The new program plan is available here, in Norwegian only. The website will be updated january 1.
Teaching under the old programme structure should be avoided after the new program plan enters into force. For candidates who are already enrolled in the existing PhD programme, there is therefore a need for a transition plan and pragmatic transitional solutions for a limited period.
A main concern is that the changes shall have no negative consequences for doctoral candidates who are already enrolled in the PhD programme. PFF will show flexibility as regards approval of programme components for individual candidates in a transition phase. A starting point must be that courses already completed within the old programme structure shall be approved also under the new programme structure.
At the same time, candidates must be prepared to show some flexibility. Some courses have been allocated a higher number of credits under the new programme plan than under the old scheme, and to some extent the opposite may also apply. Candidates who are missing courses under the old programme structure corresponding to new courses with a higher number of credits must, after the new programme plan enters into force, take the new courses. Some courses may also have been given more credits under the old scheme, without necessarily giving the same credit value under the new scheme. This may entail that the educational programme for these candidates will include more credits than specified in the programme plan. Surplus credits can however normally be included as elective content.
For candidates who have completed the educational programme before the new programme plan enters into force, this shall form the basis for approval of the educational programme also where the candidates submit their thesis after 1 January 2027. This also applies to the requirement for a publishable article (JUR 9302).
The course structure under the current/old scheme is mainly as follows:
Common component (18 credits)
- JUR9010 – Philosophy of science, theory of science and method (4 credits)
- JUR9021 – Internationalization, transnational law and comparison (4 credits)
- JUR9031 – Perspectives on legal history, sociology of law and law & economics (4 credits)
- JUR9041 – Research ethics, academic writing and dissemination of research (4 credits)
- JUR9201/9202 – Participation in 2 national doctoral seminars (2 credits)
Elective component (12 credits):
- JUR9302 – Written work / article ready to publish (7 credits)
- JUR9503 – International seminars in law (5 credits)
The course structure under the new scheme is mainly as follows:
Common component (22/23 credits), course title is subject to change
- JUR9100 – Theory of science and research ethics (4 credits)
- JUR9110 – Academic writing and dissemination (4 credits)
- Seminar in research methods:
- JUR9120 – Legal analysis and research methods (4 credits), or
- SOS9008 – Qualitative Research Methods and Analysis (5 credits), or
- SOS9009 – Advanced statistical methods (5 credits)
- JUR9130 – Sociology of law (2 credits)
- JUR9131 – Legal history: method and perspectives (2 credits)
- JUR9132 – Economic perspectives on law (2 credits)
- JUR9133 – International law and the internationalization of law (2 credits)
- JUR9201/9202 – Participation in 2 national doctoral seminars (2 credits)
Elective component (8 credits)
- JUR9310 – National or international PhD courses and seminars (8 credits)
PFF will base itself on the following conversion key for the recognition of old courses within the course structure under the new programme plan:
- JUR9010 – Philosophy of science, theory of science and method (4 credits) – grants exemption from JUR9120 – Legal analysis and research methods (4 credits).
- JUR9021 – Internationalization, transnational law and comparison (4 credits) – grants exemption from JUR9133 – International law and the internationalization of law (2 credits).
- JUR9031 – Perspectives on legal history, sociology of law and law & economics (4 credits) – grants exemption from JUR9130 – Sociology of law (2 credits), JUR9131 – Legal history: method and perspectives (2 credits) and JUR9132 – Economic perspectives on law (2 credits), and shall count as 6 credits under the new scheme.
- JUR9041 – Research ethics, academic writing and dissemination of research (4 credits) – grants exemption from JUR9100 – Theory of science and research ethics (4 credits).
- JUR9302 – Written work/publishable article (7 credits) – grants exemption from JUR9110 – Academic writing and dissemination (4 credits).
Candidates who, on the basis of these guidelines, obtain surplus credits may apply to have surplus credits approved as part of the elective component.
To have an article approved under JUR9302 – Written work/publishable article, the article must be completed and submitted for approval before the new programme plan enters into force.
Candidates who are writing an article-based thesis will as a general rule not have surplus credits from JUR9302 approved as part of the elective component if the submitted article is also included in the thesis.
New doctoral research fellows
Candidates who have not yet started the coursework component (or who were admitted to the PhD programme late in the spring of 2026) are advised to postpone course registration until the new programme plan enters into force. This means that you do not take courses in the autumn and that you register for courses starting from the spring semester 2027.
We further recommend that you speak with your supervisor about how to organize the Autumn semester 2026 in an appropriate manner.