PhD student in Political Science

The Department of Political Science is a dynamic and strong education and research department at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Stockholm University. The Department aims to be nationally leading and internationally prominent within its field.

The department now announces a vacant position in the doctoral programme with a general orientation in Political Science. The position is fully funded for four years and is based at the Department of Political Science. 

More information about us, please visit: The Department of Political Science.

Subject area

The aim of the doctoral programme is to give the student specialised knowledge within the field of political science, a thorough training in research methods, -and a good understanding of the problems occurring in research and in the practical application of results. The programme is designed to help the student become a critical and independent researcher with the ability to plan and produce scientific projects. There are two main blocks in the programme: course work (60 credits) and work in connection to the Ph.D. dissertation (180 credits). For further information about the structure of the programme, please see the department’s website.

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 Political Science and specify that the applicant must have:

• completed higher education equivalent to 150 Swedish university credits, including studies at the advanced level (master’s level) of at least 60 Swedish university credits in the political science subject, or the equivalent education
• a completed written academic, independent work with a least the grade ’pass’, equivalent to at least 15 Swedish university credits in political science
• completed additional 90 Swedish university credits, or the equivalent, of higher education in subjects relevant to the graduate programme, and
• proficiency in English corresponding to at least 550 credits on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Understanding Swedish is not a requirement at the time of admission. The applicant should, however, be prepared within a couple of years to carry out teaching and administrative tasks that require knowledge and usage of the Swedish language.

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:

• The quality of previous written works (e.g., theses, articles, and reports):
  • Empirical substance
  • Independence in structure and analysis
  • Clear research design, i.e., clear research problem, clear research questions, well justified delimitations, explicit relations to theory, and methodological awareness.
• Expectation that the thesis project will be completed within the intended time frame:
  • Previously demonstrated ability to complete tasks within specified time limits
  • Problem definition and cogency in the research plan.

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.

During the first 6 to 12 months, the admitted PhD student will normally be funded by a tax-free scholarship at the same level as the entry level wage for PhD students. After that period of time, we provide taxable scholarships.

Planned entry date is August 31, 2026.

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

Contact

For more information, please contact the application administrator, antagning.forskarutbildning@statsvet.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.