PhD Programme in Engineering Science Programme description

Program Structure

The program constitutes a scientifically and pedagogically integrated whole; with compulsory and elective components (all comprising 10 ECTS), in addition to master’s theses of 30 ECTS.

Content of common compulsory courses

These courses provide basic insight and some practical skills in behavior analysis.The philosophy of science that is fundamental to behavior analysis is introduced and placed in a wider context of philosophy of science. Thestatus of various scientific approaches in modern society is discussed. The courses place the study of human behavior in a natural science tradition and emphasize a selectionist understanding of change processes. Basic ontological and epistemological questions arediscussed: unity of knowledge; therelationship between natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities; determining and defining analytical units in research; and methodological approaches suitable for promoting effective action. Behavior analysis – experimental, conceptual and applied – is introduced as a cumulative science of behavior.

Compulsory courses

• MALK4000-401 Complexity, Science and Society;
• MALK4000-402 Relational Skills
• MALK4000-403 Behavior Analysis and Radical Behaviorism;
• MALK211 Introduction to Behavior Analysis;
• MALKA212 Refinement of Behavior Analytic Terms
• MALKA213 Laboratory Exercies - Experimental Analysis of Behavior
• MALKA214 Experimental Design and Functional Analysis

Content of elective courses

In the elective courses, various behaviorally based approaches to initiating, facilitating and managing change processes in individual behavior repertoire, organizations and systems are studied. Behavioral technology comprises everything from basic self-control techniques to sophisticated tools for initiating and managing complex processes in large organizations. Important features in this methodology are operational measures of change and continuous data collection.

Elective courses (a total of 20 ECTS)

Each student chooses two (2) of the following courses:

• MALKA215 Complex Human Behavior;
• MALKA217 Early Intervention for Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders;
• MALKA218 Ethical Considerations in Applied Behavior Analysis;
• MALKA219 Organizational Behavior Management (OBM);
• MALKA220 Behavioral Economics
• MALKA221 Complex Systems and Risk Management (not offered in 2024/25)
• MALKA222 Clinical Behavior Analysis

Elective courses are normally offered every Fall term. Students enrol for courses bydeadlines each semester, and thedepartment reserves the right to cancel courses with insufficient enrolment. Depending on the number of students enrolled, changes may be made in the way the courses are conducted.

Master's thesis

Students write an individual master’s thesis worth 30 ECTS (MALK5910). The thesis is usually a work in progress during the elective courses, when students participate in research projects with faculty.

By the end of the final course at the latest, the student submits a thesis outline, including a research question, a plan for progress, and a plan for dissemination (see guidelines, Thesis outline). When faculty approves the thesis outline, the student is assigned a supervisor for his thesis work. See the course descriptions for MALK5910 for a more detailed description of the master’s thesis worth 30 ECTS.

Two compulsory seminars in research ethics cover academic honesty; the work of Regional Ethics Committees; the guidelines of OsloMet on research ethics and research fraud; current publication manuals and APA style manuscript preparation, and the use of electronic reference management tools. The seminars are taken place digitally and are open forstudents from all stages of the program. One seminar is held every semester, and both seminars must be completed before the proposal for the thesis is submitted.

The master’s thesis can be written in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

The program complies with the quality assurance systems required by the university.

Progression Requirements

All coursework requirements must be approved to sit for the final course exam. Coursework requirements must be approved to participate and submit coursework requirements according to the following:

• MALKA211: MALK4000-401, MALK4000-403, or equivalent
• MALKA212: MALK4000-401, MALK4000-403, MALKA211, or equivalent
• MALKA213: MALK4000-401, MALK4000-403, MALKA211, MALKA212, or equivalent
• MALKA214: MALK4000-401, MALK4000-403, MALKA211, or equivalent
• MALKA215: MALK4000-401, MALK4000-403, MALKA211, MALKA212, MALKA214, or equivalent
• MALK5910: All courses in the specialisation must be completed with pass grades and the coursework requirements, including seminars in research ethics, must be approved before the candidate may submit the master’s thesis.

Exemption from the provisions of progression requirements may in special cases and upon application by the student, be granted.

Varied and student-active teaching methods are used in the program. The languages of instruction are Norwegian and English. Textbooks, reading packages and digital course sequences are in English.

Good learning outcomes primarily depend on the students’ own efforts. Student effort includes benefiting from teaching and academic supervision; following this up with independent work in the form of theoretical studies, and, when relevant, practical skills training. The program is demanding, and requires consistent effort during the whole semester. The most important work and teaching forms used in each course in the program are described below. Individual course descriptions state which work methods each course employs.

Web-based work and teaching methods

Several forms of digital learning resources are used in the program, such as digital textbooks, digital lectures, video clips, tests, and assignments. These resources can be used to prepare for teaching sessions, during seminars using Interteaching, and as part of self-study. This form of teaching requires the students to meet prepared for the scheduled teaching sessions. Interaction can also take place digitally. Students from both specialisations will have access to digitalised versions of the course content. For the digital course sequences, feedback on details of course content, and supervised discussion groups will be available during pre-determined time periods.

Personalized System of Instruction (PSI)

The Innovation and Implementation specialisation provides students with digital course sequences constructed from the principles of Personalized System of Instruction, PSI. This is a teaching program that builds verbal/conceptual repertoires by going from basic to advanced concepts with no gaps in between, and where student progress is contingent on mastering previous learning units at a certain level before the next unit is made available. This will, with required readings matched to the course content and dedicated sessions for teacher’s response to student questions, allow for a certain degree of self-pacing, making this suited for part-time students with different demands on their time than full-time students. The complete content of each course will be broken down into course sequences that build upon the previous one, with a mastery test at the end of each sequence. A success rate of 80% allows the student to continue to the next sequence.

The course sequences replace lectures and workshops for those who are in the Innovation and Implementation specialisation, but students are welcome to participate in all teaching and learning activities, irrespective of their specialisation.

Lectures

Lectures are primarily used to introduce new subject matter, provide an overview and highlight main elements and links within different topics, and also to communicate relevant issues.

Seminars

Seminars emphasize dialogue and discussion between the subject teacher(s) and students in order to stimulate the student's academic development. Verbal presentations by students and discussions are emphazised.

Interteaching

Interteaching is a technology of classroom instruction based on the principles of behavior analysis. The Interteaching method includes pre-session reading; discussion of pre-determined questions in pairs with perambulating instructors; summarizing lectures based on questions from the discussions, and data collection including student evaluation of each session.

Written assignments

Written assignments vary according to learning outcomes, course content and work methods. The assignments usually consist of written work, in the form of essays, reaction papers or reviews of literature, or multiple-choice tests. The coursework requirements ensure steady academic progress and stimulate the students to acquire new knowledge; testing their knowledge, skills and competencies against the standards of the course outcomes. Coursework requirements get feedback from instructors and are specifically designed to give students practice in academic writing and prepare them for thesis work.

Simulation/laboratory exercises/skills training

Simulation/laboratory exercises/skills training is used to design and execute learning experiments, giving hands-on experience with basic learning processes and experiments.

Self-study and student cooperation/group work

Learning requires a high degree of self-paced activity and self-study, including both individual work and cooperation with fellow students. Through activities such as exchanging ideas, presentations, discussions, writing assignments and problem-based assignments, students will be stimulated to learn by communicating knowledge and experience, expressing their own opinions and, together, reflecting on their own attitudes, actions and understanding of the field. Students are encouraged to take initiative to schedule and actively participate in study groups to promote learning. Information about the activities in the institute’s research groups is presented at the start the program, and students are encouraged to take part in the lab activities in the research groups. For each course, the students are responsible for readings.

The programme will build on a master's degree in an engineering discipline, applied mathematics or physics, or a similar master's degree relevant to the PhD programme.

Formal requirements:

3.1.Norwegian master's degree in an engineering discipline, applied mathematics or physics worth 120 ECTS

OR

3.2.Foreign degree-equivalent in an engineering discipline, applied mathematics or physics, equivalent to a master's degree in the Norwegian higher education system. In cases where the foreign master¿s degree does not comprise 120 ECTS, admission may be granted subject to individual assessment, provided the qualification presented grants access to PhD studies in the country of origin.

3.3.The average grade awarded for the bachelor's degree must not be lower than a C.

3.4.The average grade awarded for the master's degree must not be lower than a B.

3.5.A minimum grade of B must be awarded to the master's thesis.

Documentation of the completed education on which the decision regarding admission should be based (certified copies of original certificates) must be submitted.

Students seeking admission to the programme, must submit an application providing the following information:

1. A description of the research work that will lead to the thesis. This description shall consist of:

• A problem statement that is related to a societal problem that can be solved - completely or partly - through engineering preferably pointing out interdisciplinary aspects.
• A project plan describing the background and identifying a research gap to demonstrate that the student has an overview of the research field.
• The project plan should include a proposed research design to solve the problem.
• A milestone plan for finishing the thesis.
• A publication plan.
• A plan for internationalisation.
• Specification of language in which the dissertation will be written
• Information about any possible restrictions connected to intellectual property rights that may affect the planned project.
• If the project calls for special academic or material resources, this must be documented in the application.

2. A list of coursework to fulfill the 30 ECTS coursework requirement

3. Supervisor's signature

4. A funding plan.

5. An account of prospective judicial and/or ethical issues the project may present.

6. Information on whether the project requires approval by research ethics committees, other public authorities or private actors. This kind of approval should be collected pre-submission when possible, and attached to the application.

Excellent English language skills are required for all participants in this PhD programme. International students must document this before appointment by taking one of the following tests and achieving the stipulated minimum total scores:

• TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language, internet-based test (IBT). Minimum total score: 92. Or Paper based test with a minimum score of 600
• IELTS - International English Language Testing Service. Minimum overall band score: 6.5. Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) and Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) from the University of Cambridge.
• PTE Academic - Pearson Test of English Academic. Minimum overall score: 62.

The following applicants are exempt from the abovementioned language requirements:

• Applicants from EU/EEA countries
• Applicants who have completed one year of university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the US
• Applicants with an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma

Decisions on admissions are based on an overall assessment of the applications. The doctoral committee at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design at OsloMet shall consider admission applications.

Admissions to the PhD Programme in Engineering Science are considered on an ongoing basis. Pursuant to the PhD Regulations, section 2-6, admission to PhD programmes is formalised by a written contract between the PhD student, the supervisor(s) and the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design.

An application for admission to the PhD programme should normally be submitted within three (3) months after the start of the research project which will lead to the degree.

On completion of the PhD Programme in Engineering Science, each student shall have achieved the following learning outcomes, in accordance with the Norwegian Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning:

Knowledge

On graduation, the student:

• is at the forefront of knowledge within the engineering science topic of his/her thesis and masters the field's scientific theories, principles and methods.
• is at the forefront of knowledge in his/her professional field of engineering
• has breadth of knowledge and an ability for cross-disciplinary work in engineering science.
• can evaluate the expediency and application of theories, methods and processes in research, scholarly projects and professional engineering projects specific to his/her field of engineering.
• can contribute to the development and documentation of new knowledge and methods within her/his field of engineering science.

Skills

On graduation, the student can:

• formulate research questions, plan and conduct independent research and scholarly work within engineering science.
• carry out independent research and scholarly work at a high international level.
• deal with complex professional issues with an academic approach and reflect critically on established knowledge and practice in the field.
• apply technologies, scientific methods, digital and simulation tools suitable for solving complex engineering problems.
• develop innovative, sustainable engineering solutions and transform the latest scientific discoveries into enabling new technologies.

General competence

On graduation, the student can:

• identify, discuss and reflect upon ethical and societal implications of his/her own research as well as of the applications it enables.
• produce scientific publications and communicate research and development work through recognised national and international channels.
• participate in debates and present his/her research at national and international fora.
• assess the need for, initiate and drive innovation.

The programme is divided into two main parts:

Training component (30 ECTS credits).

Research component (150 ECTS credits).

The programme structure is flexible in that students may choose when to take the courses in order to adapt the training component to their individual theses. All courses are concluded with an examination. The academic year lasts for 40 weeks, and students are expected to work 37.5 hours per week. This includes scheduled activities, individual activities, and the examination.

Students who wish to use external courses to fulfil an elective element in the training component will be given supervision in finding such courses at other units at OsloMet or at other national or international institutions. The doctoral committee at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design shall consider the approval of such courses in individual applications. Students are advised to apply for approval in advance. The doctoral committee considers the approval of external courses only if the course is not provided at OsloMet. This has to be argued by the supervisor in the application for appoval.

The PhD Programme in Engineering Science is built on education and research related to the following engineering disciplines:

• Civil engineering - where OsloMet has activities in structural engineering, building technology, energy and indoor climate, transport and urban planning.
• Digital engineering and Computational Science - where OsloMet and SimulaMet have activities in universal design, scientific computing, security and reliability, IT management, software engineering, learning systems, autonomous systems and networks, modelling and simulation.
• Electrical engineering - where OsloMet has activities in robotics, automation and health technology.
• Mechanical engineering - where OsloMet has activities in solid mechanics and materials technology, fluid mechanics and mechatronics.

The programme will be structured as follows:

5 ECTS - Engineering Science and Ethics - compulsory course

5 ECTS - Scientific Research Methods and Data Analysis in Engineering Science - compulsory course

20 ECTS - Combination of specialisation courses each worth 5 or 10 ECTS, chosen from the list of elective courses offered by OsloMet, or external courses approved on an individual basis.

150 ECTS - Doctoral thesis

The study will build on a master's degree in an engineering discipline, applied mathematics or physics, or on a similar master's degree relevant to the PhD programme. Based on this requirement, students will be required to:

1. Complete 30 ECTS of coursework comprising two compulsory courses each worth 5 ECTS and 20 ECTS of either elective courses chosen from the list of courses offered in the programme or courses from other faculties/institutions, subject to approval by the doctoral committee.

2. Write a thesis at the forefront of research. The thesis will account for 150 ECTS, and may be submitted in either monograph or article-based format.

The PhD programme may be undertaken either as a full-time programme over three years or as a part-time programme over four years combined with 25% required duties.

Training component

The training component promotes the students' research and competence development. It comprises courses offering theoretical and methodological training in writing the thesis. The compulsory courses will provide students with a joint theoretical and methodological platform. The content and curricula of the compulsory courses are composed in order to cover the entire scope of Engineering Science.

The elective element of the PhD programme forms multidisciplinary arenas that will support interdisciplinary research. The courses integrate scientific theories and methods that are relevant to the areas of research in engineering science. The elective courses are thematically and methodically rooted in the research activities of the faculty and SimulaMet, and offer students the opportunity to specialise in approaches and ways of thinking that are particularly relevant to their thesis.

The PhD programme is closely linked to current research, and students will contribute to developing the respective fields of study through their own projects.

Compulsory courses, worth a total of 10 ECTS credits (each offered once a year):

Engineering Science and Ethics (5 ECTS credits)

Scientific Research Methods and Data Analysis in Engineering Science (5 ECTS credits)

Elective courses, worth a total of 20 ECTS credits. Students choose freely from the following courses:

Advanced Project within Structural Engineering and Building Technology (10 ECTS credits)

Finite Element Modelling and Simulation of Structures (10 ECTS credits)

Advanced Topics in Building Services Engineering (10 ECTS credits)

Universal Design in Multidiciplinary contexts (10 ECTS credits)

Cloud Computing and Security (10 ECTS credits)

Topics in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (10 credits)

Applied Mathematical Modelling and Analysis (10 credits)

Advanced Topics in Biomedical Engineering (10 ECTS credits)

Advanced topics in Robotics and Control (10 ECTS credits)

Evidence based Engineering (5 ECTS credits)

Internet Architecture and Measurements (10 ECTS credits)

Smart cities for a Sustainable Energy Future - From Design to Practice (5 ECTS credits)

Advanced Topics in Mathematical Methods: Applications to Natural Sciences (10 ECTS credits)

Probabilistic Machine Learning for Predictive Maintenance of Energy Systems (10 ECTS credits)

The elective courses will be offered once a year provided 3 or more students sign up for the course. If less than 3 students sign up for the course, the course may be cancelled for that year but not necessarily.

The students are responsible for acquiring knowledge and skills in research methods relevant to their chosen field of expertise. Methodology courses can be chosen from OsloMet's portfolio or at other institutions. External courses must be approved by the programme committee, preferably prior to starting the course.

Research component

The research component amounts to the work on the doctoral thesis (150 ECTS credits). Work on the thesis is spread across all six semesters and includes planning and conducting the research project, processing the results, and structuring and writing the thesis. The thesis may be produced as a compilation of articles or as a monograph; see the PhD Regulations under 'Training component' above.

An article-based thesis must contain at least three articles and an introductory chapter displaying the relationship between the articles. The student must be the sole author of the introduction and the main author of at least two of the articles. If articles are included where the student is not the main author, he/she must confirm in writing that he/she meets the requirements for co-authorship by stating her/his material contribution to the article in terms of collecting data, interpreting results, and which parts of the article he/she has written. On submission of the thesis, at least one of the articles must already be accepted for publication.

The learning outcomes of the programme include knowledge at the forefront of research, complex skills, and a high level of general competence in the field of engineering science. This means that the working and teaching methods will be sufficiently varied and complex to support the student's learning process on the way to achieving the learning outcomes.

Training component

Lectures

The lectures will cover key topics in the courses and will disseminate current issues and new research findings.

Self-study

Achievement of the learning outcomes depends mainly on the degree to which the PhD student makes effective use of the instruction and supervision offered and accepts responsibility for working independently. Self-study entails student-initiated activities such as individual study and cooperation with fellow students. The starting point consists of theoretical and methodological issues and a knowledge base in engineering science.

Seminars

Organised group work requires students to discuss given research problems based on a topic covered in the course and on their respective academic backgrounds. This offers the students opportunities to reflect on multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research problems. The outcomes of the seminars are presented and discussed in plenary sessions, providing students with training in both academic dissemination and peer review.

Practical application of methodology

Different methodologies are applied in practical exercises, such as research interviews, qualitative and quantitative analyses, and different types of software. This provides students with practical experience in addressing, for example, complex analyses.

Research component

Research work

The working methods for the thesis consist mostly of self-study and research activities. Selfstudy entails student-initiated activities such as individual study and cooperation with fellow students and researchers. Research activities involve planning and conducting the student¿s own research, processing the results, and designing the thesis. This part constitutes the most important contribution to the PhD student's research competence.

Supervision

Supervisors are appointed by the doctoral committee. The main supervisor shall have overall academic responsibility for the PhD student and shall normally be an employee of OsloMet or SimulaMet. As a general rule, the student shall also have a co-supervisor from OsloMet or from another institution. If an external main supervisor is appointed, an employee of OsloMet or SimulaMet shall be appointed as co-supervisor. Each PhD student is entitled to 210 hours of supervision, including preliminary and follow-up work during the course of the nominal length of study. A time schedule for tutorials and a work schedule must be agreed upon at the first tutorial in each semester. Supervision includes time spent on preparatory work, discussions with the PhD student, and follow-up work. Requirements regarding supervisors and rights and obligations are regulated in the PhD Regulations, sections 3-1 to 3-3. The PhD student and the supervisor(s) must independently submit annual progress reports for assessment and approval by the faculty's doctoral committee. Supervision of the thesis shall ensure that the project is in accordance with ethical guidelines and shall contribute to the design of research problems and the quality of the methods to be used.

Participation in research communities

The student¿s projects are linked to OsloMet¿s established research communities via the student¿s supervisors and the student¿s own involvement in research groups and other research activity. Active participation will provide students with insights into research management and experience in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research cooperation, and provide them with opportunities to discuss research problems and designs, challenge established knowledge and practice, and present their own projects. Students will have opportunities to establish and further develop cooperation with national and international research communities.

Research seminar and dissemination

Students must present their projects in seminars at the start of, midway, and near the end of the programme. This will take place at the faculty's regular research fellows forums. The midway presentation must ideally be conducted in English and be followed by a discussion on current progress between the PhD student, the supervisor(s), and the PhD Programme Director. Furthermore, students are encouraged to present their research at least once a year at an international academic conference. This gives students competence in participating in scientific discussions within their field of research in cooperation with national and international research communities. Students are also encouraged to disseminate their projects to broader audiences, such as giving lectures to users or through popular science channels.

Descriptions of the work and teaching methods for the individual courses are provided in the course plans.

The language of instruction in all the courses in the programme will be English, and all examinations, papers and projects will be conducted in English. Students are strongly encouraged to spend at least one semester at a research institution outside Norway. Each student must prepare a plan for internationalisation as part of the application for admission to the programme.

Training

Together with the work on the thesis, the training component will provide the necessary academic breadth and specialisation. The content of the training component is worth 30 ECTS credits. When applying for substitution of an elective course, a specific template is used describing the content, level and scope in the same way as other course presentations on the faculty's website. The form of examination must be stated. The description of the syllabus must be approved by the doctoral committee before the examination is taken.

The faculty will only credit research courses and special syllabuses with a whole number of ECTS credits. For courses that do include compulsory coursework, this will consist of compulsory papers, oral presentations and practical exercises, depending on the chosen field of specialisation.

Assessment

Examination and grading systems

Assessment of examinations in the training component is conducted in accordance with the provisions regarding examinations and cheating in the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet; see the PhD Regulations, section 4-3. All examinations in the training component will be specified on the certificate.

The form of assessment for all courses is pass or fail. The reason for this is that all students should possess a sufficient level of knowledge, skills and general competence in their chosen modules to work well in cross-disciplinary cooperation. The forms of examination vary to allow for developing and testing different types of skills.

Written home exams enable students to write over some duration of time to mature their ideas and plan their work. Short written exams test students¿ ability to solve problems within a certain time limit. Oral exams serve to evaluate the students' ability to present and communicate their knowledge. Project work serves to assess how students are able to apply their knowledge, skills and general competence in a more complex context and to collaborate with fellow students and other partners. The written thesis followed by an oral presentation and defence gives the opportunity to assess the students ability to independently construct and present an engineering science project within a given time frame.

There is a progression in the forms of assessment, moving from structured assessment to more complex and individual assessment of the thesis. In some modules it is necessary to use several forms of assessment, such as both written and oral examinations.