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. However, should the assigned supervisor believe that his/her regional or thematic skills extend beyond his/her expertise, he/she may consult a colleague to request that the colleague provide one or more guidance sessions. In such cases, the colleague would receive credit for the supervisory hours instead of the assigned supervisor. The total number of supervisory sessions shall not exceed 12 meetings over two years.
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/guidance, etc). The Department provides a list of considerations to prepare the student for the preparatory conversation mentioned above.
The student is entitled to supervision during four active semesters. Each supervisory session is standardized to one hour. Guidance that covers more than 50 pages will count as two sessions. The scope of the supervision is 12 meetings in total (13 meetings for students who started their master's study 2019-2021) with the following timeframe:
- First semester: 3 supervisory sessions to cover project proposal
- Second semester: 1 supervisory session before leaving for fieldwork, including approval of final project description.
- Third semester: 3 supervisory sessions, at least 1 of which during fieldwork, and 2 sessions at the start of the writing up period (4 sessions in the third semester for students who started their master's study 2019-2021).
- Fourth semester: 5 sessions during the writing up-period.
No final supervisory session will be provided.
In total, the student is entitled to four semesters of supervision including fieldwork/data collection. Hours should be registered by both parties.
In the case of longer breaks or pauses in study (consisting of one or more semesters), the student must apply for a leave of absence. 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 at the University of Oslo.
The supervisory relationship terminates when the student has completed the total number of supervisory sessions to which he/she is entitled, or when supervision has been provided for four semesters (minus any semesters deducted for leave of absence).
Supervisor’s obligations
Please be advised that the supervisory relationship is mutually binding.
The supervisor is obliged to familiarise himself/herself with the ethical guidelines for the University of Oslo.
The supervisory commits to encouraging the student to maintain contact and continuity while working on his/her thesis. All breaks or pauses in supervision, eg research trips, pauses for research, etc shall be communicated to the student and study consultant.
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 shall evaluate the student’s field report.
Student’s obligations
The student agrees to steadily progress on his/her thesis and to hold contact with his/her supervisor throughout the master’s programme. The student shall notify his/her supervisor and the study consultant of any and all discrepancies in the form of breaks, changes in job situation, interruptions in studies, etc. in a timely manner. See also "Regulations governing studies and examinations at the University of Oslo".
The student – not the supervisor or the Institute -- is solely responsible for the views, materials and resources used in thesis. Therefore, the student should familiarise himself/herself with the research ethics guidelines for social sciences, law and humanities. To obtain a copy of this booklet, please contact the Institute. If there are aspects of the student’s work that are in violation of the research ethics guidelines or Norwegian legislation, the supervisor is obliged to contact the head of the programme.
Termination of supervisory relationship/Reassigment of supervisor
The supervisory relationship will terminate:
- When the student completes the final exam for the master’s program
- When the student has completed the total number of supervisory sessions and/or four semesters
- If the student loses the right to continue with the master’s programme, or
- If the student withdraws from the master’s programme
If the supervisor is unavailable for extended periods of time or is otherwise occupied with his/her own research, the student and the supervisor with guidance from the department shall agree on how the supervisory activities shall be addressed. In a majority of cases, supervision is handed over to another employee at the department in such cases.
There are many factors that can cause a supervisory relationship to stall. Should a conflict arise between the student and his/her supervisor which cannot be resolved, the head of the master’s programme should be notified before escalating the case. In such cases, the head of the programme may assign a new supervisor. Any changes will be made at the start of a semester. Changes in supervisory relationships will only be considered after a minimum of one semester of collaboration.