PhD student in history of religions

The Department of Ethnology, History of Religions, and Gender Studies has ca 70 employees who conduct teaching and research in the Department’s three disciplines. The history of religions comprises the historical, comparative, and ethnographic study of how religious traditions and phenomena shape and are shaped by the culture and society of their times. History of religions at Stockholm University is Sweden’s oldest institution for the non-confessional historical study of religion. With 9 employees and 4 doctoral candidates with varying degree of activity it is also one of the largest communities for the history of religions in Sweden. Researchers in the department specialize in topics such as Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism, as well as old Norse religion, folklore, the religions of antiquity, esotericism, magical traditions, and new religious movements. For further information, see Education History of Religions.

More information about us, please visit:Department of ethnology, History of Religions and Gender studies.

Subject area 

The call is for a PhD position in the history of religions with open specialization. The candidate’s work will be conducted with the General study plan for PhD education in the history of religions. 

Qualification requirements

In order to be admitted to postgraduate education, the applicant must have the general and specific entry requirements. The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.

You meet general entry requirements if you have completed a second-cycle degree, or completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

Specific entry requirements are described in General study plan for PhD education in the history of religions (4.2). To attain the special admissions criteria for eligibility to doctoral education in the history of religions the candidate must have successfully completed at least 30 credits worth of courses on the MA level within the area of history of religions / religious studies, including an MA thesis of at least 15 credits.

It is required that the candidate is proficient in English. Moreover, it is expected that the candidate is sufficiently proficient in any other relevant language (e.g. source languages) deemed necessary to begin the proposed research project. The special admission criteria can also be obtained by those who have acquired equivalent competence in another way, whether in Sweden or abroad. Equivalent competence will be assessed by the committee that prepares the admission decision and final decision is made by the Department Board. 

Selection

The selection among the eligible candidates will be based on their capacity to benefit from the training. The following criteria will be used to assess this capacity:

• Previous education in general. Assessment is made with regards to the depth as well as breadth of previous education.
• Previous academic output. The applicant’s capacity to benefit from the education is assessed on the basis of exam work from the BA and MA levels as well as other written academic work. Timeliness is also assessed; i.e. to what extent the applicant has demonstrated an ability to complete their academic assignments within a given timeframe. In addition, an assessment is made of the applicant’s academic development, based on a comparison of the academic outputs. The academic work is assessed in terms of critical and analytic abilities, independence, and creativity.
• Research plan. The applicant must give a brief account of their suggested research topic. The account should include research questions and a sketch of how the research is to be completed. The plan is assessed with regards to its relevance, originality, and feasibility within the allotted timeframe (i.e. a period corresponding to four years’ full-time study).
• The availability of supervisors.
• Ability to collaborate. The applicant´s ability to collaborate is assessed on the basis of e.g. references, letters of recommendations, or interviews.  

Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University.

About the employment

We offer a fixed-term employment as a doctoral student according to Chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). The period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for four years. As a doctoral student, you should primarily devote yourself to your own doctoral education, but the employment may include work with education, research and administration to a limited extent (maximum 20 %).

A new employment as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, the employment is then renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact

For more information, please contact the director of studies for doctoral education in the history of religions, prof. Egil Asprem, phone: +46 72 00 11 091, egil.asprem@rel.su.se.

Application

Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. Attach a personal letter and CV as well as the attachments requested in the application form.

The project proposal/research proposal should be max 2 000 words. The proposal should specify the research question(s), state of research, theoretical grounding, material, methods, and delimitations, as well as present a timeframe for the planned work. The proposal will function as a proof of concept, and is not binding. If you are admitted, it will be the basis for further discussions with your appointed supervisors of the direction of the dissertation.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.