New students are accepted to the Ph.D-program once a year in August. Application forms, which can be obtained here, should be submitted no later than August 1.

The decision to accept an applicant depends on several factors: the applicant's formal qualifications (she or he must have read some economic history on the undergraduate level), the applicant's academic quality, the possibility to finance the Ph.D.-studies for all four years and the possibility to find tutors/supervisors at our department. The applicant should indicate his or her research field, in order for the department to be able to judge whether it can provide appropriate supervision. If not, the applicant is directed to apply at one of the other four departments of economic history in Sweden, one where he or she can get the best supervision. As well as transcripts, the applicant should submit essays or papers written for advanced undergraduate courses, as these form an important basis for assessing the applicant's academic quality. Applications are evaluated by the department's graduate supervisors. The decision to admit an applicant is made by the chairman of the department.

One other factor is the question of language. It is desirable that the applicant has a working knowledge of Swedish, because the required courses and seminars are mainly held in Swedish.

The four-year Ph.D-program consists of course work comprising 90 points and a Ph.D thesis comprising 150 points, which is defended publicly. The courses, which are given in a two-year cycle, emphasize training in theory and method.

After two years of study, it is recommended that the doctoral candidate present a licentiate thesis (60 points) that consists of part of her or his doctoral thesis. To qualify for a licentiate degree, the candidate must also have done 60 points of course work.

For more detailed information (in Swedish) regarding the doctoral program and degree requirements, click here.

About half of the approximately 20 doctoral candidates now at the department have doctoral studentships financed by university appropriations. The other candidates are funded by research councils and other organisations. Such outside funding can take the form of studentships or stipends. The source of financing must be established at the time of admission to the doctoral program.

For more general information in English regarding doctoral studies in Sweden, click here.

The Director of Graduate Studies is Research Fellow Göran Salmonsson
email: Goran.Salmonsson@ekhist.uu.se
Tel: +46 18 471 12 20