At Aarhus University we are determined to attract the most talented PhD students from all over the world. Thus Talent Development is – together with Education, Research and Knowledge Exchange - one of Aarhus University’s core activities.
Our perspective on PhDs as early career researchers, make Aarhus University very attractive for international talent and you apply on the same terms as Danish applicants.
With a PhD degree from Aarhus University you are trained to independently undertake high calibre research, development and teaching projects in the private and the public sectors.
Here you can hear PhD students talk about their life as PhD students and why they chose to do a PhD at Aarhus University: https://www.youtube.com/user/AarhusUniversity (search for PhD) og https://international.au.dk/about/profile/top-reasons-to-choose-aarhus-university/
For further information about Aarhus University please see this page.
Public higher education institutions in Denmark are regulated by national legislation concerning degree structures, teacher qualifications and examinations.
For further information please see this page.
If you want to apply for a PhD scholarship/fellowship at Arts but you are not sure if you should apply for 4+4 or 5+3 you can get your non-Danish qualifications assessed by the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education.
Please see this page for further information.
The Circular on the collective agreement for state-employed academics states that a condition for employment is that the person in question does not already have a PhD degree. In other words, we cannot employ you as a PhD fellow if you already have a PhD degree corresponding to a Danish PhD degree. This means that you cannot apply for a PhD fellowship via an open call or a specific call because these calls includes both enrolment and employment on the collective agreement.
If you want to apply for enrolment (without employment) at the Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University you can apply with your own funding and pay for the enrolment costs yourself. Please see the website “Costs for enrolment” and "Applying for enrolment with external funding".
Please note that you cannot apply for the 4+4 scheme with an ongoing Master’s degree programme if you have already completed another Master’s degree programme corresponding to a Danish two-year Master’s degree programme (120 ECTS). This means that you have to apply for the 5+3 scheme with your completed Master’s degree and not the 4+4 scheme with your ongoing Master’s degree programme. You can also choose to finish your current Master’s degree programme and apply later for 5+3 with your second Master's degree.
If your completed Master's degree is not equivalent to a Danish 2-year Master's degree you may apply for the 4+4 scheme.
Please see this page for more information on the 4+4 and 5+3 scheme.
The open and specific calls annonced on our website include a scholarship/salary as well as educational costs (40,000 DKK for travels, programme fee/tuition and overhead).
The grants do not cover moving expenses or costs when applying for residence and work permit.
Please see these pages for further information: Funding and Employment.
Aarhus University is committed to protecting the rights of PhD students and ensuring optimal conditions throughout the entire PhD study. For Aarhus University, it is crucial that PhD students have the freedom to conduct research without fear of economic sanctions or reprisals. This is essential for PhD students to develop their academic independence and skills and contribute to new knowledge in their research area, as described in the basic principles of PhD education at Aarhus University.
The Graduate School, Arts does therefore not accept third-party contracts (for example in connection to international scholarships) that limit the freedom or mobility of PhD students during and after the PhD study at the graduate school. PhD students who are not employed by Aarhus University are required to sign a document stating that no such third-party contracts exist.
Erroneous or misleading information may result in rejection of an application for a PhD study or termination of the PhD study.
You are expected to move to Denmark during the enrolment in order for you to be an active member of the research environment at the school and you are expected to be present at the school on an everyday basis.
We do not offer distance learning!
Residence and work permit
Please be aware that the PhD scholarship/fellowship does not cover moving expenses or fees for the residence and work permit.
The fee you pay for the Case Order ID is for the processing of the application in Denmark (residence and work permit). Some representations/visa applications centres also demands a handling fee when you book an appointment for biometrics.
