The Department of Communication and Culture at BI Norwegian Business School is currently inviting applications for multiple four-year doctoral scholarships, set to commence in August 2025. Prospective candidates are encouraged to propose their own research projects, which should align with the department's broader research interests.

The Department of Communication and Culture, with around 50 faculty members, is highly international in its composition and research collaborations. The department hosts research groups focusing on Internet and Society, Corporate Communication, Creative Industries, and Education. Current research topics include the arts in digital transformation, structural changes in creative industries, communication technologies' impact on the future of work and organizations, online communities, social legitimacy of technological transformations, and educational management innovation.

Department members frequently publish in top journals such as the Journal of Management, Journal of Management Information Systems, Human Relations, Organization Studies, California Management Review, Work, Employment and Society, Human Resource Management, Human Resource Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Management Studies, and Business Ethics Quarterly.

This four-year program is designed for talented students aiming for an international academic career. The recruitment of PhD students is crucial to the department’s research agenda, contributing to BI’s vision of becoming a leading business school in Europe.

Eligible applicants must have completed a Master of Science degree with thesis work, a research master's/M. Phil degree, or a comparable degree relevant to Communication (including disciplines like management, communication studies, political sciences, psychology, sociology, and philosophy) by early summer 2025. An MBA degree does not fulfill the admission requirements. Final-year Master of Science students are encouraged to apply.

Accepted applicants will receive close supervision and follow-up from research faculty.

The four-year scholarships are currently NOK 572,800 per year (subject to adjustment in 2025). Positions include automatic membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (Statens Pensjonskasse). Scholarship recipients are required to undertake 25% of the teaching responsibilities of a full-time professor position. PhD candidates will be based at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway.

Additional information about the doctoral program, admission requirements, and the application process can be obtained from the Doctoral Administration at BI Norwegian Business School (Email: phd@bi.no) and the department’s website.

Candidates are asked to upload the following information with their application:

• Certificate of a Master of Science degree or equivalent, including transcripts of grades
• Certificate of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, including transcript of grades. BI requires a two-year master’s program and average grades of B and above for eligibility.
• A Diploma Supplement or a similar document detailing the study and grade system and the rights for further studies associated with the obtained degree. Other relevant certificates and transcripts.
• An original project proposal (5-10 pages) including topic, proposed method, and schedule. If generative AI is used to generate any text, this must be clearly stated and cited.
• CV
• Letters of recommendation from relevant employers/professors/supervisors providing evidence of research skills (minimum of 2 letters)
• Certificates from previously completed courses at the doctoral level, if requesting approval for these in the PhD programme at BI Norwegian Business School (see section 2 in our PhD Regulations). Approval form can be found here: Approval form
• A complete list of all publications and/or other documented relevant activities
• Signed verification document. Template can be found here: Verification document
• Applicants must take either TOEFL or IELTS. The minimum standards for test scores acceptable for admission are:
  • TOEFL – a total score of 575 points for the written test, 233 for the computer-based version, or 90 points on the internet-based test
  • IELTS – a score of 6.5
• Exemptions are made for applicants:
  • whose native language is English
  • who have two years or more of higher education with English as the language of instruction
  • from a country which is a member of the EU/EEA and/or the Council of Europe/UNESCO- Cepes, who have English as the first foreign language taken over a period of at least 7 years in primary school, secondary school, and upper secondary education.

Under certain circumstances, applicants may request a waiver for the TOEFL or IELTS when applying for admission. To request a TOEFL/IELTS waiver, the applicant must submit a waiver form.

TOEFL/IELTS scores must be from within the last two years. The codes for BI Norwegian Business School are as follows: GMAT 0529, TOEFL 0529, GRE 7365. For IELTS, we accept copies as long as the TRF number is visible.

Please note that all documents must be uploaded in the electronic application. Documents may not be submitted by email. Furthermore, any documents forwarded after the application deadline will not be considered. Exceptions will only be made for students completing their master’s degree in 2025 who do not have a final certificate when applying. Please note that you will not be able to revise your application once it has been submitted.

Candidates may, at a later stage, be asked to provide further information and/or be called in for an interview.

Candidates accepted for the program must provide a more detailed progress plan with milestones and courses for the four years of study.