Disipline: Social Anthropology

Objectives

PhD training in social anthropology shall qualify for research practice and other work which demands considerable scientific knowledge. As a component of the education, the doctoral candidate must carry out further training in the methodological and theoretical contexts of the relevant discipline, which shall provide academic support and guidance for the candidates’ thesis work, a foundation for an independent and reflective stance to the discipline as well as disciplinary depth and breadth. During PhD training the candidate shall also receive instruction in the dissemination of research results to academic peers, students and the general public.

Composition of the training component

The training part shall be comprised of activities corresponding to at least 30 credit points (ECTS), and shall consist of the following compulsory components:

● Scientific theory and ethics, 10 credit points (9 credits for candidates under the old arrangement with public lecture)

● Method, 9 credit points

● Anthropological theory, 9 credit points

● Dissemination of research results, 3 credit points

● Participation in running department seminars

The candidate may take research training courses at UoB or at any other institution offering such courses that can be approved by the Department, in Norway or abroad. Should the course from an institution other than UoB not be measured in credit points, the Department will establish how many points should be credited.

A specific scholarly work can only give credits within one of the training components.
Participation in a PhD training course without completing the final paper or having sat the exam can be accepted with up to 3 study credits. The Department shall determine how many study credits a given course shall comprise of. Only one such course can be included in the training component.

An application for the approval of a course as a component of the PhD programme shall be processed by the Department.

Scientific theory and ethics

All candidates shall complete the faculty’s joint course on scientific theory and ethics managed by the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, or be able to document an receive approval of an equivalent course from another university in Norway or abroad. Courses taken outside UoB must be approved by the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities.
* Credit points: 10

Method

All candidates shall complete one or more courses dealing with theoretical and methodical aspects of research. A course of 9 credits should correspond to a teaching component of at least 20 hours taught over at least 3 days, with a reading list of 500-700 pages, and a concluding written work in the form of a paper/essay or an exam.
The calculation of credits assumes 3 credits as equivalent to about 2 weeks of full-time work. Two smaller courses may replace one larger.
Credits in method are awarded under the condition that a written work is accepted and found to be qualifying.
Courses without a paper need prior approval upon application to the Department.
Courses can be national, Scandinavian or international, or arranged by the Department. Approval by course leader or by an examiner appointed by the Department must exist within 6 months of the completion date of the particular course.
* Credit points: 9

Anthropological theory

All candidates shall document the completion of one or more courses in anthropological theory. A course of 9 credits should correspond to a teaching component of at least 20 taught hours taught over at least 3 days, with a reading list of 500-700 pages, and a concluding written work in the form of a paper/essay or an exam. The calculation of credits assumes 3 credits as equivalent to about 2 weeks of full-time work.
Credits in anthropological theory are awarded under the condition that a written work is accepted and found to be qualifying.

Courses can be national, Scandinavian or international, or courses arranged by the Department. Approval by course leader or by an examiner appointed by the Department must exist within 6 months of the completion date of the particular course.
* Credit points: 9

Upon application, the Department may award up to 3 credits to candidates who do not write paper/essay. In such cases is it expected that the candidate has worked thoroughly on the readings for the course, participates actively in discussion, and present aspects of own thesis work.

Dissemination of research results

The dissemination of research results shall correspond to about 2 weeks of full-time work.
The Department has the following requirements to the types of activity that can comprise research dissemination (for example, a selection of the following activities):

-  Participation in international conferences with the presentation of results from own research;

-  Lecture(s) (in the context of the training component the candidate is not to be used as a teaching resource beyond that which is relevant to the candidate’s own academic field);

-  Active participation in doctoral seminars, such as listed under “Anthropological theory” or separate seminars where the doctoral candidate offers central ideas from own thesis work;

-  Popularizing contributions within own research field (article, newspaper piece, public talk, etc.)

-  Course in the dissemination of research

-  Other activities that provide training in the dissemination of research
* Credit points: 3

Other activities

Candidates shall present and debate their thesis in a seminar.

Approval of training component

Approval of the completed training component within the framework of the Department’s study plan is undertaken by the faculty after handling by the Department. The training component must also satisfy the following demands:

-  All completed measures shall be documented in the form of diploma or course certificate from course leader. Documentation of the dissemination of research results depends on the particular type of activity.
-  Courses taken 5 years or earlier than the date of  admission date to the PhD programme will normally not be approved, and as a rule a minimum of half of the courses in the training component must be taken after admission. Dissemination of research shall normally take place be after admission or employment as doctoral candidate.

-  For a course to be approved as a doctoral course the principle lecturer and course leader must have competence as associate professor with a PhD or equivalent, course participation must be dominated by doctoral students or established scholars,  and the requirements for a “pass” must be equivalent to the levels of A to B at the MA level. Selected MA students with relevant projects may participate in the course, however without lowering standard requirements.

-  Courses at MA level may, with prior approval from the Department, be approved as part of the PhD training component, as long as they have not formed part of the candidate’s prior education. Such courses will normally receive fewer credits than their credit stipulation on the MA level. Courses taken during MA level studies should normally not be approved as a component of the PhD training component, even if the course has not formed part of the candidate’s earlier education. The training component cannot be composed exclusively of MA courses.

-  The Faculty can, in exceptional cases, grant exemption from parts of the training component if other training or research related experience that gives equivalent competence can be documented.
A separate form available for approval of the training component requires a specified overview over which courses and other activities that have been completed. The form is to be filled in by the candidate. The Department shall ensure that the requirements for the PhD training component are fulfilled. The form is signed by the Head of the Department or other approved authority and forwarded to the Faculty together with copies of course certificates/diplomas. The form is signed by the Vice-Dean for Research and then sent to the candidate.