The most important part of the application for admission to a PhD degree programme at the Faculty of Arts is your own project description. The project description explains the research project you propose to conduct as a PhD student in some detail, and it outlines the research plan. The project description must also explain the research project you propose to conduct within the larger project if you apply for one of the specific calls.
The project description must meet certain formal requirements. Please see the "Guidelines for electronic application" and "Preparing a PhD Project".
The timetable is a mandatory attachment to the project description: English version
Although the form for the timetable is in English you are still allowed to write the project description in Danish if the calls is in Danish.
The form for the timetable must be used by both 4+4 and 5+3 applicants. It is just the last part of the form that is for 4+4 applicants only.
Please upload the cover sheet in the same file as your diplomas and transcripts of records/diploma supplement: English version
Preferred order:
The estimated duration of the PhD degree programme is 3 years of full-time study. The form is used for specific activities relevant to the PhD project for which you would like to receive credits: English version
If the costs exceeds the amounts stated in the guidelines you must make a budget of the costs on this form: English version - Danish version
Besides the forms under the section "Forms for the online application" there are some other forms you must upload to your application when applying with external funding.
PhD fellowships/scholarships with full external funding (salary, travel expenses, programme fee/tuition and overhead) for the entire PhD programme of study.
PhD fellowships/scholarships where one part of the enrolment/employment is paid by Aarhus University and the other part is paid by another cooperation partner.
The form must be used if the PhD student is going to be employed by Aarhus University.
If your application is missing one or more mandatory documents it will be rejected. See a list of mandatory documents in the FAQ.
You can find the link for the application form in the bottom of each call. See this guideline: How to find the application form
It is your responsibility to make sure that you have applied for the correct call.
Please refrain from writing your whole name and project title with block capital letters in the application form.
You cannot send your application from a Tablet or Smartphone. Please send your application from a computer.
If you get this error "Credit transfer must be 0 or a positive integer" when you try to send your application. Please make sure that you have entered '0' in the box "Credit transfer on top of admission level (Months)".
Fill out the box before you choose "Applying for 4+4" because the credit box will disappear when you choose 4+4.
If you have already chosen 4+4 please choose 5+3 and enter "0" in the box. Then choose 4+4 again and continue filling out the application form.
If you get this error "If there are no particular expenses, please just enter 0" when you try to send your application. Please make sure that you have entered '0' in the box "Total budget in DKK for particular expenses" and left the box "Indicate sources and amounts of possible financial support, if any" blank.
If you cannot send your application there are a few things you can try that might help:
If you still cannot send your application you must contact Bettina H. Acthon at the PhD administration (acthon@au.dk) immediately (and before the application deadline). Do not wait until after the deadline. Any mails received after the application deadline will be declined.
- Problems in good time before the deadline
If the problem occurs in good time before the application deadline (or within normal office hours (Monday-Thursday 08:00-15:00 and Friday 08:00-13:00) on the day of the application deadline) please contact Bettina H. Acthon (acthon@au.dk) with a description of the problem incl. screen shots of the error you get on the screen.
- Problems close to the deadline
- Sending the application with blank PDF files
If the problem occurs close to the deadline (and outside normal office hours (Monday-Thursday 08:00-15:00 and Friday 08:00-13:00) on the day of the application deadline) you must fill out and send the application with blank PDF files. The PDF files must be as small as possible so a blank paper with just your name on is enough. Afterwards you must send the PDF files in an e-mail to Bettina H. Acthon (acthon@au.dk).
Please write the application No. in the e-mail and name the PDF files so there is no doubt where they must be uploaded in the application. Use the terms from the application form. Remember that you may only send one PDF file per field in the application. This means that you have to merge some of your documents (for example cover sheet must be saved in the same file as BA and MA diplomas and transcripts).
Your e-mail incl. all PDF files must be sent (and received) before the application deadline. If we received your email after the deadline it will not be taken under consideration.
Please also include a screen shot in the e-mail of the error as documentation of your problem.
- Sending the application via email (only as a last resort)
If you still cannot send your application via the application facility (with blank PDF files, see option above) you may send your application and attachments to Bettina H. Acthon (acthon@au.dk). It must be a copy of the complete application (application form incl. all attached documents). The mail containing the application form (Word file) and all attachments (PDF files) must be received by our mail system no later than the application deadline. If we received your email after the deadline it will not be taken under consideration.
Use Copy/Paste for the application form. Fill out the application form on the screen and take a copy of the completed form. Open a blank Word document and insert the information from the application into the Word document. Save the document.
Do not send the information from the application form as screen shots! We must be able to copy the text from each field and insert the text into a blank application form.
Please name your PDF files so there is no doubt which field they belong to. Remember that you may only send one PDF file per field in the application. This means that you have to merge some of your documents (for example cover sheet must be saved in the same file as BA and MA diplomas and transcripts).
- No exemptions
The Graduate School does not grant exemptions from the application deadline due to problems with your own computer or internet connection.
The application will be evaluated on the basis of the documents received electronically before the application deadline. If the application is incomplete it will be rejected.
Please check your application before you press “Send”. From September 2019 it is no longer possible to check the application after it has been sent because the link to the application in the return receipt (e-mail) will be removed due to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
If you suspect you have made an error in the application or uploaded the wrong document you need to fill out and send a whole new and complete application (before the application deadline). We will assess the application received last and automatically delete the first one when we find two applications from you to the same call.
Please see the FAQ for further information.
Unfortunately we cannot help you after the application deadline.
The only document that may be sent after the application deadline is your Master's diploma if you apply for a 5+3 fellowship. Any other documents sent to us after the application deadline will not be taken under consideration.
