项目介绍

2025年3月5日

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

The Department of Law is part of the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg. The Department of Law conducts exciting interdisciplinary research and education in the subject of law. The Department has expanded greatly over the last few years and it is steadily growing with new researchers and lecturers joining the staff. Today, there are more than 100 employees, approximately 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students and some 20 doctoral students. More information about the department is at https://www.gu.se/en/school-business-economics-law/law.

The Department of Law invites applications for on to to two doctoral positions in law. The successful candidates will be admitted to the LLD programme in one of the department’s doctoral subjects: juriceprudence, public law, civil law, criminal law, international law, law of procedure, and tax law.

This advertisement applies to both doctoral student position and admission to the LLD programme. Only those admitted to the doctoral programme can be employed as doctoral students. Applicants who reach the level required for admission to the doctoral programme but who are not offered a place in the doctoral programme in competition may still be admitted to the doctoral programme if other acceptable funding can be arranged before 31 December 2026.

Duties   

Doctoral studies comprise four years of full-time studies, and lead to a doctoral degree.    

As part of your employment as a doctoral student, you may have departmental duties corresponding to up to 20 % of full-time employment, distributed throughout your study period, and result in a corresponding extension of the studies. Departmental duties usually consist of teaching at first- and second-cycle levels, but may also include research and administration.  

The LLD programme is 240 higher education credits – i.e. four years full-time. With 20% departmental duties, the total duration of the doctoral programme is five years. The main part of the programme consists of writing a thesis (doctoral dissertation), equivalent to 177 credits. In addition, doctoral courses of 63 credits must be completed. The employment period is initially one year, with the possibility of extension.

Preliminary start of the doctoral studies is in August 2025.

Eligibility   

Doctoral education requires general eligibility and, where appropriate, specific eligibility as set out in the general syllabus for the subject.  

The general eligibility requirements for doctoral studies are:    

1. having completed a degree at second-cycle level, or
2. the fulfilment of course requirements totalling at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits must be at second-cycle level, or  
3. the acquisition of equivalent knowledge in some other way, either in Sweden or abroad. 

An applicant meets the specific eligibility requirements if he or she has been awarded a Swedish juristexamen or corresponding degrees, i.e., an LLB degree (min. 3 years full time studies, 180 ECTS credits) and an LLM degree, or otherwise has acquired the same level of knowledge and skills. When assessing whether the qualifications are sufficient, particular consideration shall be given to the requirements to successfully carry out the doctoral studies within a specific legal subject area.
Applicants must have sufficient knowledge of Swedish or English.
Applicants must have completed the requisite degrees (LLB and LLM) or must have passed all courses required for such degrees on the 22 April 2025, at the latest.  

Assessment criteria   

In accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 5, Section 5, selection among the qualified applicants will be primarily based on the assessment of the applicant’s ability to complete the doctoral programme. During the selection process, an overall assessment of the applicant’s qualifications, the qualities of the planned project and the Department’s ability to provide necessary support is carried out.

The following aspects will be considered when the project outline is assessed: the applicant’s knowledge of previous and current research within the field, the scholarly basis of the research questions, the adequacy of indicated methods and the feasibility of the project within the framework of four years of full-time doctoral studies.

Among shortlisted candidates, priority may be given to applicants in the doctoral subjects currently underrepresented. If two or more applicants have equal qualifications, gender equality and other diversity considerations will be taken into account. Very good knowledge of Swedish both in speech and writing is an advantage.

Admission to postgraduate studies is decided by the Head of Department upon recommendation from the Department’s Doctoral Recruitment Committee.

Researchers at the Department of Law endeavour to communicate research in clear and understandable Swedish. Furthermore, research results should also be communicated in clear and understandable English.

The Department of Law plans to contact candidates placed in the shortlist during May. Interviews will take place.

Admission and employment   

Once you have been admitted to doctoral studies, you will be employed as a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg.   

The provisions for employment as a doctoral student can be found in ordinance SFS 1993:100.    

Initial employment as a doctoral student may apply for a maximum of one year, and may be renewed by a maximum of two years at a time.  

A doctoral student may be employed as a doctoral student for a maximum of eight years, but the total period of employment may not be longer than the equivalent of full-time education at doctoral level for four years.   

The University applies a local agreement on salaries for doctoral students.

Please note, doctoral studies at the Department of Law require physical presence to conduct the studies. If the admitted applicant needs a residence permit for higher education to pursue studies in Sweden, the department has the right to revoke the admission decision if the applicant cannot present a valid residence permit no later than at the start of the studies.

Application procedure

In order to apply for a position at the University of Gothenburg, you have to register an account in our online recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the closing date, 22 April 2025. The selection of candidates is made on the basis of the qualifications registered in the application. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

The application must be submitted electronically in the online recruitment system no later than 22 April 2025. The application must include:
1. A CV of no more than one page
2. A project outline of no more than five pages, excluding References
3. Application for admission to doctoral studies on the designated form, available at the website
4. Certified copies of the LL.B. and LL.M. degrees including Diploma supplement providing information about the programme’s
length, content, passed courses and grades
5. Proof of sufficient knowledge of English or Swedish
6. A writing sample, e.g., a master or bachelor thesis or another text authored by the applicant

All degrees, diploma supplements and certificates must be certified and translated by an authorised translator into Swedish or English.

Project outline

The project outline shall set out the research question, theory, methodology, and sources of relevance for the project.
The project outline should contain the following headings:
1. Aim, background, and literature review
2. Research problem/research question
3. Methodology
4. Originality and relevance of the project
5. Implementation of the proposed project
6. Reference list (please use the Oxford or the Harvard system format for in-text citations and the reference list)

Contact information 

Erik Lidman, Deputy Head of Department

Christine Forssell, Research Coordinator

Ellen Verde, Doctoral Student, Doctoral Representative

Unions 

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here:   
https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/jobba-hos-oss/hjalp-for-sokande   

Application   

You can apply to be admitted to doctoral education via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal.   

It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per this notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline.   

Applications must be received by: 22 April 2025

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.