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Applying for doctoral studies
The Swedish Defence University admits doctoral students once a year and then after an announcement.
The calls are always advertised on the Swedish Defence University's external website just over two months before the application deadline, which usually falls at the beginning of the autumn semester. The Swedish Defence University does not process applications received outside the call period.
The announcement of doctoral places and admission is governed by the Swedish Defence University's Admission Regulations.
The admission regulations for doctoral education are based on the Higher Education Ordinance and describe, among other things, the requirements for advertising, rules for admission to doctoral studies and define general and specific entry requirements. Furthermore, the selection and admission procedure as well as decisions on admission are described.
Local rules for admission to doctoral education describe the Swedish Defence University's application rules for the elements included in the admission regulations, including what an application must contain and the procedure for processing applications.
Qualification
The requirements for applying for doctoral studies at the Swedish Defence University include general and specific entry requirements. This means, among other things, that the applicant must have completed a second-cycle degree, written an approved independent project (degree project) in a relevant subject and also present a draft research plan. The requirements are specified in the general syllabus for each third-cycle subject.
For some positions on the doctoral programme in War Studies, professional experience as an officer is an advantage.
Each third-cycle subject has a General syllabus that builds on the Swedish Defence University's Admission Regulations. It describes, at subject level, the objectives of the education, what should be included in a doctoral degree described as knowledge and understanding, skills and abilities, as well as judgement and approach. Eligibility and entry requirements are also specified here, as well as the subject's rules regarding announcements, admissions, assessment criteria and selection criteria.
The general syllabus also governs the subject's management of individual study plans, supervision and other resources, courses and examinations, and other compulsory components. Finally, the doctoral thesis and dissertation are also described. Currently they are only available in Swedish.
- General syllabus for third-cycle studies in War Studies
Pdf, 154.8 kB. (applies from 2020-12-08) - General syllabus for doctoral studies in Political Science with specialisation in Crisis Management and Security Pdf, 205.9 kB. (applies from 10/05/2023) (only in Swedish)
- General syllabus for doctoral studies in Military History Pdf, 229.6 kB. (applies from 2023-10-04) (only in Swedish)
- General Syllabus in Leadership and Command & Control Pdf, 222.5 kB. (applies from 2024-02-21) (only in Swedish)
The announcement of places on the doctoral programme includes being admitted but also getting a fixed-term position at the Swedish Defence University during the four years it takes to complete doctoral studies. This is because a prerequisite for being admitted to doctoral studies in Sweden is that there is funding.
It may also happen that the employer of doctoral students is responsible for salary costs during the period of study. This is then regulated in an agreement between the Swedish Defence University and the employer and is called collaborative doctoral students.
At the Swedish Defence University, there are no scholarships to apply for for doctoral studies and there are no opportunities to complete the education by studying at a distance.