There are three options when applying for enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School of Arts.
Funded by the Faculty of Arts
When applying for one of our open or specific calls the applicant applies for enrolment and scholarship/fellowship simultaneously.
A PhD scholarship (4+4) includes SU vouchers (part A)/salary (part B), travel expenses (40,000 DKK), programme fee and overhead.
A PhD fellowship (5+3) includes salary, travel expenses (40,000 DKK), programme fee and overhead.
Funded by an external source
When applying for enrolment (and employment) with funding from an external source the full funding (salary, travel expenses, programme fee and overhead; see the sections below) must be awarded before applying for enrolment as a PhD student.
The funding commitment for the PhD scholarship (4+4) or the PhD fellowship (5+3) MUST be documented in writing and uploaded to the electronic application.
A PhD scholarship (4+4) including SU vouchers (part A)/salary (part B), travel expenses, programme fee and overhead amounts to about 2,460,000 DKK.
A PhD fellowship (5+3) including salary, travel expenses, programme fee and overhead on the highest pay grade (8) amounts to about 2,949,000 DKK.
Enrolment only
The PhD student finances his or her PhD studies by means of other external funding and pays an annual programme fee and overhead to the Graduate School of Arts; see the section "Programme fee and overhead" below.
The funding commitment MUST be documented in writing and uploaded to the electronic application. Please see "Proof of financial support" in the application guide.
International applicants
Be aware that the funding must include an allowance for living costs and travel expenses because 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. Please see "Moving to Denmark" and "Cost of living" on the page for international applicants.
The programme fee/tuition (2019 level) is 104,200 DKK a year plus overhead (currently 44%).
| Programme fee | 312,600 DKK |
| Overhead (44%) | 137,544 DKK |
| Total | 450,144 DKK |
The programme fee covers the costs associated with course planning, supervision, evaluation, assessment of the dissertation etc.
Overhead covers the indirect costs associated with a PhD project, i.e. costs which are not directly attributed to the specific project such as rent, heating, electricity, cleaning, administration, library etc.
Please note that you are expected to incorporate an international research stay of at least 2 months’ duration in your PhD project. These expenses must also be covered by the funding.
If Aarhus University is going to manage the PhD scholarship/fellowship (i.e. employ the PhD student) the overhead must be calculated from the total amount for salary, travel expenses and programme fee.
Example (5+3 fellowship)
| Salary expenses (pay grade 8) | 1,695,101 DKK |
| Programme fee | 312,600 DKK |
| Travel expenses | 40,000 DKK |
| Total excl. overhead | 2,047,701 DKK |
| Overhead (44%) | 900,988 DKK |
| Total incl. overhead | 2,948,689 DKK |
The amounts paid out to the PhD students are not the same as the total salary costs.
The salary depends on the PhD student's seniority (previous employment after the Master’s degree). If the PhD student does not have any seniority he/she will be placed on the lowest pay grade (4.1).
Please see the pay scale on this page.
4+4 students on Part A will receive both a SU PhD scholarship and an hourly pay. On Part B they will be placed on the lowest pay grade (4.1).
Please see the pay scale on this page.
Calculator:
This Excel file is a calculator for enrolment costs that uses the estimated costs for 5+3 and 4+4 in the examples below: Danish version
5+3:
On this page you can see an estimate of the costs for a 5+3 fellow: Danish version - English version
4+4:
On this page you can see an estimate of the costs for a 4+4 scholar: Danish version - English version
