The goal of a PhD education is to enable the candidate to conduct research at a high international level. The research will be made with sound scientific practice and established standards for research ethics. The PhD candidate will be able to solve complex research problems using creative solutions that will have a social and economic impact on society.

The PhD program in physics aims to educate independent researchers at a high international level in cooperation with national and international research communities, thereby fulfilling both current and future requirements for competence in research, development, and dissemination at universities, other public and private institutions, companies, and organizations.

The PhD programme in physics provides an education within experimental and theoretical physics and aims at giving the candidates a broad professional background in physics. The candidate can focus the program towards a variety of topics based on ongoing research activities at the Department of Physics.

Learning outcomes

Read more about the research areas at the Department of Physics
 

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.

The PhD programme consists of

• at least 30 ECTS of courses (0,5 year), and 
• an independent academic work in the form of a doctoral thesis (estimated to 2,5 years)

Read more about the PhD education at the Faculty of Natural Sciences

• Choosing courses
• Doing the doctoral thesis
• Learning activities and internationalization
• Assessment
• Evaluation of PhD programmes

Read more about PhD education

• NTNU PhD education
• NTNU PhD 1-2-3 
   

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 within a relevant area. The Faculty may approve other, comparable qualifications as the basis for admission.
• 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.

For admission to this programme you must have the following professional qualifications:

• Master’s degree in physics or equivalent 
• The education must cover theoretical and experimental training in basic topics in classical and modern physics, and key areas such as quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics and electromagnetic theory. 
• Candidates within science education research in physics can be admitted to the PhD programme also with other master’s degrees, provided the candidate’s background is relevant for the PhD project. 
   

Read more about how to apply and admission

Administrative contact

Anne Sæther 
Senior Executive Officer

Academic contact

Ragnvald Mathiesen
Professor and Deputy of Research at the Department of Physics