BI Norwegian Business School is one of Europe's largest educational institutions, with over 20.000 students. As Norway's leading business school, BI builds on a unique tradition of combining academic rigour and professional relevance. Our programmes range from bachelor's to master's and PhD programmes. BI is also known for its many customized executive education programmes. BI boasts some of Europe's leading academic departments within the fields of data science, operations research, economics, finance, strategy, marketing, and management. As an employee at BI Norwegian Business School you will meet exciting challenges in an engaging and international environment, with over 1000 colleagues who continuously push the frontiers of knowledge.

4 PhD Candidates in Data and Decision Sciences

BI Norwegian Business School invites applications for 4 doctoral scholarships affiliated with SURE-AI – Centre for Sustainable, Risk-Averse and Ethical AI at the Department of Data Science and Analytics. The appointment is a full-time position for a period of four years. The place of work is BI’s Oslo campus and starting date is August 2026.

Department of Data Science and Analytics

The department is committed to research at the highest international level. The faculty members’ interests cover a wide range of fields in modern data science and business analytics, with a strong quantitative emphasis. The department enjoys close connections with industry and public sector, with unique collaborations within retail, shipping and energy. The department runs an international weekly research seminar series in which academics from the world’s best research institutions present their work. These seminars and other visits by international researchers give PhD candidates an excellent opportunity to reflect and receive feedback on their own research. The department also regularly organizes conferences and workshops.

Faculty members from the department are strongly involved in SURE-AI – Center for Sustainable, Risk-Averse and Ethical AI, a Norwegian AI centre funded by the Research Council of Norway (2025–2030). SURE-AI comprises around 50 faculty members from well-renowned higher education institutions in Norway, in close collaboration with industry and the public sector. The primary objective of SURE-AI is to create a new generation of algorithms for inference and decision-making by pushing the boundaries of computational techniques. The research emphasizes efficiency in resource and data usage, reducing environmental impact, and ensuring ethical alignment with societal values. The centre sponsors and supports faculty research groups, conferences, and seminars at the department, and provide excellent working opportunities for the 4 PhD candidates.

The department hosts AMOR – the Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Mathematics and Operations Research, where BI’s involvement in SURE-AI is embedded. Faculty at the Department of Accounting and Operations Management at BI is actively involved in the PhD specialization and activities in the AMOR centre with several collaborative projects with the department and industry. This facilitates a broad and active research environment for the PhD candidates.

PhD specialization in Data and Decision Sciences

The PhD specialization in Data and Decision Sciences prepares candidates for careers in the world’s leading academic institutions, research-oriented international and national organizations, and the industry. The specialization is a unique blend of modern data science and research in business decisions and analytics.

The four-year program offers rigorous training for candidates with strong analytical skills and intellectual curiosity. It follows a standard structure in place at all comparable programs around the world. The first year is devoted to course work that covers all the major fields in data science and operations research and core topics in machine learning and computer science relevant for a PhD in Data and Decision Sciences. These courses are mainly taught by BI faculty. The candidates can also take specialized courses and participate in doctoral workshops through for example the Norwegian Artificial Intelligence Research Consortium (NORA).

The second year of the program sees candidates transitioning to research work. The candidates will work towards the doctoral dissertation that is typically a collection of three research articles. Research work is done in close co-operation with the supervisor and other faculty members from the department. Projects joint with faculty members may involve collaborators from other research institutions. Candidates also participate in weekly research seminars with international scholars and present their research work at departmental workshops. The research environment is supportive, and PhD candidates take active part in all the social life at the department.

Additional information, including detailed course plans, may be found here.

Funding The four-year scholarship is set according to the Norwegian State Salary Scale and currently pays NOK 572.800 annually. The position is linked to The Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (Statens Pensjonskasse). The scholarship involves 25% teaching obligation.

Application timeline and submission rules

The application and its attached documents can be submitted only electronically by using the «Send Application" button on the right-hand side in this announcement. E-mail or hard copy applications will not be accepted. Kindly note that all documents need to have reached the Doctoral Administration by the deadline stated in this announcement in order to be considered. The only exception to this rule is candidates who are completing their master’s degree in 2026 and do not have a final certificate when applying. You will not be able to revise your application once it has been submitted.

Application requirements

We encourage applications from candidates who have solid quantitative skills and a strong background in fields/disciplines such as statistics, operations research, machine learning, computer science, finance, economics and mathematics. The successful candidates should have a genuine interest in doing fundamental research within applied areas of retail, logistics, transportation, commodity and energy markets. Strong programming, communication and analytical skills are also crucial for successful completion of the program. If applicants are otherwise equally qualified, female applicants will be given preference.

The following list details the formal application requirements:

A. Academic record

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 PhD specialization in Data and Decision Sciences by the time the program starts in early autumn of 2026, with a grade point average of B or higher. An MBA degree does not fulfill the requirements for admission.

B. GRE/GMAT

Applicants who hold a master’s degree from an institution in an EU/EEA country are strongly encouraged to take either the GMAT or the GRE test. Applicants whose master’s degree is not from an institution in an EU/EEA country are required to take either the GMAT or the GRE test.

We will need percentile scores and raw scores for the Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing sections of the GRE or GMAT to consider your application. Incomplete sections or partial scores are not sufficient to consider your application. A “good score” is generally considered to be 85% and higher. However, there is no minimum cutoff score for the GRE/ GMAT in order for your file to be reviewed.

C. TOEFL / IELTS

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 or 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 where the language of instruction was English
• 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 / IETLS 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 if the TRF number is visible.

D. Materials to be uploaded in the electronic application

You are required to upload the following electronically with your application:

CV, recommendation letters, statement of purpose, and selected academic work

• Full CV / resume. In addition to the usual items, this should include a complete list of all research work, including publications (if any), thesis work, and other documented relevant research activities.
• Letters of recommendations from people who can assess your suitability for doctoral studies. These people would ideally by academics who have taught you, supervised your research work, or have other relevant information about your potential as a researcher. If such people are not available, non-academic professional people can also provide a letter with an emphasis on your research potential. A minimum of two letters is required. Please arrange with the people submitting recommendation letters to email their recommendations to phd.datascience@bi.no by the application deadline.
• Statement of purpose describing your plans and motivation for PhD studies and your career objectives. The statement should be written in English and should not exceed 1000 words.
• One selected academic work showcasing your previous academic output. This can be a copy of your master’s thesis or other relevant research work.

Certificates, test results, and verification document

• Certificate of a Master of Science degree or equivalent, including transcript 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.
• Other relevant certificates and transcripts
• Certificates from previously completed courses at the doctoral level, if requesting approval of these for the PhD programme 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).
• Test scores GMAT/GRE and TOEFL/IELTS (if these are not sent directly by the test center)
• Signed verification document

Interviews and additional information

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

Information about the doctoral program and admission requirements can be obtained from the Doctoral Administration at BI Norwegian Business School. E-mail: info@bi.no