Frequently Asked Questions about QISTgrad

Yes, if you are eligible – see the homepage for more information on eligibility.

If you already have a PhD, you will not be eligible for the QISTgrad.

The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science evaluates all schools and universities for the level and length of their education. 

There is a difference between DTU and UCPH regarding the eligibility for a one-year master’s program; please refer to the homepage under “Apply”. DTU will consider your work experience; UCPH will only take your ECTS into consideration.

Yes, it is an indispensable requirement. Without it, your application will not be considered, as the questionnaire is the basis for evaluating your application. The questionnaire can be found on the QISTgrad homepage under “Apply”. Fill it in, save it as a PDF and upload it with your other application documents.

Use this letter to let us know who you are and what motivates you. Most of the documents we have are what you have done in the past; make sure we also know where you would like to go in the future. Add information on reference persons, language skills and any other important information not already covered. We are not interested in your preference for supervisors and programmes.

This is not a requirement, but if you would like to add the information, please simply attach the abstract (or a 1-page summary) of your thesis. If you have relevant articles, add a link to your list of publications but please do not add the entire article.

Please add the relevant exam papers, i.e. for your bachelor's and your master’s, as well as for any relevant course you have taken. You will need to add both a copy of the original and certified translations.

If you apply on the basis that your master’s or bachelor's will be finalised in time, you will need to document this. Please add both a transcript of your latest exams as well as a written statement from your university that you are expected to finalise on time.

Most applicants will not have relevant publications; therefore, this is not mandatory to add. If you have publications, please note them in the questionnaire. You may also include a list of publications to support the information you have added to the questionnaire.

Reference letters are not a requirement to order to apply.

Due to Danish law, reference letters must be submitted by the applicant, so you know what your reference person has written about you. Reference letters emailed directly to the program administration will not be taken into consideration. If your referees do not want to send the letters of recommendation to you, you can upload a list with name/contact information for the referees or include this information in your motivation letter. We will notify you if we contact them. However, we will only take references into consideration if your application reaches the interview stage.

Please choose carefully which reference letters you upload; 2-4 is more than enough, especially if they relate to your subject of interest.

You are not required to find a supervisor before applying; this will happen as part of the selection process. You will have the opportunity to discuss with relevant supervisors from UCPH and DTU, and we will assist you in finding a supervisor. Your supervisor’s employment will determine which university you are enrolled in for your PhD program.

You will need to prove your language proficiency at some point in the hiring process, most likely at your interview. Please specify in the motivation/cover letter if you have experience working in English, and make sure you have a TOEFL in case your application reaches the interview phase.

All applicants must use the electronic job system, so if you send the application by mail, it will be disregarded.

At this point, this is not a joint application, so you will need to apply to both programs at the same time, and this will mean that you will study for your PhD at UCPH. Please note that there are different deadlines for QIS applications depending on whether you are from the EU or not. Please note in your motivation letter that you have applied for both.

Yes, you can always let us know that you want to cancel your application. If you are still interested, you are welcome to apply next year (the QISTgrad program runs until 2031).

We will expect that you start on 1 September or within a month after. If you cannot start on 1 September, state this and the reason (e.g. not handing in your master's thesis until mid-September) in your motivation letter.

This depends partly on your supervisor, partly on any requirements in your visa. Please assume that you might not be able to work. At UCPH, you must ask permission from the PhD School.

The standard length for a PhD in Denmark is 3 years, and it is very structured. It is quite difficult to prolong a PhD, which automatically puts pressure on your supervisor to make sure their supervision is timely.

When studying for a PhD in Denmark, you are required to do some teaching. The amount depends on the individual PhD school, but it is, in general, limited so you have time to study. Please check the Training Programme under About QISTgrad on our homepage.

You will need to be enrolled in a PhD school to study for at PhD. This enrolment takes place automatically after the last interviews, and if you are offered a position. It is not possible to study for a QISTgrad PhD without being enrolled in a PhD school.

Is the salary enough to live on in Copenhagen? Yes, it is enough, so you will not have to apply for grants or further funding (unless you wish to do expensive experiments). However, if you choose to apply for an integrated PhD (only relevant for UCPH), the period of enrolment is divided into part A and part B. During Part A, you will receive state education grant (PhD SU) instalments (48 instalments in total), and at the same time you will be working as hourly paid PhD student for 150 hours per year. When you have passed your master’s, you will be employed as a regular PhD Fellow. Part A takes up to 3 years, and Part B always takes 2 years. If you are from the EU, you can apply for a state education grant (EU rules | SU) during part A, and if you are from outside the EU, you can apply for a QIST graduate grant that will pay for the tuition.

We have put together a Selection Committee of 14+ quantum researchers from assistant professors to professors from DTU and UCPH with a focus within chemistry, physics, math, electro, and computers, though most do multidisciplinary work.

The evaluation criteria are not made public, but the questionnaire mirrors the criteria to a large degree. Each application will be evaluated by at least 2 persons from the Selection Committee.

This type of PhD means that you have a supervisor at a university, but you are embedded in a company full-time. This is possible with a QISTgrad PhD, too, but needs to be discussed with the relevant supervisor.