PhD student in Political Science, specialization in Public Administration

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 of research and education.

The Department of Political Science announces one vacant position in the doctoral program with a specialization in Public Administration. The position is fully funded for four years and is based at the Department of Political Science. The position is planned to start in April 2026, or later by agreement.

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

Project description

The position is part of the Doctoral School for the Public Sector of the Future (FOFOS), which is embedded within SustainGov – one of five national innovation programmes in a joint initiative by the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and Vinnova aiming to address contemporary and future societal challenges. FOFOS is a transdisciplinary doctoral school that develops new action-oriented knowledge about the development of the public sector, and is carried out in collaboration between six Swedish higher education institutions.

The PhD project will be part of the theme Public Officials and the Future Social Contract. This theme examines how values, value conflicts, and role expectations for public officials are shaped by changing conditions in the relationship between politics and administration, the role of knowledge and expertise, and emerging forms of interaction between the state, market, and civil society.

The PhD project is conducted in collaboration with the Stockholm Centre for Organizational Research (SCORE), which is Stockholm University’s institutional partner in FOFOS. The PhD candidate will also participate in the joint activities of the doctoral school, such as partnership meetings, conferences, courses, and other learning activities. These provide opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange with other PhD students, leading public administration scholars, and key societal actors and stakeholders. 

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, or equivalent
• 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).

Applicants must have good proficiency in Swedish, as the PhD candidate will be expected to collect and analyse empirical material in Swedish as part of the position.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.

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. For research related questions contact Associate Professor Martin Qvist, martin.qvist@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.