What is the Dr.philos. degree?
Dr.philos. is a doctoral degree that may be awarded to candidates who hold a master鈥檚 degree or equivalent and who have acquired doctoral-level competence without being admitted to an organized PhD programme. The degree is placed at Level 8 of the Norwegian Qualifications Framework, at the same level as a PhD.
The research work must be an independent scholarly work, without formal supervision and without affiliation to a doctoral programme. The degree qualifies the holder for research activities and other positions that place high demands on academic insight and research ethics.
The regulations for the Dr.philos. degree can be found here:
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Basis for awarding the degree
The Dr.philos. degree is awarded on the basis of:
- an approved academic thesis
- an approved trial lecture on an assigned topic
- an approved trial lecture on a self-chosen topic
- an approved public defence of the thesis
All of these elements must be successfully completed before the diploma can be issued.
Who may apply for assessment of the thesis
To present yourself for the Dr.philos. degree, you must normally hold a five-year master鈥檚 degree or equivalent, corresponding to Level 7 of the Norwegian Qualifications Framework. Following a special assessment, the faculty may approve other equivalent education.
You must be a Norwegian citizen or have a registered residential address in Norway. If you do not meet this requirement, you may nevertheless be permitted to apply if the thesis has a clear connection to Norway, for example through its topic, data material, or collaboration with Norwegian research communities.
Application for assessment of the thesis
An application for assessment of the thesis should be submitted to the faculty under which the topic of the thesis falls. In the application, you must briefly explain how the topic falls within the faculty鈥檚 academic portfolio.
The application must include, among other things:
- the thesis
- documentation of prior education
- required ethical approvals, where applicable
- co-author declarations, if relevant
- declarations regarding previous submissions and assessments
- documentation of citizenship/residence, or an account of the dissertation鈥檚 connection to Norway
The faculty assesses whether you are eligible to present yourself for the degree and may reject the application if it is evident that the thesis does not meet a sufficient academic standard, or if the faculty lacks competence in the relevant field.
If you have questions about how to apply to defend a Dr.philos. degree, you may contact the PhD coordinator at the faculty that is relevant to the academic field of the thesis.听