Doctoral student in Media and Communication Studies - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Geography, Media and Communication is accepting applications for a doctoral studentship in Media and Communication Studies. The department comprises Media and Communication Studies, Human Geography, Geography, and Tourism Studies. Several of the department’s researchers are internationally recognised as leaders in their respective fields, we regularly publish in highly-ranked international journals, and we have a thriving application culture. In recent years, we have secured funding from the Swedish Research Council, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ), the foundation Anderstiftelsen, and Forte, to name a few. Our visitors often remark on our excellent work climate, inspirational research environment, and world-class fika.

Background

Media and Communication Studies is part of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and boasts an educational and research environment with strong appeal. The department offers bachelor-level studies within several programmes as well as master-level programmes. Transnational contacts and global perspectives are fundamental in our work. Bachelor studies are primarily conducted in our two major study programmes - Public Relations and Media and Communication. The latter features two tracks - Visual Communication and Design and Digital Media and Analysis. The department is also home to a newly-inaugurated international master programme called Geomedia Studies: Media, Mobility and Spatial Planning.

Research in Media and Communication Studies is conducted in two profiled research groups at the department:

• Geomedia (https://www.kau.se/en/geomedia) where focus is on the importance of media in organising and giving meaning to spaces and places — and vice versa — with an emphasis on tourism, everyday life, and popular culture; and
• NODE (The Ander Centre for Research on News and Opinion in the Digital Era, https://www.kau.se/media/node) with a focus on the social function, practice, and audience of journalism in the age of digitisation and fragmentation.

Find more information about the University at https://www.kau.se/en/ and more information about the subject at https://www.kau.se/en/media-and-communication-studies.

We are looking for another doctoral student in Media and Communication Studies.

Description

The doctoral programme comprises 240 ECTS credits, including the doctoral thesis. The doctoral studentship may include certain departmental duties, such as teaching, when this aligns with the department’s conditions and needs. The doctoral student is expected to be actively involved in day-to-day operations at the subject and department.

Why choose Media and Communication Studies at Karlstad University?

Our ambition to keep moving forward is evident in everything we do, and your ideas and commitment will be embraced. Our renowned education and research are characterised by close ties to the larger community, and our successful research environment has a significant international impact. We are characterised by internationalisation, and you will interact with colleagues, students, and visitors from all over the world. We systematically work to further development that is socially, financially, and environmentally sustainable. A position at Karlstad University comes with several benefits, such as an elaborate wellness scheme. Find out more about the benefits we offer here: Benefits If you are looking for an exciting and young academic environment with forward motion, Karlstad University is the place for you!

Qualification requirements and assessment criteria

The requirements for admission to third-cycle courses and study programmes are that the applicant meets the general and specific entry requirements, and is considered in other respects to have the ability required to benefit from the course or study programme.

To meet the general entry requirements, the applicant must have been awarded a master level qualification; satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were at master level; or acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

To meet the specific entry requirements, the applicant must have completed courses comprising at least 90 ECTS credits in Media and Communication Studies or Journalism corresponding to the introductory, continuation, and specialisation level. An applicant can also be eligible after having acquired equivalent knowledge in some other way, in the country or abroad.

The selection will be based on the applicant’s previous study results with an emphasis on the quality of independent written work of a scholarly and investigatory nature, particularly at a master level. Considerable weight will also be given to the applicant’s research specialisation, its alignment with the overarching research profiles of NODE/Geomedia, and the extent to which the applicant intends to be a physically present and active member of the research environment. Additionally, considerable weight will be given to the applicant’s ability for independent work as well as team work, and capacity for initiative.

Admission

Admission is based on individual assessment of the applicant’s capacity to complete a programme at the doctoral level successfully. The successful applicant will start in early 2022. The position is based in Karlstad.

Terms

Upon admission to doctoral studies, the person will be offered the appointment of doctoral student (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 5, Sect. 3). The position comprises four years of full-time studies, or five years at a study rate of 80% with 20% teaching or other departmental duties. The position is fixed-term — one year initially, followed by possible extensions by a maximum of two years at a time. A prerequisite is that the necessary decisions are made. Start date 1 January 2022 at the earliest, or as negotiated.  The salary for the doctoral studentship corresponds to the standard level of salary for doctoral students at Karlstad University.

Application

Submit the application via the University’s web-based recruitment tool, Varbi. The application should include:

• CV/list of qualifications (complete with attested copies of transcripts, certificates, and similar)
• Copies of Bachelor’s or Master’s (60 or 120 ECTS credits ) essays that the candidate wishes to refer to
• Where applicable, other academic texts such as articles or volumes/chapters that demonstrate the applicant’s ability to benefit from doctoral studies
• A brief cover letter (1,000 words) describing the applicant’s background, interest in the position, and approach to doctoral studies
• A text (2,000 words) where the applicant describes their doctoral thesis idea and align with one, or both, of the research profiles of the research profiles Geomedia/NODE We particularly encourage thesis ideas that feature a critical perspective (which includes topics such as gender, social class, ethnicity, sexuality, or nationality) and align with both research profiles.
• Two letters of recommendation and contact details for two references.

Attach all the documents and publications you wish to be considered to the electronic application. Do not just provide links. More information about our application requirements and recruitment process is available here: https://www.kau.se/en/work-us/work/vacancies

Any documents that cannot be submitted electronically, such as books or publications, should be sent in triplicate to:
Karlstads universitet
Registrator
651 88 KARLSTAD
State the ref. no: REK2021/146

Application deadline: 31 August 2021

We look forward to your application!

Karlstad University has chosen advertising channels for this recruitment and firmly declines any contact with advertising or recruitment agencies.