Lund University, The Department of Political Science

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 47 000 students and more than 8 800 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset.

Duties
The PhD programme in political science consists of 240 credits (equivalent to four years of full-time studies) and is concluded with the public defence of a doctoral thesis. The appointed doctoral students will receive a salary from the University during four years, and their primary obligation is to complete their PhD studies. The position may involve departmental duties, mainly in the form of teaching, up to 20 per cent of full time working hours, in which case the appointment will be extended by the equivalent number of hours. The doctoral student will have access to a work space at the Department of Political Science. The terms of employment for doctoral students are regulated in the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance (HF), Chapter 5, Sections 1– 7. 

The doctoral student shall be present and actively participate in the research and teaching environment at the department. The main language of the PhD programme is English. However, non-Swedish speaking students are expected to acquire basic skills in Swedish during the period of employment. There are opportunities to participate in language courses taught at the University. The doctoral position will commence on 1 September 2023. The general syllabus and other information about the PhD programme in political science is available at: http://www.svet.lu.se/en/education/phd-studies

Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.

Qualifications
The requirements for admission to third cycle courses and study programmes (in accordance with HF, Chapter 7, Section 35) are that the applicant
• meets the general and specific entry requirements that the higher education institution may have laid down, and
• is considered in other respects to have the ability required to benefit from the course or study programme (Swedish Code of Statutes 2010:1064).

A person meets the general entry requirements for third cycle courses and study programmes if the person:
• has been awarded a second cycle qualification,
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

Specific entry requirements
In addition to the general entry requirements, the applicant must have completed at least 30 second cycle credits of coursework within the main field of political science, or acquired the equivalent knowledge, i.e. coursework with an orientation towards politics in another discipline deemed equivalent, in Sweden or abroad. Moreover, the applicant must have completed a Master’s degree thesis of at least 15 credits in political science or other discipline deemed equivalent.

Assessment criteria
Only applicants who are eligible for third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Admission is primarily to be based on the applicant’s ability to benefit from the third cycle programme. The applicants will be ranked based on an overall assessment of the quality of their submitted thesis/theses and research plan, grades from previous studies, and their personal suitability. As third cycle studies in political science are very demanding, the applicant must be highly motivated and able to work independently under time constraints. Good collaboration and communication skills are also required, as is proficiency in both written and spoken English. Interviews will be conducted with a shortlisted number of applicants during the final stages of the admission process.

Application procedure
Applications are to be submitted electronically via the Lund University application portal. The application must include:
• A cover letter in Swedish or English of max 1 000 words, which contains a brief presentation of yourself and your qualifications, as well as a brief explanation of why you are interested in third cycle studies at the Department of Political Science at Lund University.
• A CV in Swedish or English that demonstrated your qualifications for the third cycle programme in Political Science.
• Degree and grade certificates in Swedish or English.
• Master’s degree thesis in Swedish or English corresponding to at least 15 credits in political science or other discipline deemed equivalent (in addition to the Master’s degree thesis, a Bachelor’s degree thesis can also be submitted).
• A brief research plan in Swedish or English of max 2 000 words including references.
• Name and contact information of two personal references (letters of reference are not required in the first stage of application).
• Other documentation of relevance to the position.

The evaluation of applicants is based on documents submitted by the application deadline. Only complete applications will be considered. It is not possible to add documentation after the deadline. 

Type of employment Temporary position
First day of employment 1 September, 2023
Salary Monthly salary
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100
City Lund
County Skåne län
Country Sweden
Reference number PA2022/3654
Contact
  • Magdalena Bexell, Deputy Head of Department, +46(46)2220166,Magdalena.Bexell@svet.lu.se
  • Fariborz Zelli, Director of PhD studies, +46(46)2224764,Fariborz.zelli@svet.lu.se
Union representative
  • SACO:Saco-s-rådet vid Lunds universitet, kansli@saco-s.lu.se
  • OFR/ST:Fackförbundet ST:s kansli, st@st.lu.se
Published 30.Nov.2022
Last application date 03.Feb.2023 11:59 PM CET

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