- Course type: Concentration / Primary research area.
- Course level: PhD.
- Year of study: All semesters.
- Final assessment: Adjudication Committee of at least three members.
- Prerequisites: Admission to PhD programme and approved PhD training.
- Language of instruction: Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Course description
The doctoral dissertation constitutes the primary coursework. This work is conducted under the supervision of supervisors appointed by the PhD Committee.
The doctoral dissertation may be presented as a monograph or as a collection of smaller, scholarly works and a précis ("kappe"), also referred to as “article based dissertation”.
The research project culminates in a doctoral examination. The doctoral examination consists of a trial lecture and a defence of the dissertation. The disputation is the public defence of the thesis.
Learning objectives
Upon completion of the course, the candidate is expected to, through their own research work
- document a significant and original contribution to the development of new knowledge of importance within music research in an international perspective
- document systematic knowledge of and a critical approach to the use of methods, research design and key theoretical traditions that are relevant to their own PhD project
- be able to conduct research with a high degree of ethical awareness and professional integrity
Content
The course is comprised of
- Doctoral dissertation
- PhD exam
1. Doctoral dissertation
The doctoral dissertation is an independent research project involving the study of a specific problem within one of the PhD programme areas, chosen and specified by the PhD candidate. Work conducted in the development and completion of the doctoral dissertation constitutes the primary coursework.
The doctoral dissertation may be presented as a monograph or as a collection of smaller, scholarly works (also referred to as “article based dissertation”). A dissertation of multiple scholarly works must include a minimum of three texts and a précis. At least one of these texts must be published (or accepted for publication) in a recognized peer-reviewed scholarly journal at the time of submission.
The doctoral dissertation should not exceed 300 pages in length.
Supporting materials in the form of recorded audio, video, image (or other lasting formats) for the purpose of documenting performance/practical activity may be included. However, such supporting materials are accepted only as illuminative documentation and must be discussed in the dissertation text. Auditory components will not be considered independently but assessed in relation to the scholarly dissertation text.
See guidelines for PhD dissertations at the Norwegian Academy of Music.
2. PhD exam
The PhD examination consists of a trial lecture and a public defence, and is carried out when the thesis is deemed worthy of defence. See further description under ‘Final assessment’.
Structure
The dissertation is an independent project carried out under individual supervision. Each candidate normally has two supervisors. The PhD candidate is responsible for the progression of the dissertation work and must make regular appointments with and submit material to the supervisor(s) so that the agreed progression is maintained.
The supervision is regulated in an "Admission- and Supervision Agreement".
Course requirements
There are three course requirements in the course:
1. Project Description
During the first semester, the PhD candidate must revise the project description that formed the basis for admission. The revised version may be somewhat larger in scope than the one that accompanied the application (approx. 3,000 words), and it should have an increased level of precision in the sections covering the research question/hypothesis, theoretical framework, materials and methods and progress plan. The revised project description is presented at a research forum in the first semester. This presentation is included in the three mandatory presentations that are work requirements for the research forum.
The project description can be changed during the process. All changes must be approved by the supervisor. In the case of significant changes, a new supervision agreement must be made.
Separate guidelines for the project description have been prepared on the NMH website.
2. Midterm evaluation
All PhD candidates must undergo a mid-term evaluation halfway through the contract period. The commentator can be internal or external. Separate guidelines have been drawn up for the mid-term evaluation on the programme's website.
3. Trial Disputation
All PhD candidates must undergo a trial defence when approximately 90% of the dissertation has been completed. An opponent is appointed on the proposal of the supervisor(s) and candidate. The trial disputation lasts up to two hours and consists of three parts:
- presentation of the dissertation (20 minutes)
- opposition and defence (60-80 minutes)
- questions from the audience (up to approx. 20 minutes)
The text submitted for the trial defence should be made available to fellow PhD students and supervisors via the learning platform six weeks before the trial defence.
Guidelines for planning and conducting the trial disputation have been prepared on the programme's website.
See guidelines for the midterm evaluation and the trial disputations at the Norwegian Academy of Music. (also at Canvas)
Final assessment
The training component and all coursework requirements must be approved for the candidate to be allowed to undergo the final assessment.
1. The dissertation
Assessment of doctoral dissertations submitted at the Norwegian Academy of Music is regulated by sections 13-17 of the PhD Regulation ("Forskrift for graden philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) ved Norges musikkhøgskole").
A PhD Adjudication Committee evaluates the dissertation and produces a Dissertation Evaluation Report, which is submitted to the Academy. The Committee has a minimum of three members, of which at least one member is not affiliated with the Norwegian Academy of Music. Supervisors and other dissertation contributors shall not be accepted as members or administrators of the PhD Adjudication Committee.
See guidelines for submission of the dissertation and for the final assessment.
A PhD dissertation assessment must conclude with one of the following conclusions:
- The dissertation is deemed acceptable for disputation without revisions.
- The dissertation is deemed acceptable for disputation subject to minor revisions.
- The dissertation is deemed unacceptable.
If the dissertation is assessed as worthy of public defence (see point 1), the PhD examination can be planned and carried out. This normally takes place approximately two months after the assessment has been made.
If the dissertation has to undergo minor changes (ref. point 2), the candidate is given a period of up to three (3) months to make the changes requested by the committee. Such revision is not considered an assessment - it is considered a postponed assessment. If and when the revised version is approved by the committee, the doctoral examinations can be planned and carried out as under point A.
Re-assessment of the dissertation
If the dissertation is disapproved (see point 3), at least six (6) months must pass before a new submission can take place. A disapproval means that profound changes must be made to the theory, hypothesis, material or methodology for the dissertation to be recommended for defence. It is up to NMH to decide whether a new dissertation will be assessed by the same committee, a new committee or a partially new committee.
It is possible to submit the dissertation for reassessment once.
2. PhD Examination
Completion and assessment of the PhD examination is regulated in sections 19-20 of the regulations.
The PhD examination consists of a trial lecture and a defence:
Trial lecture
The trial lecture is 45 minutes long. It is an independent part of the PhD examination and should be held on a topic given by the assessment committee. The purpose is to test the candidate's ability to acquire knowledge beyond the topic of the dissertation and the ability to communicate this in a lecture situation. The subject of the lecture should not be directly related to the topic of the dissertation. The title of the trial lecture will be announced to the PhD candidate ten (10) working days before the lecture.
Normally, the trial lecture must be held in connection with the public defence, either on the same day or the day before. However, if the two examinations are assessed separately, NMH may appoint a separate committee for the trial lecture. At least one of the members of the assessment committee must then be appointed to the lecture committee.
The trial lecture should take place in the language of the dissertation unless NMH approves another language.
The assessment committee decides whether the trial lecture is passed or failed. Reasons must be given if the trial lecture is recommended not to be passed. The trial lecture must be passed before the public defence can be carried out.
Disputation – Public Defense
The public defence of the dissertation must take place after the trial lecture has been approved. The time and place of the public defence shall be announced at least ten (10) working days before it is held.
The committee that has assessed the approved dissertation will also assess the public defence. In special cases, opponents may be appointed who have not been members of the committee. There should normally be two opponents.
The public defence takes place in the language of the dissertation unless the NMH approves another language.
NMH decides whether to approve the doctoral examination based on the assessment committee's recommendation.
Re-assessment of the PhD Examination
(cf. section 20 of the regulations)
If NMH does not approve the trial lecture, a new trial lecture must be held. A new trial lecture must be held on a new subject and within three (3) months of the first lecture. A new trial lecture can only be held once. As far as possible, the lecture will be assessed by the same committee as the original one, unless NMH has decided otherwise.
If NMH does not approve the defence, the PhD candidate may defend the dissertation once a second time. A new defence may be held after three (3) months at the earliest and will, as far as possible, be assessed by the same committee as the original defence.