PhD in Marketing

About the position

BI Norwegian Business School invites applications for a four-year PhD Candidate position in Marketing, starting in August 2027.

The PhD specialisation in Marketing develops doctoral students’ theoretical knowledge and methodological skills required to become successful researchers. The Department of Marketing is an internationally oriented and research-intensive department, with faculty publishing in leading journals including the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, and Marketing Science.

The department has a strong international presence at leading conferences and a successful record of placing doctoral graduates at high-quality international universities and business schools, including Bayes Business School, Grenoble Ecole de Management, Nanyang Technological University, and the University of Groningen.

BI welcomes applications from candidates with strong academic backgrounds in disciplines such as business, economics, psychology, statistics, or related fields.

The PhD programme

The successful candidate will receive close supervision and follow-up from the research faculty.

The PhD programme is four years in duration. Candidates will undertake research and doctoral coursework and will contribute to teaching equivalent to 25% of the responsibilities of a full-time professor position.

The position is based at BI Norwegian Business School's campus in Oslo, Norway.

Qualifications

Applicants must have completed, or be expected to complete by early summer 2027, one of the following:

• A two-year Master of Science degree with thesis work
• A research Master's or MPhil degree
• An equivalent degree relevant to the Marketing specialisation

Final-year Master's students are encouraged to apply.

An MBA degree does not fulfil the requirements for admission.

BI requires a two-year Master's programme and an average grade of B or higher.

Application materials

Applicants must submit:

• Master's degree certificate or equivalent, including transcript of grades
• Bachelor's degree certificate or equivalent, including transcript of grades
• Diploma Supplement or equivalent documentation describing the degree and grading system
• An original research project proposal of 5-10 pages, including the research topic, proposed methodology and schedule
• CV
• A minimum of two letters of recommendation from relevant employers, professors or academic supervisors
• Certificates and documentation for previously completed doctoral-level courses, if approval is requested
• A complete list of publications and other documented relevant academic activities
• Signed verification document
• TOEFL or IELTS documentation, unless an exemption or approved waiver applies

If generative AI is used in preparing the project proposal or other submitted text, this must be clearly stated and appropriately cited.

English language requirements

Applicants must normally provide either TOEFL or IELTS results.

Minimum accepted scores are:

• TOEFL: 90 internet-based
• IELTS: 6.5

Exemptions apply to applicants whose native language is English, applicants with at least two years of higher education taught in English, and certain applicants from EU/EEA and Council of Europe/UNESCO-Cepes countries who meet BI's specified English-language education requirements.

Under certain circumstances, applicants may request a TOEFL/IELTS waiver when submitting their application.

Test results must be from within the last two years.

Salary and working conditions

The four-year PhD scholarship is based on the Norwegian State Salary Scale and currently amounts to NOK 623,200 per year, subject to adjustment in 2027.

The position normally includes membership in BI's collective pension scheme.

The PhD candidate will be employed full-time and will undertake teaching responsibilities corresponding to 25% of a full-time professor position.

About BI Norwegian Business School

BI Norwegian Business School is one of Europe's leading business schools and Norway's largest provider of business education. BI has more than 20,000 students, approximately 1,000 employees and more than 300,000 alumni.

BI offers bachelor, master, PhD and executive education programmes and has an extensive network of partnerships with leading Norwegian and international companies, organisations and academic institutions.

The Department of Marketing provides an internationally oriented research environment with a strong emphasis on high-quality research and doctoral education.

Application procedure

All application documents must be uploaded through BI's electronic application platform by clicking the 'Apply' button

Documents submitted by email will not be considered.

Applicants completing their Master's degree in 2027 who do not yet have their final certificate may submit the certificate after the application deadline, in accordance with BI's requirements.

Candidates may subsequently be asked to provide additional information or participate in an interview.

Applicants accepted into the programme will later be required to provide a detailed four-year progress plan including milestones and doctoral courses.

Application deadline: 1 December 2026

Expected start date: 16 August 2027

Location: Oslo, Norway

Contact: Carlos Velasco, BI Norwegian Business School, carlos.velasco@bi.no