Doctoral Studies

The School of Health Sciences offers 12 diverse PhD programmes. The School provides excellent research facilities and instructors who are some of the nation's foremost experts in health sciences. It collaborates on teaching and in research with many outstanding domestic and international institutions.

The objective of doctoral studies is to provide students with training in science and research and prepare them for independent work in a chosen field. That includes training in preparation and implementation of research, processing and interpretation of research findings, presentation and discussion of their research, and publication in international peer-reviewed journals.

Doctoral studies are expected to take 3-5 years with normal progress and are usually commenced after completing a Master's degree.

Study programmes

Admission Requirements

To enrol in a doctoral programme at the School of Health Sciences, a student must have completed an MS/MA degree from the University of Iceland with a minimum grade of 7.25 (on a scale of 0-10) or another qualification deemed equivalent by the Doctoral Studies Committee. Students may also be enrolled in integrated doctoral and Master's studies following completion of a BS/BA degree or integrated doctoral and Candidate studies following completion of a BS degree in Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine if they have demonstrated sufficient academic ability and have experience in research positively attested by a supervisor.

Some Faculties may determine requirements regarding prerequisites or specific preparation.

First steps

Before considering doctoral studies, applicants must have realised their field of interest.

When applying they must have an agreement with a supervisor, who is employed at the School of Health Sciences.

Applicants often find a research project after discussing with teachers, scientists or experts at the University of Iceland or other institutions. If the project is led by an expert outside of UI, a tutor within the University is appointed. Master's study research projects sometimes also extend into doctoral projects. When scientists receive grants for specific research projects they often advertise for doctoral students' participation.

Most importantly applicants must find a supervisor with an interesting project and well-defined research questions.

How to apply

Before applying for doctoral studies, applicants must have an agreement with a supervisor, who is employed at the School of Health Sciences.

To apply for doctoral studies at the School of Health Sciences applicants must submit:

1. An electronic application form. Please contact the relevant Faculty Office if the application form is not accessible.

2. Detailed application form with a description of the research project or without a description of the research project.

The following documents should also be sent by email to the relevant Faculty Office:

The student's CV and degree certificates (BSc and/or MSc, or equivalent degree in English).
CV and list of published work of supervisor/advisor and members of the doctoral committee.
Copy of permissions (e.g. from Ethics committees), if relevant.

Please note that the application cannot be processed without the above-mentioned documents.

If the application is approved, a contract on the PhD studies is signed between the student and supervisor/supervisory teacher.

Application process

The application process step-by-step

The PhD applicant sends the application with or without a description of the research project to the relevant faculty, along with supporting documents. Before you apply, you must have an agreement with a supervisor, who is employed at the School of Health Sciences. The application is filled in by the applicant and the supervisor.
The project manager at the Faculty: Revises the application and supporting documents, registers the application in Ugla intranet and emails the application to the CF within the relevant Faculty.
The CF assesses whether the faculty can provide sufficient knowledge and facilities and whether the budget has been set and reports to the office the aforementioned.
If an application with a description of the research project meets all the requirements, including admission requirements, and is correctly filled in, it is forwarded to the CDS. If an application without the description of the research project meets all the requirements, the faculty notifies the CDS that the application has been approved by the faculty. The student must submit the research plan within 6 months which is then processed as an application with a description of the research project. The CDS secretary reminds the student to send the research plan, with the exception that approval of applications in the Faculty of Medicine is completely performed by the CF.
The application with a description of the research project is processed at the next CDS meeting and a reviewer is nominated. This usually takes 2-4 weeks.
If the application is approved, the applicant is invited for an interview. In some cases, the applicant is given the opportunity to reply to the comments before the interview.
In the interview the applicant gets 10-15 minutes to present his/her project in his/her own words without using prepared slides (ppt or equivalent) and this is followed by 15-20 minutes of discussion. The supervisor is usually present at the interview along with the chairman and the secretary of CDS. After the interview, the review is finalized and sent to the Faculty.
The project manager at the Faculty sends the enrolment letter and comments to the applicant, a notification to student registration and another notification to the Graduate School.
Enrolment and collection of the student registration fee.

Regular assessment

The regular assessment makes it easier for the student and the supervisors to discuss the progress of the research and the student's project.

Student Registration

All university students must register during the annual registration period and pay the registration fee.

Faculty

The faculty office sends out forms for the written progress report to the PhD student.
The deadlines are on 1 December and 1 May.
In the report, the progress of the project is briefly described (max. 100 words) and potential deviations from the time schedule are explained, as well as outlining a plan for the next 6 months.
When the PhD student has submitted the progress report, the faculty forwards it to the supervisor for approval.
The supervisor needs to provide information on the proportional division between the advisors and the supervisor. This information is used for reporting ECTS to Student Registration and calculating payments to the supervisor and advisors.
Around halfway through the doctoral programme, no later than one year before the intended date of completion, the status of the project shall be evaluated in detail with an interim evaluation.

Doctoral Committee

The Doctoral Committee is responsible for ensuring that the doctoral study meets the requirements of the Standards and requirements for the quality of doctoral programmes at the University of Iceland.
The Doctoral committee calls the doctoral candidate to meetings during the study period as required, at least once a year.
The doctoral candidate may call a meeting of the Doctoral Committee at their own initiative.
At the end of the first year, the Doctoral Committee evaluates whether requirements are fulfilled for continued doctoral studies.

Interim Evaluation

Around halfway through the doctoral programme the status of the project shall be evaluated in detail (mid-term evaluation). Close to the second yearly meeting of the Doctoral committee would be ideal.
The doctoral student shall write a short summary of the project and primary conclusions. The student shall submit this to the doctoral committee and invite committee members to a public presentation of the project. On the basis of this presentation and discussions, the doctoral student’s general knowledge and the status of the project shall be evaluated with a view to whether the content is suited to a doctoral thesis.
The interim evaluation is a necessary prerequisite for the doctoral defence.

The Committee for Doctoral Studies (CDS)

The doctoral studies committee shall manage issues pertaining to doctoral studies, under the authority of the School board. The committee is responsible for doctoral studies within the School and its role is to develop and influence direction and objectives of the doctoral studies.
The chair of the doctoral studies committee is the School of Health Sciences’ contact with the Graduate School.
Disagreement about the progress of the study, instruction or requirements, may be referred to the CDS.

Travel grants

PhD students of the School of Health Sciences can apply for travel grants from the School. The grants are supposed to cover expenses when travelling abroad for conferences students contribute to. Students can also apply for grants to attend courses and summer schools abroad, if the participation supports their doctoral studies.

More information on the travel grants in Ugla or by contacting ferdastyrkurhvs@hi.is.

End of study

The end of study process step-by-step

To avoid delay of the graduation it is possible to send the request for approval of opponents when the PhD thesis is almost completed and the signed assessment of the doctoral committee is in process.

1.   The supervisor sends the following documents to the faculty 10 weeks before the planned doctoral defence (13 if monograph): assessment of the doctoral committee signed by all members of the doctoral committee, request for approval of opponents.
2.   The faculty office forwards the documents to the faculty standing committee (FSC) and the secretary of the Committee for Doctoral Studies (CDS).
3.   PhD student submits the doctoral thesis to the faculty office at least 8 weeks before the planned defence (11 weeks if monography)
4.   FSC reviews request for approval of external examiners, announces the results to CDS and appoints the chairman of the evaluation committee.
5.   CDS reviews the doctoral committee’s assessment, with the exception that in the Faculty of Medicine this is performed by the FSC.
6.   Secretary of CDS sends the request for opponents to the Graduate School for approval after the FSC has sent its conclusion to the secretary of CDS, with the exception that in the Faculty of Medicine this is performed by the CF.
7.   The Graduate School provides approval for the opponents if they meet the requirements.
8.   The faculty office prepares the documents for the evaluation committee after all necessary approvals are obtained.
9.   Faculty office sends a copy to each examiner 8 weeks before the planned defence (11 weeks if monograph).
10.   Faculty commends preparation of the defence in accordance with procedures when all approvals are obtained.
11.   When the opponents have accepted the invitation the faculty office informs Student Registration of this.
12.   The evaluation committee delivers its report to the faculty office at least 4 weeks before the doctoral defence (5 weeks if monograph).
13.   PhD student submits the mended thesis to the faculty office 3 weeks before the planned defence.

International quality assurance

The School of Health Sciences has been awarded an ORPHEUS (Organisation for PhD Education in Biomedicine and Health Sciences in the European System) label for excellence in PhD training. The University of Iceland is the 5th university in Europe to receive the label.