Language skills
Programme length
3 years
Study mode
Face-to-face learning
Application status
International students:
Students with Icelandic or Nordic citizenship:
MS degree in Economics or equivalent qualification with good grades.
No less than 180 credits are required for the PhD degree, requiring three years of full time study. If so advised by the Doctoral Degree Committee, the Faculty can impose limits as to the minimum acceptable progress of study. Should a student fail to meet those limits, the Graduate Studies Committee may revoke the student's enrolment in the programme. The doctoral programme is primarily based on the doctoral candidate's independent research, culminating in the dissertation. However, the candidate's advisor and/or Graduate Studies Committee may require the candidate to take courses in addition to the research. The candidate's advisor will formulate a plan of study and submit it for the Graduate Studies Committee's approval. Some of the required courses may take the form of independent study, for which the Graduate Studies Committee will designate one or more faculty member(s) as supervisor. The faculty member in charge of the independent study will establish the requirements for the course and determine whether they have been fulfilled by the candidate.
The following documents must accompany an application for this programme:
- CV
- Statement of purpose
- Research proposal
- Study plan
- Reference 1, Name and email
- Reference 2, Name and email
- Certified copies of diplomas and transcripts
- Proof of English proficiency
Form for the Letters of recommendation.
Further information on supporting documents can be found here.
Applicants must explain their goals for the doctoral program, and why they believe themselves academically qualified to engage in doctoral studies, e.g., because of good performance in studies, including:
- undergraduate and graduate studies
- participation in research projects
- published articles
- challenging projects
- professional experience
- interesting research
- interest in specific jobs upon completion of their studies, etc.
An applicant must also specify:
Whether studies will be full-time or part-time (percentage)
The courses planned. Here the student states fields of emphasis she/he deems necessary to strengthen.
Financing plan.
Here the applicant reports grant applications, loans, own financing, work or other relevant things.
Request for a supervisor (if relevant) along with reasons. See information regarding professional requirements for doctoral student's supervisors under the quality standards and requirements for doctoral programmes at the University of Iceland.
PhD applicants must hand in:
A brief description of the project in Icelandic and English.
- 100 - 150 words
A description of the planned research project, about 2000-4000 words, in addition to a list of references, in the language in which the dissertation will be written following the faculty's rules.
The following shall be stated:
- goals, the state of knowledge and scientific value
- a description of the implementation (procedures)
- a schedule with information on the main benchmarks and programme completion
- the plan for the publication of the results and the site of publication
- a list of references
The description must be clear, realistic and scheduled (months and quarters). The project name (working title) shall be descriptive of the research. The division of the research into subjects shall be included (a rough summary of the contents), such as division into chapters or division of the dissertation into articles.
A description of the method/methods to be applied in answering the project's research questions. It is imperative to relate and explain how the research proposal and the main research questions differ from existing research (domestic and foreign) for the same or similar research fields, and what the novelty of the research is.
Finally, the applicant must state why he or she deems the research to be important for the research field’s development in the Icelandic and/or international context.
Programme structure
Check below to see how the programme is structured.
This programme does not offer specialisations.
- Year unspecified
- Year unspecified
- Ph.D. Thesis in Economics
- Ph.D. Thesis in Economics
- Ph.D. Thesis in Economics
Year unspecified | Year unspecified
Ph.D. Thesis in Economics (HAG561L, HAG561L, HAG561L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0/0/0 ECTS, credits
Course Description
No less than 180 credits are required for the PhD degree, amounting to three years of full time study. If so advised by the Doctoral Degree Committee, the Faculty can impose limits as to the minimum acceptable progress of study. Should a student fail to meet those limits, the Graduate Studies Committee may revoke the student's enrolment in the programme. The doctoral programme is primarily based on the doctoral candidate's independent research, culminating in the dissertation. However, the candidate's advisor and/or Graduate Studies Committee may in addition require the candidate to take courses. The candidate's advisor will formulate a plan of study and submit it for the Graduate Studies Committee's approval. Some of the required courses may take the form of independent study, for which the Graduate Studies Committee will designate one or more faculty member(s) as supervisor. The faculty member in charge of the independent study will establish the requirements for the course and determine whether they have been fulfilled by the candidate.
Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Year unspecified | Year unspecified
Ph.D. Thesis in Economics (HAG561L, HAG561L, HAG561L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0/0/0 ECTS, credits
Course Description
No less than 180 credits are required for the PhD degree, amounting to three years of full time study. If so advised by the Doctoral Degree Committee, the Faculty can impose limits as to the minimum acceptable progress of study. Should a student fail to meet those limits, the Graduate Studies Committee may revoke the student's enrolment in the programme. The doctoral programme is primarily based on the doctoral candidate's independent research, culminating in the dissertation. However, the candidate's advisor and/or Graduate Studies Committee may in addition require the candidate to take courses. The candidate's advisor will formulate a plan of study and submit it for the Graduate Studies Committee's approval. Some of the required courses may take the form of independent study, for which the Graduate Studies Committee will designate one or more faculty member(s) as supervisor. The faculty member in charge of the independent study will establish the requirements for the course and determine whether they have been fulfilled by the candidate.
Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Year unspecified | Year unspecified
Ph.D. Thesis in Economics (HAG561L, HAG561L, HAG561L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0/0/0 ECTS, credits
Course Description
No less than 180 credits are required for the PhD degree, amounting to three years of full time study. If so advised by the Doctoral Degree Committee, the Faculty can impose limits as to the minimum acceptable progress of study. Should a student fail to meet those limits, the Graduate Studies Committee may revoke the student's enrolment in the programme. The doctoral programme is primarily based on the doctoral candidate's independent research, culminating in the dissertation. However, the candidate's advisor and/or Graduate Studies Committee may in addition require the candidate to take courses. The candidate's advisor will formulate a plan of study and submit it for the Graduate Studies Committee's approval. Some of the required courses may take the form of independent study, for which the Graduate Studies Committee will designate one or more faculty member(s) as supervisor. The faculty member in charge of the independent study will establish the requirements for the course and determine whether they have been fulfilled by the candidate.
Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Year unspecified
- Year unspecified
- HAG561L, HAG561L, HAG561LPh.D. Thesis in EconomicsMandatory (required) course0/0/0A mandatory (required) course for the programme0/0/0 ECTS, creditsCourse Description
No less than 180 credits are required for the PhD degree, amounting to three years of full time study. If so advised by the Doctoral Degree Committee, the Faculty can impose limits as to the minimum acceptable progress of study. Should a student fail to meet those limits, the Graduate Studies Committee may revoke the student's enrolment in the programme. The doctoral programme is primarily based on the doctoral candidate's independent research, culminating in the dissertation. However, the candidate's advisor and/or Graduate Studies Committee may in addition require the candidate to take courses. The candidate's advisor will formulate a plan of study and submit it for the Graduate Studies Committee's approval. Some of the required courses may take the form of independent study, for which the Graduate Studies Committee will designate one or more faculty member(s) as supervisor. The faculty member in charge of the independent study will establish the requirements for the course and determine whether they have been fulfilled by the candidate.
Self-studyPrerequisitesPart of the total project/thesis creditsHAG561L, HAG561L, HAG561LPh.D. Thesis in EconomicsMandatory (required) course0/0/0A mandatory (required) course for the programme0/0/0 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionNo less than 180 credits are required for the PhD degree, amounting to three years of full time study. If so advised by the Doctoral Degree Committee, the Faculty can impose limits as to the minimum acceptable progress of study. Should a student fail to meet those limits, the Graduate Studies Committee may revoke the student's enrolment in the programme. The doctoral programme is primarily based on the doctoral candidate's independent research, culminating in the dissertation. However, the candidate's advisor and/or Graduate Studies Committee may in addition require the candidate to take courses. The candidate's advisor will formulate a plan of study and submit it for the Graduate Studies Committee's approval. Some of the required courses may take the form of independent study, for which the Graduate Studies Committee will designate one or more faculty member(s) as supervisor. The faculty member in charge of the independent study will establish the requirements for the course and determine whether they have been fulfilled by the candidate.
Self-studyPrerequisitesPart of the total project/thesis creditsHAG561L, HAG561L, HAG561LPh.D. Thesis in EconomicsMandatory (required) course0/0/0A mandatory (required) course for the programme0/0/0 ECTS, creditsCourse DescriptionNo less than 180 credits are required for the PhD degree, amounting to three years of full time study. If so advised by the Doctoral Degree Committee, the Faculty can impose limits as to the minimum acceptable progress of study. Should a student fail to meet those limits, the Graduate Studies Committee may revoke the student's enrolment in the programme. The doctoral programme is primarily based on the doctoral candidate's independent research, culminating in the dissertation. However, the candidate's advisor and/or Graduate Studies Committee may in addition require the candidate to take courses. The candidate's advisor will formulate a plan of study and submit it for the Graduate Studies Committee's approval. Some of the required courses may take the form of independent study, for which the Graduate Studies Committee will designate one or more faculty member(s) as supervisor. The faculty member in charge of the independent study will establish the requirements for the course and determine whether they have been fulfilled by the candidate.
Self-studyPrerequisitesPart of the total project/thesis credits
If you still have questions, feel free to contact us.
School of Social Sciences
Open weekdays 9 am - 3 pm
PHD Coordinators
Kolbrún Eggertsdóttir,
Head of Quality Administration
Sigrún Daníelsdóttir Flóvenz
Project manager
