PhD student in History, with focus on Urban history

The Department of History at Stockholm University is one of the larger departments within the Faculty of Humanities with about 70 employees. The Department has about 15 active PhD students. There are several different fields of research within the Department. Urban history is a strong research area, and the department is home to the Institute for Urban History.
More information about us, please visit: the Department of History.

Subject area

The Department invites applications for up to two PhD student positions in history within the research project Urban Welfare 1840–1920: The Rise of the Welfare City. The project is funded by the Olle Engkvist Foundation and consists of two doctoral projects with a given theme. The final design of the doctoral projects will be formulated independently by the successful candidate, based on their interests. Previous work within the theme is not a requirement. Read more about the research project at: Urban Welfare 1840–1920: The Rise of the Welfare City.

Theme A: The first doctoral project should address the interaction between philanthropic organizations and local politicians. Volunteers and non-profit actors have long played a central role in welfare areas such as poverty relief, education, childcare, recreation, and housing construction. 

Theme B: The second doctoral project should address the emergence and development of public housing policy from the 1890s onwards. Municipal housing construction drove new strategies for, among other things, the planning and development of public spaces in cities in the Nordic region.

Both PhD projects should have a comparative perspective and compare different cities in Sweden or the Nordic region. They are also expected to relate to the overall theme of Urban Welfare 1840–1920.

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 the general syllabus for doctoral studies in the field of history. In order to meet the specific entry requirements, the general syllabus for doctoral studies in the field stipulates that applicants must have received a passing grade on second-cycle courses worth at least 30 credits, including a degree project worth at least 15 credits.

Teaching in the PhD program is given in Swedish and English. Some compulsory courses are given only in Swedish. Stockholm University offers Swedish language courses for international employees.

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:

• Assessment of the depth and breadth of the applicant’s previous education.
• Academic production. On the basis of the applicant’s degree projects from the second cycle and, where applicable, other written scholarly production, the applicant’s capacity to benefit from the training is assessed according to the following criteria: critical ability; analytical skills; creativity; independence. The assessment will also consider the time aspect, i.e. to what extent the applicant has demonstrated the ability to complete previous academic projects within specified time limits. In addition, based on a comparison of the academic works, an assessment is made of the applicant’s academic development.
• Research proposal. In the application, the applicant shall briefly describe their intended research work within the framework of the specified theme (theme A or B). The account should be approximately 4 pages long and contain one or more research problems and an outline of the implementation of the research. The research proposal will be assessed on the basis of: relevance; originality; potential for completion within the specified time limits (i.e. a period equivalent to four years of full-time study).
• Ability to collaborate. The applicant’s interpersonal skills are assessed on the basis of references, certificates, interviews, etc.

The local admission regulations at the Department of History are available at (pdf, in Swedish): Get a PhD in History.

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, Professor Karin Sennefelt, phone: +46 8 16 33 14, karin.sennefelt@historia.su.se.

Further information about the position can be obtained from the Head of Department, Professor Anna Götlind, phone: +46 8 16 36 73, anna.gotlind@historia.su.se.

For more information about the research project Urban Welfare 1840–1920, please contact the project leader, Professor Magnus Linnarsson, magnus.linnarsson@historia.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. 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.