Admission requirements
The PhD programme is regulated by the University of Oslo's Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and the Faculty's Supplementary rules. To get admission to the PhD programme, you must, among other things, meet the educational requirements, funding requirements and have an approved project description. Documentation that you meet the requirements must be attached with your application according to the current rules and regulations.
How to submit your application
Application for admission to the PhD programme (PHD-MED) at the Faculty of Medicine is done using the online form for this. Here you must also attach all documentation.
Applications for admission are processed throughout the year, but you must normally apply within 3 months after the project has commenced.
Case processing time
Within 3 weeks from submitting your application you will receive a confirmation that your application has been received. Complete applications are normally processed within 6 weeks.
What happens to incomplete applications?
If your application is incomplete, you will be asked to correct any deficiencies before your application can be processed further. Please note that this will delay processing, and read the application guidelines carefully. Your application will be considered withdrawn if incomplete documentation is not received within 2 weeks. Applications that are significantly incomplete will be rejected.
Application requirements
1. Contracts
Admission to the PhD programme is formalized by an admission agreement that regulates the rights and obligations of the parties during the admission period.
All candidates must fill out the PhD Project Contract (docx) including a project description when applying for admission to the PhD programme. PhD candidates with funding from, employment at or who receive contributions from an external party, e.g. from a university hospital, must also complete a Contract with an external party (docx). Applicants obtain signatures from supervisors and any external parties before submitting an application. The faculty signs when entering into the agreements.
All candidates admitted to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Medicine are affiliated to the programme either through a research fellowship or a supervisor at the faculty. If you have an external principal supervisor and have internal co-supervisors from different departments/institutes at the faculty, you must have an agreement concerning institute affiliation (docx) See affiliation criteria in order of priority for PhD candidates at the faculty.
2. Education
For admission to the PhD programme, you are required to have completed at least 5 years higher education, i.e. a master’s degree or equivalent professional studies. The faculty may, after individual assessment, approve another equivalent degree from a relevant field.
Courses at master's level must have an average grade of B or better. The faculty converts grades if necessary.
Documentation must be attached for education completed outside UiO. For education from abroad, the diploma supplement must accompany the diploma and transcripts.
In cases where the applicant does not meet the grade requirements or the requirement for a master’s degree, an account must be given of other qualifying competence documented by scientific publications, other scientific activity, or clinical experience.
English language skills: International applicants must document English proficiency according to UiO's requirements.
The following applicants are normally exempt from English test score requirements:
Applicants from EU/EEA member states and/or the Council of Europe/UNESCO-CEPES where English is taught as a second language over a period of minimum 7 years in primary and secondary school. Applicants must be able to document their English language skills upon request.
Applicants with a master’s degree where English is the medium of instruction
Applicants with an A-level exam in English
Other international students must document their English language skills by taking one of the following tests:
TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language with minimum score of 90 on the internet-Based Test (iBT)
IELTS – International English Language Testing Service with band score 6.5
PTE Academic – Pearson Test of English Academic with score 62
In cases where the faculty is in doubt about an applicant's English language skills, he/she may be asked to further document his/her language skills.
3. Funding
The PhD education has a stipulated length of 3 years’ full-time study. You must be able to document funding for the entire admission period.
The faculty may exceptionally approve admission if continuous funding is documented for a minimum of 1 year, but this requires a binding agreement with the employer regarding funding for the first year and the remaining admission period. Candidates who is not documenting a 3-year Research Fellow position must submit the employer form (docx) for documentation.
If you are going to work on the PhD project part-time, the funding must amount to 3 years net. Self-financing (for example, your own salary funds or your own company) is not approved.
4. Project description
You must submit a project description that applies to your specific PhD project only. The project description must follow the faculty’s template (docx).
Please note that the project description must contain a plan for the educational component and a progression plan for the project, and that it must be signed by the applicant, supervisors and project manager (PI).
All PhD project descriptions must be peer reviewed in connection with admission. For projects where a peer review has not previously been conducted, it is the principal supervisor’s responsibility to obtain a review. See information on peer review of the project. If you need more information, please contact the Research education team (email).
All necessary approvals regarding the PhD project must be obtained before you can receive final admission to the PhD programme. You may apply for and be granted conditional admission to the programme, but the project must not commence before the approvals are obtained. Initial REK approval and recommendation from SIKT or data protection officer must be attached with your application when relevant. You yourself are responsible for finding out which approvals your project needs. Information about applications to REC and other bodies.
5. Supervision
You must have one principal supervisor and, as a rule, up to two co-supervisors. The principal supervisor should as a rule be internal and employed by the faculty, but this can be waived if it is appropriate for the project. An explanation and an abridged CV listing his/her degree, position, and experience as supervisor at PhD level, must be included in the application. At least one (internal) supervisor must be employed in a minimum 20% position as a researcher, associate professor or professor at the Faculty of Medicine.
To be a principal supervisor, one must have documented supervisory experience from master's- or PhD level, or from specialist education for doctors. At least one member of the supervisory team must have previously supervised until the defense of a PhD. For external principal supervisors and supervisors who have not previously supervised in the PhD programme, a simplified CV that shows the degree obtained, position and any supervisory experience, must be attached.
You can apply to the faculty for an (third) additional co-supervisor. An application must be well-founded and included in your application in a separate attachment. Justification for all supervisors must be given in the project description. See also supplementary rules on supervision.
Impartiality requirements
The requirements of impartiality in the Public Administration Act Chapter II concerning disqualification (section 6-10) apply to all appointed supervisors. Appointed supervisors cannot be directly related (father, mother, daughter, son), or have other close relationships either to each other or to the candidate, ref Supplementary rules for the degree of PhD section 7.
NB! Neither supervisor nor candidate can have financial interests in a project that will lead to a doctorate. See regulations regarding sideline jobs point 2 “Legal limitations in the supervisory relationship” of Ethical guidelines for supervisory relationships.
6. Requirement of residency at UiO
Candidates with external funding or workplace must reside at the Faculty of Medicine for at least 12 months of their PhD training. Funding must be secured for at least 12 months in Norway. Candidates employed by the faculty’s collaborating hospitals are exempted. Information about residency requirement must be given in the project description when relevant.
Forms
- Contract with an external party (docx)
- Employer form (docx)
- Agreement concerning institute affiliation (docx)
- PhD project contract description (docx)
- Peer review of the PhD project (docx)
Contact us
Do you have questions about admission and document requirements? Please send an email to: phd-opptak@medisin.uio.no