PhD Candidate in Communications

About this position

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 2027. Prospective candidates are free to propose their own research projects, that should fall broadly within the larger research interests of the department.

Department of Communication and Culture , where the candidate will be based, is currently home to about 50 faculty. The Department is highly international in its faculty composition as well as its ongoing research and industry collaborations. The department hosts research groups within Internet and Society, Corporate Communication, Creative Industries, as well as Education Management.

Ongoing research in the department is for instance concerned with the role of the arts in the digital transformation, the structural changes of the creative industries, the roles of communication technologies in shaping the future of work and new forms of labour and organizations, online organizing and communities, social legitimacy of technological transformations, and innovation in education management.

The members of the department regularly publish on such issues in the field’s top journals, including among others 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.

The four-year program is designed for talented students who wish to pursue an international career within academia and who can contribute to the international arena with their research and publications. The recruitment of our PhD students is an important element of the department’s research agenda, as part of our goal to meet BI’s vision of being one of the leading business schools in Europe.

Eligible applicants must have completed a Master of Science degree with thesis work, a research masters/M. Phil degree, or a comparable degree relevant for the specialization in Communication (comprising such disciplines such as management, communication studies, political sciences, psychology, sociology, and philosophy) by the early summer of 2027. An MBA degree does not fulfil the requirements for admission.

Final year Master of Science students are encouraged to apply.

Accepted applicants will be offered close supervision and follow-up by the research faculty.

The four-year scholarships are currently NOK 623,200- per year (will be adjusted during 2027). The positions provide for automatic membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund ( Statens Pensjonskasse ). The scholarships require 25% of the teaching responsibilities of a full-time professor position.

PhD candidates will have their place of work at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway.

Additional information about the doctoral programme, admission requirements and the application can be obtained at info@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.
• A Diploma Supplement or a similar document describing in detail the study and grade system and the rights for further studies associated with the obtained degree.
• A project proposal (5-10 pages including topic, proposed method, schedule).
• CV.
• Letters of recommendations from relevant employers/tutors providing evidence of your skills as a researcher (a minimum of 2 letters). Please arrange with the people submitting recommendation letters to email their recommendations to phd.communication@bi.no by the application deadline.
• Certificates from previously completed courses at the doctoral level, if requesting approval of these for the PhD program at BI Norwegian Business School (see section 2 in our PhD Regulations). If you have taken any courses at PhD level please complete the following form (maximum 18 ECTS).
• A complete list of all publications and/or other documented relevant activities.
• Signed verification document.
• Test scores TOEFL/IELTS (conditions for a TOEFL / IELTS waiver here: Language requirements )

Please note that all documents must be uploaded in the electronic application. Documents may not be submitted by e-mail. Furthermore, note that any documents forwarded after the application deadline will not be considered.

Exceptions will only be made for students who are completing their master’s degree in 2027 and 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 forward further information and/or be called in for an interview.

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

BI Norwegian Business School is ranked as Norway’s #1 business school and one of the best in Europe. With more than 20.000 students, 1000 employees and 300.000 alumni, it is also one of the largest and most influential business schools in Europe. BI is considered the main provider of business education in Norway, offering a diverse and comprehensive portfolio of bachelor’s, master’s, PhD and executive study programmes and courses.

Our different partnerships and collaborations with leading Norwegian and international companies, organisations and institutions further enhance the quality of our study programmes. Towards 2030, BI aims to deliver knowledge that truly makes a difference through world-class research and outstanding learning experiences, giving businesses the knowledge to succeed and people the opportunity to build meaningful careers.