Communication

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Application deadline is 1 December 2024

As a PhD candidate in our programme, you will be an important part of our research community and will be part of a group of community which is supportive and open-minded. We are dedicated to attracting talented aspiring researchers from around the world and had the privilege of assisting our PhD students in publishing in some of the world's most prestigious management and communication journals in the past. We are committed to fostering an environment that is conducive to the success of young researchers. Alumni of our department pursue careers in academia, while others advance to high-level positions in the public and private sectors, both domestically and internationally.

Specialisation objectives

The PhD Specialisation in Communication aims to train researchers to deepen their understanding of theoretical frameworks, historical contexts and contemporary issues within the field of communication, including media studies, interpersonal communication, organisational communication, computer-mediated communication, information sciences and more. Communication and communication technologies increasingly necessitate internal and external organisational boundary spanning, cooperation and deliberation - between business and society, between business and communities, and between business and (inter-) national organisations. The specialisation aims to train researchers to develop advanced research skills in qualitative and quantitative methodologies to investigate these interdependencies between business and society through the lens of communication theories, technologies, and practices. 

Upon successful completion of their Doctorate programme, our students will have obtained:

• The capacity to discuss and analyse contemporary business issues within the fields of communication and media studies, organisational sociology and digital transformation research, as well as in-depth knowledge of a wide array of topic areas
• The capacity to lead standalone or team-based research initiatives and possess focused knowledge at the frontier of their specialised field 
• The ability to critically discuss, analyse, and evaluate business problems, as well as the ability to present the resulting opinions in front of researchers, students, and business executives
• The capacity to critically evaluate methodologies in accordance with theoretical best practices and the application of methodological skills to the analysis of large quantitative and qualitative data sets
• An international academic network that will facilitate their professional development on both a national and international scale

Distinguishing features of the specialisation

Intellectually curious candidates with strong analytical skills can expect a rigorous four-year programme. Course work covering all the key areas of managing the interactions between business and society takes up the first year. These courses are mainly taught by BI faculty. Additionally, the candidates have access to doctoral workshops and specialised courses across Europe.

Candidates switch to research work in the second year of the programme, which they do all the way through to the end. The doctoral dissertation, which is normally a compilation of three research articles, is the goal for candidates. Research is conducted in close collaboration with the department's faculty members and supervisor. Researchers from other institutions frequently collaborate on joint projects with faculty members. Additionally, candidates present their research at departmental workshops and take part in research seminars with scholars from around the world. PhD candidates actively participate in all departmental social events and work in a supportive research environment.

Fully funded scholarships

All PhD candidates receive financial support when accepted into the programme. The candidates are hired as full-time employees on an initial four-year contract. Continuation of the support through the four years of the programme is dependent on good standing and regular progress towards completing the programme’s requirements. PhD candidates are entitled to full parental leave and health insurance, and are part of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. The workplace is BI Norwegian Business School at its main campus in Oslo.

What you can expect

The four-year study programme leading to a PhD degree is designed to allow you to conduct in-depth research. In addition, it is comprised of a course component, seminars, PhD committees, pre-doctoral defence, and lastly, dissertation and final defence. 25% of the time is reserved for teaching.

The Department

The Department of Communication and Culture, where candidates will be based, is currently home to about 50 faculty. The Department is highly international in its faculty composition as well as its ongoing research and industry collaborations. The department hosts research groups within Internet and Society, Corporate Communication, Creative Industries and Education. The department is focused on research, with the goal of producing results that benefit both the business and academic communities. The department has a strong track record of publishing in prestigious journals while also providing relevant education to the Norwegian business community and beyond. Ongoing research in the department is for instance concerned with the role of the arts in the digital transformation, the structural changes of the creative industries, the roles of communication technologies in shaping the future of work and new forms of labour and organisations, online organising and communities, social legitimacy of technological transformations, and innovation in education management.

Areas of research

The Department's faculty members are actively engaged in academic research. Without being exhaustive, the following list of research areas covers the main research output from the Department of Communication and Culture in recent years:

• Virtual collaboration and computer-mediate communication
• New ways of working, the gig economy and online platforms
• Ethics of artificial intelligence
• Online social movement and communities
• Business ethics and the legitimacy of corporate conduct
• New business models for the creative industries
• Education and school management
• Corporate, organisational and crisis communication