Doctoral studies - Interdisciplinary

To find a supervisor you can use the staff list to narrowing your search. Enter a Subject or Speciality, Faculty or School to search for supervisor. 

You can also look for a supervisor at the Universities Research Portal. 

Research Portal Profiles by Schools

Education
Engineering and Natural Sciences
Health Sciences
Humanities
Social Sciences

Supervisors do not in all cases all have to be academic employees of UI. Not all academic employees can undertake to be supervisors. Check out the regulation for the School your study programme belongs to.

The University Online Application System gives each applicant an ID number that can be used to monitor the status of the application.User interfaces in Icelandic or English are available.

If the ID number is lost please contact student registration admisson@hi.is

On the online application form, you will be required to provide the following details:

• Program selection: from a drop-down menu of graduate programs selected 
• Personal information including a scan (PDF file) of your passport.
• Previous education: degrees awarded with dates and subject(s).
• References: provide names, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of two referees.  
• Name of your supervisor at the University of Iceland
• Supporting documents to be uploaded:
  • Curriculum vitae (CV) (see below)
  • Statement of purpose (see below)
  • Scanned transcripts (see below)
  • Copy of grant or scholarship application and/or confirmation, if applicable.
  • Proof of English Proficiency (see below)

Please ensure that all requested supporting documents are submitted no later than two weeks after the application is submitted.  

Further information about the studies, admittance requirements, etc. can be found in the course catalogue.

Once submitted, the application the application status can be monitored in the application portal under the “Applications – Overview” tab 

Applicants will be notified of their application results in the application portal under the “Applications – Overview” tab. 

If the applicant is accepted into the program, a reply letter will be uploaded to the application portal under the “Applications – Overview” tab. 

See further information on the application process. 

• Curriculum vitae (CV) (see below)
• Statement of purpose (see below)
• Transcripts (see below)
• Copy of grant or scholarship application and/or confirmation, if applicable.
• References (see below)
• English Language Proficiency Requirement (see below)
• PDF scan of your passport

In addition to your personal contact information and educational history (some of which will overlap with the information you provide on the online application form), you should list:

• your teaching experience
• conference, and other presentations and publications
• employment history
• honours and awards, as well as relevant extracurricular activities.

Your curriculum vitae (CV) should be uploaded and submitted as a PDF file, with your online application.

Please include your name in the PDF file name along with a descriptive title, for example: Jane-Smith-CV.pdf

Some faculties require  a short description of your motivation for applying for the graduate program ( ½- 1 page A4).

State the reasons why you want to pursue graduate work in the field of xxx, the issues and problems you want to address, and your professional goals. Briefly describe why you chose the University of Iceland. Please specify the name of your supervisor if you are applying for doctoral studies.

Your statement of purpose, written in English, should be uploaded and submitted as a PDF file together with your online application.

Please include your name in the PDF file name along with a descriptive title, for example: Jane-Smith-statement.pdf

A transcript and a diploma from your previous university studies, both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, must be submitted with an application for a doctoral programme. 

If official records are not available in English, the originals should be accompanied by a certified English translation.

Note that a translation cannot be submitted instead of an original record; original records must be submitted as well. Explanation of the grading system must be included in a transcript.

Supporting documents are to be submitted in one of the following ways:
 

• With an electronic signature in PDF format 
  PDF documents must be digitally signed by the institution. A PDF can be uploaded in the application portal or emailed to admission@hi.is. 

• Certified documents on paper
  Hard copies must be signed and stamped in colour by the institution or an official party (e.g. a magistrate). Documents should be mailed to:
  
  University of Iceland
  Student Registration
  Saemundargata 4
  102 Reykjavík
  Iceland.

Application documents should not be sent to any other address at the University of Iceland. 

It is also possible to hand in supporting documents at the Service Desk in the University Centre (in the same building as Student Registration).
 

• Direct online verification database or electronic validation portal 

This applies f.ex. to governmental or institutional online verification portals.
Applicants are required to provide information on the location of the portal and include any information (such as reference number) that is part of the verification process. Students are responsible for all fees associated with this process.
 

• Documents issued by a country's service portal.

Third-party service portals such as Parchment, GradIntelligence, National Student Clearing House, Digitary and Open Certs. Access to the portal is sent to admission@hi.is.

Applicants are responsible for all fees associated with this process. Make sure that any reference numbers needed for the online verification are included in your email.

Applicants who are completing, or have completed an undergraduate programme at the University of Iceland after 1980, do not need to submit certified transcripts or diplomas.

Photocopies or scanned transcripts are not valid documents.
Please ensure that all requested supporting documents are submitted no later than two weeks after the application is submitted.  Applications will not be processed until hard copies have arrived.

Name, telephone numbers and institutional email address for two references should be provided in the application portal.  

 Referees should be from faculty members or others who are familiar with your academic work and qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study.

Some programmes also  require a letter of recommendation. Further information can be found under each programme. 

All letters of recommendation are treated in confidence.

All international applicants whose native language is not English, are required to provide proof of English proficiency in the form of TOEFL, IELTS (Academic), or Cambridge English (CAE or CPE) tests.

Exemptions can be made if you have completed at least one full year of full-time higher education, taught in English, at an accredited higher education institution in an English-speaking country (UK, USA, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada).

Please find more information about English Language Proficiency Requirements here.

Applicants need submit a research proposal,either at the time of application or before the end of the first semester of studies. Research proposals are written in collaboration with a doctoral study supervisor. Some programmes have a specific form for the research proposal, so do contact the programme coordinator for further information.

Regulation on the University of Iceland Master's and doctoral programmes in environment and natural resources, no. 214/2011

Regulation on the University of Iceland Master's and doctoral programmes in public health sciences, no. 977/2018

Regulations regarding other programmes can be found here.