Phd student in Media and Communication studies - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

The Faculty of Arts at Umeå University develops the Humanities and invests in future Areas of Excellence. The Faculty particularly advances research within Digital Humanities and Global Challenges.

The Department of Culture and Media Studies invites applications for the doctoral training program in Media and Communication studies.

The Department of Culture and Media Studies is part of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Umeå University and has around 60 employees. The unique combination of disciplines makes it a creative milieu for scientific collaoration and interaction between cultural studies, cultural heritage studies, literature studies, media studies, digital humanities and journalism studies. The department has a broad array of education, doctoral studies and international acknowledged research. A lot of the research projects are within global challenges and digital humanities, the two priviliged research fields at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, see here.

The Department of Culture and Media Studies invites applications for a position in the doctoral training programme in Media and Communication studies. Media and Communication studies is an interdisciplinary field centred around studies of mediated communication of all kinds, from traditional mass media to digital and social media. Research related to journalism and journalistic practices is also part of the field. Our communication forms and practices are undergoing radical changes, not least due to the fast and far-reaching transformation of the media landscape today and the ongoing digitalization of society and culture. It is therefore important to understand and critically review, from a range of perspectives, the impact of these changing forms of mediated communication and their consequences for individuals, groups and societies. 

A group of about 20 researchers, lecturers and PhD-students work in this field at the Department and their research covers areas such as strategic communication, media history, digital media, media representation, media didactics and science and environmental communication. Digitalization and the increased convergence between journalism and PR are particularly relevant fields of study in this context. We have popular undergraduate programmes in strategic communication and are recruiting a new professor in this area in order to strengthen this particular research profile. We would therefore especially welcome applicants with a profile and research interest in strategic communication.

Qualifications

General requirements
To be admitted to studies at the third-cycle level, the applicant must meet both general and specific eligibility requirements. General requirements: a Master’s or equivalent degree in a relevant field, having completed course requirements worth at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits must be at second-cycle level, or in some other way – either in Sweden or abroad – having acquired equivalent knowledge.

Specific requirements
In order to meet the specific eligibility requirements for admission to studies in media and communication studies at third cycle level, the applicant must have completed at least 30 credits in media and communication studies at second-cycle level – or the equivalent in other subjects or areas of relevance for this position. Good knowledge in the English language is also a requirement.

See General Syllabus plan here.

Assessment criteria

Applicants are ranked with reference to their capacity to benefit from and complete the program. The assessment is based primarily on prior study results, with particular consideration given to essays, and the quality of the research plan and its relevance for the subject area. The assessment is also based on references and interviews, and possibly additional evaluations of the main candidates.

Terms of employment

PhD students will mainly devote themselves to their own education at third-cycle level. Employment as a PhD student will be for the time deemed necessary for the completion of research studies at a normal rate of study, which corresponds to a full-time position for four years. An initial contract of 12 months is extended with up to two years at a time provided that the individual study plan is followed. A PhD student may to a limited extent also work with teaching and administration up to a maximum of 20 percent of full-time. The period of employment may thus be extended up to a maximum of five years. The entry level salary is 26 500 SEK and rises in three steps to 31 000 SEK.

Additional information

PhD students are affiliated with the Faculty of Arts Doctoral College, coordinated with the PhD training program at the relevant department. The PhD studies begin at the start of the autumn semester, 3 September 2018. The place of work is Umeå University. The PhD students are expected to actively contribute to the research environment.

According to The Higher Education Ordinance, chapter 12 §2, a decision of appointment for a PhD student position may not be appealed.

Application

An application should contain:

• A transcript from the Ladok student registry, and/or equivalent attested copies of your academic transcripts proving that general and specific requirements are met
• Curriculum vitae, including name and contact information of two reference persons
• Copies of relevant BA and MA theses and other relevant publications
• Research plan – must not exceed 30 000 characters including spaces – that contains: purpose and research problem, previous research, implementation: that is, method, material and theory, relevance and time plan
• A letter that states your motivation for undertaking research training leading to a PhD, and that specifies what expertise at the Department is needed for carrying out your research. Indicate if you intend to align your project with the profile area The Digital Humanities and/or Global Challenges.

Your application must be registered in Umeå University’s e-recruitment system no later than 9 March 2018.

We look forward to receiving your application!