Umeå University, Faculty of Arts

Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 37,000 students and about 4,700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.

The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is key. We also take pride in delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. In fact, the future is made here.

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The Faculty of Arts at Umeå University develops the Humanities and invests in future Areas of Excellence.

The Department of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies invites applications for the doctoral training program in History and Education, alternatively in Educational Work.

The Department of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies http://www.idesam.umu.se/english/?languageId=1 conducts teaching and research in Archaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Philosophy, History, History and Education, History of Science and Ideas, Religious Studies and Theology.

History and Education includes research and postgraduate education in both educational history and history didactics. The research group cooperates with other groups in educational history as well as history didactics, both in Sweden and abroad, and the group frequently hosts visiting scholars from various countries. The research group recurrently arranges larger and smaller conferences and runs the peer reviewed e-journal Nordic Journal of Educational History. Locally the group collaborates closely with Umeå School of Education and UmSOD, the Umeå Research Group in Social Science Didactics.

The current call for applications concerns educational history. The accepted PhD candidates will be affiliated with the national postgraduate school PEDASK, “Schooling in perspective: A graduate school in applied history of education”. This means that the PhD students will conduct research on the history of education and teaching which is linked to highly topical questions in present-day educational politics. Read more about the postgraduate school at https://appliedhistoryofeducation.school.blog/.

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 History and Education at third-cycle level, the applicant must have completed at least 30 credits in History at second-cycle level, with an independent project worth at least 15 credits or hold a teacher’s degree in History with an independent project in a relevant area worth at least 15 credits at second-cycle level. Students, who have acquired equivalent knowledge in some other way, either within Sweden or abroad, may be admitted for third-cycle studies after assessment.

Alternatively, a PhD candidate can be admitted to the doctoral training program in Educational Work. To fulfil the specific entry requirements to be admitted for studies at third-cycle level in Educational Work, the applicant is required to meet the general entry requirements, to have completed a teaching or preschool teaching degree, and to have been professionally active within education for at least two years. The degree is to contain a completed degree project. Students who in some other system either within Sweden or abroad have acquired largely equivalent skills, i.e. professional experience relevant to the subject area may, following assessment, be admitted for third-cycle studies.

The ranking of eligible applicants will primarily be based on the relevance and quality of their research plans as well as previous essays.

See general study plans in History and Education as well as Educational Work: https://www.umu.se/globalassets/organisation/fakulteter/humfak/humanistik-fakultet/studieplaner-forskarskolan-eng/studieplanfoutbhistutb20160211eng.pdf and https://www.umu.se/globalassets/organisation/fakulteter/humfak/humanistik-fakultet/studieplaner-forskarskolan-eng/pedarb-eng.pdf .

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.

The degree must be completed at the latest at the end of the application period.

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 27 900 SEK and rises in three steps to 32 300 SEK.

Additional information

PhD students are mandatorily affiliated with the national postgraduate school PEDASK (see https://appliedhistoryofeducation.school.blog/) . The studies within the national postgraduate school are coordinated with the PhD training program at the Department of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies. The PhD studies begin on 17 August 2020. 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

The application must contain:

  • A transcript from the Ladok student registry, a degree certificate, 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.

Your application must be registered in Umeå University’s e-recruitment system no later than 2 March 2020.

Please note: the Swedish version is the official version of this advertisement. In the case of any differences in information between this and the official version, it is the official version that is the legally correct version of the advertisement for these PhD positions.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Type of employment Temporary position
Contract type Full time
First day of employment 2020-08-17
Salary Monthly salary
Number of positions 2
Full-time equivalent 100%
City Umeå
County Västerbottens län
Country Sweden
Reference number AN 2.2.1-1971-19
Contact
  • Daniel Lindmark, Professor and Head of Subject, +46 90-786 62 50, daniel.lindmark@umu.se
  • Anna Larsson, Professor, +46 90-786 54 24, anna.larsson@umu.se
  • Peter Lindström, Director of Doctoral Studies , +46 90-786 62 31, peter.lindstrom@umu.se
  • Jonas Nilsson, Head of Department, +46 90-786 99 90, jonas.nilsson@umu.se
Union representative
  • SACO, 090-786 53 65
  • SEKO, 090-786 52 96
  • ST, 090-786 54 31
Published 07.Feb.2020
Last application date 02.Mar.2020 11:59 PM CET

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