PhD fellowship in AI-enabled Automated Software Testing

The School of Economics, Innovation and Technology

The School of Economics, Innovation, and Technology delivers research and study programmes at bachelor and master level. The emphasis for both research and study programmes are on economics, innovation, digitalization and information technology. Information science, information systems and the interaction between technology and human beings are other exciting focus areas. We also have our own PhD program in Applied Information Technology. The department is expanding its online offers and offers in further and continuing education in cooperation with working life. The department has well-established research groups and research labs at a high international level.

About the position

Kristiania University of Applied Sciences is offering a fully funded PhD fellowship in Applied Information Technology. The successful applicant will be included in a team of researchers with ambitious plans to further develop research and pedagogical activities related to Applied Information Technology at the university.

The PhD project should aim to investigate the integration of AI-enabled automated software tools in the software development and maintenance processes in industry.

The project will explore how AI-enabled automated testing tools perform, are developed and deployed, and how they could be deployed in industry. The project will explore both the technical side of the tools, as well as the impact AI-enabled automated software testing tools have on the software development and software maintenance process and the long-term effects of changes in software quality. Key challenges are the level of quality and accuracy of the results that AI-enabled automated software tools need to provide in order to be useful in industry; the way such tools would fit into existing software development processes or require that software processes be adapted to better use their results; and the measuring of the quality of AI-enabled automated software testing tools in use. The PhD candidate will:

• Design empirical studies, both in academic and industrial settings, to assess the quality and impact of AI-enabled automated software testing tools.
• Assessing the impact AI-enabled automated software testing tools have on the software development process in the industry through empirical studies.
• Design and implement tools to display and help interpret the results of AI-enabled tools, as well as to measure their quality and suitability for integration into the software development process.
• disseminate results in top-tier Software Engineering conferences and journals and collaborate with industry/academic partners.

• Master’s degree (120 ECTS or equivalent) in a relevant subject area with a grade B or better on the master’s thesis and for the master’s degree overall. The master’s thesis must be a minimum of 30 ECTS or equivalent. The relevance of the subject areas is dependent on the type of project proposed by the candidate
• Relevant 180 ECTS bachelor’s degree
• Good background in software development and programming
• Good capabilities in empirical research
• Analytical thinking and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research
• Proficiency in both written and spoken English (interviews, and all communication will be in English)

• Experience with software development, software testing and software quality
• Experience with automation in the context of software development, in particular automated software testing
• Experience with software processes, the evaluation and measurement of technical debt, software maintenance
• Familiarity with search algorithms, search-based software testing, or other instances of applying AI to software development

• Curiosity and a strong motivation to carry out independent interdisciplinary research
• Good communication and cooperation skills
• The ability, desire and capacity to work independently, systematically, and purposefully
• Orientation toward the completion of projects and the attainment of goals

Emphasis will be placed on personal suitability for the position.

• High salary compared to international standards (NOK 550,800 per year)
• Equipment at your disposal during employment (e.g., high-end laptop, mobile and mobile subscription)
• NOK 50,000 per year to support travel to conferences and other running costs
• Free health insurance, travel insurance, and pension plan
• Strong labour laws (e.g., fully paid parental and sick leaves, 25 paid days of vacation and paid sick leave)

• Motivation letter for the position
• Approved diplomas and transcripts (in Scandinavian or English language)
• CV
• At least two references
• Master thesis
• A project proposal of up to 4 pages (max. 2,000 words, excluding references), written in English, outlining the candidate´s intended PhD research in relation to the described PhD project, including background, relevant literature, objectives, methods and expected contributions

Admission to the PhD programme is a requirement for taking up a position as a research fellow. The application must be submitted to School of Doctoral Studies within three months of the start date. For more information, see the Regulations relating to conditions of appointment for research fellowships: https://lovdata.no/forskrift/2024-06-28-1392/§3-19.

The PhD fellowship period is 3 years, and the earliest start date is 01.09.2026.

Working place is the School of Economics, Innovation, and Technology. The school is located in Oslo, with numerous amenities, recreational spaces and urban fun right next door.

Kristiania University of Applied Sciences welcomes and encourages applications from diverse backgrounds. Women and persons with minority background are particularly encouraged to apply.

For more information about Kristiania, visit: https://www.kristiania.no. To learn more about the PhD in Communication and Leadership, visit: https://www.kristiania.no/en/research/phd.

If you have any questions regarding the position:
Contact person: Asle Fagerstrøm

If you have questions regarding the project, please contact:
Associate Professor and project leader Bogdan Marculescu

02.03.2026.

Only applications received through our application portal will be considered.

We use Semac background checks in our recruitment process.

The employment is to be made in accordance with the regulation to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to Kristiania.