Aarhus University invites highly qualified students from all over the world to apply for PhD admission to our four graduate schools: the Graduate School of Arts, the Graduate School of Health, the Graduate School of Science and Technology and the Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences.
Below you will find a general description of all PhD scholarships/fellowships at Aarhus University. On the individual graduate school websites you can find detailed information about specific scholarships as well as application announcements, procedures and deadlines.
PhD projects:
Individual projects: You can apply for admission to a graduate school based on your academic record and a project proposal prepared by you.
Specified projects: You can apply for a number of specific PhD positions with predefined project descriptions. Predefined projects are announced on the individual graduate school websites.
Financial support:
Enrolment in the PhD programme requires documented funding for the entire PhD programme.
You can apply for scholarships/fellowships in connection with your application to the PhD programme.
You can apply as a self-financed student. You must document your external funding sources.
If you do not hold a degree from a Danish university you can facilitate the application process by obtaining national recognition of your degree via the Danish Agency for International Education.
Several types of PhD scholarships
Aarhus University offers several types of PhD scholarships/fellowships: three-year fellowships, four-year scholarships, five-year scholarships and the Industrial PhD Programme.
3-year PhD fellowships
To be considered for a 3-year PhD fellowship you must have passed a qualifying exam that corresponds to 300 ECTS credits (e.g. a Bachelor’s degree allocated 180 ECTS credits and a Master’s degree allocated 120 ECTS credits). The recipient is employed as a PhD research fellow for three years.
This type of PhD fellowship is offered by the Graduate School of Arts, the Graduate School of Health, the Graduate School of Science and Technology and the Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences.
4-year PhD scholarships
To be considered for a 4-year PhD scholarship you must have passed a qualifying exam that corresponds to 240 ECTS credits (e.g. a Bachelor’s degree allocated 180 ECTS credits as well as Master’s degree exams corresponding to 60 ECTS credits, or a Master’s degree allocated 240 ECTS credits).
A 4-year PhD scholarship consists of two parts; part A (the first two years) and part B (the last two years). The recipient receives a monthly payment as a scholar during part A. When entering part B the recipient is employed as a PhD research fellow and receives a monthly salary. In the transition from part A to part B, a Danish Master’s degree is obtained. The transition from part A to part B also requires satisfactory completion of part A.
This type of PhD scholarship is offered by the Graduate School of Arts, the Graduate School of Health and the Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences.
5-year PhD scholarships
To be considered for a 5-year PhD scholarship you must have completed the Bachelor’s programme (the so-called 3+5 or Bologna Danese track which corresponds to 180 ECTS credits). On completion of a Bachelor’s degree, talented students are admitted directly to a programme which combines a Master’s programme with a PhD programme.
This type of PhD scholarship is offered by the Graduate School of Science and Technology, the Graduate School of Health and the Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences.
The Industrial PhD Programme
The Industrial PhD Programme is a joint study programme between a university and a company or institution in the public or private sector, and is organized by the Danish Agency of Science, Technology and Innovation. The Industrial PhD Programme supports innovation in the private and public sectors by educating researchers in collaboration with organizations such as small businesses, corporations, nonprofit organizations, etc. Read more about the Industrial PhD Programme here.
The Industrial PhD Programme is offered by the Graduate School of Arts, the Graduate School of Health, the Graduate School of Science and Technology and the Graduate School of Business and Social Sciences.
Deadlines for open calls:
Below you find deadlines for open calls for each graduate school. Furthermore, the graduate schools may have special openings.
You find all calls at the graduate school webpages:
The Graduate School of Arts: March 15, October 1st Each year
School of Business and Social Science: April 15, October 15 Each year
The Graduate School of Science and Technology: February 1st, May 1st, August 1st, November 1st Each year
The Graduate School of Health: February 15, May 15, August 15, November 15 Each year
The calls will be available at least one month prior to deadline.