Compulsory courses for all doctoral students

Research Methodology I, 10 hp
Research Methodology II, 7,5 hp
Academic Writing and Presentation, 7,5 hp
Ethics in Computer and Systems Sciences Research, 5 hp
Introduction to teaching For PhD students with teaching duties.

Supplementary course for doctoral students within the Information Society programme

Supplementary Course in Computer and Systems Sciences, 7,5 hp

Other courses (examples)

Academic Integrity: ensure originality of academic works and avoid, 3 hp
Bridging Science and Societal Needs 4,5 hp Central PhD course under the Openlab collaboration - open to other departments and universities.
Data Mining (DAMI), 7,5 hp
Data Science: theory and practice7,5 hp
Internet of Things - Models and Applications 7,5 hp

The criteria for entry to the two programmes include both general and specific requirements.

The general requirements are:

• been awarded a university degree at advanced level (a Master’s degree), or
• fulfilled the demands of coursework for at least 240 credit points of which 60 credit points are on advanced level, or
• the equivalent

The specific requirements for Computer and Systems Sciences are:

• courses on advanced level in computer and systems sciences with a minimum of 90 credit points or equivalent, of which a minimum of 15 credit points must be a thesis and
• good command of the English language, spoken as well as written.

The specific requirements for Information Society are:

• courses on advanced level with a minimum of 60 credit points in subjects relevant for Information Society, such as computer and systems sciences, humanities, behavioural sciences, medical sciences or communication science including also knowledge about the area’s technical as well as human-oriented scientific requisites. Of these 60 credit points a minimum of 15 credit points must be a thesis and
• good command of the English language, spoken as well as written.

Admission to doctoral studies takes place one to two times per year. The spring semester application deadline is April 15 and the autumn semester is October 15.

Vacant PhD positions are announced one month before the application deadline on the university's and department websites. Detailed instructions for application can be found in each announcement. Applications are submitted online via Stockhom University's recruiting system.

Vacant PhD positions

Submitted applications are assessed, selected and ranked by an Admission committee appointed by the Head of the Department. Study merits of each applicant are considered, as well as their maturity and ability to perform independent research work of good quality. Study merits in terms of courses on advanced level or by individual projects are strongly qualifying.

Selection criteria includes:

• independence in analysis and disposition in previous work, 
• problem formulation and stringency in prior work and in research plan,
• previously demonstrated ability to keep time frames,
• methodological and scientific maturity,
• ability to communicate and collaborate.

Based on this assessment, a ranked selection of applicants is recommended by the Admission committee to the Board of the Department which makes the final decision of admission and appoints a main supervisor and an associated supervisor for the candidate.

Neither the decision of admission to doctoral studies or to hire someone as a doctoral student can be appealed.
 

Funding of doctoral studies must be clarified prior to applying for admission, since students admitted to the PhD programme are required to be fully funded throughout the whole programme of four years. 

Two principal funding alternatives exist:

• Doctoral position as a PhD student employed by the department
  
  Duration of the PhD studies is four years. The student is usually employed for one year at the time. The contract is renewed after an assessment of the progress of the studies. The salary follows the Union agreement and depends on the level of credits achieved. Doctoral position may be combined with departmental duties, such as teaching, to maximum of 20% of full time. Then the total study time is extended to five years.
   
• External funding when the employer of the applicant is funding the PhD studies
  
  External funding requires an agreement between the Department and the applicant's employer, certifying that the applicant will be financed during the PhD studies and that the employer covers all the costs for the PhD studies and that the applicant will be allowed to devote at least 50% of her/his working time for doctoral studies. Externally funded candidates are admitted to the programme by the Faculty Board (in the Faculty of Social Sciences) after a request submitted by the Department.