Positive recommendation
In the case that the recommendation of the adjudication committee is unanimously positive, you will have a deadline of 10 workdays from receipt of the recommendation for submitting any remarks. The Dean will then make a decision and usually the thesis is approved. The date of the trial lecture and public defense will be determined (if not already set).
As soon as possible after approval of the thesis, you must deliver the following:
- thesis to the printer
- errata list, if applicable
- a short, popularized summary of the thesis in Norwegian, of no more than half a page
- an abstract in English, of no more than one page
- a photograph of yourself (as a JPEG)
- personal details form
Read more about printing and preparations
The committee recommends revision
The adjudication committee may recommend that you be given the opportunity to revise the thesis within a 6-month deadline. The revised thesis will then be considered part of the initial submission.
The committee will not present a recommendation, but a preliminary statement addressed to you, giving specific proposals for amendments. The Dean will determine whether revision is permitted, and you will receive a letter containing the decision. You cannot appeal this decision.
If you submit a revised version of the thesis within the deadline, the original committee will present its final recommendation after assessing the revised thesis. Responding to the committee's proposed changes and submitting a revised thesis by the deadline does not give automatic approval of the thesis.
The deadline for submission will only be extended when there are very strong mitigating circumstances. It is normal for candidates to have other work in addition; this is not, therefore, an acceptable reason for an extension. The point is that you make as many amendments as possible within the deadline.
If you do not submit a revised version within the deadline, the thesis will not normally be approved for public defense. You will then have to wait at least 6 months before you can resubmit for the last time.
Negative recommendation
If the committee recommends that the thesis be rejected, or is divided in its view as to whether the thesis is worthy of public defense, you will have a deadline of 10 workdays from receipt of the recommendation for submitting any remarks.
The Dean will make a final decision on the matter. If the negative recommendation is unanimous, the thesis is normally rejected. If the recommendation is divided, the faculty may decide to reject or approve the thesis for public defense. More expert statements may also be obtained.
The earliest point at which a rejected thesis can be resubmitted in revised form is six months after the decision to reject it (i.e. the date of the Dean’s decision). You can only resubmit the thesis once.
The appeals process
You can appeal a decision regarding rejection of a thesis, trial lecture or public defense. A substantiated appeal must be sent to the faculty.
The faculty can rescind or change the decision if the appeal is found to be justified. At the Faculty of Theology, decisions on appeals regarding rejection of a thesis are made by the Dean.
If the faculty does not uphold the appeal, it will be submitted to the University of Oslo's appeals committee in order for it to make a final decision. The appeals committee may review all aspects of the decision appealed.