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Why choose this PhD programme?

A PhD degree from the Faculty of Theology qualifies candidates to undertake an academic career and other work requiring a high level of competence and skills. We have an interdisciplinary and international-oriented environment and offer supervision and follow-up in active research environments.

The Faculty of Theology was founded in 1811 and is the oldest faculty at the University of Oslo. The faculty has 350 students and about 60 members of staff.

We have competence in and conduct research on a wide range of subjects: biblical studies, church history, ethics and professional ethics, systematic theology and religious studies.

See our areas of research

The PhD programme

The PhD programme consists of an independent research project in the form of a doctoral thesis, and an educational component. The programme has a stipulated length of 3 years of full-time study, and includes an educational component consisting of six months of work.

The educational component consists of compulsory and elective courses as well as active participation in seminars and conferences.

Completion of the programme requires integration and participation in an active research environment, collaboration with other researchers and affiliations with relevant research networks in Norway and abroad. Candidates receive close follow-up and academic supervision but must take responsibility for planning and carrying out the thesis work.

If you want to apply for a vacant position as a doctoral research fellow or apply for admission with external funding, we require you to demonstrate good results and completion skills from a cand. theol. degree or a Master's degree in a relevant subject. You must be able to write a project description in accordance with applicable norms, and your independent PhD project must be relevant to the faculty’s research.

Doctoral research fellows are normally employed for a 3-year period, working at the faculty.

Read more about application and admission

Network and academic environment

The Faculty of Theology has approximately 17 doctoral research fellows and about 14 candidates with external funding. All candidates are affiliated with active research environments and participate in local and international research courses.

All PhD candidates are encouraged to spend time abroad, as part of the source or field work for their thesis, or in order to receive supervision or other academic follow-up at another university. Participation in external courses and conferences is also a key part of the organized research training, where candidates also have the opportunity to make contacts and build networks.

Read more about study and research abroad

The Faculty cooperates with the national Research Schools Authoritative Texts and Their Reception (ATTR) and Religion-Values-Society (RVS). The Research Schools offer courses, PhD seminars, and a national and international network for PhD candidates working with texts and empirical studies, respectively.

Les mer om forskerskolen Authoritative Texts and Their Reception (ATTR)

Les mer om forskerskolen Religion-Values-Society (RVS)

Further education and work

With a PhD degree from the Faculty of Theology, you can pursue a career as a researcher or a career in other professions requiring a high level of knowledge and competence. Doctoral work allows you to develop skills that can be applied in many industries:

  • written and verbal dissemination
  • result and solution-oriented thinking
  • working independently
  • analytical and Critical thinking
  • project planning
  • working to tight deadlines
  • recognizing new possibilities and perspectives
  • assessing the suitability of different methods and processes
  • formulating academic issues and planning research and development work
  • working with complex academic questions
Published Apr. 22, 2015 8:22 AM - Last modified Dec. 6, 2023 10:41 AM