PhD Research Scholar position - Department of Strategy and Management

The PhD specialisation

NHH is pleased to announce one available position in the Department of Strategy and Management. Candidates admitted to the PhD program will receive the title of PhD Research Scholar.

Psychology and Decision Science: Understanding “freedom to choose” 

The PhD Research Scholar will be part of an interdisciplinary research program focusing on human agency and quality of life, seeking to understand how people across the world think about freedom. Research questions can range from what people consider a genuine free choice, how highly people value the freedom to choose when they must make a trade-off against other moral values, and how the concern for freedom can affect policy preferences in society, work motivation in organisations and leadership, or consumer behavior. The research will have a primary basis in social psychology and decision-making research (JDM), but will also integrate insights from behavioral economics in collaboration with the FAIR research centre at NHH.

We encourage academically strong candidates with educational background from psychology or a related social science to apply (e.g. behavioral economics, organisational behavior, or political science), who wants to pursue a PhD with quantitative research methods (experiments and surveys) at a leading business school. The PhD Research Scholar will be expected to learn sophisticated data analysis skills, modern programming language (R), and Open Science best practices.

E-mail: hallgeir.sjastad@nhh.no 

Start date: January 2027

The PhD programme

The PhD programme at NHH is a four-year fully-funded programme, which combines an intensive course component with research and relevant work experience, preparing the school’s graduates for scholarly positions at recognised international institutions and positions in knowledge-intensive institutions and firms outside of academia. Former PhD graduates have been hired by renowned institutions such as Harvard University, The University of Sydney’s Business School, University of Amsterdam, Tilburg University, Hanken School of Economics, Norwegian universities and business schools, as well as by government, banking, finance and consulting industries.

The PhD research scholars will be included in a highly stimulating and rewarding research environment, working closely with faculty members and other PhD research scholars at the school. PhD research scholars participate actively in faculty and research seminars, as well as in workshops. As part of the position, the PhD research scholars allocate 25% of their time to career promoting work such as teaching assistance. They also receive pedagogical training. The place of work is at NHH in Bergen, where the PhD research scholars will have their own office space at their department.

The PhD programme gives preference to applicants who address research questions that align with the department’s research interests and the available resources for supervision. As the school aspires gender balance and diversity, female applicants will be given preference if applicants are otherwise equally qualified.

NHH offers

• annual salary of NOK 570 000 (equivalent to approximately EUR 50 741 or USD 58 121) pr. August 2027. For particularly well-qualified applicants, a higher salary may be considered. Thereafter annual adjustment of minimum 3%. The salary ensures a fair standard of living in Norway and is subject to Norwegian taxes and benefits, including public health care benefits and pension savings
• career guidance and an individual career development plan
• opportunity to take basic Norwegian language courses
• research funds for travels and funding for conference participation and research stays abroad to build a wider network and strengthen the research of the PhD research scholar

The city of Bergen offers a mild coastal climate and hosts rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities, as well as a family-friendly environment. Note that public healthcare, public schooling for children, and most other public services are free in Norway. To explore Norway and the city of Bergen, go to visitnorway.com.

Eligibility requirements

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements for the PhD programme. Applicants must normally have completed a five-year Master of Science (MSc) degree in Economics and Business Administration or a comparable degree. The average grade must normally correspond to a minimum of B (4.0) in the Norwegian grade system. 

The Department of Strategy and Management requires you to demonstrate both an adequate level of academic skills and an adequate level of English language proficiency (unless you are exempt). We accept the following tests:

• GMAT or GRE tests to measure your academic skills
• TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic to measure your English language proficiency

When applying, you are required to upload a copy of your unofficial test scores in Jobbnorge before the deadline. If you are shortlisted, NHH will ask you to give us access to your official test scores without delay.

Exemptions:

• You are waived from the GMAT or GRE tests if you hold a qualifying master’s degree from a Nordic institution.
• You are waived from TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic tests if you are a native English speaker, if you have a qualifying master’s degree from a Nordic institution or if you have a qualifying master’s degree where the language of tuition was English.

For more detailed information about the tests and their minimum scores, please visit our webpage: Admission to the PhD programme| NHH. If you have questions, you may contact phd@nhh.no.

Application requirements

You are required to upload the following documents with your application in Jobbnorge:

• Certificate of your master’s degree or equivalent, including transcripts of records. You need to have completed your master’s degree prior to the starting date for the position. If you have not completed your degree when applying for the position, please attach a transcript of records of the courses and grades that you have completed so far.
• Certificate of your bachelor’s degree or equivalent, including transcripts of records.
• Other relevant certificates or transcripts (e.g. courses completed at the PhD level).
• If the issuing authority of grades and degrees does not use the ECTS grading scale, include an official description of the grading scale used.
• Statement of purpose describing your motivation for applying for this position (250-300 words).
• A research proposal (2000-4000 words). The research proposal should describe the aims, research questions, and motivation of the proposed research. Please note that your research proposal is tentative and often needs adjustments after your acceptance into the programme. 
• Curriculum vitae.
• A list of all publications and/or other documented research activities.   

Please upload the documents in separate files, not combined in one single file.

Letters of recommendation and contact details of references:

Letters of recommendation and/or contact details of references may strengthen your application, but they are not mandatory. If you choose to include letters of recommendations, the references should send their letter of recommendation in PDF format to hr-phd@nhh.no by latest 15 September 2026. Contact details of references may be included in Jobbnorge when you apply. 

General information

For more information on the PhD programme and the submission procedure, please consult the NHH PhD website. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please note that applicants for the PhD research scholar position do not need to apply separately for admission to the PhD programme.

NHH emphasises diversity and encourages qualified candidates to apply for the position regardless of gender, cultural background, age and disabilities. 

In accordance with §25 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act, information about applicants may be made public even if they have requested not to have their names entered on the list of applicants. Applicants will be notified if their request is not granted.

As part of the recruitment process, a background check may be conducted with the candidates' consent.

For questions and inquiries about the NHH PhD programme, please contact phd@nhh.no.

Applications must be submitted through the Jobbnorge online portal. To open the application, please click ‘Apply for this job’. For the English version, go to the menu at the top right side.

Application deadline: 15 September 2026

PhD programme at NHH

Let a PhD from NHH be your next career step!

Video:

https://youtu.be/uALqnX_Lqio