Research areas and subjects
The Swedish Defence University has degree-awarding powers to issue doctoral degrees in the field of defence, crisis management, and security. So far, two graduate programmes have been established in War Studies and Political Science with a specialisation in Crisis Management and Security Studies.
The area
The Swedish Defence University conducts doctoral studies in the area of Defence, crisis management, and security. Within this area, research is conducted into conditions and factors that affect the possibilities of preventing and managing crises, conflicts and wars as well as establishing security. Furthermore, the area comprises broader societal and ethical aspects on defence, crisis management and security, as well as critical perspectives on established knowledge claims and practice.
The area makes up a scientific whole, where the separate parts complement and strengthen each other. It cuts across a number of related themes: from military tactic, operations and technological use, to military strategy that, in turn, is closely connected to foreign and security policy. The area includes both the military dimension as well as societal crisis management, international law and civil-military collaboration.
Subjects
It is our ambition that, over time, more research subjects will be established within the existing degree programmes.
Doctoral programmes
The Swedish Defence University's doctoral programmes were established in 2008 to drive the academic knowledge development and strengthen the research basis in the Officers' programme. Since its inception, around thirty doctoral students have participated in the programme. In addition to the university's own graduate subjects, there are doctoral students in two additional subjects: Leadership and Command & Control and Systems Science for Defence and Security. The doctoral students are then employed by the SEDU but through agreements enrolled at other institutions: University of Skövde, Jönköping University and the Finnish National Defence University in Helsinki, Finland.
Doctoral students admitted to other institutions
Even outside the doctoral programme, there are doctoral students who have been admitted to other universities, but have had their daily activities placed at the Swedish Defence University. These doctoral students have mainly been affiliated with Political Science. In the future they will be able to be accepted at the Swedish Defence University.