Admission to the Programme is competitive and places are limited. In order to be considered for admission to the PhD Programme, an applicant must have a relevant Master’s Degree with a minimum overall GPA of B, an above average scholastic record in previous education, excellent facility in the English language, sufficient funding, and present a research proposal of high quality that falls within one of Noragric’s areas of concentration and expertise.
There are two ways to apply for admission to the PhD programme at Noragric:
- Through an application to a vacant PhD position. These will be announced on NMBU's vacancies page in January/February each year.
- Through submitting a complete application within 1 April.
Please also see the PhD Regulations for NMBU and the Supplemenatry provisions for LANDSAM.
A complete application to the PhD Programme consists of the following:
- Letter of Application outlining professional plans and ambitions and describing why the applicant is interested in the programme in International Environment and Development Studies.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) including contact details of two references.
- Certified Transcript of Grades/Marks for all previous university work. (The candidate shall have a strong academic background, with B or above as the average grade of the Master’s degree. The grade of the Master’s thesis shall also be B or above.)
- Copies of relevant scientific publications.
- IELTS Scores. Proficiency is demonstrated (if one’s mother tongue is not English, or the applicant has successfully completed Norwegian secondary education with English grade 5 or better) by a IELTS score of at least 7.0 or equivalent.
- Research outline - Project Proposal, a project description of max 4000 words presenting the research the applicant wishes to undertake for dissertation. It will include a short introduction to the topic, an exploration of the questions/hypotheses the research is intended to address, and an outline of the planned method design. If this research is to be conducted “in the field,” the description should note whether it will be undertaken in conjunction with an existing project or in cooperation with another institution. The research project should be written in an academic style, and be footnoted and include key references as appropriate.
- Funding Plan and Proof of Funding. PhD studies require funding to meet both personal and research-related expenses.
Acceptance of PhD candidates at Noragric/LANDSAM requires employment in an PhD position at the faculty, or external funding. Besides PhD positions, Noragric has no funds at its discretion to provide stipends, research grants, or extensions in the case of expiring grants. The applicant is responsible for securing the necessary funding. Funding sources may include: Norwegian Research Council scholarship, University Scholarship, NORAD or similar scholarships, project funding, home country/ home institute funds.
Applicants holding a scholarship can only be accepted if adequate funds for field research, travel and other running costs have been secured. Applicants from collaborating institutions should preferably apply through the institutional agreement to secure funding. Only those applications will be considered for admission who are either (a) candidates supported by their employers with wages, research funds and the required fee to the faculty, or (b) candidates who will receive a scholarship from a grant-giving institution. This scholarship must cover all costs (costs of living, research and the required fee to the faculty) for the entire PhD period.The minimum funding, in addition to living expenses, is 360.000 Norwegian Kroner for a three year PhD period. This amount does not include costs associated with travel expenses and fieldwork, which vary considerably with different types of research, and must be budgeted according to the needs in each PhD project.
Application deadlines
1 April each year with study start in August/ September.