Section 1.Scope of the guidelines

These Regulations apply to all education culminating in the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. These Regulations lay down provisions for admission to, execution of, and completion of doctoral education, including joint degrees and cotutelle (joint supervision) agreements.

For other provisions that regulate the matters related to the PhD degree, please refer to the Norwegian Act relating to universities and university colleges (2005), level 8 of the Norwegian qualifications framework for lifelong learning (NKR, 2011), the Regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for the posts of postdoktor (post-doctoral research fellow), stipendiat (research fellow), vitenskapelig assistant (research assistant) and spesialistkandidat (resident) (2006), the Regulations governing degrees and protected titles (2005), the Ministry of Education and Research’s regulations governing quality assurance and quality enhancement in higher education and tertiary vocational education (2010), the Norwegian Agency of Quality Assurance and Education’s (NOKUT) Academic Supervision Regulations (2017), the Act on ethics and integrity in research (2017), and the European Charter for Researchers & Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (2005).

Section 2.Terminology

The PhD in artistic research is hereafter also referred to as the artistic PhD or the doctoral degree.

The terms artistic PhD project and project are used to refer to the work done within the contract period from admission to completion, excluding the required coursework.

The terms the artistic doctoral outcome and the doctoral outcome refers to the result of the doctoral project that is submitted for assessment. Artistic practice shall form the core of the artistic doctoral outcome. At the same time, the artistic practice must be accompanied by an explicit reflection, which, when the project is presented, allows others to take part in the way of working and potential insights made possible through the artistic research.

Section 3.Scope, content and objectives of the doctoral education

Section 3-1.

The objective of the doctoral education is to qualify candidates to conduct artistic research at an international level and perform other types of work in society that require a high level of artistic expertise and competence in accordance with sound academic practice and established standards for research ethics.

The doctoral education aims to provide the candidate with knowledge, skills and expertise in keeping with the Norwegian Qualifications Framework for Higher Education.

The doctoral education normally consists of three years of full-time study and includes a training component comprising required coursework with a minimum scope of 30 credits.

The key component of the doctoral education is an independent artistic research project carried out under active academic supervision.

Section 3-2.

The PhD in artistic research is conferred on the basis of:

Section 4.Responsibility for the doctoral education

The Board of Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (hereinafter, INN University or the Institution) has the overall responsibility for the doctoral education offered at the Institution. This responsibility is managed by the Rector on behalf of the Board.

The PhD programme shall have its own PhD committee. The Rector determines the mandate and composition of the PhD committee.

Section 5.Quality assurance

The doctoral education is covered by the Institution’s quality assurance system for educational activities.

Section 6.Admission

Section 6-1.Conditions for admission

To be eligible for admission to doctoral education, applicants must normally have a five-year master’s degree in the relevant field, cf. the descriptions in the second cycle of the Norwegian Qualifications Framework. For admission to an artistic PhD, the master’s degree must be in performing or creative arts.

After special assessment, the PhD committee may approve other equivalent education or artistic competency as a basis for admission.

The faculty may set additional qualification requirements based on criteria that are publicly available and in keeping with the Institution’s recruitment policy and academic profile.

The application must contain:

The PhD committee determines the content of the application form and may set additional documentation requirements.

The candidate is normally obliged to be in residence at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. Arrangements can be made for shorter or longer periods of external residencies at other places of work. Information on obligatory residency is to be readily available to applicants.

In general, an application for admission to doctoral training must be submitted within three (3) months of the start-up of the research project that will culminate in conferral of the PhD degree. If less than one (1) year of full-time work on the artistic PhD project remains at the time of submission of the application, the application will be rejected, cf. section 6-3.

Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences can make exceptions to this requirement for applicants who, at the time of application, are active artistic research fellows at the institution under the Norwegian Artistic Research Fellowship Programme.

Section 6-2.Infrastructure

The infrastructure necessary for carrying out the research project must be made available to the candidate. It is the responsibility of the PhD committee in dialogue with the host faculty to decide what infrastructure is necessary for the execution of the project. For candidates with external funding or an external workplace, an agreement must be entered into between the Institution and the external party in connection with the research project concerned. As a general rule, the agreement must be signed prior to the formal admission of the candidate, or immediately thereafter.

Section 6-3.Admission decision

The decision to grant admission is made by the dean following a recommendation from the PhD committee, based on an overall assessment of the application. The PhD committee may stipulate criteria for use in ranking qualified applicants when the number of applicants exceeds the Institution’s admission capacity.

The formal admission letter shall appoint at least one academic supervisor, assign responsibility for dealing with other needs outlined in the application, and establish the start and end dates of the agreement period. The programme start date will be the same as the date on which the candidate starts receiving funding.

Admission will be denied if:

Section 7.The PhD agreement

Section 7-1.Parties to the agreement

Admission to doctoral education at the Institution must be formalised in a written agreement signed by the PhD candidate, the academic supervisor(s) and the faculty to which the candidate has been admitted. The agreement regulates the rights and obligations of the parties during the period of admission and is intended to ensure that the candidate participates on a regular basis in an active research group and that she/he is able to complete the training within the agreed time period. The PhD committee is responsible for creating a standardised agreement template for this purpose.

For PhD candidates with funding from, employment at, or other ties to an external party, a separate agreement must be signed between the candidate, the faculty and the external party, in keeping with the established guidelines.

In the event that the PhD candidate will be affiliated with an institution abroad, INN University’s guidelines for such cooperation must be followed, and a separate agreement must be entered into using a standard agreement template. As a general rule, the signed agreement must be appended to the admission agreement.

Section 7-2.Agreement period

Doctoral education normally consists of three (3) years of full-time study.

If the candidate’s training is interrupted for statutory reasons, the agreement period will be extended correspondingly.

The faculty may extend the agreement period on the basis of a valid application.

Upon granting an extension, the faculty may stipulate further conditions for the extension.

The maximum time for completing the PhD study, not including any statutory leaves of absence and compulsory work, is six (6) years.

When the period of admission expires, the parties’ rights and obligations in connection with the PhD agreement terminate. This means that the PhD candidate may lose his/her right to receive academic supervision, attend courses and have access to the INN University’s infrastructure. However, the candidate may apply to have the artistic doctoral project assessed for the PhD degree.

Section 7-3.Voluntary termination prior to expiry of the agreement period

The candidate and the faculty may agree that the candidate’s participation in the doctoral programme will be terminated prior to expiry of the agreement period. In the event of voluntary termination, all questions regarding the terms and conditions of employment, funding, rights to the use of the research results, etc. must be settled in a termination agreement.

In the event of voluntary termination because the candidate wishes to change project or transfer to another programme, the candidate must submit a new application for admission based on the new project.

Section 7-4.Involuntary termination in the event of delay or lack of progress

The Rector may decide on involuntary termination of the PhD education when a candidate does not fulfil her/his obligations under the doctoral agreement in a material way, cf. section 4-13 (2) of the Act relating to universities and university colleges. When one or more of the following conditions are fulfilled, the Rector may, upon the recommendation of the dean of the relevant faculty, decide to impose involuntary termination of the candidate’s PhD education:

Appeals on decisions pursuant to this paragraph shall be processed by INN University’s Joint Appeals Committee for Student Affairs; cf. section 5-1 of the Act relating to universities and university colleges and appurtenant regulations.

Section 7-5.Involuntary termination in the event of cheating on examinations or tests

If it is found that a PhD candidate has cheated on examinations or tests during the PhD programme, the Institution may decide to annul such examinations and tests, cf. section 4-7 of the Act relating to universities and university colleges. If the matter is so serious as to constitute research misconduct, cf. section 4-13, first paragraph, of the same Act, and the Act on ethics and integrity in research, cf. section 8, second paragraph, the Institution may decide to impose involuntary termination.

Decisions pursuant to this paragraph must be made by the Appeal Board at INN University. Complaints are to be handled by the Joint Appeals Committee for Student Affairs, cf. section 5-1 of the Act relating to universities and university colleges and appurtenant regulations.

Section 7-6.Involuntary termination in the event of research misconduct

If it is found that a PhD candidate is guilty of research misconduct, cf. section 4-13, first paragraph, of the Act relating to universities and university colleges, and cf. section 8, second paragraph, of the Act on ethics and integrity in research, the Institution may decide to impose involuntary termination.

Decisions to impose involuntary termination on grounds of research misconduct are made by the Institution. Complaints regarding such decisions will be handled by the Ministry or a special appeals committee appointed by the Ministry.

Section 8.Academic supervision

Work on the artistic doctoral research must be carried out under individual academic supervision. The faculty, the PhD programme and the academic supervisors must work together to ensure that the PhD candidate participates in an active research environment.

Section 8-1.Appointment of academic supervisors

As a general rule, the PhD candidate shall have two academic supervisors, one of whom must be designated as the main supervisor. The main academic supervisor ought to have been appointed at the time of admission.

The main academic supervisor has the main responsibility for following up the candidate’s academic development and execution of the doctoral project in accordance with the progress plan. The main academic supervisor should normally be an employee of INN University. If the PhD committee appoints an external main academic supervisor, a co-supervisor from INN University must be appointed.

Co-supervisors are experts in the field who provide guidance and share the academic responsibility for the candidate with the main academic supervisor.

The provisions on impartiality in section 6-10 of the Public Administration Act regarding disqualification apply to the academic supervisors.

All academic supervisors must hold a doctoral degree or equivalent qualification in the relevant research field and be active practitioners in their field.

The main academic supervisor must have doctoral level artistic competence in the relevant subject area.

At least one of the appointed academic supervisors must have previous experience or training in serving as an academic supervisor for PhD candidates.

Both the PhD candidate and academic supervisor may ask the faculty to appoint a new academic supervisor for the candidate. The academic supervisor may not withdraw before a new academic supervisor has been appointed. The parties may bring any disputes regarding the rights and obligations of the academic supervisor and candidate related to academic issues to the Institution for review and a final decision.

Section 8-2.Duties of the academic supervisors

The candidate and academic supervisors should have regular contact. The frequency of the contact between the parties should be stated in the annual progress report, cf. section 10-1.

The candidate and main academic supervisor should review the project description and assess any need for adjustments as soon as possible and no later than three (3) months after admission. Significant changes to the project description must be approved by the PhD committee.

The academic supervisors are to give advice on the delimitation of topics and research questions, and assess methods and results, including documentation and methods of dissemination, and provide guidance with respect to current academic discourse. The academic supervisors must also advise the candidate on research ethical issues related to the doctoral work.

The academic supervisors have a duty to remain informed about the progress of the candidate’s work and to assess it in relation to the progress plan in the project description, cf. section 6-1.

The academic supervisors are required to follow up academic matters that may cause a delay in the candidate’s progress so that the candidate can complete the training within the stipulated time period.

Section 9.Required coursework

Section 9-1.Purpose, content and scope

The doctoral education must be organised such that candidates are able to complete their training within the stipulated time frame.

The Institution is responsible for ensuring that the required coursework and the work involved in the artistic PhD project together provide education at a high academic level in accordance with international standards. This includes training in dissemination of results and an introduction to ethics, theory and methods. The required coursework, together with the artistic PhD project, must contribute to the achievement of the expected learning outcomes in accordance with the Norwegian Qualifications Framework.

INN University should offer PhD candidates advice on future career opportunities within and outside academia, including making the candidates aware of the expertise that they have acquired through their doctoral work.

If INN University cannot offer the entire required coursework itself, arrangements must be made for the candidate to receive equivalent training at other institutions.

The required coursework must consist of at least 30 credits, of which 20 credits must be completed after admission to the programme. Credits approved as part of the required coursework should not have been completed more than two (2) years prior to the date of admission.

Doctoral-level courses completed at another institution must be approved in accordance with the provisions of section 3-5 of the Act relating to universities and university colleges.

Section 9-2.Affiliation with an academic environment

It is a prerequisite that the candidate contributes to the Institution’s academic environment, for example through subject-area-related activities such as seminars, workshops and dissemination. The faculty and the academic supervisor will systematically follow up the activities so that contact with the academic community is planned and ensured.

Section 9-3.The candidate’s rights in the event of a leave of absence

PhD candidates on parental leave from the doctoral programme may nevertheless attend classes and sit for examinations in courses that are going to be included as part of the candidate’s required coursework during their period of leave, in accordance with section 14-10, fourth paragraph, of the National Insurance Act and the circular from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) on section 14-10, fourth paragraph, of 18 December 2006.

Section 10.Reporting and midterm assessment

Section 10-1.Reporting

During the term of the agreement, the PhD candidate and the academic supervisors shall submit independent annual written reports directly to the PhD committee. Progress reports are to be written using standard templates and will be treated confidentially when the information therein so requires.

The candidate and the academic supervisor have equal responsibility for submitting the required reports. Failure to submit a progress report or inadequate progress reporting from the candidate may result in involuntary termination of the candidate’s participation in the doctoral programme prior to the expiry of the agreement period, cf. section 7-4. Academic supervisors who fail to comply with the reporting requirements may be relieved of their supervisory responsibilities.

In connection with reporting, the candidate and the main academic supervisor shall review the project description and assess the need for adjustments. Significant changes must be approved by the PhD committee.

The PhD committee may establish special reporting requirements, as necessary.

Section 10-2.Midterm assessment

A midterm assessment of the research project should normally be carried out in the third or fourth semester. The PhD committee lays down guidelines for midterm assessment.

If the assessment group finds major shortcomings in the doctoral project, measures must be implemented to rectify the situation.

Section 11.Requirements for the artistic doctoral outcome

Section 11-1.Requirements for the artistic doctoral outcome

The artistic doctoral outcome must be an independent artistic research project that meets international standards with regard to academic level and ethical requirements in the research field.

Artistic practice shall form the core of the artistic doctoral outcome. At the same time, the artistic practice must be accompanied by an explicit reflection, which, when the project is presented, allows others to take part in the way of working and potential insights made possible through the artistic research.

The artistic doctoral outcome must be at a level that contributes to development of new knowledge, insight and experience within the subject area.

The artistic doctoral outcome may consist of one or several parts that comprise a whole. If the artistic doctoral outcome consists of several parts, the candidate must provide an account of how they are related.

The candidate himself/herself chooses the medium and form of the doctoral outcome.

The artistic doctoral outcome must be documented in a permanent format. Where language is used in the artistic doctoral outcome, this material must be made available in English.

Section 11-2.Collaborative work

It is the responsibility of the PhD committee to decide whether an artistic doctoral outcome produced by several people jointly can be submitted for evaluation. In this case, it must be possible to identify the contributions of the individuals involved.

If the artistic doctoral outcome or parts of the outcome have been produced in collaboration with other cooperating partners, the PhD candidate must follow the norms for co-authorship that are generally accepted within the academic and artistic community, in accordance with international standards.

A doctoral outcome containing collaborative contributions from cooperating partners must include a signed declaration that describes the candidate’s contribution to each of the works.

Section 11-3.Works that are not approved

Works or parts of works that have been approved as the basis for previous examinations or degrees may not be submitted for assessment as part of the artistic doctoral outcome unless they comprise only a minor part of the doctoral outcome. However, data, analyses and methodologies from previous degrees may be used as the basis for the work on the project.

Previously published works will not be approved for use as part of the artistic doctoral outcome if more than five (5) years has passed from the date that they first were made public to the date of admission. The PhD committee may grant exemption from this rule in extraordinary cases, cf. section 11-1.

The artistic doctoral outcome may only be submitted to only one educational institution for evaluation, cf. section 13-2.

Section 12.Obligation to report research results that have potential for commercial exploitation

The intellectual property rights of collaborating institutions or between INN University and other parties must be regulated in a written agreement.

PhD candidates employed at INN University must report research results with potential for commercial exploitation that are produced during the employment relationship in accordance with the University’s regulations in force at the time.

For PhD candidates with an external employer, a corresponding obligation to report must be stipulated in a written agreement between INN University, the PhD candidate and the external employer.

For PhD candidates without an employer, the corresponding obligation to report must be stipulated in the admission agreement between INN University and the PhD candidate.

Section 13.Application for assessment

Section 13-1.Basis for assessment

The requirements for awarding the artistic PhD are stated in section 3-2.

To apply for assessment, the candidate must submit an application for assessment of the artistic doctoral outcome, cf. section 13-2.

It is the main academic supervisor’s duty to notify the responsible unit at the faculty that an application for assessment is imminent, so that necessary preparations can be made.

As a general rule, the main academic supervisor should recommend the application.

Section 13-2.Application for assessment of the artistic doctoral outcome

The following documents must be attached to the application:

The application must be submitted to the PhD committee at the latest five (5) months before the planned public presentation of the doctoral outcome.

Section 13-3.Processing of the application

The PhD committee processes the application for assessment of the artistic doctoral outcome. Applications that do not fulfil the requirements stated in section 13-2 will be rejected. The PhD committee can, on an independent basis, reject an application for assessment if it is obvious that the artistic doctoral outcome does not meet a high enough standard and will be rejected by the assessment committee.

Section 14.Appointment of an assessment committee

Once the PhD committee has approved an application for assessment of the artistic doctoral outcome, the dean, following a recommendation from the PhD committee, appoints an expert committee comprised of at least three members who will assess the doctoral outcome and the public defence. The committee members are subject to the provisions in section 6 of the Public Administration Act regarding impartiality.

The assessment committee will normally be comprised so that:

If these criteria are not met, an explanation must be provided.

The PhD committee determines the procedure for the appointment of assessment committees. An explanation of the reasoning behind the composition of the committee must be provided, indicating how the committee covers the fields included in the doctoral outcome. The dean, following a recommendation from the PhD committee, appoints either one of the committee members or another person to serve as the committee’s chair, normally the internal member.

The appointed academic supervisors and others who have contributed to the artistic doctoral outcome may not be members of the assessment committee or involved in its administration.

When required, the dean may appoint an alternate to sit on the assessment committee.

The candidate must be notified of the proposed composition of the committee and be given the opportunity to submit written comments no later than one week after the proposal has been made known to the candidate.

Section 15.The work of the assessment committee

The assessment committee must receive this Regulation and any guidelines for the assessment of the artistic doctoral degree.

Section 15-1.Assessment of the artistic doctoral outcome

The assessment committee must also be sent the plan for where, when and how the artistic doctoral outcome is to be submitted and publicly presented, cf. section 13-2.

Before the assessment committee begins its work, the faculty shall, at a meeting with the committee, review the objectives and profile of the artistic PhD programme, and the responsibilities and duties ascribed to the assessment committee.

The entire artistic doctoral outcome must be available by the time of the public presentation. If the candidate wishes to make parts of the artistic doctoral outcome available to the committee before the public presentation, this must be submitted to the committee no later than four weeks before the public presentation of the artistic doctoral outcome.

If part or all of the public presentation of the artistic doctoral outcome takes place in the form of an exhibition, screening, performance, installation, or other event taking place at a specific time and location, the entire assessment committee is normally required to be present at the same time.

If the committee finds that extensive changes are needed in order to deem the doctoral outcome worthy of a public defence, the committee must reject the doctoral outcome. There is no option to request reworking of the doctoral outcome.

Section 15-2.Report of the assessment committee

The assessment committee submits a report stating whether the doctoral outcome is worthy of defence for the PhD degree, including an explanation of the reasoning behind its recommendation. In this report, all parts of the submitted or presented documentation must be discussed in relation to the criteria in section 11-1. The report should be discursive and end with a clear conclusion regarding whether the artistic doctoral outcome should be approved or not. Any dissenting opinions and individual statements by committee members must be included and explained in the report.

The assessment committee submits its report to the PhD committee.

The assessment committee’s report must be delivered no later than three (3) months after the committee has received all the parts of the artistic doctoral outcome for assessment.

The assessment committee’s report is submitted to the PhD committee, which forwards the report to the PhD candidate. The candidate is given ten (10) working days to submit written comments on the report. If the candidate does not wish to submit any comments, he/she must notify the PhD committee of this in writing as soon as possible.

Any written comments by the PhD candidate must be sent to the PhD committee. The PhD committee makes the final decision on the matter, cf. section 16.

Section 15-3.Correction of formal errors

An artistic doctoral outcome that has been submitted or presented may not be withdrawn before the assessment committee has determined whether it is worthy of defence for the PhD degree.

However, the candidate may apply for permission to correct formal errors after submission or presentation of the work. A complete list of the errors that the candidate wishes to correct (an errata list) must be attached to the application. An application to correct formal errors may be submitted only once, and no later than four (4) weeks prior to the committee’s deadline for submission of its final report.

Section 16.The Institution’s processing of the assessment committee’s report

On the basis of the report by the assessment committee, the PhD committee determines whether the artistic doctoral outcome is worthy of public defence.

Unanimous committee decision

If the assessment committee submits a unanimous recommendation and the PhD committee finds that the assessment committee’s recommendation should be adopted as the basis for its final decision, the PhD committee will make a final decision in accordance with the unanimous recommendation.

If the PhD committee finds that there are valid grounds to doubt whether the assessment committee’s unanimous decision should be adopted as the basis for its final decision, the PhD committee must request further clarification from the assessment committee and/or appoint two new expert reviewers, who will submit individual evaluations of the artistic doctoral outcome. These kinds of additional statements or individual opinions must be presented to the PhD candidate, who will be given the opportunity to comment on the matter.

The PhD committee makes the final decision on the matter on the basis of the assessment committee’s report and the subsequent statements obtained.

Non-unanimous committee decision

If the assessment committee submits a non-unanimous recommendation and the PhD committee chooses to adopt the majority’s opinion as the basis for its final decision, the PhD committee will make a final decision in accordance with the majority’s recommendation. If the assessment committee submits a non-unanimous recommendation and the PhD committee chooses to consider adopting the minority’s opinion as the basis for its final decision, the PhD committee may request further clarification from the assessment committee and/or appoint two new expert reviewers, who will submit individual evaluations of the artistic doctoral outcome. These kinds of additional statements or individual evaluations must be presented to the PhD candidate, who will be given the opportunity to comment on the matter. If both new expert reviewers concur with the majority’s opinion in the original report by the assessment committee, the majority’s recommendation must be followed.

The candidate will be informed of the outcome after procedures related to the statements by the new expert reviewers have been completed.

Section 17.Resubmission

An artistic doctoral outcome that has been not found to be worthy of public defence may be resubmitted for assessment in a revised form no earlier than six (6) months after the initial rejection. An artistic doctoral outcome may be resubmitted for assessment only once.

The final deadline for submitting an application for a new assessment is two (2) years after the PhD committee made its decision not to approve the artistic doctoral outcome.

In the event of resubmission, the PhD candidate must clearly state that the artistic doctoral outcome has previously been assessed and was not found to be worthy of defence, cf. section 13-2.

If the artistic doctoral outcome is resubmitted at another institution, the candidate must first be formally admitted to that institution, cf. section 6-3.

Section 18.Public availability of the artistic doctoral outcome

Section 18-1.Requirements regarding public availability

The artistic doctoral outcome must be made public.

The candidate must provide a brief written summary or presentation of the artistic doctoral outcome in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish as well as in English, possibly also in another language, if that language is used in all or parts of the doctoral outcome. This summary must be made public.

Section 18-2.Public availability

The artistic doctoral outcome must be made available to the public no later than two (2) weeks prior to the date of the public defence. The material must be made available in the form in which it was submitted for assessment, cf. section 15-1.

The doctoral outcome must be archived in a permanent format

No restrictions may be placed on the publication of the artistic doctoral outcome, except in the event of a prior agreement concerning a delay in the date of publication. The purpose of this kind of delay is to enable INN University and any external parties that have fully or partially funded the candidate’s PhD education to consider possible patenting, etc. An external party may not demand that all or part of an artistic doctoral outcome be withheld from the public domain, cf. section 6.

In the event of publication or public presentation of the artistic doctoral outcome, the candidate must follow the applicable guidelines on the crediting of institutions. This also applies to other works and presentations held on the basis of the artistic doctoral project. As a general rule, INN University must be listed as the author’s address in the publication or public presentation if the Institution has made a necessary and substantial contribution or provided a basis for the work being made publicly available. Other institutions must also be credited if they satisfy the conditions for what constitutes participation in the doctoral outcome.

Section 19.Public defence

The public defence of the artistic doctoral outcome must take place no later than two (2) months after the PhD committee finding the artistic doctoral outcome worthy of public defence.

The time and location of the public defence must be announced at least ten (10) working days prior to the scheduled date.

The committee that originally assessed the artistic doctoral outcome also assesses the public defence. The public defence must be held in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English, unless the PhD committee approves the use of a different language.

There will normally be two opponents at the defence. The two opponents must be members of the assessment committee and will be appointed by the PhD Committee.

The public defence will be chaired by the dean of the faculty, or a person appointed by the dean. The chair of the defence will give a brief explanation of the procedures relating to the submission and evaluation of the artistic doctoral outcome. Then the PhD candidate provides an account of the purpose and findings of the doctoral artistic research project. The first opponent begins the questioning of the PhD candidate, and the second opponent concludes the questioning. The faculty may decide different distribution of the tasks normally assigned to the opponents and the candidate. After both opponents have concluded their questioning, members of the audience will have the opportunity to comment ex auditorio. One of the opponents rounds up the questioning, and the chair of the defence concludes the public defence.

The assessment committee makes a recommendation to the PhD committee, in which it provides an account of its assessment of the public defence of the artistic doctoral outcome. The recommendation must culminate in a conclusion stating whether the defence was approved or not. If the defence is not approved, the assessment committee must explain the reasoning behind its recommendation.

Section 20.Approval of the public defence

The PhD committee makes the final decision on approval of the doctoral examination on the basis of the assessment committee’s recommendation.

If the PhD committee does not approve the public defence, the PhD candidate may defend the doctoral outcome one more time. A new defence can be held at the earliest after six (6) months and must, to the extent possible, be assessed by the same committee that assessed the first defence.

Section 21.Conferral of the degree and diploma

Section 21-1.Conferral of the degree

Based on the institution’s decision that the required coursework, the artistic doctoral outcome and the public defence have been approved, the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) in Artistic Research will be conferred on the candidate.

Section 21-2.Diploma

The diploma is issued by INN University and provides information about the academic training in which the candidate has participated. INN University determines what additional information is to appear on the diploma.

Section 22.Diploma supplement

INN University will also issue a diploma supplement, i.e. an attachment to the artistic PhD diploma, in keeping with the applicable guidelines.

Section 23.Joint degrees and cotutelle (joint supervision) agreements

Section 23-1.Joint degrees and cotutelle (joint-supervision) agreements

INN University may enter into an agreement with one or more Norwegian or foreign institutions regarding collaboration on joint degrees or cotutelle agreements. The agreement must be signed by the Rector.

Agreements on collaboration on joint degrees or cotutelle may stipulate exemption from other provisions in these recommended guidelines, if this is necessary due to the regulations of the partner institutions. Such exemptions, both individually and as a whole, must be clearly justifiable, in accordance with the academic qualification requirements for a corresponding artistic PhD degree at INN University.

Section 23-2.Joint degrees

The term «joint degree» is defined as a collaboration between two or more institutions in which the partner institutions are all jointly responsible for admission, academic supervision, the conferral of the degree and other elements as described in these recommended guidelines. The collaboration is normally organised in the form of a consortium and is regulated by a contract between the consortium members. For a completed joint degree, a joint diploma is issued in the form of: a) a diploma issued by the consortium members as a group, b) a diploma issued by each of the consortium members, or a combination of a) and b).

An agreement to issue a joint degree is normally only entered into an established, stable academic collaboration already exists between INN University and at least one of the other consortium members. The Board is responsible for establishing detailed guidelines for collaboration on joint degrees, including templates for collaboration agreements.

Section 23-3.Cotutelle agreements

The term «cotutelle» is defined as the joint academic supervision of PhD candidates and collaboration on doctoral training for PhD candidates. A cotutelle agreement must be entered into for each individual candidate and should be based on established, academic collaboration between the institutions.

Section 23-4.Requirements related to joint degrees and cotutelle agreements

The admission requirements, the requirement that the artistic doctoral outcome must be made available to the public, and the requirement that the public defence must be assessed by an impartial committee cannot be waived.

Section 24.Appeals

Section 24-1.Appeal against rejection of an application for admission, appeal of a decision to terminate a student’s admission rights, and appeal against rejection of an application for approval of parts of the required coursework

Rejection of an application for admission, a decision to terminate a student’s admission rights, and rejection of an application for approval of parts of the required coursework may be appealed pursuant to the provisions of section 28ff of the Public Administration Act. The appeal, including a description of the grounds for the appeal, must be sent to the PhD committee. If the rejection is not overturned, the appeal is sent to INN University’s Appeals Board for a final decision.

Section 24-2.Appeal against an examination as part of the required coursework

Examinations taken as part of the required coursework may be appealed pursuant to section 5-2 «Appeals regarding procedural errors in connection with examinations» and section 5-3 «Appeals regarding a student’s grade – right to explanation» of the Act relating to universities and university colleges.

Section 24-3.Appeal against the rejection of an application for assessment, rejection of the artistic doctoral outcome, or the public defence

Rejection of an application for assessment of the artistic doctoral outcome and a decision of non-approval of the artistic doctoral outcome or public defence may be appealed pursuant to section 28ff of the Public Administration Act.

A detailed appeal should be sent to the PhD committee. If the rejection is not overturned, the appeal is sent to the Appeals Board for a final decision. If the PhD committee or the Appeals Board find grounds for this, individual experts or a committee may be appointed to appraise the assessment that was carried out and the criteria on it was based, or to conduct a new or supplementary expert assessment.

Section 25.Transitional provisions

Candidates who have been admitted to the Norwegian Artistic Research Fellowship Programme can apply to INN University to be admitted to the study programme for the PhD in artistic research, cf. section 6-1, last paragraph.

The doctoral degree in artistic research is awarded only after completion of the artistic PhD study programme.

Section 26.Entry into force

These Regulations enter into force on August 29, 2022.