Graduate School - Faculty of Arts

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You are here: Forside Applicants Open and Specific Calls

Calls for PhD scholarships (4+4) and PhD fellowships (5+3)

 

Read the application guideline and the FAQ thoroughly before you fill out the application form!


We strongly urge you to submit your application in good time before the deadline expires. We do not grant extensions due to your own computer or internet problems.

Attention

If you are uploading large PDF files you may encounter a timeout after 2 minutes because it takes too long to upload the application incl. the PDF files. Try reducing the files and upload again. It could also be your internet connection that is not fast enough and therefore times out after 2 minutes.

If you still have problems sending your application please see this page for help.

Deadline, Reply and Enrolment start

Please see the deadlines on this page.

Meetings for potential PhD students

Information for potential PhD students about the programme and general student life.

2021:

Mandatory attachments

If your application is missing one or more of the mandatory attachments your application will be rejected without assessment.

Please see this page for the full list of the mandatory attachments.  
 

The documents below are some of the attachments applicants often forget:

  • BA and MA diploma
    Please note that you must upload both your BA and MA diplomas (5+3) or BA diploma and transcript of records of one year of Master’s degree studies (4+4) otherwise we cannot assess your academic level. The diploma/transcript of records must contain: name of education, duration, courses, marks and ECTS credits (if ECTS credits are given).

    Please see the guideline for further information.

  • English language requirements
    The documentation must be one of the approved documents. Do not upload BA or MA diplomas from other countries than the approved countries as proof of English skills.

    Please see this page for the full list.

  • Timetable (schedule/time plan)
    The form for the timetable is a mandatory part of the project description.

    Your must fill out a separate form and upload the form in the same PDF file as the project description with the project description first then timetable and list of project literature.

    You can find the form for the timetable and other forms on this page.

English language requirements (mandatory)

Please note that the requirements have been updated in 2020!

All applicants must document English language qualifications comparable to an 'English B level' in the Danish upper secondary school ('gymnasium').

You must prove your English skills by uploading one of the documents from this website to your application. All other kinds of documentation are invalid!

The documentation of your language requirements (test results) cannot be added to your application after the application deadline.

We do not grant exemptions from the language requirements.

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Applicants with a Danish degree similar to the Danish upper secondary school ('gymnasium') must get their qualifications assessed if the diploma does not state that English was taught on B level. Please see this page: Individuel Kompetencevurdering (IKV)

Assessment of non-Danish qualifications

If you want to apply for a PhD scholarship (4+4) or a PhD fellowship (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: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/get-assessment

  • General assessments of degrees from specific countries, see this page.
  • Get your qualifications assessed, see this page.
    The assessment itself free of charge. This excludes any other expenses such as for translation of documents.

 
Example

  • Bachelor’s degree in English Literature (3 years): 120 British credits per year = 360 British credits in total.
  • Master’s degree in English Literature (1 year): 180 British credits.


Although the total sum is 540 British credits you cannot apply for the 3-year PhD fellowship (5+3 scheme) event though we write the following about the 5+3 scheme:
To begin a 3-year fellowship you must have passed a qualifying examination 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 British credits are not equivalent to ECTS credits. This means that you cannot compare the two types of credits.


Here you can see the Danish Agency for Higher Education's standards for assessing higher education qualifications from England, Wales and Northern Ireland:


A 1-year Master’s degree from England is only equivalent to one year of studies at Master’s level in Denmark which corresponds to 60-90 ECTS credits depending on the courses. This means that you may apply for the 4-year PhD scholarship (4+4 scheme) but not the 3-year PhD fellowship (5+3 scheme).

If you have not yet submitted your Master’s thesis for assessment you must upload a list of the courses you have passed and any examinations you are signed up. Your Master’s degree programme must be completed no later than the day before the PhD enrolment starts.

What is the difference between having a Master's degree and still being enrolled as a Master's student when applying for a PhD scholarship/fellowship?

This section contains information about:

  • Danish Master's degree or equivalent non-Danish Master's degree (still enrolled)
    • 60-90 ECTS credits after application deadline
    • 90 ECTS credits at the time of application
  • Master's degree (passed og will be passed before PhD enrolment)
    • Danish Master's degree
    • Non-Danish Master's degree (equivalent to a Danish Master's degree)
    • Non-Danish Master's degree (NOT equivalent to a Danish Master's degree)

Danish Master's degree or equivalent non-Danish Master's degree (still enrolled)

  • 60-90 ECTS credits after application deadline:
    You can apply for a 4+4 scholarship if you have already acquired 60 ECTS credits or will have acquired 60 to 90 ECTS credits in a Master’s degree examination after the deadline for application.

  • 90 ECTS credits at the time of application:
    If you have already earned 90 ECTS credits at the time of application you cannot apply for a 4+4 scholarship. You can apply for a 5+3 fellowship as long as the Master’s degree programme is completed no later than the day before the PhD enrolment starts.

Master's degree (passed)

  • Danish Master's degree
    If you have a Danish Master's degree (120 ECTS credits) you can apply for the 5+3 fellowship (NOT the 4+4 scholarship).

  • Non-Danish Master's degree - equivalent to a Danish Master's degree:
    If you have a Master's degree and it is equivalent to a Danish Master's degree you can apply for the 5+3 fellowship (NOT the 4+4 scholarship).

  • Non-Danish Master's degree - NOT equivalent to a Danish Master's degree:
    If you have a Master's degree and it is only equivalent one year at Master's level in Denmark you can apply for the 4+4 scholarship (NOT the 5+3 fellowship).

    Because your Master's degree is not equivalent to a Danish Master's degree you will be contacted by the Study Centre Arts (if you get one of the PhD scholarships). They will find a new Master's degree programme at Arts for you and make a credit transfer for the courses previously completed as part of your degree programme at Master’s level. On this page you can see all the Master's degree programmes at Aarhus University (choose "Faculty" - "Arts" to see the programmes at Arts): https://kandidat.au.dk/en/ 

    This means that you will be both a Master’s degree student and a PhD student during part A of the PhD degree programme (4+4).

 


Not yet passed but will be passed before PhD enrolment

If you have not yet submitted your Master’s thesis for assessment you must upload a list of the courses you have passed and any examinations you are signed up (inkl. the deadline for your Master's thesis). Your Master’s degree programme must be completed no later than the day before the PhD enrolment starts.

Further information:

For further information about the PhD degree structure at Arts please see this page.

 

Open call

PhD scholarships/fellowships where you apply with your own project

The graduate schools own open PhD scholarships (4+4)/fellowships (5+3)
When applying for the open call you apply for both enrolment and a PhD scholarships (4+4)/fellowships (5+3).

 

Open call, March 2021 (4+4 and 5+3)

Specific calls

PhD scholarships where the topic for the project is written in the call

When applying for a specific call you apply for both enrolment and PhD scholarship (4+4)/fellowship (5+3).

The application must be written in the language mentioned in the call you apply for (see the section "Application").

European Innovative Training Network D-CODE: Design Anthropology for Sustainable Human-Machine Relations (ESR1) (5+3)

2021-2

Comparative studies on the rise of neo-nationalism in European higher education (5+3)

2021-3

 

Den danske billedkunstner Hans Smidth mellem realisme, naturalisme og impressionisme, nationalt og internationalt, før og efter år 1900 (4+4/5+3) 

2021-4

An Intersectional Analysis of Ancient Jewish Travel Narratives (ANINAN) (4+4/5+3)

2021-5

Reconstruction of the landscape at the edge of the Neanderthals world (5+3)

2021-6

Urban Societies in Past Worlds  (5+3)

2021-7

Research and impact: Integration of research and society in the humanistic PhD education (5+3)

2021-8

Algorithmic Decision Making: Philosophical Challenges (5+3)

2021-9

Ethnographic research on perceptions of the risks, advantages, and constraints of plastic use and disposal methods in India (5+3)

2021-10

Semantic dimensions of depression in language and brain (4+4/5+3)

2021-11

Building High-Quality EC Systems Supported by International Evidence (BESSIE)  (4+4/5+3)

2021-12

Predicting reader assessment (4+4/5+3)

2021-13

Modelling volcanism and climate change during the Late Pleistocene in Europe and their human impacts (5+3)

2021-14

Perceptual Flexibility in Old Age (5+3)

2021-15

Ethnic minorities in the Danish higher education system (5+3)

2021-16

External calls/funding

PhD fellowships/scholarship from a company, foundation, museum etc.
 

 


How to apply

  1. Apply for funding
    Apply for the funding for the PhD fellowship/scholarship from the external source.

  2. Letter of funding
    When you have received the detailed letter of funding you can apply for enrolment.
    Please see the costs of enrolment on this page.

  3. Apply for enrolment
    Once you have the full funding for the enrolment you can apply for enrolment. Please contact the programmes PhD administrator for the ad hoc link to the application facility.

    You cannot use the application form from the links in the open/specific calls. You have to apply for enrolment on a different form using the ad hoc link sent to you directly by the PhD administrator when you want to apply for enrolment only.

Do you need help?

Please see this page: How to apply (guidelines and forms)

Questions about the application facility

Please read the Guidelines for electronic application and the FAQ page before contacting the graduate school.

If you do not find the answers to your questions/problems with the application facility in the guideline or FAQ please contact Bettina H. Acthon (acthon@au.dk) in good time before the application deadline.  

How to fill out the PhD application form

How to write a PhD application

The film does not replace our guidelines or FAQ. Please see these for further information on how to fill out the application form.

You can open the video (wmv file) with Windows Media Player.

Errors when sending application

What to do?

Please see the page "How to apply (guidelines and forms)" for further information on what to do if you cannot send your application. See the section "Errors when sending your application".

Receipt

Please notice that you will get a message on your screen when you have sent your application.

If you do not get the receipt on the screen your application has NOT been sent.

You will also receive an e-mail with a return receipt. Please contact us before the application deadline if you do not get a return receipt. After the deadline we cannot help you. See the page mentioned above.

Revised 25.02.2021 - 
Bettina Holmbo Acthon