PhD studies in Sociology

Uppsala University is a comprehensive research-intensive university with a strong international standing. Our ultimate goal is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to make a long-term difference in society. Our most important assets are all the individuals whose curiosity and dedication make Uppsala University one of Sweden’s most exciting workplaces. Uppsala University has over 45,000 students, more than 7,000 employees and a turnover of around SEK 7 billion.

Uppsala University welcomes applications for doctoral student positions in sociology based at the Department of Sociology. The Department seeks to appoint up to four candidates with excellent academic merits who can demonstrate their potential for research in any area of sociology. One further candidate will be appointed with an emphasis on housing and/or urban research and will be employed by the Institute for Housing and Urban Research (IBF) (www.ibf.uu.se). This candidate will follow the doctoral program of the Department of Sociology and will conduct his or her doctoral research in collaboration with supervisors at both the IBF and the Department of Sociology. Applicants interested in the doctoral position at the IBF must explicitly indicate it.

In addition to the dissertation work, the doctoral education program includes also both obligatory and elective courses. For further information on the PhD program see:
https://www.soc.uu.se/education/doctoral-program/doctoral-studies/

The Department of Sociology offers opportunities for developing research as part of the established research groups: https://www.soc.uu.se/research/research-groups/

Requirements: To be admitted to the Ph.D. program basic as well as specific qualifications are required. To meet the basic qualifications applicants must have a degree at an advanced level, or to demonstrate some equivalent and equal form of knowledge. The specific qualification requires an applicant to have at least 90 credits in sociology or equivalent in order to be considered eligible (or to demonstrate equivalent and equal knowledge).

The position of doctoral candidate is demanding in scholarly terms and the Department of Sociology wishes to appoint candidates who can thrive in and contribute to the Department’s research environment. The terms and conditions of employment for doctoral researchers at Department of Sociology are internationally highly competitive in order to secure the appointment of candidates with excellent academic merits. To be accepted, the applicant must be deemed to have the capacity to finish the doctoral program.

An evaluation of the applicant’s capacity to successfully finish the program is of crucial importance for the admission. The evaluation is primarily based on the academic record as documented in the texts and the research plan submitted by the applicant. Personal qualities that are desirable in a doctoral candidate include good communication and time management skills, flexibility and ability to work in harmony with co-workers. An excellent command of written and spoken English are requirements for all the PhD positions. The availability of suitable supervision within the applicant’s research area will also be considered in the admission.

The application must include:

1. Application form http://uadm.uu.se/digitalAssets/81/81624_ansokan_forskarniva_eng.pdf
2. An attested copy of relevant degree(s);
3. Research plan (see below);
4. Copies of texts that illustrate the candidate’s scholarly abilities (theses, articles etc.);
5. A covering letter that explains the candidate’s motivation for the application;
6. The names of two referees who we can approach regarding the candidate’s academic and personal abilities.

Research plan: A short research plan of about 2000 words (excluding references) describing the sociological topic of the proposed doctoral thesis should be included in the application. The plan should briefly review previous research, formulate a research problem and aim, and present the potential theoretical perspectives and methodological approach to be adopted. The applicants will be ranked based on the quality of the research plan and the materials that they submit with their applications. The research plan is used not only to test applicants’ capacity to structure a research project (in relation to sociological theory and existing research as well as decide on appropriate methods to answer the research questions that the plan poses), but also to get an idea of the applicant’s research interest.

For more information about the research plan, see the document:

https://soc.uu.se/digitalAssets/499/c_499166-l_1-k_appendix-2b-research-proposal-guidelines.pdf

Individual interviews with the highest ranked applicants may be used as well. Therefore, the candidates should be available for interview, either in person or via Skype, on Wednesday March 30th 2022.

Employment Conditions: Successful candidates will be awarded employment as doctoral candidates for a full period of four years. The employment starts 2022-09-01 or as otherwise agreed, and is placed in Uppsala. The scope of the employment is 100% and salary will be paid according with the guidelines of Uppsala University.

The employed doctoral students must primarily devote their time to their own dissertation research. Other departmental duties may also be included in the position, such as, teaching or administrative tasks, but at no more than 20%. The duration of employment will be extended for a period corresponding to the time spent on departmental duties.

Contact the following for further information:

Director of Doctoral Studies, Associate Professor Reza Azarian studierektorsoc-fu@soc.uu.se or the Head of the Department, Professor Hannah Bradby, prefekt-soc@uu.se. For the position in housing and urban sociology at the IBF, contact Professor Miguel A. Martínez, miguel.martinez@ibf.uu.se.

You are welcome to submit your application no later than 15 February 2022, UFV-PA 2021/3446.

Are you considering moving to Sweden to work at Uppsala University? If so, you will find a lot of information about working and living in Sweden at www.uu.se/joinus. You are also welcome to contact International Faculty and Staff Services at ifss@uadm.uu.se.

Please do not send offers of recruitment or advertising services.

Submit your application through Uppsala University’s recruitment system.

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