before/after the course.
- Requirements for active participation and an original paper (as different from presenting a text from your draft thesis)
- Attendance of any senior researchers, and the ratio between seminars and teaching.
Please note that the duration of the course has no effect on the number of credits; but the contents does. Candidates can also take courses at MA-level, but these will be awarded with a lower amount of credits because the work effort is considered to be lower. As previously mentioned, 1 ECTS corresponds to 25-30 hours of work.
Generic courses
Both the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Social Sciences offer various generic courses / skill courses in languages, writing, publishing, etc. Some of them do not generate credits and/or can not be included in your educational component, but they might be useful for your career and research in general. Read more about this and find courses on the faculty pages on Courses and seminars. If you want to check if a particular course can be a part of your educational component, please contact us.
Obligatory non-credit bearing activities
Welcome Seminar at HF
All PhD-candidates at HF must attend a compulsory welcome seminar, which will provide an introduction to the PhD-programme, the Faculty of Humanities and the University of Oslo. A central theme in the seminar will be the nature of PhD-level supervision, and the candidates' supervisors are expected to attend the seminar.
Midway assessment
A midway assessment must be conducted for all candidates enrolled in the PhD-programme at the Faculty of Humanities. The midway assessment is thus a compulsory part of the PhD-training. The purpose of the midway assessment is to assess the progress of the project relative to its planned completion date. For more information about the assessment and the process read our pages on the Midway seminar.
Your PhD - your responsibility
As a PhD candidate, you are responsible for keeping track of what you are participating in, how many credits you get and whether you have these courses approved as a part of your educational component. You should also order and keep all the necessary documentation that proves your participation in the mentioned activities, including the certification of the ECTS you receive.
We encourage you to apply for a preliminary approval before you register on courses or similar. Otherwise, you might have a situation when the course is not approved, and you will have to enroll in another. These applications are sent to the Head of PhD research via Nettskjema:
We recommend that you take the most of the courses during the first two years of your PhD studies, and that all the activities are completed and approved six months before the planned submission, at the latest. This will help you to focus on the writing when you really need it.
When handing in your dissertation
Documentation of your completed educational component must be completed and signed by the Head of PhD at the department before your submission. You upload this form together with your thesis, see more information on the faculty webpages on Submitting the thesis.
Courses and seminars
Information about the joint courses offered by the Faculty of Humanities and the advanced courses offered by the the various Departments are announced on a continuous basis.
The course calendar includes information on all planned courses and seminars at HF.
Useful information
Contact
- PhD and Research Support: Elisabeth Hoff
- Head of PhD research: Cristina Archetti