Rules and regulations

In accordance with section 15(2) of Ministerial Order No. 1039 of 27 August 2013 on the PhD programme at Danish universities (the PhD Order), the Graduate School may accept a PhD dissertation for assessment without prior enrolment of the candidate, if it is estimated that the candidate has obtained academic qualifications corresponding to those obtained by completing a PhD programme at the Graduate School.

It is stated in section 7(2) in the PhD Order that in order to obtain a PhD degree at a Danish University the following requirements must be completed: 

1. Conduct independent research work under supervision (the PhD project)
2. Completion of PhD courses or similar subject elements equivalent to approx. 30 ECTS points
3. Involvement in active research environments at other, primarily foreign, research institutions
4. Experience of teaching or of other dissemination of research which should be as closely related to the research project as possible
5. Complete a PhD dissertation on the basis of the PhD project

Section 7(3) in the PhD Order states that “the institution may approve on a case-by-case basis that the PhD degree programme does not comprise one or more of the elements described in subsection (2), nos. 1-4, if the institution finds that the PhD student has completed other subject elements that are comparable to the above (credit transfer).

To submit a dissertation without prior enrolment at Aarhus BSS Graduate School the following procedure must be followed:

• Contact Aarhus BSS Graduate School, bphd@psys.au.dk, to get a direct link for the online application form from the Graduate School
• Fill out the form “documentation for submission of a PhD dissertation without prior enrolment” (before opening the application form)
• Fill out the online application form and press send. Please carefully follow the “Guidelines for electronic application for Submission of a PhD dissertation without prior enrolment as a PhD student”
• Submit your dissertation to the Graduate School by email to: bphd@psys.au.dk.
• The Graduate School will process your application and you will receive a receipt for the application and the dissertation
• The application and dissertation will undergo a preliminary general assessment by the relevant field committee at the Graduate School, in order to determine whether the applicant is found to have obtained academic qualifications corresponding to those achieved from completing a PhD degree programme at the Graduate School and if the dissertation can be assessed at the Graduate School
• You will receive an email with the decision

If the Graduate School accepts your application please be aware of the following:

• Payment of fee within 14 days from acceptance of application is mandatory, see the current fee at the bottom of this page 
• There will be no actual enrolment at the Graduate School

Rules for submission of a dissertation without enrolment on a PhD programme

See clause 15, 2 in the Ministerial PhD order, and clause 11,4 in Rules and guidelines for the PhD degree programme for Aarhus BSS Graduate School, both of which can be found at the top of this page.

If the Graduate School in accordance with section 15(2) of the PhD Order accepts an application for submission of a dissertation without prior enrolment, payment of fee for assessment of the dissertation must take place within 14 days from acceptance of application.

The current fee is DKK 50,000.