3-4 doctoral studentship positions (PhD students) in Political Science
The Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, is one of the leading Political Science departments in the Nordic countries. The vibrant department houses several large research institutes. It houses the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute, the Quality of Government (QoG) Institute, the Media, Opinion, and Democracy project (MOD), and the National Election Studies. The department is also a key actor in the SOM Institute. It has 130 employees, out of which more than 70 are faculty and researchers, and it hosts about 1,400 students. The department offers education on all levels; graduate and postgraduate levels as well as courses. Education is provided for in English and Swedish.
More information about the department is available on our website.The Department of Political Science is currently looking for qualified and motivated individuals for up to four doctoral studentship positions ( PhD students) in Political Science.
Job Assignments
A doctoral (PhD) student is expected to conduct research and to contribute to the development of knowledge within the discipline. Expectations towards a doctoral student include the capacity to develop independent ideas and communicate research results in oral and written form.
The aim of the doctoral (PhD) studentship is for the doctoral (PhD) student to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to be able to conduct research autonomously within Political Science and to contribute to the development of knowledge within the discipline through the production of a scholarly thesis. Another aim is for the doctoral (PhD) student to develop an ability to later apply the acquired knowledge and skills within post-degree research or other qualified professional work.
The position is limited to four years in duration and is carried out on a full-time basis unless there are acceptable reasons to the contrary (minimum 50%). The position may include departmental duties, such as teaching, corresponding to up to 20% of a full-time post over the course of study. If such tasks are carried out, the duration of the appointment will be extended accordingly.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the position, the applicant must meet both general and specific entry requirements.
An applicant meets the general entry requirements for third-cycle (PhD) studies if he/she has obtained (Higher Education Ordinance Ch.7, Sec.39):
- a degree at the second-cycle level (MA level, or equivalent),
- at least 240 higher education (university) credits, of which at least 60 must be at the second-cycle level, or
- largely equivalent knowledge acquired in other ways in Sweden or abroad.
In Sweden, 240 university credits equal four years of successfully completed full-time studies.
According to the Higher Education Ordinance Ch.7, Sec.40, an applicant meets the specific entry requirements for third-cycle (PhD) studies if he/she has obtained at least 60 higher education credits (one year of full-time studies) in Political Science or has equivalent qualifications.
Applicants who have acquired largely equivalent knowledge in Sweden or abroad will also be considered to meet the specific entry requirements.
Finally, although not a formal requirement, we encourage successful applicants to acquire sufficient competency in the Swedish language to be able to actively participate in seminars and other activities at the Department, within a two-year period.
Assessment of applicants
According to the Higher Education Ordinance Ch.7, applicants will be assessed based on their estimated ability to benefit from the study programmes and on the Department’s supervisory resources. We will base this assessment primarily on the following:
- Relevant work, which will be assessed in terms of ability to formulate, delimit and analyse research tasks and present research results.
- A draft of the intended research project stating the applicant’s research interest(s) and planned focus area of his/her doctoral thesis. In addition, the project draft must demonstrate familiarity with previous and current research as well as an ability to formulate scientific problems. Maximum 2500 words (approx.. 6 pages).
- Academic transcripts.
- Previous merits.
- The selection process may include interviews
- Applicants may be asked to provide letters of recommendation
Admission to doctoral (PhD) studies may also be granted within a framework where the University of Gothenburg does not serve as employer (external position, so-called samverkansdoktorand). The assessment process for these applicants is the same as for other applicants. A special agreement will be developed in these cases.
The Head of Department is in charge of all admission decisions at doctoral level (PhD). The final admission decision will be announced during April. Decisions cannot be appealed.
Application procedure
Please register your application electronically under ‘Apply online’. In order for the application to be considered complete it must include:
1) An introductory letter of 1000 words maximum (approx. 2 pages), preferably shorter. The letter should consist of four paragraphs in the following order: a) a short presentation of yourself. b) a short presentation of your merits, c) a short presentation of the intended research project and d) a short account for why the Department of Political Science and/or the doctoral studies programme is of interest to you.
2) CV including a list of publications (if applicable).
3) One writing sample. Normally, this would be a master’s thesis, but it could also be a revised version of the thesis, or another paper, article or book chapter for example, or equivalent work. The texts must be submitted in Swedish or English. Any translated versions must be accompanied by the original text and translated in their entirety.
4) A description of the intended research project indicating the applicant’s research interests and planned focus area of his/her thesis and research. The project description must demonstrate familiarity with previous and current research as well as an ability to formulate scientific problems. 2500 words maximum (approx. 6 pages) including abstract, excluding bibliography. Further directions for the description can be found on our website.
5) Verified copies of academic transcripts and evidence of other relevant qualifications, if applicable.
6) Applicants may be asked to provide recommendation letters later on in the process. If so, we will contact you during week 10-11 and ask you to provide two recommendation letters. Please get in touch with two persons who may write a recommendation letter for you and ask them to prepare for submitting the letters following the instructions on our website during the above-mentioned weeks. Please do not submit any recommendation letters before we contact you and explicitly ask you to.
It is for the applicant to make sure that the application is complete. No changes/additions are allowed after the last date of application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
All electronic documents must be submitted in PDF format.
Closing date 2019-02-05
Employment
Type of employment: 4 years
Extent: 100% (full-time)
Location: Department of Political Science, Gothenburg
First Day of Employment: 2019-09-01
Regulations for employment of doctoral students are given in SFS 1998:80. Only those who are admitted to third-cycle studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. Those appointed to doctoral studentships shall primarily devote themselves to their studies. They may, however, work to a limited extent with educational tasks, research and administration according to the regulations.
The initial appointment may apply for no longer than one year. An appointment may be renewed for no more than two years at a time. The total employment period may not exceed the time corresponding to full-time third-cycle studies for four years.
Salaries for doctoral students are regulated in a local agreement at the University.
In addition to the general doctoral studentship (PhD) positions, the Department of Political Science also offers one doctoral studentship position (PhD student) in Political Science associated with the research project "Governance of Collective Action: The Case of Antibiotic Policy in the European Union".
In order to apply for a position at the University of Gothenburg, you have to register an account in our recruitment system. 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 selection of candidates is made on the basis of the qualifications registered in the application.
Register an account
In order to start writing your application, you need to register an account in our recruitment system. Click on "Sign In" or "Sign Up" above the list of vacancies and follow the instructions. With an account, you will have an overview of your applications and can reuse previously registered information.
Sign in
Click on the "Apply" button in the job advertisement. Sign in with your e-mail address and password. You will have to fill in an application form, answer questions, and attach appendices. In case you have forgotten your password, click on "Forgot Password" next to "Sign In". A new password will be sent to your e-mail address.
Answer questions and attach documents
Signing in will take you to the application form for the position you are applying for. The title of the position is stated at the top. Each question and request for a document will contain instructions regarding what should be included in the application. Make sure to answer the obligatory questions and attach the obligatory documents, all of which are marked with an asterisk (*).
Work on your application in stages
At any time during the application period, you can save your application and continue later by clicking on "Save and continue later".
Register/submit your application
Before you can submit your application you have to accept that your personal data will be recorded and processed for recruitment; then click on the "Register" button. If you forgot to fill in a required field, it will be marked with the text ”Obligatory information”. Fill in the missing information and click on "Register".
Submitted application and confirmation
You can edit your application until the deadline, then it is locked and cannot be edited.
When your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notice at the top of the page: “Thank you for your application”, as well as a confirmation to your e-mail address.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://www.gu.se/english/about_the_university/job-opportunities/vacancies-details/?id=3510