The University of Iceland is the leading research university in Iceland, offering a wide array of disciplines and excellent opportunities for pioneering research.
The Graduate School sets and verifies standards and requirements for graduate study at the University of Iceland, to promote a dynamic research environment that meets international standards.
General admission requirement
Upon completion of a Master’s degree with a first-class grade (7.25), or an equivalent qualification, a student may apply for admission to a doctoral programme in the subject in which the Master’s degree was taken.
A student who has completed a Master’s degree or other equivalent qualification in a different subject than the one applied to, from another University of Iceland faculty or another university with the equivalent of a first-class grade, may also apply for admission to a doctoral programme. In such cases, the doctoral studies committee, in consultation with the department/faculty and prospective supervisor, must assess information on the applicant’s previous studies and research.
Students may be required to take further studies such as courses or individual projects as deemed necessary. Such additional or preliminary requirements must be recorded in the University's student IT system. The academic supervisor will determine when the doctoral candidate has satisfied these preliminary requirements and ensure this information is recorded in the student IT system.
Students wishing to commence a doctoral programme directly after completing a Master’s degree can apply before they obtain their degrees if the faculty in question can confirm that they are likely to complete their programmes with a satisfactory grade by the end of the current semester. If an application is accepted on this condition, the student may commence doctoral studies. However, if the condition has not been met after one semester of the doctoral programme the student will not be permitted to continue. The student’s academic record is then closed in the University student IT system with no credits registered, and the student must apply again if he or she wishes to pursue the programme.
Note! All international applicants whose native language is not English, are required to provide proof of English proficiency in the form of TOEFL, IELTS-Academic, or Cambridge English-CAE or CPE tests.
Find your doctoral study programme and carefully read over the:
- Admission requirements - special requirements may apply depending on the school
- Programme requirements
- Required documents to attach/hand in with the application
In case you need to contact the department or the school, take notice of where the programme is offered.
Also, find out about the rules for doctoral studies for your chosen programme.
Standards and requirements for doctoral programmes
Most faculties, but not all, require you to find an academic supervisor before you apply. All doctoral students must have an academic supervisor before they start the programme.
General guidelines
- Before an application can be accepted, the proposed supervisor must have agreed to take on the role.
- Applicants may, when preparing their applications, directly contact academic staff at the University and ask them to take on the role of academic supervisor.
- A student can also contact the head of department or head of subject or programme coordinator for assistance in finding a supervisor.
Please look at the FAQ How can I find a supervisor?
UI requirements for academic supervisors
Those appointed as academic supervisors of doctoral students must have:
- completed either a doctorate or equivalent academic studies in the relevant academic discipline, or a related one, and be recognised as a specialist in that discipline.
- published papers or works on subjects related to the student’s project in a channel that maintains high academic standards.
- an active publication record and a strong research background in their academic disciplines.
- participated in international collaborative research projects and have experience in winning grants from recognised research funds.
At least one of a doctoral student’s academic supervisors must have prior experience of supervising doctoral students or extensive experience of supervising students at the Master’s level.
Application deadlines vary between schools and faculties.
General rule
Applications to the School of Education, School of Humanities and School of Social Sciences.
The application deadline for international students is 1 February.
Students with an Icelandic national ID number have until 15 April to apply for programmes starting in the autumn semester and 15 October for programmes starting in the spring semester.
Exceptions to the general deadlines for doctoral applications
The School of Engineering and Natural Sciences and the School of Health Sciences:
- Accept applications all year around.
Interdisciplinary studies:
- Various deadlines depending on the home faculty of the academic supervisor.
A well-written study and research plan is an essential part of a good application for doctoral studies. You should complete it in collaboration with your prospective academic supervisor.
Not all programmes require you to have a study and research plan before you apply. Please check the information on doctoral studies at your school. See links in side-menu.
General documents you need to hand in with your application:
- CV
- Statement of purpose
- Research proposal
- Study plan
- Name and email of 2 references
- Academic supervisor at the University of Iceland
- Certified copies of diplomas and transcripts
- Proof of English proficiency
- Copy of passport or other valid travel ID.
Some of these documents are not required for all doctoral programmes. Check the programme page to see which documents you need to hand in.
Please follow the instructions on how to hand in the supporting documents for graduate applications. Make sure you submit degree certificates and previous academic transcripts properly.
Note! Incomplete applications will not be processed.
PhD students pay the registration fee every year during the entire study period.
Before the end of the first semester, the administrative supervisor shall propose doctoral committee members to the respective faculties graduate study committee for approval.
PhD students are required to submit information about the doctoral committee by email to the doctoral studies coordinator.
Please note! Some PhD programmes require a detailed research plan that must be submitted with the application, in which case the doctoral committee must already be fully formed.
Doctoral candidates are required to actively engage with the scholarly community during their studies. This means spending time:
- in a university or research institute setting
- attending lectures
- at conferences and workshops
- presenting talks in different forums
- writing articles and reviews
- assisting with teaching or teaching courses under supervision
- collaborating with others to organise projects and events
- learning about ethics and project management
The training and experiences you gain can provide a strong foundation for a successful and fulfilling career.
General interim evaluation is an important framework for managing the quality and pace of learning.
As a student, you need to present your research project for an interim evaluation within two years from the start of your study.
The evaluation will take place at a meeting with your supervisors and two external experts in the field. During the meeting, they will assess your project and performance and recommend next steps to the doctoral board at your school.
At the end of the programme, you will defend your research thesis at a formal event.
The objective of the PhD defence is to enable scientific discussions between you and the opponents on the research topic. You will demonstrate your knowledge of the subject and prove that you have the skills required to graduate with a PhD degree.
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