PhD programme in Engineering and Science

About the research programme

The programme offers PhD education within all the faculty’s disciplines and relevant research fields. The overall purpose of the programme is to give the PhD candidates a thorough theoretical and methodological background, along with the experience of completing a substantial piece of original scientific work (the PhD thesis).

The degree is awarded based on approved course component, an academic dissertation, a trial lecture and a public defence. 

The PhD programme is a total of 180 ECTS, which is three years full time studies. The coursework component consists of a minimum of 30 ECTS credits. 

Please note that you can choose courses from other specialisations and scientific fields. The courses are not offered regularly but can be offered on demand. 

Learning outcomes

After satisfactory completion of their degree, PhD candidates shall have developed a high level of scientific competence in a specific field within Engineering and Science. Candidates shall have acquired wide academic knowledge in their field and specialised knowledge within a main area.

Knowledge

After graduation the candidate will: 

• be at the research frontier within a specific field of Engineering and Science
• master theory of science, the scientific methods and the ethics within a specific field of Engineering and Science
• be capable of contributing to the development and documentation of new knowledge and new methods within a specific field of Engineering and Science
• be able to evaluate different research methods and relate them to topics within a specific field of Engineering and Science

Skills

After graduation the candidate can: 

• conduct research and develop new knowledge, theory, and methods of high international standards within a specific field of Engineering and Science
• deal with complex research questions within a specific field of Engineering and Science and reflect critically on the established knowledge and practice in this field
• teach and supervise within his/her specific field of research at both master and bachelor level
• establish and maintain scholarly networks

General Competence

After graduation the candidate is capable of: 

• communicating results of research and development via nationally and internationally recognised channels
• identifying new relevant research questions and pursuing their research with academic integrity
• identifying and reflecting on relevant ethical questions in the research process and conducting own research according to established ethical standards
• contributing to project applications and working in projects 

Learning and assessment methods

Teaching methods

The research work for the for the thesis (150 ects) is done under the guidance of at least two highly qualified supervisors in the relevant field, one of them being the main supervisor. The coursework component (30 ects) consists of lectures, seminars and discussions. The courses included in the coursework component should be advanced courses taken at the University of Agder or other universities. At the Faculty of Engineering and Science the courses will usually be PhD courses. It is also possible to create special courses or use summer schools as courses. Parts of the coursework can be completed at other institutions in Norway or abroad, with the approval of the Faculty/PhD Committee. More information about courses can be found in the course descriptions. Teaching will normally be in English.

As part of the research education, the PhD candidate is normally required to:

• Present his/her work in a progress seminar.  
• Participate in their host department’s seminars both as presenter, opponent and as audience.
• Present his/her original work in national and international conferences, workshops and journals.

Candidates are expected to take full responsibility for their own learning and personal progress. It is assumed that students will achieve major parts of the curriculum learning objectives through self-study. 

Assessment methods

All courses included in the coursework component have a final assessment. The assessment method is normally an exam or essay which builds on the course literature and the PhD candidate’s own research. The assessment method in the courses appears in the course descriptions.

Grading: Pass/Fail, where Pass corresponds to the grade B or higher on the master’s programme.

The doctoral programme concludes with a public trial lecture on a prescribed topic and a public defence (disputation) where the candidate presents an account of the results of the scientific investigations reported in the dissertation and defends the thesis in a discussion with two opponents. The disputation is further described in the supplementary regulations for the PhD Degree at the Faculty of Engineering and Science.

Specialisations

The faculty offers the following specialisations and scientific fields: 

• Specialisation in Engineering Sciences
• Specialisation in Information- and Communication Technologies (ICT)
• Specialisation in Mathematical Sciences
• Specialisation in Natural Sciences

Faculty level PhD courses

For an overview of PhD courses in each scientific field: Please visit the website for your specialisation, where you will also find requirements for your compulsory coursework. 

The faculty offers the following overarching courses for all specialisations:

Compulsory for all PhD Candidates on the PhD Programme in Engineering and Science: 

EX-603 Theory of Science and Ethics. Spring 2026. Course responsible: Professor Hans Christian Garmann Johnsen.

Course plan: Theory of Science and Ethics EX-603-G, spring 2026

Week 7: Tuesday. 10.02, 09:15 - 12:00: Introduction to the course.

Week 9: Tuesday. 24.02, 09:15 - 14:00: Overview of the theme of the course

Week 10: Tuesday 10.03, 10:15 - 12:00: Test

Week 12: Tuesday 24.03, 09:15 - 14:00: Preparation for  3-day seminar                          

Week 15: Tuesday 07.04 - Thursday 09.04: 3-day seminar

Week 18: Tuesday 28.04, 09:15 - 12:00: Closing session

Compulsory for specialisations in Natural sciences and ICT. The course is open for all PhD candidates at the Faculty:

TFL601 Scientific Writing in English. Spring 2026. Course responsible: Associate Professor Heidi Elizabeth Klockmann

Details for spring 2026 (All teaching on Campus Grimstad): 

• Proficiency test in late January (digital)
  The course is held in February and March at two week intervals (four meet-ups, two hours each)
• A first draft deadline in late April
• Individual feedback meetings in early May
• Final draft deadline of early June.

Admission requirements

To be admitted into the PhD programme in Engineering and Science, the applicant must hold a master's degree in a subject area relevant to the research area from a Norwegian university or qualifications approved as equivalent.

As a general rule, the following should normally apply: 

• The average grade for courses included in the bachelor's degree (or equivalent) should be C (or equivalent) or higher.
• The average grade for all courses (including the dissertation) in the master’s degree should be B (or equivalent) or higher.
• The master's dissertation (or equivalent) should have the grade B (or equivalent) or higher.
• When the applicant's average grades are lower than required, the hosting research group at the Faculty of Engineering and Science must document the probability of the applicant being able to complete the PhD programme. In such an event, the Faculty of Engineering and Science may recommend extra requirements to be included in the basis for admission.

Competence in English is a requirement for all applicants to the PhD programme. International candidates that are not exempt from the English language requirements pursuant to the guidelines of the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), must document this through one of the following tests with the stated results or better:

• TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language with a minimum score of 600 for the Paperbased Test (PBT), or 92 for the Internet-based Test (iBT)
• IELTS - International English Language Testing System, with the result of 6.5
   

Admission to our PhD programme requires an offer of a position as research fellow or a formalised agreement with a company or other external source.

See supplementary regulations regarding admission.

The university is involved in several research schools relevant for the specialisations (INRESCOS, MaScE, NORA)