Admission of a doctoral student whose employer is the University of Gothenburg requires a funded doctoral place to be established and announced.
The project supervisors assess which of the applicants are considered to have the ability required to benefit from the study programme. The assessment shall attach particular importance to documented qualifications for:
- specific knowledge and skills within the subject area and related research fields
- experience of scientific theory and relevant research methodology
- scientific analysis and presentation verified through thesis, degree project, scientific journals or the like.
The principal supervisor, together with other supervisors, may call applicants for interviews. The assessment of which applicants considered to have the ability required to benefit from the study programme is sent to the education officer at the Sahlgrenska Academy's Office who then reviews these applicants for general and specific entry requirements.

The supervisors can jointly assess the applicants and recommend the applicant best qualified to be admitted as a doctoral student. In accordance with the University of Gothenburg’s admissions regulations , a student representative shall be given the opportunity to participate in the selection of applicants. Prioritisation and ranking of applicants shall be carried out in accordance with the selection criteria set out in the general study plan, and the reasons for the ranking must be stated. The ranking, motivation and proposal as to which of the applicants should be recommended for admission to doctoral education is sent to Sahlgrenska Academy Office.

Together with the recommended doctoral student and the doctoral examiner (director of studies), the principal supervisor then creates an individual study plan (ISP), including schedule and funding plan, in the university-wide ISP system. Authorisation and user details for the system are allocated by the institute’s administrator after the Academy Office has notified that the candidate may proceed in the process. The individual study plan is approved and a decision on admission is taken by the head of institute via the ISP system.
Sahlgrenska Academy Office registers the decision of admission in the Ladok student registry. The doctoral student, principal supervisor and the institute’s coordinator of doctoral studies are notified of the admission decision. The Office also notifies other applicants that the doctoral place has been filled. Admission decisions are final and there is no appeals process.

Admission of a doctoral student with an employer other than the University of Gothenburg requires an established doctoral place with funding. The employer shall approve the funding plan and confirm that time has been set aside within the ordinary duties for the student to work on a thesis and participate in courses at doctoral level, and other components of the study programme.
Doctoral students shall be able to devote themselves to their doctoral programme and otherwise fulfil the requirements specified in the individual study plan for at least 50% of the full-time position. A maximum of three months a year may be integrated in clinical duties.
Sahlgrenska Academy Office reviews the applicant’s general and specific eligibility and checks that the supervisor team meets the requirements set out in the Academy’s regulations. Where appropriate, the Office shall request supplementary documents.

Sahlgrenska Academy Office shall notify the principal supervisor of the decision to establish a doctoral place. Authorisation and user details for the ISP system are allocated by the institute’s administrator after the Office has reviewed the applicant’s general and specific eligibility. Together with the recommended doctoral student and the doctoral examiner (director of studies), the principal supervisor then creates an individual study plan (ISP), including schedule and funding plan, in the university-wide ISP system. The individual study plan is approved and a decision on admission is taken by the head of institute via the ISP system.
Sahlgrenska Academy Office documents admission decisions in the Ladok student registry. The doctoral student, supervisor(s) and the institute’s coordinator of doctoral studies are notified of the admission decision. Admission decisions are final and there is no appeals process.

In order to be able to admit a PhD student aimed at a double degree , the prospective main supervisor first contacts the education officer at the Sahlgrenska Academy's office, who provides the policy on a double degree, a checklist and the contract template. In these documents there is detailed information on how to proceed before admission to doctoral education aimed at a double degree.

In short, an established doctoral project is needed, a clarification of which of the higher education institutions is to be referred to as a home university as well as documentation that shows that the partner university has sufficient quality, scope and stability and that the research in the research group where the doctoral student is admitted is of a high international standard.

If the University of Gothenburg is to be the employer, the position must be advertised on the university's website for vacant positions. At least one year of the doctoral studies must be spent at each partner institution and the time periods are determined in the individual study plan.

Eligibility for PhD studies

According to the Higher Education ordinance the requirement for admission to third-cycle studies are that the applicant is considered to have the ability required to benefit from the course or study programme and meets the general and specific entry requirements that the higher education institution may have laid down .

General entry requirements

You fulfil the general entry requirements by

• Having completed a degree at a second-cycle level, or
• having completed at least 240 credits worth of studies of which at least 60 credits must be at a second-cycle level, or
• having acquired equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

Specific entry requirements

The specific entry requirements are stated in the general study syllabus for each research subject. Every subject share the specific requirements regarding English 6 (English course B) which you can fulfil by:

• Having the course from the Swedish education system (high school or equivalent adult studies)
• An IELTS or TOEFL test that meets with the requirements (For IELTS an overall mark of 6.5 and no section below 5.5 For TOEFL or English 6: Score of 20 (scale 0-30) in written test, total score of 90)
   

For assessment issues and questions regarding equivalence to the Swedish education system you can contact a postgraduate programme officer at the Sahlgrenska Academy Office

Specific entry requirements Basic Medicine

If you are applying to a third-cycle position within the Basic Medicine research subject there are additional specific entry requirements regarding knowledge in medicine.

Documentation

When applying to a doctoral position that is advertised the applicant attaches proof that they meet with the requirements before deadline day. If applying to a position that is not advertised the applicant submits the documentation along with the application to establish a doctoral project

International studies corresponding to a masters degree

If the applicant does not have a Swedish masters degree or Engelska 6 there are a number of ways to make sure an international degree is corresponding to the requirements.

In most cases a international masters degree is equal to a Swedish masters degree but in order to investigate the right documentation needs to be submitted. The Swedish Council for Higher Education has a website that describes what to submit and it covers most countries. It is found at universityadmissions.se

Specific entry requirement - English

If you do not have the Swedish secondary school education your previous education can be assessed to see if you meet with the required English proficiency. Or a test result can be submitted.
IELTS or TOEFL test

IELTS academic test an overall mark of 6.5 and no section below 5.5.

Internetbased TOEFL test Score of 20 (scale 0-30) in written test, total score of 90.

For more information see universityadmissions.se
Previous international secondary school or university studies

Several countries have courses in secondary school corresponding to Engelska 6.

You can also fulfill the requirement if youhave 60 ECTS credits (or the equivalent) with English as the language of instruction from an EU/EEA country, Switzerland, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, or English speaking parts of Canada.

More information is available at universityadmissions.se

Application

You apply through the job application portal and in the application you need to include:

• A personal letter
• CV (Curriculum Vitae) including references
• Documentation that verifies your general and special eligibility (for special eligibility please include upper secondary school grade or corresponding grades, IELTS/TOEFL tests or similar documents)
  

Late applications will not be considered.

If additional documents are required it is possible to send after the final application date.

Questions regarding the project

If you have questions concerning specific to the project you should contact the project supervisor – contact information is available in each project description.

Application process

When the final application date has passed for an announced position the applications are checked by the proposed supervisors and the Faculty office.

The project supervisors assess which of the applicants are considered to have the ability required to benefit from the study programme and the Faculty office check to see if they meet with the entry requirements.

The selection process may then include interviews or other methods as the supervisor sees fit.  It may take up to a month after the deadline before you are contacted. Most positions are filled within 6 months but it may in some cases take longer.

Questions regarding applying and entry requirements

If you have questions concerning the application or requirements, please contact us.

Selection among applicants that meet the general and specific entry requirements shall be made with consideration to their ability to benefit from the studies. These are formalized in the general study syllabus.

The selection criteria that are applied in the selection process are:

• The applicant's documented knowledge of the subject that is pertinent to the area of research.
• The applicant's documented knowledge of scientific theory and methodology.
• The applicant's analytical skills, verified through scientific reports, essays, degree projects or other such work.

The Faculty office checks that applicants meet with the entry requirments. The main supervisor, together with the other supervisors, may call applicants to an interview. The supervisors assess the applicants’ qualifications and propose the applicant most competent to be admitted as a doctoral student. Prioritisation follows the selection criteria contained in the general study plan. The reasons for the ranking must be stated.

The selection of applicants for third-cycle studies is to be prepared in such a way that enables participation by a representative appointed by the students.

For more information regarding the selection process see the admissions regulations for third-cycle education that can be found among the University's policies, rules and plans website

Guide to recruitment

To assist in recruiting doctoral students the council for PhD studies have put together a guide, only available in Swedish at this time

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