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Research on Quality of Life in Health and Care Contexts

In this course, we elaborate upon concepts of quality of life, with an emphasis on health-related quality of life, and put them in context with clinical and practice-oriented research in health and care contexts.

The course is accredited as part of the PhD program Health and Welfare.

Campus: Elverum
Duration: Week 41-42
Structure: Gatherings
Credits: 5
Teaching language: NO + ENG
Startup: October
Application deadline: Sep. 1, 2026

About the Programme

The course is based on the understanding that research on quality of life within health and care contexts is interdisciplinary, that various research methods are used, and that different theoretical foundations and perspectives are applied. The focus is on factors influencing health-related quality of life, how it can be measured and improved, but also on quality of life in a broader context, where economic and international perspectives become relevant. The course, therefore, addresses health-related quality of life from such perspectives and presents examples of processes and methods aimed at improving people's quality of life. It provides a foundation for participating in academic debates and research related to quality of life.

The course combines lectures, group work, presentations, and self-study. Students are expected to reflect on their own research projects in light of the topics covered in the course. This is intended to help students develop a deeper understanding of research questions, methodological approaches, and the knowledge generated in their own projects.

The course concludes with an individual home exam in the form of an essay, where aspects of the students' own projects are discussed in relation to various perspectives on quality of life in health and care contexts.

The course is held in Elverum.

Curricula and courses

The course is part of the Ph.D. program in Health and Welfare and can be taken independently of the Ph.D. program. In the curriculum, you will find more information on learning objectives and the assessment method.

Course description autumne 2026

Participation and attendance

Teaching plan autumne 2026:

Week 41: October 5 - 9, individual preparations, which includes participants individually writing a short note (one page) on how they conceptualize quality of life and how a variety of factors affect it.
Week 42: October 12 - 16. Session based teaching
Submission deadline: November 3

Mandatory Requirements.

In all courses, there are mandatory requirements that must be approved before you can take the exam. Therefore, it is important that you read the course description carefully before the course starts. Attendance of 80% is required on teaching days. The attendance requirement applies regardless of the reason for absence.

Application deadline and admission

Admission requirements:

Applicants must have a MA-degree (120 ECTS) or being registered as a PhD-student.

The course has limited intake capasity, and priority will be given to PhD candidates who follow an individual education plan where this particular course is included.

Application deadline: September 1, 2026

How much does it cost?

The course is free of charge for all PhD candidates registered in a PhD programme. A tuition fee of NOK 3000 will be charged for other external participants.

Programme offered by: Faculty of Social and Health Sciences