Institute PhD
Apply for an Institute PhD and join a research group or project at the IT University of Copenhagen
The IT University has the option to employ and offer PhD students a stipend for the entire PhD studies. This means that the salary of the PhD student as well as any other expenses related to the PhD studies will be financed by the institute. No external funding is involved.
As with the majority of the other PhD students these students will naturally be attached to a research group and/or a research project working alongside other PhD students conducting research in related fields.
Achieving an ITU funded PhD stipend is normally possible once a year in an open public PhD call. The number of ITU funded stipends varies from year to year. In an open PhD call the applicant identifies the research topic usually in conjunction with the preferred supervisor. The application is then judged on its excellence, its relevance, and how it fits the ITU research strategy.
Enrolment and employment will be at the IT University the entire period.
Application
When the positions are announced you can send in your application. Please read the call text, the guidelines and application template carefully. It is important that you submit all the required documents.
After deadline for submitting the applications, an assessment committee will assess all applications. You can expect an answer 3-4 months after the deadline for a call if you turned in an application.
PhD students are enrolled and employed for either 3 or 4 years in the PhD programme.
To be qualified for assessment, you must possess the following qualifications:
- A Bachelor Degree and a Master Degree qualify for assessment for a 3-year PhD enrolment/employment (copy of diploma must be included in the application)
- A Bachelor Degree and one year of university studies on Master level qualifies for a 4-year PhD enrolment/employment (copy of BA diploma and documentation of planned course activities corresponding to 60 ECTS points at Master's level must be included in the application)
- English Language Skills Documentation. The minimum requirement is usually considered met if one of the following options for documentation can be provided:
- English at minimum Danish level b (gymnasium) or;
- A B.A. or MSc degree obtained on the basis of an English study programme in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, or USA, or;
- A B.A. or MSc degree obtained on the basis of an English study programme in an EU/EEA country or;
- One of the following English tests with a certain score, as indicated below:
- TOEFL paper-based test result of at least 550
- TOEFL iBT test result of at least 80
- IELTS (academic) test result of at least 6.0
- Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English passed
- Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English passed
Get more information on recognition of foreign qualifications at the Danish Agency for Higher Education. Please read the guidelines thoroughly and observe the instructions in the e-recruitment system carefully. Only applications submitted through the e-recruitment system, HR Manager, will be assessed.
The applicant must submit a single PDF file containing the following:
- Cover Letter. The cover letter should consist of one single page and should mention the suggested supervisor as well as the suggested research group the applicant wishes to join at ITU.
- Statement of Purpose. The statement of purpose (PhD project proposal), authored by the applicant, must include an original research question and the main goals of the proposed PhD project. The statement of purpose should be of maximum 5 pages.
- If the applicant works with interdisciplinary approaches, including social sciences and humanities perspectives, the statement of purpose should also include a motivated choice of theory and method and an empirical basis for the research.
- The statement of purpose will be used to determine the applicant’s abilities of independent thinking, definition of original goals, and grasp of the state-of-the-art of the relevant research field. Goals and research field should match the interest and competences of the suggested ITU advisor.
- Documentation of Academic Degree(s) and Exam Transcripts. All documentation must be provided either in English or in Danish. If the applicant has a document in any other language, a translation in English must also be included. The translation should be done by the institution issuing the document or by a state-authorised translator. Transcripts that are not issued by an EU country must be accompanied by a grade key or an explanation of the local grading scale (in English). The ITU will assess the applicant’s level of education, and compare it to the requirements of the Danish University system.
- Curriculum Vitae containing at least two references.
- List of Publications. Should contain the applicant’s relevant scientific publications in recognized, peer-reviewed venues, such as major international conferences or journals in the suggested supervisor’s field, or an excellent master’s thesis.
- Letters of Recommendation. Letters of recommendation by leading international researchers that are professionally known to the potential supervisor. They should be written in either Danish or English. Each letter should clearly state the name of the person who has written it, contact information, and this person’s affiliation to the applicant. The IT University reserves the right to ask for verification of any copies that might be enclosed as documentation.
- English Language Skills Documentation. The minimum requirement is usually considered met if one of the following options for documentation can be provided:
- English at minimum Danish level b (gymnasium) or;
- A B.A. or MSc degree obtained on the basis of an English study programme in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, or USA, or;
- A B.A. or MSc degree obtained on the basis of an English study programme in an EU/EEA country or;
- One of the following English tests with a certain score, as indicated below:
- TOEFL paper-based test result of at least 550
- TOEFL iBT test result of at least 80
- IELTS (academic) test result of at least 6.0
- Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English passed
- Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English passed
Sending the application
Please observe these instructions carefully. Only applications submitted through the e-recruitment system, HR Manager, will be assessed.
Logging on to the e-recruitment system HR Manager:
- Follow the link in the call text.
- Provide personal info: Name, address, date of birth, nationality, contact information, educational background, and professional experience. Uploading a photo is optional.
- The address must include street name, number, floor, room number, postal code, city and country. Telephone number and e-mail address must also be included.
- Ensure that the PDF file contains all documents required in the application guidelines.
It is possible to change an application, i.e. upload a new version of the PDF file. This can be done via the profile before the application deadline.
You can reach us by email at phdsupport@itu.dk, or drop by our office 2D16 (map) for a chat.