Faculty of Education and International Studies, Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education

Oslo Metropolitan University is Norway's third largest university with almost 22,000 students and over 2,500 employees. We have campuses in central Oslo and at Romerike. OsloMet educates students and conducts research that contributes to the sustainability of the Norwegian welfare state and the metropolitan region.

The Faculty of Education and International Studies (LUI) has approximately 550 employees and 7000 students and is located in Oslo and Akershus. The Faculty is comprised of four departments as well as the National Centre of Multicultural Education (NAFO). The Faculty educates tomorrow’s teachers from kindergarten through upper secondary school, in close cooperation with the field of practical training. The Faculty offers a PhD in Education. In addition, the Faculty offers development studies and studies in sign language and interpreting. Diversity is a core value for the Faculty and its activities. The Faculty’s research and development focuses on practical training and is both profession-oriented and internationally oriented.

The Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education (GFU) has strong research communities within the field of school subjects, educational science, and digital competence, and educates teachers for the Norwegian school system in close cooperation with the field of practical training. The Department offers studies on bachelor and master level, and contributes to the general development of skills for school employees through continuing and further education.

The Faculty of Teacher Education and International Studies has available two scholarships as PhD fellows in the Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education. Read more about this institute on our website, including presentations of the institute’s 11 research groups: https://www.oslomet.no/en/about/lui/gfu. Particularly relevant for this call is the research group Educational Leadership, Classroom Research, and Text and Disciplinary Didactics.

Area of research

The positions are for four years and include 75% research and 25% teaching-related work. The positions aim for research training up to a doctorate. The positions are available from 01.09.2023.

Applicants must prepare a project description to submit with their application based on the template available here: https://www.oslomet.no/en/study/lui/educational-sciences-teacher-education-phd/research-proposal-template-educational-sciences. Candidates must design a research project that is linked to educational leadership/school management, or a project in pedagogy aimed at pupils/education/Nordic bildung. Applicants are invited to get in touch with a contact person for additional information about the project and input on the project description. Please make contact before the Christmas holiday. For advice on how to create a good project description, potential applicants are encouraged to register to attend the department's project description seminar. The seminar will be held on the 22nd of November at 01.00 PM UTC +1 and will last two hours. Registration deadline is 20th of November, and for more information and registration please see: https://nettskjema.no/a/295494.

Qualifications and conditions

  •  Successful applicants must have completed a master’s degree/second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with an academic background in science of education, teacher education, other educational theory and practice education, development studies or other education at an equivalent level. For more information, see Admission requirements: https://www.oslomet.no/en/study/lui/educational-sciences-teacher-education-phd.
  • Successful applicants must have achieved a letter grade B or higher on their master’s degree/second degree thesis. Applicants without a letter grade from a previous degree must be able to document an equivalent academic result
  • Admission to the Ph.D. program in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education is a prerequisite
  • Successful applicants must be fluent in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language and have excellent written and oral communication skills in English

In the assessment and ranking of qualified applicants, emphasis will be placed on 

  • The scientific quality of the project description, including originality and potential
  • The Ph.D. project's feasibility within the standard period 
  • The project description’s relevance to the department's activities in specified areas: educational leadership/school management or pedagogy aimed at pupils/bildung
  • Attached scientific work
  • Other relevant publications
  • Experience from previous research activities and project participation
  • Professional experience from the school sector may be emphasized
  • Teaching experience at the college and university level can be an asset
  • Personal qualities

Desired qualities

  • Motivation and research potential within the professional field
  • The ability to work independently and in cooperation with other, as well as the ability to be innovative and creative
  • Large work capacity
  • Personal qualities such as being structured, reliable, curious and thorough
  • The ability to plan and carry out your own work

Oslo Metropolitan University strives to ensure that our employees reflect the diversity of the population of the region. We work continuously to further develop Oslo Metropolitan University as an inclusive workplace, and to adapt the workplace if required. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, also those who have experienced periods without work, education, or training. 

We offer

  • An exciting job opportunity at Norway’s third largest university
  • Access to further professional development within a creative research environment
  • Participation in an established PhD program, in one of the department's research groups and in the subject section to which the position belongs
  • An evolving workplace
  • Favorable loan and pension arrangements with the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
  • Good welfare arrangements 

Further information

For more information about the position and discussion of possible research project approaches, please contact:

  • Head of Studies, Gørill Warvik Vedeler, email gowave@oslomet.no, mobile +47 900 70226
  • Head of the Pedagogy Section, Hege Knudsmoen, email hegknu@oslomet.no
  • Professor Kristin Helstad,  krishels@oslomet.no (research in educational leadership)
  • Associate Professor Cecilie Dalland, cecilie.dalland@oslomet.no  (classroom research)
  • Associate Professor Knut Ove Æsøy, knutove.asoy@oslomet.no (research in education/Nordic bildung)

The salary for the position is in accordance with the pay scale for Norwegian state employees, job title and position code. PhD and position code 1017. State salary wage scale 54, 501 200 NOK per year.   

Expert evaluation

Applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. All applications will be reviewed by the faculty before the application papers are forwarded to the expert committee. Applications from applicants who are not qualified, will not be forwarded for assessment. 

The following documents must be uploaded with the application by the deadline: 

  • Application
  • CV
  • Copies of your diplomas
  • A copy of your master’s thesis/second degree thesis, in either a Scandinavian language or English. If your thesis is written in an other language, you must upload an abstract of your thesis in English. 
  • Education taken outside of Norway must be approved by NOKUT (the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education). NOKUT`s application portal is closed until February 1 2023. More information about the application process: https://www.nokut.no/en/foreign-education/application-services--foreign-education/
  • More information about the application process: https://www.nokut.no/en/foreign-education/application-services--foreign-education/
  • Copies of references
  • A project description (maximum 10 pages), which must be written in English or a Scandinavian language
  • Other scholarly works that you would like the expert committee to take into consideration, and a list of your own publications

Applicants may also be assessed by an internal screening committee at OsloMet in addition to the expert committee. If an internal screening committee is used, applicants will be informed after the application deadline has expired. 

Original documents must be presented in connection with an interview. Oslo Metropolitan University inspects documents in order to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition.

In order to apply for the position, please apply electronically by clicking the button at the bottom of the page. If you have documents that cannot be uploaded electronically, please contact gurosten@oslomet.no. 

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered. The application must state your reasons for applying and provide reasons for why you are particularly qualified for this Ph.D. scholarship position.

For practical information about relocation to Oslo and living in Norway read here: https://www.euraxess.no/.


Deadline for applications: 01.01.2023 
Ref.:                                   22/07008

Type of employment Stipendiat
Contract type Full time
First day of employment 01.09.2023
Salary 501 200 NOK
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100%
City Oslo
County Oslo
Country Norway
Reference number 22/07008
Published 24.Nov.2022
Last application date 17.Jan.2023 11:59 PM CET

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