The completion phase

1. Make sure that you have a statement from the faculty that confirms fulfilled and approved academic training before you apply for evaluation.

2. Application  for evaluation - to be sent to your department

Attachments:

a) Statement that confirms approved academic training

b) Certified copies of examinations and degree certificates (master's degree or similar)

c) 4 copies of the thesis (stabled, with table of contents, page dividers) Several minor piees of work may be apporoved as part of a doctoral thesis, provided that the content of this work forms a whole. In such cases, the individual parts are to be accompanied by a summary, giving a detailed account of the integration of the minor work.
The thesis should also be sent electronic to dmf-post@medisin.ntnu.no

d) Complete list of publications - showing all publications of the candidate, not only the publications included in the thesis

e) Declaration describing the independent research contribution of the candidate for each paper constituting the thesis. The declaration should be filled in and signed by candidate and co-authors

f) Personal statement: Have parts of your thesis been used previously for a graduate degree?

g) Declaration from the supervisor.

h) Proposal from the supervisor/department for adjucication commettee.

ASSESSMENT OF THE THESIS

3. Assessment
The application for assessment and the suggestion for the adjudication committee will continuously without time limits be considered by the Dean on the basis of a recommendation from the Department.  The Faculty will send the thesis with enclosures to the appointed committee.

After appointing the committee, the candidate will be informed of this appointment and of printing procedures for the thesis.

The adjudication committee will base the assessment only from the submitted work.  If parts of thesis or the entire thesis is submitted as manuscripts and during the assessment period have been accepted for publication, the candidate can after receipt of the committee's report ask the Faculty for approval of replacing the manuscripts with the published versions.  The approval can only be granted if the corrections to the manuscripts are of formal character not implying substantial changes to presentation or interpretation of material or adjustments to conclusions of the scientific work.  The final version of the thesis must have a description of the corrections to the originally submitted work (List of errata).

Note that all communication to and from the adjudication committee must be done through the Faculty and not take place between the supervisor/candidate and the committee.

4. Administration of the committee

The administrator of the committee has the responsibility to organize the committee's work, ensuring that the work is started without delay and that the committee will make the deadline for submitting their report.  The administrator must contribute to the coordination of the members' work clarifying how the members will divide the work at the public defence, cp. the "Guidelines for the Evaluation of Candidates for Norwegian Doctoral Degrees".  The administrator must at the earliest possible convenience find a tentative date for lecture(s) and public defence informing the Faculty in due time for booking of auditorium and hotel accommodation.  The administrator must early in the work process clarify in what language the lecture(s) and the public defence will be conducted and of the opponents preferred choice of technical equipment informing the Faculty.

5. The committee is given a deadline of 2 months to complete the assessment.  Upon receipt of the committee's report a copy is sent to the candidate and the supervisor(s) giving a standard time limit of 2 weeks for possible remarks.  Confirmation of receipt of the evaluation and/or remarks in writing must be sent to the Faculty.

6. The committee's report will be considered by the Dean.  The candidate is informed of the appointment of opponents  from the committee and of time and place for lecture(s) and public defence.  Lecture(s) and public defence will be held within ordinary office hours.  Public defence is to be held within a maximum of 6 months after submission of thesis.

DISSEMINATION

7. Printing/compulsory delivery of the thesis

After approval of the thesis 90 copies of the thesis must be brought to the Faculty.  From these 90 copies the Faculty will effect compulsory delivery:  National Library(5), Medical Library, the adjudication committee, acting Vice Dean and the audience at the public defence (approx. 70).  The thesis must be available for the public 1 month before public defence.  Exemption from this deadline can be given following application.

8.  Printing costs

The printing costs must normally be covered by the candidate's project funds.  Questions about financing the printing are to be addressed to the Department.

9. Ordering printing

NTNU has a standard layout for doctoral theses.  The print shops NTNU Trykk, and Skipnes Kommunikasjon AS will have an online ordering system for theses.

The printed theses must have an ISBN/ISSN serial number and the candidate must follow procedures given, re. the print shops' web-pages.

10. Summary

After title page of the printed thesis must be included a Norwegian summary of approx. 1 page (A4) to be sent electronically to the print shop with all files being part of the thesis.  The summary must be at a popular science level and mainly present the results of the research work followed by a short description of the background, structure and methodology of the research project. 

Headline must indicate the Norwegian title of the thesis and the end must indicate time and place for public defence, degree, Department, supervisor(s) and financing, see example.  The summary is also requested sent to the Section of Student and Academic Affairs.

11. List of the dissertation at the Faculty of Medicine

The thesis must include a list of all dissertations at the Faculty of Medicine to be printed in the back of the thesis.  The list will be given to the candidate upon request from the Section of Student and Academic Affairs.

12. Electronic publishing at NTNU

In addition to submitting printed version of theses the candidates must publish their thesis for filing and electronic publishing at the NTNU's library.  It will be possible to opt out of publishing, however an electronic copy must be sent for filing to NTNU's digital archive DIVA  

LECTURE(S) – PUBLIC DEFENCE

13. Trial lecture for PhD (one lecture)

The candidate will be informed of the given the topic for lecture 10 work days before lecture will take place.  The lecture and the public defence will normally take place on the same day.  The lecture is set for 45 minutes, inclusive of 5 minutes questioning and discussion, re. PhD regulations § 14.

14. Trial lectures for dr. philos.  (2 lectures)

The candidate must inform the Faculty of chosen topic for trial lecture one month before lectures take place.  The candidate will be informed of the given topic from the Faculty 10 work days before lectures take place. The candidate can choose in which order to conduct the chosen and given topics.  The lectures will normally take place the day before the public defence within business hours, but can also if possible be conducted the same day as the public defence. The lectures are set for 45 minutes, inclusive of 5 minutes questioning and discussion, re. dr. philos. -regulations § 8.

15. Practical matters for the public defence 

The Section of Student and Academic Affairs will administer practical matters for the public defence (booking of  auditorium, flowers, accommodation and meals for the committee members, announcements etc.)  The candidate's Faculty Department is responsible host for the committee members during their stay and will invite for dinner the evening prior to the public defence.  The Department is also responsible for any event after completed public defence.  The doctoral dinner is the responsibility of the candidate and neither the Department nor the Faculty offers financial support.

16. The public defence

The public defence will be conducted by the Dean or whom the Dean authorizes.  The candidate will introduce the thesis explaining the purpose and results of the scientific research.  The introduction's duration is 20-30 minutes.  The first opponent will initiate the discussion and the second opponent will conclude the discussion.  The lectures and the public defence will be conducted in the language decided by the committee's administrator, preferably in English or Norwegian.

AWARDING THE DOCTORAL DEGREE

17. Resolution awarding the doctoral degree

The adjudication committee must inform the Faculty of their assessment of the trial lectures and the public defence.  The Dean will on basis of this assessment consider whether the degree can be awarded.  The candidate receives information of this resolution.

18. Certificate, Transcript of Records with Diploma Supplement

The Faculty will send the certificate shortly after the public defence by registered mail.  The candidates are requested to correct postal addresses in Studweb (lenke)

19. Doctoral Degree Awards Ceremony

NTNU's doctoral degree awards ceremony will normally take place every year in May/June.  Candidates awarded their doctoral degrees before 1. April, will be invited for the ceremony the same year.  Candidates awarded their doctoral degrees after 1. April, will be invited to the ceremony the following year.

More information about the Awards Ceremony

Suggestion for assessment committee

• The suggestion is to be written on this form.
• Three members shall be suggested, at least two members of the committe should be from outside NTNU. The suggestion is to show how the committee jointly covers the disciplinary area of the thesis
• At least one member of the committee shall be from a foreign institution (international member).
• The committee must consist of members of both sexes. The 1. and 2. opponent shall be of different sex. If not, the suggestion must give an account of at least three relevant persons of the missing sex that have been asked and rejected the request.
• If the faculty exeptionally have to appoint an adjudication committee with 1. and 2. opponent of the same sex, the 3. opponent/administrator (local member) must be of the opposite sex. In these cases, the 3. opponent/administrator should be in the beginning og his/her academic career and not been an administrator more than three times before.
• The members of the adjudication committee must hold a doctoral degree or equivalent academic qualifications
• The provisions applicable to legal competence in the Norwegian Public Administration Act, §§ 6 and following sections, apply to the members of the committee, cf. § 10 of the same Act. At The Faculty of Medicine, co-authoring with either the candidate or the supervisor during the time of PhD education will disqualify from a adjudication committee. A list of publications from both candidate and supervisor must be attached the application for evaluation.
• The same pair of opponents (the two external members) can only be appointed twice for adjudicaton committees for candidates from the same research group.
• Before the suggestion of adjudication committee is sent to the faculty, the supervisor or department should ask the poposed members if they are willing to accept an appointment.
• If the Head of the department approve the suggestion of committee members, he/she should sign the suggestion form and forward it to the faculty no later than the candidates application for doctoral evaluation.

Premises

The faculty administration will book appropriate premises for the public trial lecture and the defence of the dissertation. Flowers, to be placed in the premises, will also be supplied by the faculty administration to celebrate the occasion, and the doctoral candidate will take them home as a memento from the faculty.

Attire

Formal attire is expected to be worn by the doctoral candidate and members of the assessment committee. The dissertation chairman, the Dean – or the person designated as his or her deputy – shall wear the Dean's robe during the defence.

Ceremonial structure

The trial lecture and the defence are opened by the dissertation chairman, committee members and the doctoral degree candidate walking in procession into the auditorium. When the procession enters the auditorium, the audience shall rise.

The order in the procession on entry to the trial lecture is as follows: The dissertation chairman, the first, second and third critic and the doctoral candidate. (The exit is carried out in the reverse order, though the dissertation chairman will normally head the procession.)

The order when entering for the defence: The dissertation chairman, the doctoral candidate, the third, second and first critic (the opposite order on exit).

The dissertation chairman walks to the rostrum, while the remaining members of the procession take their seats.

The function of the dissertation chairman at the trial lecture

The dean or deputy dean introduces the trial lecture based on a manuscript prepared by the faculty administration. After the trial lecture(s) the dean announces the time and place for the defence (information will be provided in the manuscript). The trial lecture lasts 45 minutes.

All the members of the assessment committee must attend the trial lecture(s). (If one of the experts does not attend the trial lecture due to unexpected and unforeseen circumstances, a deputy expert may be designated for the trial lecture by the Dean). Immediately after the trial lecture(s) the committee decides whether the trial lecture(s) can be approved. The trial lecture(s) must have been approved prior to the defence of the dissertation. Before the defence, the dissertation chairman presents the result of the committee assessment of the trial lecture. If the assessment committee deems the trial lecture to be satisfactory, the doctoral candidate will then defend the dissertation in public.

The function of the dissertation chairman at the defence

The chairman must wear the Dean's robe during the defence. The robe is brought/returned by the faculty administration.

The general progress of the defence: During the interval between the trial lecture and the defence, the dissertation chairman should agree with the candidate and the critics as to how the practical matters of the defence are to be conducted. The main features of the defence are as follows:

1. Procession

2. The introduction by the dissertation chairman

3. The candidate has 20-30 minutes to present a brief summary of the most important research contributions of the dissertation.

4. The first critic opens the proceedings. This sequence should normally take around 45 minutes, but preferably not more than an hour.

5. Before the break of around 10 minutes the dissertation chairman announces that any person wishing to speak ex auditorium as a critic must register with the dissertation chairman during the break.

6. Any critics are heard to a reasonable extent, but only brief addresses or questions are allowed.

7. The second critic is heard. This sequence should not extend beyond 45 minutes.

8. When the second critic signals that she or he has finished, the dissertation chairman declares the defence to be concluded and announces to the audience that the result of the defence will be reported to the Dean. The candidate is allowed to give a concluding address, normally to thank the faculty, supervisors, the committee and the academic community.

Celebration

The departments invite the parties involved to a celebration after the defence has been completed, and the department’s representative will contact the candidate to arrange the celebration in accordance with the candidate's wishes.

Some candidates wish to celebrate the day of the defence by inviting the dissertation chairman, the assessment committee, supervisor(s), academic colleagues to a dinner or a similar function. Normally, family and friends of the doctoral candidate are also invited. This celebration is to be considered a private event.

Gift from the university

As a reward from the Faculty of Medicine at NTNU, the doctoral candidate is given a gift, presented by the dissertation chairman or another representative of the department or academic community at the dinner or other celebration after the defence, or if appropriate, immediately after the defence.