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Study

Title

Write the title of your PhD project.


Short description

Max. 1,000 characters – the long project description must be attached.


Project description

The overall project description (excl. list of project literature and timetable) must not exceed 12,000 characters including spaces, tables, diagrams, footnotes, endnotes and illustrations (5 standard A4 pages of 2,400 characters each).
If the project description exceeds this maximum limit, the application will be rejected.

The project description must be easy to understand, also for non-specialists, and include:

  • 4+4 applicants
    • An outline of the field of research that will be the focus of the PhD project as well as a preliminary specification of the subject of the PhD dissertation.
    • Grounds for the academic (including interdisciplinary) research field and preliminary considerations, if applicable, regarding methodologies, theories, materials, etc.
    • An outline of the schedule/timetable for the PhD project (separate mandatory form).
  • 5+3 applicants
    • A description of the work hypothesis/issue on which the project is based.
    • An explanation of the material on which the project is based and of the methodologies you plan to use.
    • A realistic schedule/timetable for the PhD project (separate mandatory form).

Number of characters
The total number of characters must be specified at the end of the project description. See the maximum length in the text above.

How to count characters in Word: Instructions

Timetable
Form for mandatory timetable/PhD plan: English form

If the mandatory form for the timetable is not used, the application will be rejected.

Upload only one PDF file
The project description, list of project literature and mandatory timetable must be uploaded as one PDF file as it is not possible to upload more than one document in the same field.

Project description: Comments

The project description must be easy to understand, also for non-specialists, and include:

4+4 applicants:

  • An outline of the field of research that will be the focus of the PhD project as well as a preliminary specification of the subject of the PhD dissertation.
  • Grounds for the academic (including interdisciplinary) research field and preliminary considerations, if applicable, regarding methodologies, theories, materials, etc.
  • An outline of the schedule/timetable for the PhD project (separate mandatory form).

5+3 applicants:

  • A description of the work hypothesis/issue on which the project is based.
  • An explanation of the material on which the project is based and of the methodologies you plan to use.
  • A realistic schedule/timetable for the PhD project (separate mandatory form).

The overall project description (excl. list of project literature/bibliography/reference list and timetable) must not exceed 12,000 characters including spaces, tables, diagrams, footnotes, endnotes and illustrations (5 A4 pages of 2,400 characters each). If the project description exceeds this maximum limit, the application will not be considered.
The total number of characters must be specified at the end of the project description. 

It is important that you make source references in your project description so the assessment committee can see from where you have your knowledge. The reader must always have the opportunity to check all the information mentioned in the project description. Source references (or just references) are small notes in the project description that explains from where you have your knowledge. You can either indicate your literature references in the project's text with parentheses or subtext via footnotes.

For further information please see "Preparing for a PhD project" and "Suggestions for the content of the PhD project description".   

Counting characters
Please see the guide on How to count characters in Word.

5 pages or 12,000 characters
As long as you do not exceed the 12,000 characters incl. spaces, tables, diagrams, footnotes, endnotes and illustrations it is okay that you upload 6 pages or more because of illustrations or diagrams.

Specific calls and ad hoc applications
The most important part of the application is your own project description. The project description must explain the research you propose to conduct within the larger project. This is why you must always write your own project description.

List of project literature: Comments

The literature referred to in the project description

After the project description, there must be a list of project literature/bibliography/reference list, which is an overview of the material you expect to use in your project. The references in the description are references to the bibliography, where all information is specified. All the sources you have referred to must be available in your bibliography. Each source must only appear once in the bibliography, but you may, of course, be able to refer to it in several places in the project description. 

In order to retrieve the sources you refer to in the bibliography, you must, as a minimum, be familiar with the author, title, edition, publisher and year of publication.

For articles, you must also have the name of the journal in which the article is published, as well as the number and page numbers. For newspaper articles, the name, date and number of pages of the paper apply.

Example:

Books:
Last name, First initial. (Year). Title of the book in italics (Edition – if available). Place of publication: Publisher.
Fitzgerald, F. S. (1926). The Great Gatsby. Chatto & Windus: London.

Periodical articles:
Last name, First initial. (Year). Article title. Periodical title in italics, volume(issue), page numbers.
O'Dwyer, M., & O'Flynn, E. (2005). MNC-SME strategic alliances - A model framing knowledge value as the primary predictor of governance modal choice. Journal of International Management, 11(3), 397-416.


Frequently Asked Question

 
Should the list of project literature/bibliography/reference list be attached separately?
The bibliography must be uploaded in the same pdf file as the project description.  But the list is not a part of the project description so the max length of the description (12,000 characters including spaces) does not apply to the list. See the guideline for the application facility.

Timetable: Comments

All applicants (4+4 and 5+3) must fill our the form for the timetable. The last part of the form is for 4+4 applicants with an active Master's degree programme.
It is mandatory to use our form for the timetable. Your application will be rejected if you do not use our form.

Timetable for the PhD degree programme and plan for the PhD project
The timetable (time schedule) must show that you have thought of all the elements of the study programme (reading stages, empirical analysis, courses, conferences, study abroad, fieldwork, teaching, writing phase, etc.).  Use the timetable to show that you have not forgotten an element and that you have not planned too much in order to complete the PhD degree programme within three years (four years if 4+4).

PhD Courses
PhD courses must be relevant to your research project, training or prospective career. The PhD courses must be on a higher academic level than the Master's degree, unless there is special reason for giving dispensation from this principle. This must be approved by your principal supervisor after enrolment.

Some courses state the number of ECTS credits given but in the end it is your principal supervisor that determines the number of ECTS awarded for each course based on its relevance to project. Normally, 1 ECTS point is considered equivalent to 25 hours of work, including preparation time etc.

Future courses and conferences have not been posted yet. Some current courses will be advertised again but not all of them. Just enter your wishes for future courses in the timetable if you cannot find any relevant courses in the databases (https://au.phd-courses.dk/ or https://phdcourses.dk/). On this page you can see the courses available at Arts at the moment incl. the mandatory courses: https://phd.arts.au.dk/phd-courses/courses-1 

Due to the limited number of characters in the timetable, it will not be possible to list all courses during the enrolment period. Just list as many as possible. The list of courses in the timetable is just a draft for the real plan you have to make no later than 3 months after enrolment if you get accepted as a PhD student.

Planned stays at foreign research institutions
With a view to ensuring the international level of the PhD degree programme, a long-term and continuous period of research lasting at least two months must be included at an active research environment which is not your own (preferably outside Denmark).  Total stay overseas may not normally exceed one year.

If you do not have a university in mind yet just enter some of the countries you have thought about for your research stay.

Plans for teaching activities and other types of knowledge sharing communications
Teaching and other forms of communication of knowledge must be related to your PhD project.  This may be work involving tutoring, independent teaching and academic assistance in research centres, academic conferences, academic journals or major research grant applications.

Semester plan
Enter a short description of the activities for each semester of your enrolment (5+3 = 6 semesters, 4+4 = 7-8 semesters). The last semester is for writing the dissertation so do not enter other activities in that semester. 

4+4 applicants
You do not need to fill out this section if you have passed your 1-year Master’s degree and are applying for 4+4 enrolment. The section is meant for applicants still enrolled on a 2-year Master’s degree programme where they have one year left of their enrolment.

General information
The form for the timetable is not a part of the project description's limit of 12,000 characters including spaces but you have to upload it in the same PDF file as the project description because you cannot upload two files in the same field in the application form.

The template for the timetable is locked which means that you cannot copy data from another file into the form. You have to write directly in the timetable.

When you want to combine the file with the project description and the file with the timetable you have to save them both as PDF first and then combine/merge the two PDF files into one file.

The timetable is only tentative at this point, so it is not required that you are specific but it is important to show that you have considered all activities throughout your PhD plan. It would be a good idea to state potential ideas regarding conferences and courses, but you do not need to submit any confirmations.

For further information please see "4.1 The PhD Plan" in the "Rules for the PhD Programme at the Graduate School, Arts".


Supervisor

You may suggest a potential supervisor for the consideration of the Graduate School. The head of the Graduate School selects supervisors for the project.

It is not mandatory to suggest a supervisor.

  • Main supervisor       
    • Must have qualifications at the level of professor, associate professor or senior researcher. Assistant professors cannot act as main supervisor.
    • Must be permanently employed at the Faculty of Arts.
    • You only have to write the name of the person and not position, institution and email.
       
  • Co-supervisor
    • Can be employed outside the Faculty of Arts.         
    • Please fill out name, position, institution (department, university, country) and email.

Supervisor: Comments

The main supervisor must be an active, recognised researcher within the relevant research area, and must be employed by the Faculty of Arts/Aarhus Univesity as a professor or associate professor. All supervisors must be academically qualified in the area of the PhD project. 

You do not need a written statement from your potential supervisor when you apply but if you enter a name it is implied that you have been in contact with that person (verbal agreement). 

The head of the graduate school appoints the supervisors for the PhD project. If you have not proposed a principal supervisor in your application the head of the graduate school will provide you with a principal supervisor if you get the fellowship/scholarship.

If you want to talk to a researcher about your project you may contact one of our 8 PhD programme directors. He/she might be able to give you a name or two of a researcher within your field. You can also use this page to search for a potential supervisor.

For further information please see "3.2 Supervision" in the "Rules for the PhD Programme at the Graduate School, Arts".  


Frequently Asked Question

 
Do I need to suggest a main supervisor and a co-supervisor?
No, it is not mandatory to suggest any supervisors at this stage.

Why can I not enter my main supervisor’s details but I can enter my co-supervisor’s details?
You can only fill out the position, institution and email for your co-supervisor and not for your main supervisor.  You main supervisor must be employed at the Faculty of Arts that is why you only need to write the name of your main supervisor. 

I am not from Aarhus University. Could you help me with some names for potential supervisors?
You do not need to have a supervisor in order to apply for a fellowship/scholarship. The head of the graduate school will provide you with a main supervisor if you get the fellowship/scholarship.
  If you want to talk to a researcher about your project, you can try contacting one of the researchers within your own field.

Here are the links for the research programmes at the 3 schools:

If you are not able to find a potential supervisor yourself, you may contact one of our 8 PhD programme directors and he/she might be able to give you a name or two of a researcher within your field. 

Can I have a main supervisor from another university than Aarhus University?
No, but your co-supervisor may come from another university. They will not be paid for the work.

Can an assistant professor be my main supervisor?
No, only professors and associate professors may serve as main supervisors.