Doctoral studies – third cycle programmes

Admission to doctoral studies takes place once or twice a year. The spring semester application deadline is April 15, and the autumn semester deadline is October 15.

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

Vacant PhD positions

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

General requirements

• 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

Specific requirements for Computer and Systems Sciences

• courses on advanced level in computer and systems sciences with a minimum of 60 credit points or equivalent. A degree project (thesis) of at least 15 credit points is also required and
• good command of the English language, spoken as well as written

Specific requirements for Information Society

• 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. This includes knowledge about the area’s technical as well as human-oriented scientific requisites. A degree project (thesis) of at least 15 credit points is also required and
• good command of the English language, spoken as well as written.

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

There are two principal funding alternatives:

1. 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. A 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.
2. 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. It certifies that the applicant will be financed during the PhD studies, that the employer covers all the costs for the PhD studies and that the applicant will be allowed to devote at least 50% of their 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.

Submitted applications are assessed, selected and ranked by an Admission committee appointed by the Head of 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 include:

• Problem formulation and rigor in previous scientific work and in the research plan.
• Previously shown ability to keep the specified time limits.
• Methodological and scientific maturity.
• Communication and cooperation skills.
• Subject specific knowledge relevant to education.

Based on this assessment, a ranked selection of applicants is recommended by the Admission committee to the Department Board 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.

As a PhD student at DSV, there are many courses you can study. Some of them are compulsory.

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, 3 hp
Bridging Science and Societal Needs, 4,5 hp (within the Openlab collaboration – open to other departments and universities)
Data Mining (DAMI), 7,5 hp
Data Science: theory and practice, 7,5 hp
Internet of Things – Models and Applications, 7,5 hp