How to apply for admission to the PhD programme

Below you will find information about admission requirements and which documents to submit with your application.

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

Applications for admission to the PhD programme (PHD-MED) at the Faculty of Medicine must be submitted through Søknadsweb. When you have uploaded a complete application, you must submit a confirmation email to phd-opptak@medisin.uio.no Applications for admission are processed throughout the year, but you must normally apply within 3 months after the project has commenced, ref. Supplementary rule to § 5.3 Admission period.

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. In some cases, a conditional right to study is granted while the application is processed.

Application requirements

1. Contracts

Admission to one of the university's PhD programmes is formalized in a written contract signed by the PhD candidate and supervisors, and the Faculty signes the contract when a decision is made. The contract governs the parties' rights and obligations during the admission period, cf. Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD).

All candidates must fill out a contract (docx) 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, cf. Supplementary rules for PhD §5.1 Requirement for access to resources, se Contract with an external party (docx).

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. Supplementary rules for the degree of PhD § 5.1 Educational and grade requirements describe the requirements in more detail.

In cases where the applicant does not meet the grade requirements or the normal rule regarding a 5-year master’s degree, the academic environment to which the candidate is to be affiliated must explain in a separate attachment why the candidate is considered qualified for admission.

English language skills: Applicants who have attended Norwegian primary school meet the requirements for English language skills. International students must normally document their English language skills. See Supplementary rules § 5. Documentation of English language skills

3. Funding

The PhD education has a stipulated length of 3 years’ full-time study. As a rule, you must be able to document funding for the entire admission period, cf. Supplementary rules for the degree of PhD § 5.1 Funding requirements Minimum one year continuing funding (or two years with 50% continuing funding) earmarked the PhD education must be in place upon admission. A realistic and binding plan for funding of the remaining admission period must also be provided (see Contract with an external party). As a rule, self-funding (salary to yourself, own company etc.) will not be 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).

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 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. You can apply to the faculty for an additional co-supervisor. An application must be well-founded and included in your application in a separate attachment. 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. See Supplementary rules § 7 for information about appointment of academic supervisors and restrictions on how many principal- and co-supervisors a candidate can have.

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 6 months of their PhD training. Candidates employed by the faculty’s collaborating hospitals are exempted. Information about residency requirement must be given in the project description when relevant. For more information, see Supplementary rules § 5.1 Requirement of residency at UiO.

What happens to incomplete applications?

You will receive an email if your application is incomplete. Your application will be considered withdrawn if incomplete documentation is not received within 6 weeks. Applications that are significantly incomplete will be rejected.

Forms

Contact us

Do you have questions about admission and document requirements? Please send an email to: phd-opptak@medisin.uio.no

Published Feb. 13, 2018 10:42 AM - Last modified Feb. 1, 2024 10:44 AM