PhD Candidates in Economics

BI Norwegian Business School offers a four-year Ph.D. Programme with specialization in Economics, which trains students to engage in high quality scientific research, making use of economic theory and state of the art econometric methods. The Department of Economics has a strong research-oriented faculty working within microeconomic theory, macroeconomics, econometrics, labour economics, natural resource and energy economics, political economics, industrial organization, and international and development economics. The department hosts five research centres; Centre for Monetary Economics (CME), Centre for Research in Economics and Management (CREAM), Centre for Applied Macro and Petroleum Economics (CAMP), Centre for Experimental Studies and Research (CESAR), and Centre for Applied and Theoretical Econometrics (CATE).

The doctoral programme is an important element in the department’s research excellence strategy
and in BI’s vision to become one of the leading research business schools in Europe. The selected
candidates will join a group of talented and ambitious PhD candidates at the department that work in
close collaboration with faculty members. PhD students are expected to participate actively in research
seminars and workshops. The place of work will be at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo.

A PhD from BI can be a gateway to prestigious academic positions at universities and research
institutions around the world. We encourage and support our candidates in the international job
market. Recent graduates of BI's PhD specialization in economics have been hired by, among others, Sciences Po, University of Chicago, Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics, University of Oslo, European Central Bank.

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 Economics by the
time the programme 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. 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%
work obligation. BI Norwegian Business School is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage
women to apply for the positions.

Applications must be submitted electronically by using the "Send Application" button on the right-hand side of this announcement. Paper or e-mail applications will not be accepted. You are required
to submit the following electronically together with your application:

Background Information:

• A short personal statement describing your research interests and potential research
projects. Please also include BI Department of Economics faculty members (faculty list is
available here) that you may be interested in working closely with should you be admitted
to the PhD program.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV).

Letters of Recommendation:

• We require a minimum of two (preferably three) letters of recommendation from people
that can comment on your research potential. These should be emailed directly to us by
the letter writers rather than uploaded by you. However, you must include the names of
your letter writers in your application. Please arrange with the people submitting
recommendation letters to email their recommendations to phd.economics@bi.no by the
application deadline.

Academic Transcripts:

• Certificate of a Master of Science degree or equivalent, including transcript of grades.
• Certificate of a Bachelor degree or equivalent, including transcript of grades.
• A Diploma Supplement or a similar document describing in detail the study and grade
system associated with the obtained degree.
• Signed transcript verification document (to be found here). (Please note that this
document should be uploaded with your application and not sent to your university. We
will use the document to request an official transcript if you are considered for admission
to the program and check for any discrepancy with the transcript you uploaded.)

Test Scores:

• GRE General/GMAT test score: All applicants, except those who hold a master’s degree
from an institution inside the European Economic Area/the European Union or
Switzerland, must submit results from GMAT or the GRE General test. Note that we need
scores for the Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing sections of the GRE General or
GMAT to consider your application. Incomplete sections or partial scores are not sufficient
to consider your application.
• TOEFL/IELTS test score: Applicants whose native language is not English must take either
TOEFL or IELTS. To be considered for admission, applicants must have a minimum TOEFL
score of 575 (written test)/233 (computer-based test)/90 (internet-based test) or a IELTS
score of 6.5. In some cases, applicants can request a waiver from TOEFL/IELTS by
submitting a waiver form (found here) together with the application. As a general rule,
exemptions are made for applicants:

o who have two years or more of higher education where the language of instruction
was English.
o 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.

• We accept scanned copies of test scores. TOEFL/IELTS scores must be from within the last
two years. For scanned IELTS scores, the TRF number must be visible. In case of sending
official score reports from the test center, you can use the following codes for BI
Norwegian Business School:

o TOEFL/GMAT: 0529.
o GRE: 7365.

Additional documents:

• In addition, you may upload the following documents:

o A writing sample that documents relevant research activities (e.g. a Master’s thesis or
academic paper).

• 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).

All documents, apart from the recommendation letters, must be uploaded in the electronic application
and may not be submitted by e-mail or on paper. 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 2026 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 admitted to the programme must provide a more detailed progress
plan with milestones and courses for the four years of study.

Additional information about the doctoral programme and admission requirements can be obtained
from the doctoral administration at BI Norwegian Business School. E-mail: info@bi.no.