To meet the qualification requirements for docent (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-5), the minimum requirements are:
- a higher degree or equivalent in a relevant subject area
- educational competence
- Norwegian language skills at level B2
- extensive relevant professional or teaching experience, and
- significant contributions to professional development work at the highest level, in accordance with international or national standards in the discipline/professional field.
UiA's additional requirements for all top-level academic positions:
- competence in “knowledge in use” (e.g. innovation, dissemination and interaction with society) and/or
- qualifications in academic leadership and management.
UiA applies the Frascati Manual's definition of scientific and experimental development work in understanding academic or professional development work, i.e. "Systematic work that applies knowledge from research and practical experience and produces additional knowledge aimed at producing new products and processes or improving existing products and processes".
The professional development work may relate to the field of education, the relevant profession/professional field, or the interface between these.
UiA's requirements for educational competence:
In addition to developed basic skills in planning, implementing, evaluating, and developing teaching and supervision, which are rooted in both disciplinary and educational research and that promote students' learning and development, the requirements are:
- Quality development in own teaching and supervision over time
- Broad experience with teaching and educational development at various levels
- Extensive experience with educational leadership and participation in academic communities in higher education
Documentation of own activities:
- Completed formal training, usually through UiA's course in university pedagogy (200 hours) or equivalent from other institutions
- Brief overview of other pedagogical education
- Brief description of the development of own educational competence, seniority as a teacher, and at what levels the teaching has taken place
- Brief overview of own teaching practice with descriptions of planning, implementation, evaluation, and development of teaching and supervision
- Description of experiences with educational leadership
- Broad experience with supervision preferably at the master's level. Documented participation in the development of educational quality in academic communities, for example, program evaluation, re-accreditation processes, testimonials on participation in academic council work and governing bodies (national/international) that influence educational quality
- Contributions to digital and/or analog teaching materials (textbooks, videos, materials, etc.).
Reflection on own practice and competence, with an emphasis on quality development in own teaching and supervision over time, for example:
- Integration between teaching and research/professional development work
- Student involvement
- Digital teaching and learning forms
- Collegial teaching and learning forms
- Student evaluations
The requirements for educational competence are documented in a pedagogical portfolio (maximum 20 pages). The documentation section provides an overview of the applicant's teaching and supervision experience. The reflection section present the applicant's reflections on student learning, professional development as a teacher, an exploratory approach to teaching, and collegial values and practice.
The appointing authority may grant exceptions from the requirement for educational competence at the time of appointment, provided that the competence can be achieved within two years from the date of appointment (Regulations for the Act on Universities and University Colleges, § 3-9). This does not apply in cases of promotion or transition.