Introduction
1. The following regulations are based on the PhD regulations of NMBU. The purpose of the supplementary regulations is to provide more details and specifications to the general NMBU regulations, and to give further guidance to PhD students and supervisors at HH. It does not cover all aspects of the PhD degree, and the supplementary regulations and guidelines therefore need to be viewed jointly with the NMBU regulations.
2. The supplementary regulations and guidelines cover the PhD programme in economics and business at HH. “Economics and business” is interpreted in a broad sense to include, inter alia, entrepreneurship/innovation and organizational theory.

Admission (see NMBU rules §5)
3. The PhD student shall have a relevant Master degree in the proposed topical area of the PhD study.
4. The applicant shall have a strong academic background, with B or better as the average grade of the Master degree. The grade of the Master thesis shall be minimum B.

Time frame (see NMBU rules §6)
5. The stipulated time frame of the PhD thesis is 3 years. The funding period will depend on the terms of the scholarship (e.g., quota scholarship) or employment contract for “stipendiater”.
Supervision (see NMBU rules §7)
6. The PhD student has one main supervisor and minimum one co-supervisor, to be formally appointed within six months after entering the PhD programme. The FUFU leader appoints a temporary supervisor at the time of entry into the PhD programme.
7. The PhD student shall be part of a research group, provided a relevant group exists at HH.
8. The PhD supervisor(s) are encouraged to co-author one or more of the articles comprising the PhD thesis. Co-authorship is a useful way to learn and ensure more integration of the PhD student into the work of the PhD supervisor and the research group. Co-authorship among PhD students is also encouraged. The usual Vancouver rules for co-authorship applies, even though supervisors are expected to provide substantial inputs to all papers without necessarily becoming a co-author.
9. The PhD students and the main supervisor shall meet regularly (e.g., monthly during early stages and fortnightly during the final phase) to discuss the PhD plan and progress, and thesis’ papers. The supervising committee and the PhD student should meet jointly at least every six months. The main supervisor is responsible for calling the meeting.

Courses (see NMBU rules §8)
10. The courses taken as part of the PhD programme shall give a broad theoretical and methodical training at an advanced level, with a specialization within the field of the PhD thesis.
11. The minimum sum of course credits is 45 ECTS. This includes a mandatory 5 ECTS course in research ethics and philosophy of science.
12. If the PhD student has an insufficient background in relevant theories and methods, FUFU can require the student to take additional courses, maximum 15 ECTS. This rule may apply to students that have a background in theory and methods that is below what is provided by the Master degrees at HH. For example, PhD students in economics are expected to have a background in microeconomics and in econometrics that are equivalent to the courses ECN 311 and ECN 301.
13. Courses approved for the PhD degree can be at either the 300 or 400 levels at NMBU, or the equivalent if taken at institutions outside NMBU. If justified, a maximum of 10 ECTS of specialized courses at the 200 level may be part of the course package. It is recommended that at least 30 ECTS are at 400-level (PhD courses).
14. The course package is approved by FUFU as part of the educational plan. The main supervisor can approve minor changes, such as replacement of an individual course. Larger changes must be approved by FUFU.
15. The completed course package (i.e., after taking the courses and before submitting the PhD thesis) is approved by the supervisor, who is responsible for checking whether the courses are in line with the approved educational plan. For approval, the weighted grade average must be B or better (>3.5), using the number of ECTS as weights. Pass or fail grades are excluded from the grade average calculation.

Reporting (see NMBU rules §9)
16. An annual progress report is to be submitted to the head and the secretary of FUFU by 15. January.
17. The main PhD advisor should recommended three people, preferable from HH or other NMBU departments, for a committee for the midterm assessment seminar. The FUFU leader appoints the evaluation committee. One week before the midway seminar the PhD student should send an updated version of his/her progress report, project description, papers and paper drafts to the appointed evaluation committee.

PhD Thesis (see NMBU rules §10)
18. The recommended format of the thesis is a set of articles, rather than a monograph (although the latter format is also permitted).
19. There is no fixed rule for the length of the PhD thesis; the overall quality is the main criterion for the decision by the evaluation committee. All articles should be publishable in well-recognized journals. In terms of quantity, the following guidelines apply:
a. The thesis consists of 3-4 articles, in addition to the introduction. If articles are co-authored, the sum of the PhD student’s contributions should be minimum 250%. The declaration of co-authorship should include the percentage contribution of the PhD student.
b. The PhD student should be the sole author of at least one article.
c. The PhD student should normally be the main author of all articles, and must be the main author on at least three articles. An exception to the latter rule can be made for papers co-authored with other PhD students.
20. The PhD student (and the supervisors) are encouraged to publish in well-recognized journal(s) at least one of the thesis’ papers before the submission of the PhD thesis.
21. The introduction shall provide an overview of the PhD thesis, outline the common research topic(s), theories and methods of the articles, and relate it to the broader literature and research field. An appropriate length is 20-30 pages.

Evaluation committee (see NMBU rules §13-17)
22. The main supervisor suggests a PhD thesis evaluation committee, consisting of two external members (with no current, formal links to NMBU) and one internal member. The suggestion should include more names than the number to be appointed. FUFU discusses the suggested candidates and makes a proposal to the HH board, through the head of department. When approved, the head of FUFU informally contacts the proposed members to check their willingness and availability. When accepted, the department sends the proposal to the Rector for formal approval, and formal letters of appointment are sent to the committee members.