Doctoral Studies

The research interests in Literary studies spans a wide range of areas, from the forms and conditions of older literature to the conditions of literature in the contemporary period, for example in relation to digital media and the reading public.

Over the years, the department has developed strong teaching and research traditions in, among other things, theatre studies and the history of early literature. At the same time, there has been a continuous broadening and deepening of competence, and research areas today include gender studies, popular fiction, children's and youth literature, literary didactics, life writing, eco-criticism, transmedial studies, literary reception and the use of both older and modern literatures.

Many researchers explore both Nordic and international literature, as well as transcultural perspectives. The researchers participate actively in discussion of the development of literary studies and interdisciplinary areas such as digital humanities, medical humanities and environmental humanities.

A doctoral (PhD) student is expected to conduct research and to contribute to the development of knowledge within the discipline. Expectations of a doctoral student include the capacity to develop independent ideas and communicate research results in oral and written form.

The aim of the doctoral position is for the doctoral student to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to be able to conduct research autonomously within Literature and to contribute to the development of knowledge within the discipline through the production of a scholarly thesis. Another aim is for the doctoral student to develop an ability to apply the acquired knowledge and skills within post-degree research or other qualified professional work.

Research in History of Ideas and Science at Gothenburg University covers wide areas, stretching from the history of politics, philosophy and aesthetics, to that of science, technology and medicine.

Themes studied concern, amongst other things, postcolonialism, European identity, environmentalism and ecocriticism, gender issues, the transformation of modernity, conditions of critical thinking and the materialities of knowledge. We also pursue research on hermeneutics, conceptual history and historiography.

There is a certain emphasis on contemporary topics; however, the Early Modern period is also a focus of study. Geographically speaking most research is done on European material, but some faculty work on global topics.

A doctoral (PhD) student is expected to conduct research and to contribute to the development of knowledge within the discipline. Expectations of a doctoral student include the capacity to develop independent ideas and communicate research results in oral and written form.

The aim of the doctoral position is for the doctoral student to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to be able to conduct research autonomously within History of Ideas and Science and to contribute to the development of knowledge within the discipline through the production of a scholarly thesis. Another aim is for the doctoral student to develop an ability to apply the acquired knowledge and skills within post-degree research or other qualified professional work.

The postgraduate education in Religious Studies aims to understand and critically reflect on the function and place of religion in historical and contemporary contexts.

At the University of Gothenburg, research is conducted in all areas of Religious Studies; that is, in History of Religions, Sociology and Psychology of Religion, History of Christianity, Biblical Studies, Systematic Theology, Theological Ethics, and Philosophy of Religion.

Religious Studies provides insights into historical processes, religious encounters and conflicts, and analysis and interpretation of texts and ideas. These skills are increasingly relevant to the multireligious and multicultural society of our times.

A doctoral (PhD) student is expected to conduct research and to contribute to the development of knowledge within the discipline. Expectations of a doctoral student include the capacity to develop independent ideas and communicate research results in oral and written form.

The aim of the doctoral position is for the doctoral student to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to be able to conduct research autonomously within Religion and to contribute to the development of knowledge within the discipline through the production of a scholarly thesis. Another aim is for the doctoral student to develop an ability to apply the acquired knowledge and skills within post-degree research or other qualified professional work.

Literature

Litteraturundervisningens funktion i skolämnet svenska som andraspråk

Skolflickans framfart: Utbildning och vetenskapande i svenskspråkiga flickskildringar 1870-1970

I postmigrationens väv-om bristens betydelse i svensk-dansk samtidslyrik 2006-2020

Pre-Service Literature Teachers' Teaching-Oriented Form of Readings of Potentially Controversial Texts: Concerns, Positionings and Tensions

Lämpliga läsare: Läsningens värde och litterär lämplighet i svensk biblioteksdiskurs under 1900-talet

Det gränsöverskridande skrivandet. Korsandet av nationella, språkliga och könsliga gränser hos kvinnliga svenska författaröversättare under 1900-talet

Mellan kropp och kön: Trans som litterärt motiv i postmodernitetens svenska skönlitteratur

Olfaktoriska läsningar

History of Ideas

Demokratisk fostran. Visioner och motsägelser (CUL-doktorand)

Skisser av marin natur – En undersökning av hur svenska zoologer skildrar havets organismer i den tidiga marina forskningen

Contested Nature. An Historical Analysis of Natural Worlds in the English Seventeenth-Century Witchcraft Debate

The SED´s handling of German colonial heritage in its policies towards non-aligned Asian and African countries

Förändra den totala situationen i samhället! Upplevelsesanning och terapeutisk reformism i Pockettidningen R 1970-1992

Tankar i rörelse. Natur och materialitet i Ellen Keys reseanteckningar (1873–1909)

Religion and theology

Muslim Youth's Views on Legal Theory Through A Study of Islamic Family Law: Sweden and Belgium

Gymnasielärares förhållningssätt till undervisning om sexualitet, samtycke och relationer i religionskunskap

The Construction of Gender and Sexuality within German Occultism, 1926-1964

The Gratuity of Being: Kenoticism in the Thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar

Justin Martyr and the Competition for the Nativity Narrative

Masculinity in Egyptian Ramadan TV-series: Reception, consumption and discourses among Arabic Speaking Swedish Muslims

The Third Way:  A Theological Critique Beyond the Active-Passive Binary

Mariabilder i evangelisk predikan

When can I apply for a doctoral position at your department?

You can only apply when the department advertises a doctoral position. Information about current vacancies is published on our website.

Can I submit updates to my application or additional documents after the deadline?

No. Only the documents uploaded with your original application will be considered.

Is this a suitable doctoral research project?

Admission to doctoral studies requires that the applicant is able to demonstrate the potential to complete a doctoral programme successfully. It is therefore important that your project fits within the department's research profile and that you familiarise yourself with our research areas. We understand that applicants may have general questions, but we cannot comment on the details of individual project proposals.

Am I eligible for doctoral studies in this subject?

The eligibility requirements are described in the admission regulations (see the general syllabus). If your qualifications are not formally documented there, you are responsible for demonstrating how they correspond to the stated requirements. Eligibility is assessed as part of the recruitment process. Unfortunately, we cannot provide advance assessments of eligibility.

Can I contact a prospective supervisor before applying?

We do not appoint supervisors until after admission decisions have been made. Our supervisors and doctoral studies coordinators are happy to answer general questions about doctoral education but do not provide guidance on individual applications before submission.

Can I have a supervisor from another university or institution?

Your principal supervisor must be employed by the department, while co-supervisors may come from other departments or institutions. External co-supervisors are appointed only where there are specific academic reasons and by agreement with the department.

Can I finance my doctoral studies myself?

No. A doctoral student cannot be admitted without secured funding. However, it is possible to be admitted with external funding, for example through employment with another organisation (an industrial or collaborative doctoral studentship). Such positions are also advertised in connection with doctoral vacancies.

Do doctoral candidates need to be based at the department?

Yes. Doctoral candidates are expected to participate actively in the department's research environment throughout the majority of their period of study.

Can I submit a thesis for examination without being admitted as a doctoral student?

No. It is not possible to have a doctoral thesis examined without being admitted to a doctoral programme.