PhD Programme

Who Should Apply to the PhD Program
The PhD Program at the University of Iceland School of Business, is designed to develop distinguished scholars for careers in research and teaching at leading academic institutions and research organizations throughout the world.

Eligibility
Applicants to the PhD Program are not evaluated on strict eligibility requirements. It is, however, mandatory for applicants to have completed a Master’s degree with a good academic track-record. The student is required to finish all courses leading up to the Master’s degree during his doctoral program.
Completion of particular courses in Business is not a pre-requisite for admittance, although students with different academic background must provide a strong argument for why they wish to pursue their future research work in the proposed area. It is highly important that the student demonstrates a good understanding of the basic principles of one’s chosen field of research work.
Furthermore, the student must have a research agenda that fits well with that of one or more faculty members here and of course that faculty member (or members) must be able to supervise the studies.
 
Please note that it is not important for applicants to have undertaken the following to gain admittance into the program:

• The GMAT or GRE exam
• Particular fields of undergraduate/graduate study
• A minimum level of work experience
• The TOEFL exam

Timeline and Coursework
The Department’s PhD program is customized, taking into account the specific academic and professional/research background of each individual, their quantitative grounding as well as the level of familiarity with chosen field of study. As a result, each student’s doctoral program, including required course work and schedule of completion, is customized.
The Department encourages students to undertake the doctoral program on a full-time basis in order to maximize the synergy between the student and the department/faculty. This should not, however, discourage those applicants interested in enrolling on part - time basis or through distance-learning. Students should, however, be aware that they are expected to present their work at departmental seminars and conferences at least once a year.
Students pursuing a full-time program are expected to complete their PhD work in three to four years culminating in the submission of a Doctoral Thesis, thereby, completing 90-120 credits during their research tenure. It is, however, not uncommon for students to take longer and this decision is jointly determined by both the supervisor and the Department, taking into account the exigent circumstances that may result in this delay.
Prior to embarking on their independent PhD work, students may be required to demonstrate a satisfactory understanding of their chosen field of specialization to their Advisory Committee. This is usually facilitated through the help of course work amounting to half or one year worth of study time, spread over one or two years of the student’s PhD trajectory. We normally advise a course load that offers a comprehensive mix of core courses to begin with, leading up to more advanced modules, grounded in rigorous application of the students’ chosen area/s of work. Courses could be taken at the Department, other cooperating institutions in the country and/or abroad. Again, both the decision of the course mix as well as the place of study is based on individual needs and requirements and we encourage collaboration between the student and the Advisory Committee on decisions pertaining to these matters.
In the interim, we encourage students to participate of the opportunities to improve their teaching skills through the various teaching assistantships that may be available at the Department or outside. Students are also encouraged to seek out research assistantships which are related to their field of work. In concurrence with the Advisory Committee, these may be taken up on the condition that the student’s own research agenda is progressing as per schedule.

Evaluation and Award of Degree
Assessment of the course work is normally done through written/take-home examinations, papers and/or presentations. Although achievement of a minimum grade is not compulsory, students are expected to pass these examinations. They are asked to present their progress and work through informal meetings with the Advisory Committee and through departmental seminars and conferences at least once a year.
We encourage students to hand in their final research projects no later than the end of the fourth year. Upon completion of the final research thesis, the student presents his work in front of the Faculty of Business Administration and the Advisory Committee. Once the thesis is approved by the Advisory Committee, it will notify the PhD Committee of the student’s preparedness to undertake the viva voce, in writing. At this stage, the thesis goes through a rigorous evaluation process by a committee comprising three autonomous professionals (nominated by the PhD Committee), with at least one chosen member from outside the division and at least one member from a recognized foreign institution, before it proceeds to the next and final stage prior to accreditation.
At the final stage, the thesis is defended by the student in front of two autonomous professionals (nominated by the PhD Committee), of whom one has to be an external examiner (someone not otherwise connected to the university). At the end of this intensive evaluation process, the degree Doctor of Philosophy or Philosophiae Doctor is conferred on the successful candidate.

PhD Committee/Doctoral Committees
The PhD Committee has been set up by the Faculty of Business Administration to provide direct supervision to the PhD program, ensuring that the quality of the program remains uncompromised at all times. It is responsible for evaluation of all applications as well decision-making on the suitability of the applicant depending on his qualifications as well as other necessary parameters mentioned above. Once a student has been accepted into the program, the PhD Committee sets up an Advisory Committee for the student and the two committees collaboratively ensure that the student is making adequate and timely progress in his course/research work. In the event of lack of adequate progress, the PhD Committee has the discretion to disqualify the student from the program. The PhD Committee also advises on the quality of the final research thesis of each student in the program.

Advisory Committee
Upon admittance of a candidate into the PhD program, the PhD Committee is responsible for setting up an Advisory Committee for each student. This committee comprises three academic staff members, each a professional in the student’s proposed field of study.
The Chairman of the Advisory Committee, usually a Professor at the University, is a recognized specialist in the student’s chosen research area and has to his credit a significant body of work in recognized academic publications. The Advisory Committee is the PhD student’s first point of contact in case of academic and other matters and is responsible for providing academic guidance to the student during his research tenure. The student in turn has to report his research progress to the committee.
Other two members of the Advisory Committee are usually recognized specialists in the chosen field. The Advisory Committee has the discretion to seek assistance from specialists outside the institution.
The Advisory Committee is responsible for notifying the PhD Committee when the student is ready to undertake his thesis defence through a viva voce.

How to Apply
Please read the instructions on this page carefully before applying
 
Application for study

Recommendation Letter
The Recommendation Letter form should be sent to two referees who are qualified through personal experience to judge the applicant’s academic performance and potential for research work. These references should be emailed to the University directly by the referees or provided to the applicant in sealed envelopes to be attached as part of the application. Please be advised that these references shall be treated with utmost confidentiality.
Recommendation Letters

Research Proposal
The research proposal is central to your application as it is the fundamental determinant in our assessment of your research potential. Your research proposal should indicate the area in which the research will be conducted, the objectives and rationale of your research, specifying its purpose and any underlying problems or concerns. The proposal should contain an overview of main research questions and expected answers.

The research proposal can also provide some explanation of what led you to the topic. Thus, if your topic emerges from a long-standing interest or from interests you developed while undertaking previous degree/s or work, do share this information - it will help to convey your motivation for pursuing doctoral studies.

Finally, you should, as far as possible, provide an overview of the field that you plan to research and indicate how the research question you plan to explore during the program is going to make an original contribution to it. Although it is possible that at this stage you may only have an abstract notion about your research interest and area, we appreciate you being as specific and focused as possible.

You could consider the following points, in addition to those mentioned above, in your proposal:

• Your past work on issues relevant to the proposed research topic
• What about this research work captivates your interest
• Any research projects you have completed with a faculty member and institution in the past
• Any other relevant information you would like to provide to the PhD Committee

The purpose of a research proposal is to provide the PhD Committee and potential research supervisors with an indication of the topic you are interested in. Most potential supervisors will review research proposals as a preliminary description of the applicant's area of interest, aware though that the eventual research project may be a significant departure from the original proposal.

All applications and supporting documents should be sent to the Department Office:

PhD Program (Doktorsnám)
School of Business
University of Iceland
Gimli v/Sæmundargata
101 Reykjavík
Iceland

Application Fee
No application fee is required for participation in the PhD Program at the School of Business, at the University of Iceland.

Fees
The University of Iceland does not charge tuition fees, but the annual registration fee is ISK 75,000 (2018-2019). In addition, the student has to cover the expenses incurred on accommodation, meals, books and supplies and travel.

Doctoral students do not receive funding from the University of Iceland when they are accepted into the Ph.D. programme at the School of Business. 

University of Iceland - Graduate School
The role of the Graduate School of the University of Iceland is to ensure and enrich the quality of doctoral programmes at the University of Iceland and to promote their development in accordance with the decisions of the University Council.

There you will find information on funds and trusts and more.

International Office
The main mission of the International Office is to oversee and manage the international affairs of the University of Iceland. The office is responsible for administrating and developing international student exchange agreements along with participation in international networks and cooperation with academic partners. Information regarding any and all of the following may be found on their website:

• Study permits
• Health Issues
• Arrivals and first night
• Social Security No.
• Finance issues
• Working in Iceland
• Other important facts
• Important sources of information

Icelandic Student Services (ISS)
ISS is primarily a service company for students at the University of Iceland (UI) offering the following services:

•     Student housing
•     Student Project Grants
•     Student Agency for those seeking part-time jobs
•     University Book Store
•     Student Cafes and other services

The National and University Library
The library is located in a new building on campus, with 15 branch libraries on and off campus.
 
The University Bookstore
The principal purpose of the University Book Store is to provide students with educational materials and other supplies for their studies. 
 
Map of the University Campus

For further information on Reykjavík and Iceland:
http://www.visitreykjavik.is/
http://www.exploreiceland.is/

What is the timeline for applications?
The deadline for international students (other than exchange students) to apply for undergraduate and graduate studies is 1st February.

Where can I find the application form?
The application form in online.

What are the tuition fees for the PhD Program?
There are no Tuition Fees for the PhD Program. However, a nominal registration/administration fees is charged.

Is there any entrance exam for this program?
No entrance exam or GRE/GMAT is required to enter the program. However, submission of completed application form and all supplemental documents is a pre-requisite for enrollment.

Does your program prepare a person to find employment in certain specific fields?
The program is geared specifically for those whose main interest is scholarly research and teaching.

Are there any specific coursework requirement´s?
As determined by the supervisory committee, students may be required to pass one or more courses offered either at the Master’s level at the Faculty and/or at the PhD level at cooperating institutions. Students are expected to present their work at departmental seminars.

What is the duration of the program?
Although this depends on your background and nature of your research, students usually take three years, if involved in full-time research.

Does the program offer financial aid?
Although the School of Business Administration does not, at present, offer any dedicated funding for students in the PhD Program, some grants for participation in the program are available on a competitive basis.

Do I need to take the Toefel test?
The School of Business Administration does not require student to pass a Toefel test if their native language is not English. However, students should be aware that a high proficiency in English language is required as most reading material would be in English. Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission.

Must I send all supporting transcripts together to the University of Iceland, or can I send them separately?
We prefer that you send all transcripts as well as other supporting documents together, but you are not disadvantaged by sending materials separately, or if they are sent directly from the institution. All applications materials must be received by the application deadline if you wish your application to receive full consideration.

I am an overseas student. Will the University of Iceland help me in obtaining a student visa?
Please note that foreign citizens must apply for a residence permit for study purpose (F permits) to the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration (www.utl.is). The permit must have been granted prior to arrival in Iceland.

For further information please contact Professor Inga Rúnar Eðvarðsson.