Templates and guidelines
Formal guidelines to PhD thesis layout (pdf)
Checklist for PhD candidates before submitting their thesis (pdf)
Submission
Application for assessment of the thesis may only be submitted after the coursework and training component has been approved. When the PhD thesis is ready for evaluation, it must be submitted to the PhD co ordinator.
PhD candidates are responsible for ensuring that the thesis follows UiA’s formatting requirements. The library provides additional assistance and can be contacted at researchsupport@uia.no.
PhD co-ordinators are responsible for forwarding the submitted thesis to the library as soon as it is received. The library then reviews the formatting and verifies ownership rights for article based theses.
Assessment
Once the application for assessment of the doctoral thesis has been submitted, the faculty appoints an evaluation committee of at least three members. The committee is appointed based on proposals from the relevant department, and the PhD candidate is informed of its composition. The PhD candidate may submit a comment about the committee within one week of receiving the information.
The evaluation committee assesses the dissertation and prepares a written report, normally within three months of receiving the thesis. The report explains the basis for the committee’s conclusions and states whether the dissertation is considered worthy of public defence. The PhD candidate is given ten working days to submit written comments on the report if they wish to do so.
Revisions Required
A PhD thesis that has not been found worthy of public defence may be resubmitted for assessment in a revised version no earlier than six months after the faculty has made its decision.
A PhD thesis may only be reassessed once.
In the event of resubmission, the PhD candidate must clearly state that the thesis was assessed previously and not found worthy of a public defence.
Rejection
If the committee concludes that fundamental changes to theory, hypotheses, material, or methods are necessary before the thesis can meet the minimum standards for research competence, it will recommend rejection.
Thesis Approved
A thesis is approved for public defence when it is considered an independent and comprehensive scientific work that meets the requirements for research competence. Approval does not imply that the thesis is without flaws. Remaining weaknesses must be of a type that can be addressed and explained during the public defence.
The PhD candidate will be notified once the assessment committee has set a date for the public defence. The committee’s recommendation is normally available five to six weeks before the planned defence date.
Printing and Archiving the Thesis
Once the thesis has been approved for public defence, the final version must be prepared for printing and archiving.
The PhD candidate is responsible for submitting the completed manuscript to the relevant PhD co-ordinator. To facilitate the formal publication, the PhD co-ordinator assigns the necessary ISBN and series numbers before forwarding the manuscript to the communication department. The communication department then finalises the manuscript with a cover page and manages the printing process.
To ensure the long-term visibility and preservation of the thesis, the PhD co-ordinator provides a digital copy of the completed thesis to the library. The library is then responsible for depositing the thesis into Norwegian Research Information Repository (NVA).
Errata List
Minor errors of a formal nature may be corrected after the thesis has been submitted for evaluation and before additional printed copies are produced. Only typographical, layout or similar non substantial errors may be corrected. Changes that affect the academic content are not permitted. All formal corrections must be submitted no later than one month before the public defence.
To request corrections, an errata list must be submitted to the PhD co-ordinator of faculty where the thesis was originally submitted. The list must include all errors to be corrected and must be received no later than 10 days after the evaluation committee’s recommendation has been issued.
Trial Lecture and Public Defence
The trial lecture and the public defence are normally held on the same day and take place on UiA’s premises. Both events form part of the final assessment of the PhD work.
Trial Lecture
The evaluation committee assigns the topic for the trial lecture. The faculty administration communicates this topic 10 working days before the lecture is to be held. The trial lecture must be held in the language in which the thesis is written unless the faculty itself approves the use of another language.
The lecture should last 45 minutes, allowing the PhD candidate to demonstrate their ability to present their research topic in a clear and structured way. The lecture should be designed for an audience with prior knowledge equivalent to that expected of advanced students in the relevant subject area. In its assessment, the committee places emphasis on both academic content and the ability to convey knowledge effectively.
The assessment committee notifies the faculty whether the trial lecture has been approved or not. If the trial lecture is not approved, an explanation must be given.
Public Defence
Two appointed opponents conduct the academic discussion. They determine how to divide their tasks. The maximum total duration of the public defence is three hours, including a 15 minute break between the two opponents. The defence chair is responsible for ensuring that the proceedings follow the prescribed structure and that the allotted time is used effectively.
The opponents are free to pursue questions not mentioned in the committee’s written recommendation. They aim to conduct the discussion in a way that allows members of the audience without specialised knowledge of the thesis to follow the exchange.
After the first opponent has completed their opposition, the defence chair invites comments or questions ex auditorio from members of the audience.
After both opponents have completed their opposition, the defence chair then concludes the session and formally closes the public defence.
Conferral and Certification
The conferral of the PhD degree is the formal recognition that the doctoral work has been completed and approved. At this stage, the degree of Philosophiae Doctor is officially awarded.
UiA holds an annual PhD conferral ceremony in June of each year to honour all candidates who have completed their doctoral education at the university. An official invitation to the ceremony is sent by the university, and candidates are welcome to invite close family members and friends to attend.
Participation in the ceremony is strongly encouraged, but not required. Candidates who are unable to attend will have their diploma and final transcript sent to their registered private address after the conferral ceremony.
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