Financing and types of PhD scholarships
There are various ways to finance your PhD education. Usually, you will need a scholarship.
Scholarships can be obtained through open calls by the Faculty of Theology, or through specific calls for applications for scholarships with a predefined topic. You may also apply for an industrial PhD scholarship in collaboration with a private or public company, or an external funding body with a defined research aim such as the church (Folkekirken), NGOs, museums or other strategic research areas.
Open call for PhD scholarship applications by the faculty
(calls posted once a year)
The Faculty of Theology typically announces open calls for PhD scholarships once to twice a year. These are competitive open scholarships which means that PhD applicants are free to define their individual PhD research project within one of the Faculty’s research areas, including African studies.
We invite all qualified candidates to apply for the open PhD scholarships. Applicants should propose a PhD project that fits the relevant section’s or centre’s research profile and write an individual project description that defines the objectives and research questions and describes the state of the art, data, theory, and methods for the PhD project.
Applications will undergo an academic evaluation process. Usually, there are many applicants from both Denmark and abroad. Based on previous years’ experience, the chances of obtaining a scholarship are between 5-10%.
PhD scholarships at the Faculty of Theology with a predefined topic and research objective
(calls posted throughout the year)
Another option is to apply for PhD scholarships within a predefined research area and topic – usually as part of a larger, collective research project. Calls for PhD scholarships with a predefined topic will be posted throughout the year.
Unlike the open calls, the topic of the PhD project is already defined, but applicants still have to compose an individual project description to fit the call as a basis for evaluation of their merits.
PhD scholarships funded by external funding bodies and funding instruments
Another option is to apply for PhD scholarships within a predefined research area and topic – usually as part of a larger, collective research project.
Unlike the open calls, the broader topic of the PhD project is already defined, but applicants still have to compose an individual project description to fit the call as a basis for evaluation of their merits.
In general, these funding bodies and instruments require that enrolment at the PhD School at the Faculty of Theology is pre-approved prior to applying for funding. You can contact the PhD Administration for further guidelines and deadlines if relevant.
The Innovation Fund Denmark funds PhD scholarships in collaboration between a university and a private or public company. Read about the Industrial PhD programme.
Applying for enrolment with an international grant or as a self-financed international PhD student
You can apply for admission to the PhD School and bring your own funds to cover tuition fees and living expenses for the duration of the three-year programme. To apply as a self-financed PhD student, you must provide a bank statement to demonstrate your ability to pay tuition fees (150,000 DDK - 2025) and living expenses (the required minimum monthly allowance is DDK 14,172 DDK (2025). The PhD programme is a full-time programme and does not allow you to hold another job at the same time.
More information
See current announcements of scholarships from the faculty and collaborating institutions.