Assignment of supervisor
The department assigns supervisors based on the research proposal that accompanies the admissions application for the master’s programme. The allocation will take into account the student’s interests and the supervisor’s scientific specialization. The Department will allocate the supervisor as quickly as practicable after the student has registered with the programme.
The student will only have one supervisor and is entitled to 12 supervisory sessions during the two-year master's programme.
Scope of supervision
At the start, the supervisor and the student shall agree upon the framework for the supervisory relationship (progress plan, expectations for supervision, etc.). The Department provides a list of considerations to prepare the student for the preparatory conversation mentioned above.
Each session is standardized to one hour. Guidance that covers more than 50 pages of the student’s work will count as two sessions. The scope of the supervision is 12 sessions in total with the following time frame:
- First semester: 3 supervisory sessions to cover research proposal and preparations for fieldwork.
- Second semester: 1 supervisory session before/during fieldwork.
- Third semester: 3 supervisory sessions.
- Fourth semester: 5 supervisory sessions.
Hours should be registered by both parties and no additional supervisory session will be provided.
Unused sessions from the first three semesters cannot be transferred to a later semester, but students can apply to have a maximum of 2 unused sessions from the fourth semester transferred to the fifth semester. Apply for transfer of unused fourth semester sessions. There is no supervision beyond the fifth semester.
Students may apply for a leave of absence if unable to study and make use of supervision for a period of time. Please see "Regulations governing studies and examinations at the University of Oslo" for details regarding study progression in order to retain the right to study.
Supervisor’s obligations
The supervisory relationship is mutually binding.
The supervisor must conduct the supervision in accordance with ethical guidelines for supervision relationships at the University of Oslo.
The supervisor commits to encourage the student to maintain contact and continuity while working on his/her thesis. All breaks or pauses in supervision, e.g. absence due to research etc. must be communicated to the student and the administration.
The supervisor’s task is to guide the student in the design of his/her master’s thesis. This also includes a focus on research ethics.
The supervisor evaluates the student’s field report.
Student’s obligations
The student agrees to steadily progress on his/her thesis and to stay in contact with his/her supervisor throughout the master’s programme. The student must notify his/her supervisor and the administration of any discrepancies in the form of breaks, interruptions in studies, etc. in a timely manner. See also Regulations governing studies and examinations at the University of Oslo.
The student is solely responsible for the views, materials and resources used in the master's thesis. Therefore, students should familiarise themselves with guidelines for research ethics in the social sciences and the humanities. The supervisor is obliged to contact the Head of the programme if aspects of the student’s work are in violation of research ethics guidelines or Norwegian legislation.
Termination of supervisory relationship/Reassignment of supervisor
The supervisory relationship will terminate under any of the following conditions:
- When the student completes the final exam for the master’s programme.
- When the student has completed the total number of supervisory sessions he/she is entitled to.
- When the student has been enrolled in the programme for four semesters (leave of absence not included), or five semesters if the student is granted a transfer of up to two unused supervisory sessions from the fourth to the fifth semester.
- If the admission to the master's programme is revoked.
- If the student withdraws from the master’s programme.
If the supervisor is unavailable for extended periods of time, the student and the supervisor must contact the administration to agree on further arrangements. In a majority of cases, supervision is handed over to another employee at the department.
There are many factors that can cause a supervisory relationship to stall. Should a disagreement arise which the student and the supervisor are unable to resolve, the Head of the master’s programme should be notified. In such cases, the Head of the programme may assign a new supervisor. Changes in supervisory relationships will normally be considered only after a minimum of one semester of collaboration.