Entry requirements and admission to PhD studies
In order to be admitted to PhD studies (third-cycle study courses and programmes) at the University of Skövde, you must (among other things) fulfil the entry requirements that apply to the subject, be employed by the University of Skövde or be funded by a salary from another employer, and be adjudged to have the ability to complete the education. Admission to PhD studies is regulated in the University’s admission regulations.
Regarding admission and entry requirements (general and specific), read more in the general syllabus for each subject:
General syllabus for third-cycle studies in Informatics
General syllabus for third-cycle studies in Health Sciences (in Swedish)
Applications are to be made using form 5:1.
Forms of employment for doctoral students
To become a doctoral student, you must both be admitted to the PhD studies and have an employment that funds your studies. Employment and admission take place in parallel.
At the University of Skövde, this occurs in three models:
Employment and admission at the University of Skövde
- Employment as a doctoral student or lecturer
Employment at the University of Skövde, admission at another university
- Employment as a doctoral student or lecturer
Employment with another employer, admission at the University of Skövde
- E.g. externally employed doctoral student ('industrial doctoral student')
Funding
Employment
PhD studies at the University of Skövde are, as a rule, funded via employment as a doctoral student. This is a fixed-term form of employment that applies until the doctoral degree has been completed, with a maximum employment period of 5 years. Studies can be conducted on a part-time basis (e.g. in parallel with another employed position) but they must be able to be completed within 8 years for a doctoral degree, or within 4 years for a licentiate degree. This means that a student will not be admitted if their level of activity is below 50%. According to Sweden’s Higher Education Ordinance (Chap. 5, Section 7), the initial employment may be for a maximum of 1 year. The employment may subsequently renewed by no more than 2 years at a time.
Within the framework of the employed position, the doctoral student may participate in tuition and perform other work for the school for up to 20% of the role.
The study time may only be extended if there are special justifications for this – for example, as a result of leave due to illness or parental leave, the performance of military service, or the performance of positions of trust in trade union or student organisations.
To find out more about being employed as a doctoral student, please see the employment regulations at the University of Skövde.
The salary for doctoral student employees follows a salary index, which means that it is not subject to any individual salary negotiations. For more information about the salary index for doctoral students, please see the Staff Portal.
Lecturers are also able to conduct their own PhD studies within the framework of their skills-development time.
At the University of Skövde, there are no stipends or study grants that can be applied for.
Externally employed doctoral students
PhD students who are admitted at the University and are employed within business or the public sector have their PhD studies financed by their employer. These are sometimes referred to as externally employed doctoral students ('industrial doctoral students').