Doctoral School of Social Sciences and Business

Application and admission as a PhD student is handled directly by one of RUC's four doctoral schools. So, if you would like to know more about the application and admission requirements, contact one of the four doctoral schools directly. You will find the contact details for the Doctoral School of Social Sciences and Business at the bottom of the page.

Generally, vacant PhD positions are posted regularly on RUC's website. There are no fixed application deadlines for PhD positions. PhD positions are advertised either with a specific project description or as a thematic job notice, where the student can define his/her project in relation to a specific research area.

Each doctoral school offers one or more forms of funding models. We therefore recommend that you request specific information at the doctoral school for which you wish to apply.

Overall, there are four separate ways a PhD project can be funded at Roskilde University.

PhD scholarships funded by Roskilde University:
The PhD fellow is enrolled and employed by the department and the doctoral school for a 3-year period. The PhD fellow is employed in accordance with the AC collective agreement (Appendix 5) (In Danish).
All PhD scholarships funded by RUC are advertised on RUC's website.

PhD scholarships funded partly by RUC and partly by an external partner:
RUC collaborates with an external partner (e.g. a public or private company, organization or NGO) to define a joint research project. The parties enter into a cooperation agreement and, as a rule, they share the costs of the PhD project equally between them. The PhD fellow is usually employed by RUC, but in exceptional circumstances, they may be employed by the external partner.

PhD scholarships funded entirely by an external party:
This funding model is often referred to as the workplace-funded model or enterprise scheme. The enterprise pays an education grant to RUC to cover enrolment, supervision, office, course allowance, etc. The PhD fellow is employed by the workplace, but enrolled at RUC. The PhD fellow may be enrolled for 3-6 years, and the duration is decided before enrolment. If the PhD study is expected to exceed 3 years, the PhD fellow is enrolled as a part-time student at RUC.

Industrial PhD:
The Industrial PhD scheme is supported and administered by Innovation Fund Denmark.

An Industrial PhD is a 3-year, business-oriented research project. The PhD fellow is employed in the private (or in some cases public) enterprise, which applies to Innovation Fund Denmark for funding for the project, and the PhD fellow is employed with a salary at the enterprise throughout the Industrial PhD project. The PhD fellow divides his/her working hours between the enterprise and the university, and devotes all their time to the Industrial PhD project. In order to apply for funding for an Industrial PhD project, the PhD fellow and the enterprise must meet certain specific requirements. These requirements are described in detail in the guidance material. You can read more about the Industrial PhD scheme here.

If you are enrolled on a PhD programme in Denmark or abroad, you can apply to visit RUC as a guest for 3-6 months. As a guest, you must be affiliated with one of RUC's 4 doctoral schools, which will act as host for your visit. You should therefore contact the individual doctoral school related to your research area.