Doctoral studentship in Social Work

Description

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is accepting applications for a doctoral studentship leading to a PhD in Social Work at the Department of Social and Psychological Studies. Social Work offers studies at the undergraduate, Master’s and doctoral levels. The subject includes a bachelor’s programme in social work with approximately 350 students, and we are 30 members of staff working with education and research in the subject. Social Work is part of a multidisciplinary department that also includes Sociology, Psychology and Gender Studies. Social Work at Karlstad University conducts research at the individual, group and community level.

Within the subject of Social Work, research is undertaken at the individual, group, and societal levels. The purpose is to contribute knowledge about the causes, consequences, and ways of addressing social problems, as well as methods and perspectives for the development of social work practice.  Social work research at Karlstad University is characterised by a strong focus on practice-oriented relevance, co-creative knowledge processes and critical perspectives. Central research themes include:

• Young people’s life circumstances, particularly in relation to upbringing, school environment, exposure to violence, mental health, criminal environments, and the child welfare services 
• User perspectives and participation, with a focus on social psychiatry and support for people with autism and ADHD
• Conditions for social work practice, for example, in elderly care and in relation to migrants, as well as conditions for knowledge-based and coordinated efforts within social services and related services

You can learn more about the discipline and our research here: https://www.kau.se/en/social-work

We value applicants with an interest in the social work research conducted at Karlstad University.

Duties

As a doctoral student, you will primarily dedicate time to your own studies. The doctoral studentship is a paid position that offers a combination of studies and work, comprising 240 credits for a Degree of Doctor. Doctoral students are expected to work independently and be prepared to contribute to the activities and development of the discipline and the department. Teaching and administrative duties may also be included upon agreement, but will not constitute more than 20% of full-time. Work as a doctoral student allows for great freedom and flexibility in terms of how you structure your day. It takes commitment, discipline and a structured approach in order to successfully complete a doctoral thesis. Experienced supervisors offer guidance and support along the way. To contribute to a positive work environment and further the department’s activities, we expect you to be a present and active part of the day-to-day operations and workplace community.

Qualification requirements

To be eligible for a doctoral studentship, applicants must meet the general and specific entry requirements (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 35).

To meet the general entry requirements, applicants must have been awarded a second-cycle qualification, satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 39).

To meet the specific entry requirements, the applicant must have completed courses comprising at least 120 credits in social work or an adjacent subject, of which at least 30 credits are at master’s level, and including an independent project (degree project) for at least 15 credits. An applicant can also be eligible after having acquired equivalent knowledge in some other way, in the country or abroad. 

Admission and assessment criteria

To be eligible for doctoral studies, the applicant must be considered to have the ability required to benefit from the programme (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 35). Admission is based on individual assessment.

The assessment criteria are divided as follows: of considerable weight, of weight, and valuable qualifications.

Considerable weight will be given to

• The quality of independent projects of a research nature.
• The academic quality of the attached research plan and its relevance to social work.  
• Strong ability to independently prioritise tasks, structure and carry out work assignments in an efficient manner
• A good command of English, both in speech and writing
• Proficiency in Swedish to facilitate participation in doctoral courses in social work, which are primarily instructed in Swedish, as well as to enhance access to empirical material for the doctoral thesis

Weight will be given to:

• Degree of Bachelor of Science in Social Work
• Personal qualities such as the ability to cooperate, taking responsibility and showing commitment
• The extent to which the applicant intends to be physically present and active in the research environment

Valuable qualifications

• Experience in activities related to research or development work
• Professional experience relevant to social work

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 covers four years of full-time study, but depending on the scope of departmental duties, the position may be extended to some extent. The position is fixed-term – one year initially, followed by possible extensions by a maximum of two years at a time. Start date by agreement.

The salary for the doctoral studentship corresponds to the standard level of salary for doctoral students and progresses in accordance with a local collective agreement.

Additional information

We aim for equal age and gender distribution and value ethnic and cultural diversity.

Application

Submit the application via the University’s web-based recruitment tool, Varbi.

Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete application in accordance with the advertisement, for providing translations of any documents written in a language other than Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or English, and for ensuring that the documentation allows for objective and qualitative assessments. A complete application should be submitted by the application deadline. An incomplete application may jeopardise a fair assessment of qualifications.

The application should include:

• a cover letter where the applicant details the reasons behind their interest in the position
• a list of qualifications (CV)
• degree certificate with a complete transcript of the courses included, or a certified list of completed courses with grades and dates
• a copy of Master’s thesis (60 or 120 credits), or equivalent
• where applicable, copies of publications or certificates for other qualifications
• a brief research plan, no more than 3,000 words, in which the intended thesis project is described, specifying the problem statement, overall aim, possible theoretical perspectives, methods and material
• two references, such as a teacher, supervisor, or former or current manager

Attach all the documents and publications you wish to be considered to the electronic application (do not provide links only). Name each uploaded document to clearly indicate its content.

Documents that cannot be submitted electronically should be sent to the following address: Karlstads universitet
HR-administratör
651 88 KARLSTAD
SWEDEN

Application deadline: 16 February 2026
State the reference number: REK 2025/223 

Applicants with qualifications from abroad

If you have qualifications from a university outside Sweden or if they have not been recognised by a Swedish authority before, it is important that you attach degree certificates and official transcripts to facilitate the recognition of foreign qualifications.

Provide a contact for the degree-awarding institution (phone number or email) who can verify your qualifications.

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.

This translation carries no legal weight.

https://kau.varbi.com/se/what:job/jobID:876073/