PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION FOR THE PhD PROGRAMME IN PSYCHOLOGY 2008/2009

PhD in Psychology
PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION FOR THE PhD PROGRAMME IN PSYCHOLOGY 2008/2009

The programme description is founded on the Regulations concerning the philosophiae doctor degree (PhD) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), passed by the Board of NTNU on 22 May 2003. The programme description for the PhD Programme in Psychology for the 2007/2008 academic year, was authorized by the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management on 29 January 2007. The programme description is prolonged without any changes for the academic year 2008/2009.

The PhD Regulations as well as internal faculty procedures and administrative guidelines that are common to the Faculty's study Programmes - see the left column.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAMME (§ 2 in Regulations)
The PhD Programme in Psychology is prescribed as 180 credits (3 years). The final course plan for the PhD Programme is to be shaped in joint consultation between candidate, supervisor and Department depending on the thesis area of research and the candidate's individual requirements and wishes.

Objective for the PhD Programme in Psychology
The PhD Programme offered by the Department of Psychology aims to provide academic support and supervision in the candidate's thesis work so to qualify for research activity or other work that requires an advanced degree of academic insight. The Programme aims to provide a basis for an independent, critical and mature perception of one's own and others' research through studying theoretical and methodical subject areas, as well as providing practice in communicating research results in academic- and other forums.

Areas of research
The Department of Psychology offers teaching with the aim of providing insight into theories and methods that are necessary when working on the thesis. The Department of Psychology offers both courses that are supervised, with individual curricula that are affiliated to theory or method, and are more concrete, emphasising quantitative/qualitative methods of research. In addition, a theoretical advanced course in “Risk Perception and Risk Management” is offered. The courses offered with individual curricula vary thematically, with the subject matters dealt with in each individual doctoral thesis.

ADMISSION (§ 5 in Regulations)
The primary requirement for admission is that the applicant holds a cand.psychol., cand.polit./ Master's degree in Psychology or equivalent. The applicant must have a weighed average grade of cand.polit./Master's degree or equivalent education with a grade of B or higher, in accordance with NTNU's grading system (§ 5 Regulations). Applicants who are unable to meet these criteria may only be admitted if they can document that they are suitable candidates for education leading to a PhD degree. In special cases, applicants with backgrounds other than a Master's degree or equivalent in Psychology may be admitted to the PhD Programme. Relevant education for the PhD-programme is required, and the project must undoubtedly belong to the psychological field and have psychological addressed problems.

Application requirements
Applications for admission are to be made on the application form. Application requirements are stated in Regulations concerning the philosophiae doctor degree (PhD) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The PhD plan, including the project description in the application, is to be composed in consultation with the proposed supervisor.

Admission procedure
The Faculty considers applications for admission based on the recommendation of the Department. Procedures for admission and the follow-up of incomplete applications - see "Admission ".

Decision of admission
A decision concerning admission, the possible ranking of applicants, is based on a joint assessment of the quality of the application, with emphasis on the project description. The Department's expertise and supervision capacity will also be considered. Admission will be formalised by a written contract in accordance with § 6 of the Regulations concerning the philosophiae doctor degree (PhD) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).


PhD PLAN (§ 5.2 in Regulations)
The project description is to give an account of which issues are being considered, approaches to problems, method and relevant theory. The description of the research project is normally to be between 5 and 10 pages.

FUNDING PLAN (§ 5.2 in Regulations)
For applicants who are not fully funded through scholarship schemes, it is normally required that 50 % of working hours during participation in the PhD Programme can be used for study, and that a minimum of 1 year can be allocated to full time studies.

SUPERVISION (§§ 5.2 and 8 in Regulations)
Work on the PhD thesis constitutes active research under supervision. The supervisor's total use of time supervising is stipulated to 210 worker-hours for the entire period. This is equivalent to approx. 70 worker-hours per year for 3 years. In addition to the contract period stated between candidate and supervisor, this includes preparation, reading, complementary work etc. If a supplementary supervisor is appointed, the number of worker-hours must be divided between the principal and supplementary supervisor. Supervision connected to the organized academic course work of the PhD Programme (10 hours per course), is in addition to supervision (210 worker-hours) which is tied directly to the PhD thesis.

Candidate and supervisor(s) have a joint responsibility in seeing that the use of respondents and subjects, possible animal models, as well as the collecting, storing and presentation of data, is carried out in accordance with existing laws and research ethical guidelines.

Procedures for the appointment and changing of supervisor (s) - see "Supervision".

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT (§§ 5.2 and 7.2 in Regulations)
A plan for the meeting of residency requirements is to be presented in the application and in the agreement on supervision. In certain instances, the Department may grant dispensation from the residency requirements.

ACADEMIC DISSEMINATION (§§ 2, 4 and 5.2 in Regulations)
The candidate has a number of choices concerning academic dissemination:

Academic presentation at scientific congress
Popular scientific dissemination
The candidate teaches 8-10 hours under supervision
The approving of documented, academic dissemination is done by the Department based on the supervisor's recommendation.

REPORTING (§ 9 in Regulations)
The candidate and supervisor are to deliver separate annual reports on progress, in accordance with § 9 of Regulations concerning the philosophiae doctor degree (PhD) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Procedures for submission and processing of candidate and supervisor reports - see "Reporting ".

ORGANIZED ACADEMIC COURSE WORK (§ 7.3 in Regulations)

Objective of the organized academic course work
The main aim of the organized academic course work is to provide insight into theories and metho¬dologies that complement the work with the thesis and contribute to the general training requirements for the candidates' future endeavours. The Department of Psychology offers courses of 20 credits. The candidates may then choose between three specialized courses (each 10 credits) in the field of research method, and to courses (each 10 credits) in the field of psychological theory. For schooling in the Theory of Science, (minimum 7,5 credits), candidates are referred to the Faculty's remaining courses. This course may be followed at other faculties or universities.

Structure and implementation
The candidate is to state in her/his application, a plan for the organized academic course work in consultation with the supervisor (s). It is recommended that the organized academic course work is completed at an early stage of the Programme. The candidate is responsible for signing up for evaluation in subjects within the given deadlines. External courses/subjects that are to be a part of the organized academic course work must be approved by the Department. For procedures concerning the signing up for courses and approving of external courses/subjects - see "Organized academic training ".

The organized academic course work has a prescribed duration of 1 semester's full time work, i.e. 30 credits, and must be completed when the thesis is handed in for assessment. The organized academic course work consists of three elements:

Theory of Science, minimum 7,5 credits
Methodical courses, 10 credits
Theoretical/substantial courses, 10 credits
The main aim of the PhD Programme in Psychology is to offer active research under supervision, as well as providing thorough training in advanced research methods and a choice of theoretical specialised courses.

Two courses are offered with individually selected syllabus; one course within theoretical training (PSY8000) and one in research method (PSY8001). The courses are to a great extent open for adjustment to individual problems. Each course includes 10 hours of academic advice, including time for preparations and complementary work, and shall include the following elements:

Approved individual study syllabus (ca. 400 pages)
Completed supervision- 10 hours for each of the courses (theory and method), individually or in a group with candidates working with the same topics
The candidate is to hand in a written piece of work which accounts for the approaches to problems discussed between the supervisor and candidate. Form, scope and level of the written assignment are described in separate guidelines
The candidate is to make a presentation of the written assignment in a PhD forum during participation in the Programme.
Registration for PSY8000 and PSY8001 is done via Stud web, but requires in addition that the PhD candidate personally establishes contact with a potential academic supervisor. An agreement will be made between the candidate and the supervisor on a separate form which is available from the Department of Psychology.

Apart from this, the Department of Psychology offers three additional courses for PhD candidates. A minimum of five registered candidates is required for these courses to be taught (PSY8002, PSY8003 and PSY8004).

PSY8002, Risk Perception and Risk Communication
The aim of the course is to provide a solid theoretical basis for work in the field of risk perception and risk communication. Lectures and seminars will cover chosen parts of the history of the subject, as well as dealing with relevant literature. The focus will be on psychology's contribution to the research area, but important articles and work with background material from other research areas will also be included.

PSY8003, Multivariate Research Methods
The aim of the course is to educate participants in multivariate statistical methods that are utilized in experimental/non-experimental research. The course provides a general presentation of the most common statistical research methods, but is also followed up by more specific, advanced statistical methods and practices.

PSY8004, Qualitative Research Methods
The course aims to provide doctoral candidates with a deeper understanding of important dimensions by completing various qualitative doctoral projects. Both structured and semi-structured research designs will be discussed, emphasising the relationship between text as data, the structuring of text and analytical approximations. The course provides a short specialization of the scientific theoretical rationale (legitimisation) for qualitative approximations, and continues with focus on more specified advances qualitative methods and practices. The course will be problem based, where the participants work together in groups with problems connected to the various topics that are to be presented.

Furthermore, schooling in scientific theory is a mandatory part of PhD training at NTNU. If the candidate wishes additional training in methodology and theory, she/he may attend courses that at any given time are offered at NTNU and other institutions, and that are approved as PhD courses. Contact the Department for further information concerning courses in psychology offered at other universities in Norway. In general, external courses approved after application to the Department and in accordance to the Faculty's guidelines, can be used as part of one or more components of the organized academic course work Programme.