The scientific fields of the PhD thesis will be closely related to ongoing research within the research areas at the Department of Biology. Research at the department is internationally oriented, and the students will often work in larger groups involving both national and international collaborators.

Research areas

• Aquaculture
• Ethology
• Evolutionary biology
• Environmental toxicology
• Physiology
• Marine biology
• Molecular biology
• Natural resource management
• General ecology

The PhD education is a structured degree with a nominal duration of three-year full-time study. Some PhD positions may include a fourth year of required duties, usually in the form of teaching, this will be detailed in your employee contract if applicable.

A PhD degree is the highest level of formalised education in Norway.

A doctoral degree from NTNU qualifies you to a range of positions both in the private and public sector. Academia has traditionally been the main career path for doctors, but now an increasing number of doctors are going into leading positions in the private sector.

To be accepted to a PhD programme at NTNU, you must have:

• a funding plan
• completed at least five years of higher education that includes a master's degree or other equivalent degree.
• a strong academic record and a weighted average for the last two years of your master's degree equivalent to a B or higher in NTNU's grading scale.

Applications for admission to the PhD programme must to be submitted through the Department of your subject area 

Read more about how to apply and admission

Administrative contact

Maja Caroline Haaker 
Senior Executive Officer

Academic contact

Henrik Jensen 
Professor and Deputy of Research at the Department of Biology