PhD Studies Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology Senior Executive Officer Gro Neergård
Content 1. Focus on PhD as an education - coursework 2. PhD contacts 3. PhD Travel Grant 2
PhD Candidate? PhD Student? PhD Research Fellow? - some definitions PhD Research Fellow: a person employed by NTNU PhD Candidate: a person admitted to a a PhD programme at NTNU PhD Student: PhD candidates do not have student status at NTNU, term is rarely used. Not all of you are PhD Research Fellows, but all of you will be PhD candidates. The following rules will apply for all of you. 3
PhD Regulations at NTNU Regulations for the philosophiae doctor degree (PhD) at NTNU : The regulations concerns all phases of the PhD studies: Admission Training Completion Stipulate rules for coursework, supervision, PhD thesis, doctoral defence and more. Read the PhD regulations! 4
Organized academic training (courses) Each PhD candidate has an individual academic training plan. The plan should always be prepared in agreement with your supervisor. The academic training plan must be approved by the faculty. It is recommended that all courses are completed during the first semesters. 5
Organized academic training - general rules Minimum 30 ECTS credits (eqvivalent to 6 months of fulltime study) At least 20 credits are to be taken as established PhD level courses COURSE CREDITS The remaining 10 credits can be made out of a master level course from NTNU an individually selected syllabus. PhD courses Min 20 MSc courses or Individual Study Syllabus Max 10 TOTAL Min 30 6
What courses can I follow? PhD courses at NTNU Master courses from NTNU PhD courses at other universities in Norway or abroad 7
Courses at NTNU WHERE TO FIND THEM?: Course descriptions are available online: http://www.ntnu.edu/studies/courses The «PhD Study Handbook 2013/2014» is available in Norwegian: http://www.ntnu.edu/nt/phd/studyhandbook 8
Passing grades for PhD candidates GENERAL RULES FOR NTNU: Official grading scale is A-F GENERAL RULES FOR PHD CANDIDATES TAKING A MASTER COURSE: The passing grades are A or B A PhD candidate who gets C, D or E is only entitled to retake the examination once, in order to improve the grade SPECIFIC RULES FOR PHD COURSES AT THE NT-FACULTY : PhD courses the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology are all assessed by using the grades passed or not passed «Passed» equals a score higher than 70 on a percentage point grading scale 9
PhD courses from other institutions If you are planning to follow PhD courses at other universities, please note the following: BEFORE: When you apply, you must provide a full course description from the external institution. AFTER: To get your result registered at NTNU, you need to submit a transcript that comfirms that you have passed the course 10
Which courses will NOT be accepted? Lower degree courses (i.e. bachelor) Small courses, awarded less than 3 credits Courses that can not be classified as Natural Sciences or Technology Technical courses; providing skills that are essential for your research; for example computer programming or how-to-operate laboratory equipment etc. Old courses; completed more than 2 years ago Courses without a final examination; or seminars/conferences etc. A few specific courses like «Scientific Writing», «Information Retrieval» and «Research and Society 11
Individual Study Syllabus If required coursework is not offered by NTNU, you can apply for an Individual study syllabus. REQUIREMENTS: PhD level Minimum 3 credits / 150 pages (1 credit = 50 pages) The topic must be within your professor s field of expertise The litterature and examination form must be approved by the Faculty in good time before the examination is to take place. Apply by using this form: Individual Study Syllabus 12
Student Web - a service that give you access to data regarding your PhD studies What can you do? Registering for courses (class attendance) Registering for exams View exam results and order transcripts of records Register your address Monitor the registrations about you Note: You must formally be admitted to a PhD Programme before you can register What can you NOT do? Add/remove or swap courses Deadlines for registering : 15 February (Spring) 15 September (Fall) Note: The Faculty will make the changes for you in accordance with approved applications. 13
How to change course(s) Your plan for academic training must be approved by the Faculty at all times. As a consequence, all changes must be approved as well. APPLICATION: The form «Application for changes in the academic training plan» is available at Innsida/PhD/NT Apply BEFORE you take on a course, to make sure that the course will be accepted as part of your academic training. ATTACHMENTS: External courses: attach a full course description, that confirms the number of credits, PhD-level, and assessment form (examination). Individual Study Syllabus: attach a full course description and list of the syllabus by using the form Individual Study Syllabus 14
I have questions about my PhD studies. Who can I talk to? PhD Consultants: Faculty Admin; The Research Section Faculty Admin; The Research Section Dept of Biology Dept of Biotechnology Dept of Chemical Engineering Dept of Chemistry Dept of Materials Science & Engineering Dept of Physics 15
Research Section/PhD Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology Deputy Dean Tor Grande Head of Section Bjørn S. Tanem PhD consultant Gro Neergård PhD consultant Anne Sæther 16
PhD contacts Biology Biotechnology Chemical Engineering Lisbeth Aune Cecilie Skagfjord Lisbeth Roel Biology Biotechnology Chemical Engineering Gro Neergård 17
PhD Contacts continued Biophysics Physics Julie Lange Hansen Chemistry Bjørn Syvertsen Materials Science & Engineering Elin Kaasen Biophysics & Physics Chemistry Materials Science & Engineering Anne Sæther 18
Administrative Process Application submitted by candidate Assessment at the Department & by the PhD Programme Board Decision made by Faculty/Research Section Decision made by Research Committee Decision made by Dean 19
PhD Programme Board leaders Augustine Arukwe Kjell M. Vårum Erik Wahlström Signe Kjelstrup Sigurd Skogestad Knut Marthinsen Biology Biotechnology Physics/ Biophysics Chemistry Research Committee Chemical Engineering Materials Science & Technology 20
Travel Grants for PhD candidates The purpose is to give all candidates the opportunity to participate in at least one, work-related travel during the period of admission Allocated twice a year Purpose is ranked in the following order: Invited lecture or courses that are part of your organised academic training Registered contributions, conferences and summer schools Other arrangements Rates: Travels in Europe Up to 10 000 NOK Travels in USA Up to 15 000 NOK Travels in other countries Up to 19 000 NOK Travels within Norway are also supported. 21
PhD Travel Grant Application Deadlines Note: You must be formally admitted to the PhD programme to apply 1 December For travels in the period of 1 Jan until 31 Dec: 55 % of the disposable sum is available 1 May For travels in the period of 1 June until 31 December: 22
Useful links: PhD Regulations PhD Study Handbook (Norwegian only) Search courses / Course descriptions Application forms PhD at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology PhD Procedures General information about doctoral degrees at NTNU 23
Thank you! 24