Language skills
Programme length
Full time study for three academic years after an MS degree.
Study mode
Face-to-face learning
Application status
International students:
Students with Icelandic or Nordic citizenship:
MS degree from the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, or equivalent.
The doctoral programme is primarily based on the doctoral candidate's independent research, culminating in the dissertation. However, the Ph.D. committee may require the candidate to take courses in addition to the research. 180 credits are required for the Ph.D. dissertation. Credits for courses are added to the credits required for the dissertation.
The following documents must accompany an application for this programme:
- CV
- Statement of purpose
- Research proposal
- Study plan
- Research project
- Reference 1, Name and email
- Reference 2, Name and email
- Supervisor/supervising teacher at the University of Iceland
- Certified copies of diplomas and transcripts
- Copy of grant or scholarship application and/or confirmation, if applicable
- Proof of English proficiency
Further information on supporting documents can be found here.
Applicants are required to:
- Find a departmental coordinator/supervisor and are advised to contact the teachers in the field they are interested in to find a supervisor.
- Have an idea for a research project before applying.
Supporting document - instructions
Statement of purpose
A short description of your motivation for applying for the graduate program ( ½- 1 page A4).
- state the reasons why you want to pursue graduate work in the field of your study programme
- state issues and problems you want to address
- state your professional goals
- briefly describe why you chose the University of Iceland
- please specify the name of your supervisor
Your statement of purpose, written in English, should be uploaded and submitted as a PDF file with your online application
Project plan
Students need to hand in a project plan before the end of the first semester, in collaboration with their supervisor.
Approved Project plan should be sent by email to project managers of graduate studies for documentation.
PhD Committee
Before the end of the first semester, the administrative supervisor shall propose doctoral committee members to the respective faculty's postgraduate study committee for approval.
PhD students are required to hand in information about the PhD committee by email to the project manager of PhD studies.
Email: phdsens@hi.is
Programme structure
Check below to see how the programme is structured.
This programme does not offer specialisations.
- Year unspecified
- Fall
- Final project
- Graduate seminar in Ecology and Evolution
- Research in molecular biology and biochemistry
- Spring 1
- Final project
- Graduate seminar in Ecology and Evolution
- Research in molecular biology and biochemistry
Year unspecified | Fall
Final project (LÍF561L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description
Description missingLanguage of instruction: Icelandic/English
Self-study
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Year unspecified | Fall
Graduate seminar in Ecology and Evolution (LÍF119F)
Free elective course within the programme
2 ECTS, credits
Course Description
Graduate students in ecology and evolutionary biology meet each week together with one or more teachers. Post docs and other researchers are welcome to attend. Participants present their research questions or related topics. Reference material or articles should be announced at least one week in advance, and should be chosen in accordance to a teacher. The lecture topics will be discussed by all participants. Students get training in presenting their research and discussing research articles.
The course is only for graduate students and mandatory for graduate students working on projects in ecology and evolutionary biology.
The course is given both spring and autumn semester and every student can get max 8 ECTS units in total for the course.
Language of instruction: Icelandic
Attendance required in class
Year unspecified | Fall
Research in molecular biology and biochemistry (LÍF114F)
Free elective course within the programme
2 ECTS, credits
Course Description
This course is important for all graduate students in molecular biology and related fields. It is divided into two main parts: 1) presentation of a research article (journal club) and presentation of the research project (work in progress). For the research article students select a recent research article of interest and give a presentation on the aims and results. The goal is to train reading research articles in a critical way and present to others. The students have also as an assignment to bring up questions when other students present articles. The aim is to enhance critical approaches concerning scientific aims and methods used to reach the aims. In the project presentations students are expected to concentrate on the aims give a backgrounds and details of the methods used, results and the planned continuation. The students are expected to train in getting the message of the project in a clear way. The project presentation can lead to suggestion from other students that are useful for the approach.
This course is in English and has been on both spring and autumn term. The student can take this course four times giving max 8 ECTS.
Attendance is obligatory.
Language of instruction: English
Attendance required in class
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Final project (LÍF561L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description
Description missingLanguage of instruction: Icelandic/English
Self-study
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Graduate seminar in Ecology and Evolution (LÍF229F)
Free elective course within the programme
2 ECTS, credits
Course Description
Graduate students in ecology and evolutionary biology meet each week together with one or more teachers. Post docs and other researchers are welcome to attend. Participants present their research questions or related topics. Reference material or articles should be announced at least one week in advance, and should be chosen in accordance to a teacher. The lecture topics will be discussed by all participants. Students get training in presenting their research and discussing research articles.
The course is only for graduate students and mandatory for graduate students working on projects in ecology and evolutionary biology.
The course is given both spring and autumn semester and every student can get max 8 ECTS units in total for the course.
Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Attendance required in class
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Research in molecular biology and biochemistry (LÍF223F)
Free elective course within the programme
2 ECTS, credits
Course Description
This seminar course is an important contribution to the education of all continuing students in the field of molecular biology. It is divided into two parts: journal club and work in progress. For the journal club students will present a recent article about an interesting area of research. The aim is to learn to read articles and to be able to present them to others. This should encourage students to be critical and ask questions about the methods used and the general approach of the research described. The work in progress part includes a detailed description of the project the student is working on, including aims, introduction, materials and methods and discussion with future work. The aim of this is to teach the student to present their work in a concise and organized manner. This also often helps to solve problems in the study due to the input of the other students and group leaders present.
The course is taught in english both in the autumn and spring semester. Students can take the course at least four times giving a total of 8 ECTS.
Language of instruction: English
Attendance required in class
Year unspecified
- Fall
- LÍF561LFinal projectMandatory (required) course0A mandatory (required) course for the programme0 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionDescription missingSelf-studyPrerequisitesPart of the total project/thesis creditsLÍF119FGraduate seminar in Ecology and EvolutionElective course2Free elective course within the programme2 ECTS, creditsCourse Description
Graduate students in ecology and evolutionary biology meet each week together with one or more teachers. Post docs and other researchers are welcome to attend. Participants present their research questions or related topics. Reference material or articles should be announced at least one week in advance, and should be chosen in accordance to a teacher. The lecture topics will be discussed by all participants. Students get training in presenting their research and discussing research articles.
The course is only for graduate students and mandatory for graduate students working on projects in ecology and evolutionary biology.
The course is given both spring and autumn semester and every student can get max 8 ECTS units in total for the course.
PrerequisitesAttendance required in classLÍF114FResearch in molecular biology and biochemistryElective course2Free elective course within the programme2 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis course is important for all graduate students in molecular biology and related fields. It is divided into two main parts: 1) presentation of a research article (journal club) and presentation of the research project (work in progress). For the research article students select a recent research article of interest and give a presentation on the aims and results. The goal is to train reading research articles in a critical way and present to others. The students have also as an assignment to bring up questions when other students present articles. The aim is to enhance critical approaches concerning scientific aims and methods used to reach the aims. In the project presentations students are expected to concentrate on the aims give a backgrounds and details of the methods used, results and the planned continuation. The students are expected to train in getting the message of the project in a clear way. The project presentation can lead to suggestion from other students that are useful for the approach.
This course is in English and has been on both spring and autumn term. The student can take this course four times giving max 8 ECTS.
Attendance is obligatory.
PrerequisitesAttendance required in class- Spring 2
LÍF561LFinal projectMandatory (required) course0A mandatory (required) course for the programme0 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionDescription missingSelf-studyPrerequisitesPart of the total project/thesis creditsLÍF229FGraduate seminar in Ecology and EvolutionElective course2Free elective course within the programme2 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionGraduate students in ecology and evolutionary biology meet each week together with one or more teachers. Post docs and other researchers are welcome to attend. Participants present their research questions or related topics. Reference material or articles should be announced at least one week in advance, and should be chosen in accordance to a teacher. The lecture topics will be discussed by all participants. Students get training in presenting their research and discussing research articles.
The course is only for graduate students and mandatory for graduate students working on projects in ecology and evolutionary biology.
The course is given both spring and autumn semester and every student can get max 8 ECTS units in total for the course.
Face-to-face learningPrerequisitesAttendance required in classLÍF223FResearch in molecular biology and biochemistryElective course2Free elective course within the programme2 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionThis seminar course is an important contribution to the education of all continuing students in the field of molecular biology. It is divided into two parts: journal club and work in progress. For the journal club students will present a recent article about an interesting area of research. The aim is to learn to read articles and to be able to present them to others. This should encourage students to be critical and ask questions about the methods used and the general approach of the research described. The work in progress part includes a detailed description of the project the student is working on, including aims, introduction, materials and methods and discussion with future work. The aim of this is to teach the student to present their work in a concise and organized manner. This also often helps to solve problems in the study due to the input of the other students and group leaders present.
The course is taught in english both in the autumn and spring semester. Students can take the course at least four times giving a total of 8 ECTS.
PrerequisitesAttendance required in class
If you still have questions, feel free to contact us.
