Third-cycle courses

Content

The purpose of the course is for the doctoral student to develop in-depth knowledge of qualitative methodologies and methods relevant to their own third-cycle subject.

Host School

School of Health, Care and Welfare

Contact person

Lisa Salmonsson

Study period

2025-10-13--2025-11-18

Enrolment

Deadline 29 September

Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

50%

Number of participants

Maximum 30 participants

Place of study

Hybrid (campus Västerås)

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FHVV028

Readling list

Will be communicated later

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Introduction to Qualitative Research Methodologies and Methods pdf, 225 kB, opens in new window.

Content

The course content and the teaching aims to provide an insight into the role of research communication for research and for society, as well as the role and responsibility of the researcher in a polarized world.

Host School

School of Health, Care and Welfare

Course coordinator

Jonas Stier

Study period

2025-11-17--2025-11-27

Enrolment

Deadline 27 October.

Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

100%

Number of participants

Maximum 20 participants

Place of study and teaching formats: Seminar takes place on site (Västerås campus). Remaining online.

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FHVV021

Reading list

Will be communicated before the course starts.

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Contributing to and influencing society as a researcher pdf, 207 kB.

Content

Based on the doctoral student's thesis work and research communication, the course content and teaching aims to provide in-depth insights into popular science and multimedia research communication as well as to potential collaboration partners both within and outside academia and the challenges associated with this.

Host School

School of Health, Care and Welfare

Course coordinator

Jonas Stier

Course date

2025-11-28--2025-12-08

Enrollment

Deadline 7 November

Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

100%

Number of participants

Maximum 20 participants

Place of study and teaching formats

Seminar takes place on site (Västerås campus). Remaining online.

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FHVV022

Reading list

Will be communicated before the course starts

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Communicating research pdf, 172 kB.

Content

The course aims to provide an in-depth insight into the craft of research communication, both written and oral, and in various genres based on the doctoral student's own research.

Host School

School of Health, Care and Welfare

Course coordinator

Jonas Stier

Course date

2025-12-09--2025-12-19

Enrollment

Deadline 18 November

Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

100%

Number of participants

Maximum 20 participants

Place of study and teaching formats

Seminar takes place on site (Västerås campus). Remaining online.

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FHVV023

Reading list

Will be communicated before the course starts.

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Genres and target groups pdf, 196 kB.

Content

The aim of the course is to increase the participants’ knowledge and understanding of the premises for doing research and being a doctoral student, with consideration for the different third-cycle subjects at Mälardalen university (MDU). The course provides guidance and support to start third-cycle studies at MDU and facilitates the understanding of interdisciplinary perspectives.

This is the first module of three independent modules in this course. This module focuses on University organization, rules and regulations at MDU, supervisor-doctoral student relationship, supervision process, and the ISP.

Host School

School of Innovation, Design and Engineering

Course responsible

Valentina Zaccaria

Study period

2025-09-19 and 2025-10-03 (full days 09:00-16:00)

Location

Campus Västerås. Physical presence required.

Enrollment

Please contact the course responsible via e-mail to: valentina.zaccaria@mdu.se

Number of participants eligible for admission

25 participants

Language of instruction

English

Literature

No literature, homework assignments will be published on the Teams group for the course

Course code

FOID003

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Introduction to third-cycle studies and research literacy I pdf, 508 kB.

Content

The aim of the course is to increase the participants’ knowledge and understanding of the premises for doing research and being a doctoral student, with consideration for the different third-cycle subjects at Mälardalen university (MDU). The course provides guidance and support to start third-cycle studies at MDU and facilitates the understanding of interdisciplinary perspectives.

This is the second module of three independent modules in this course. This module focuses on Research fields, research methods, planning of research, oral presentation of doctoral projects, and introduction to academic writing, research communications, and networking.

Host School

School of Innovation, Design and Engineering

Course responsible

Valentina Zaccaria

Study period

2025-10-17 and 2025-10-31 (full days 09:00-16:00)

Enrollment

Please contact the course responsible via e-mail to: valentina.zaccaria@mdu.se

Number of participants eligible for admission

25 participants

Location

Campus Västerås. Physical presence required

Literature

No literature, homework assignments will be published on the Teams group for the course

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOID004

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Introduction to third-cycle studies and research literacy II pdf, 583 kB.

Content

The aim of the course is to increase the participants’ knowledge and understanding of the premises for doing research and being a doctoral student, with consideration for the different third-cycle subjects at Mälardalen university (MDU). The course provides guidance and support to start third-cycle studies at MDU and facilitates the understanding of interdisciplinary perspectives.

This is the third module of three independent modules in this course. This module focuses on the thesis and defense processes, the publication process, funding opportunities, academic careers, and research commercialization and exploitation.

Host School

School of Innovation, Design and Engineering

Course responsible

Valentina Zaccaria

Study period

2025-11-14 and 2025-11-28 (full days 09:00-16:00)

Location

Campus Västerås. Physical presence required

Enrollment

Please contact the course responsible via e-mail to: valentina.zaccaria@mdu.se

Number of participants eligible for admission

25 participants

Language of instruction

English

Literature

No literature, homework assignments will be published on the Teams group for the course

Course code

FOID005

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Introduction to third-cycle studies and research literacy III pdf, 511 kB.

Content

The aim of the course is for the doctoral student to be able to apply systematic search strategies and practices, and to use reference management software. The aim of the course is also that the doctoral students should gain knowledge about how bibliometrics can be used to gain an overview of previous research and to summarize it by using bibliometric techniques.

Host School

School of Education, Culture and Communication

Course coordinator

Karin Molander Danielsson

Lectures and examination date

All seminars must be attended in person.

17/9 9.15-12.00, Eskilstuna

24/9 9.15-12.00, Västerås

1/10 9.15-12.00 and 13.15-15.00, Västerås

8/10 9.15-12.00 and 13.15-15.00, Västerås

15/10 10.15-12.00 or 13.15-15.00, Eskilstuna (participation either before or after noon).

Examination dates: 15/10 (examining seminar) and 30/10 (due date for written assignment)

Enrollment

Registration opens on May 15th. Please register here External link.

Selection will take place three weeks before the course starts. You will be notified by e-mail when you are accepted. In the meantime, questions about the course can be directed at the teacher responsible for the course.

Course literature

Literature will be available on Canvas at course start.

Number of participants

Maximum 20

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOUK035

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Academic writing I pdf, 169 kB.

Content

This course expands on insights from the course The academic article: Genre and form 2.5 credits, and develops skills needed to present and discuss research and research findings authoritatively in English.

Host School

School of Education, Culture and Communication

Course coordinator

Karin Molander Danielsson

Lectures and examination date

Seminars take place in Västerås. In person presence is required for at least three seminars.

Seminars:

• October 7
• October 14
• October 21
• November 4

Examination date: November 11

Enrollment

Registration opens May 15. Please register here. External link.

Course literature:

Information about the literature for this course will be given in Canvas before course start.

Number of participants

Unlimited

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOUK022

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Academic writing III pdf, 220 kB.

Content

The purpose of this course is to provide the doctoral students with the opportunity to advance their knowledge about the philosophical foundations of research ethics, as well as specific research ethical queries regarding participant-based research, humans and technology, and coproduction.

Host School

School of Education, Culture and Communication

Course coordinator

Lena Johansson Westholm

Lectures and examination date

Seminars:

• 9/9 9.15-15.00 Session 1, Eskilstuna
• 7/10 9.15-15.00 Session 2, Eskilstuna
• 28/10 9.15-15.00 Session 3, Eskilstuna
• 11/11 9.15-15.00 Session 4, Eskilstuna

Examination date: 5/12

Enrollment

Registration open May 15. Please register here. External link.

Course literature

Before the course, you should read the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. It is also available in Swedish, titled Den odödliga Henrietta Lacks.

The rest of the literature will be available on Canvas after registration.

Number of participants

25 (check syllabus for selection criteria)

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOUK019

Course syllabus

Course syllabus_Research Ethics II pdf, 252 kB.

Content

The purpose of the course is for the doctoral student to develop in-depth knowledge of visual methods, with a focus on the collection and analysis of visual materials. The course provides an orientation in processing and understanding multimodal materials, i.e. materials that include both textual and visual elements.

Host School

School of Health, Care and Social Welfare

Course coordinator

Karolina Uggla

Study period

2026-04-13--2026-05-14

Enrollment

Deadline 23 March 2026.

Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

50%

Number of participants

Maximum 20

Study location

Partly on campus in Eskilstuna, partly online.

Language of instruction

English

Reading list

Will be communicated later

Course code

FHVV030

Course syllabus

Course syllabus_Visual methods pdf, 242 kB.

Content

The purpose of the course is for the doctoral student to develop in-depth knowledge of ethnographic methodology in qualitative research with relevance to their own third-cycle subject.

Host School

School of Health, Care and Social Welfare

Course coordinator

Maira Babri

Study period

2026-04-13--2026-05-14

Enrollment

Deadline 23 February. Late registration is possible subject to availability.

Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

50%

Number of participants

Maximum 15 participants

Place of study

Some elements take place on site (campus Västerås) and some digitally

Language of instruction

English

List of literature

Will be communicated later

Course code

FHVV029

Course syllabus

Course syllabus_Qualitative Research Methods with focus on ethnographic methodology and analys pdf, 225 kB.

Content

The purpose of the course is for the doctoral student to develop in-depth knowledge of interview and conversation-based methods in qualitative research with relevance to their own third-cycle subject.

Host School

School of Health, Care and Social Welfare

Course coordinator

Nina Klang

Study period

2026-03-09--2026-04-22

Enrollment

Deadline 6 February.

Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

50%

Number of participants

Maximum 30 participants

Place of study

Some elements take place on site (campus Västerås) and some online

Language of instruction

English

List of literature

Will be communicated later

Course code

FHVV027

Course syllabus

Course syllabus_Qualitative Research Methodologies with a focus on interview methods pdf, 226 kB.

Content

The course teaches participants to develop fundamental knowledge of quantitative methods in scientific studies. The course introduces fundamental concepts for the design of quantitative studies.

Host School

School of Education, Culture and Communication

Course coordinator

Alexandra Dylman

Lectures + examination date

Participation only in person on campus Västerås or Eskilstuna. Information about venue to be announced in Canvas.

• Wednesday 28 Jan
• Tuesday 3 Feb
• Tuesday 10 Feb
• Tuesday 17 Feb
• Tuesday 24 Feb

Enrollment

Apply to the course by following the link. The registration period opens on December 1. Please apply here External link.

Examination date: Sun 29 March

Course literature

Information about course literature will be given in Canvas in due time before course start.

Number of participants

Maximum of 20 participants.

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOUK031

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Introduction to Design of Qualitative Research pdf, 190 kB.

Content

The course aims to introduce doctoral students to central questions related to the production of scientific knowledge, from contemporary and historical points of view. The course also aims to cover different scientific traditions and how they relate to each other.

Host School

School of Health, Care and Welfare

Course coordinator

Martina Summer Meranius

Study period

2026-01-12--2026-02-27

Preliminary seminar sessions

12/1: 14.00–15.30 (Zoom)

20/1: 10.00–16.00 (Campus Västerås)

29/1 10.00–16.00 (Campus Västerås)

12/2 10.00–16.00 ( Campus Västerås)

If you miss a seminar, you can make up for it in writing.

Enrollment

Deadline 2025-12-05. Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

50%

Number of participants

Maximum 20 participants

Place of study

On site, Campus Västerås

Language of instruction

English

List of literature

Will be communicated later

Course code

FHVV025

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Philosophy of Science I pdf, 228 kB.

Content

The course aims to enable doctoral students to position themselves within a scientific tradition and/or field by developing and communicating their research in multidisciplinary contexts.

The course also aims to enable doctoral students to study the relation between scientific research and societal challenges and how different disciplines, actors, and organizations coproduce knowledge.

Host School

School of Health, Care and Welfare

Course coordinator

David Redmalm

Study period

2026-03-02--2026-03-25

Enrollment

Deadline 2026-02-09. Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

50%

Number of participants

Maximum 20 participants

Place of study

The course is given digitally and on site in parallel, so participants can choose. Campus location: Västerås.

Language of instruction

English

List of literature

Will be communicated later

Course code

FHVV026

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Philosophy of Science II pdf, 269 kB.

Content

This course provides opportunities for you as a doctoral student to advance your knowledge about legislation regarding research ethics, research ethical principles and good research practice, as well as related communicative and societal aspects of research.

Host School

School of Education, Culture and Communication

Course coordinator

Lena Johansson Westholm

Lectures + examination date

The course will be held on campus in Eskilstuna and Västerås with no possibility of online participation.

Lecture dates:

• 2026-03-31, 9.15-15.00 Västerås
• 2026-04-14, 9.15-15.00 Eskilstuna
• 2026-05-05, 9.15-15.00 Västerås
  
• 2026-05-28, 9.15-15.00 Eskilstuna
  

Examination date: June 5, 2026.

Enrollment

Apply to the course by following the link. The registration starts on December 1. Please apply here External link.

Course literature

The course literature will be available on the Canvas site for the course a few weeks before the course starts.

Number of participants

35 participants

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOUK018

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Research Ethics I pdf, 230 kB.

Content

The course aims to further the doctoral student’s competencies in recognizing, analyzing and selecting an appropriate academic genre and type of organization that best serves the doctoral student’s data and field.

Host School

School of Education, Culture and Communication

Course coordinator

Sara Irisdotter Aldenmyr

Lectures + examination date

The first seminar is on April 27, from 1-4 pm

Dates for the other seminars and workshops will be given in Canvas in due time.

Examination date: June 7

Hybrid, both on campus and on link

Enrollment

Apply to the course by following the link. Please register here External link.

Registration starts December 1 and closes April 13.

Course literature

Information about course literature will be given in Canvas in due time before course start.

Number of participants

15 participants

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOUK021

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Academic writing II. pdf, 267 kB.

Content

The objective of this course is to provide doctoral students with the opportunity to improve their skills in academic publishing and communication. Furthermore, the course aims to help novice researchers to tackle the complex processes involved in publishing in international academic journals, including selecting suitable venues for publishing in their field, responding to peer-review and engaging in editorial and review work.

The course also aims at equipping the participants with digital and critical skills in disseminating knowledge within and beyond academia through technology-enhanced tasks.

The course is suitable for those who have already started writing their publications/dissertations.

Host School

School of Education, Culture and Communication

Course coordinator

Olcay Sert

Lectures + examination date

Seminars take place in Västerås.

• February 10, in person, 9-12 am
• February 24, hybrid, 9-12 am
• March 10, hybrid, 9-12 am

Examinationsdatum: TBA

Enrollment

Apply to the course by following the link. Please register here External link.

Registration opens on December 1 and closes January 27.

Literature

Information about course literature will be given in Canvas in due time before course start.

Number of participants

Maximum of 10 participants

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOUK023

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Academic writing IV pdf, 238 kB.

Content

The course teaches participants to develop the skills to independently perform quantitative analyses in scientific studies and draw conclusions by interpreting the results. The course introduces fundamental concepts, tests and tools for performing statistical analysis. Students are expected to implement the tests using empirical data provided.

Host School

School of Education, Culture and Communication

Course coordinator

Alexandra Dylman

Lectures/seminars

Seminars take place on campus in Västerås/Eskilstuna.

• Tue 31 March
• Tue 7 April
• Tue 14 April
• Tue 21 April
• Tue 28 April
• Tue 5 May

Deadline examination, Sunday June 7

Enrollment

Apply to the course by following the link. Please register here External link.

Registration between December 1 and March 17.

Course literature

Information about course literature will be given in Canvas in due time before course start.

Number of participants

Maximum 20 participants

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOUK032

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Introduction to Quantitative Data Analysis pdf, 182 kB.

Content

The purpose of the course is for the doctoral student to reach a basic understanding of good research data management and the significance of open science.

The course encompasses:

• Introduction to open science and research data
• Introduction to good research data management according to FAIR data principles
• Developing data management plans, in practice and theory

Scope: Equivalent to 2 credits, need credit transfer

Start date: 10 March 2025
End date: 14 April 2025

Course Coordinator

frida.jonsson@mdu.se

Lectures and examination

• 10/3, 13:15-15:00 – digital lecture
• 17/3, 13:15-15:00 – digital lecture
• 24/3, 13:15-16:00 – Västerås campus
• 31/3, 13:15-15:00 – Eskilstuna campus

Examination will be in form of a written assignment, as well as active participation in seminars and workshops. Attendance is compulsory.

Language of instruction

The course will be conducted in English.

Registration

Registration is closed.

Course syllabus

Course syllabus: Research data for doctoral students in an open science landscapePdf, 220.5 kB. pdf, 217 kB, opens in new window.

If you have any questions, please email: biblioteket.forskarservice@mdu.se

Literature

Course literatur pdf, 198 kB.

Content

This course aims to provide doctoral students in Business Administration and Industrial Economics and Organisation with a deeper and broader knowledge on the roots of the theories of how companies and markets are organised to be economical.

Participants will gain advanced insights into the application of theory for continued research. The course explores established theories and key contributions within the field of Business Administration. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the theoretical currents within the research field, and provides an overview of the foundational "original research" that has shaped contemporary studies. Additionally, participants will gain an understanding of the emergence and evolution of central concepts within the discipline.

Course coordinator

Cecilia Lindh

Seminars and examination date

Seminars take place on campus Västerås.

All seminars take place from 09.15-12.00 on the following dates:

• August 22, 2025
• September 9, 2025
• October 3, 2025
• October 24, 2025
• November 14, 2025
• December 12, 2025
• January 16, 2026

The date for the examination will be announced during the first seminar.

Enrollment

Send an e-mail to cecilia.lindh@mdu.se

Language of instruction

English

Participants

Maximum 12 participants

Course code

FOES028

Course syllabus

Course syllabus_Theories of the Organisation of Firms: the Classics pdf, 244 kB.

Content

This course covers the interrelated topics of systems theory, cybernetics, and complexity theory. A system is a group of elements that interact in a way that creates behavior or properties that do not exist in the individual elements. An important question is how to design systems to fulfil certain purposes. This often involves combining elements of different kinds, such as technology, humans, organizations, or natural objects. It also involves controlling their interactions, which is studied in the field of cybernetics. This is a challenge, since many systems are of immense complexity, due to a large variety of elements and numerous interrelations. Seemingly simple elements, arranged in straightforward ways, can still exhibit surprising behavior that should be avoided if it could be predicted.

Course coordinator

Jakob Axelsson

Study period

2026-01 - 2026-06

Enrollment

Open until 12th of December. Contact jakob.axelsson@mdu.se

Study pace

25 %

Language

English

Course code

FOID007

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Systems, Cybernetics and Complexity pdf, 308 kB.

Content

The objective of the course is to enhance PhD-students’ ability to critically assess and evaluate doctoral dissertations, and reflect on questions during or raised in relation to the public defences.

The course runs over several terms to enable attending public defences with a variety of foci, and relevance for the course participants.

Participation in at least five public defences and the related seminars to discuss and reflect on the dissertation and the defence is mandatory.

Information about upcoming public defences is continually updated on Canvas. In order to meet the requirements on variety and relevance, participants are offered to attend seminars together with PhD-students from other universities in the vicinity.

Participants must be prepared to travel to other universities to attend public defences in person.

Individual dates for examinations will be decided in agreement with the participants.

Course coordinator

Nina Klang

Literature

Literature will be available on Canvas at course start.

Language of instruction

Swedish. If necessary, seminars will be in English.

Enrollment

Enroll to the course by sending an e-mail to research administrator petra.coolen.larsson@mdu.se

Course Code

FOUK028

Course syllabus

Course syllabus for Dissertation defence course pdf, 258 kB.

Course content

See the Swedish page. The course is given in Swedish.

Course coordinator

Eva Hultin

Enrollment

Registration opens 15 May. Please register here External link.

Teaching sessions and examination

Seminars

• 8/10, 09.15-12.00;
• 24/10, 09.15 -12.00;
• 7/11, 09.15-12.00;
• v 47; info will be available via Canvas.
• v 49; info will be available via Canvas.
• v 51; info will be available via Canvas.

Date for examination: 16/1/2026, 09.15-10.00

Literature

Available through Canvas at start of the course

Number of participants

Not limited

Language of instruction

Swedish

Course code

FOUK027

Course syllabus (In Swedish)

Kursplan External link.

Content

See the Swedish page. The course is given in Swedish.

Course coordinator

Anne Lillvist

Teaching sessions and examination

September 4, kl 9.15-12.00

September 25, kl 9.15-12.00

October 30, kl 9.15 -12.00

November 20, kl 9.15- 12.00

December 18, kl 9.15- 12.00

Examination date: Januari 18

Enrollment

Registration May 15. Please register here External link.

Litterature

Information will be given at course start in Canvas.

Number of participants

Not limited (see syllabus for selection criterias).

Language of instruction

Swedish

Course code

FOUK037

Syllabus

In Swedish_Kursplan_Forskningsetiska överväganden i utbildningsvetenskaplig forskning pdf, 241 kB.

Content

The aim of the course is to provide the doctoral students with an overview of subject-specific research within their own disciplinary or field-related area of focus, an ability to relate their own dissertation project to the existing areas of research, and an understanding of the purpose behind and methods for conducting a systematic literature review within the related area of research.

Course coordinator

Johannes Rytzler

The course is given in Swedish, in person on campus. For more information, check the Swedish website.

Content

This course is designed to help PhD students understand and analyse “pedagogical interaction” (in its broad sense) so as to be able to build links to learning and teaching events and behaviours (in all subjects) in classrooms and beyond.

The course aims to teach 1) theoretical and methodological aspects of multimodal Conversation Analysis and 2) basic analytical steps to carry out and report interaction-based research in education.

“Multimodal Analysis of Pedagogical Interaction” is designed to benefit PhD students who are planning to work on audio-visual data with a micro-analytic, sequential and multimodal perspective. In addition to the lectures, the course facilitates hands-on learning through seminars/webinars and data sessions to help postgraduate students work on “naturally-occurring” data for analytic purposes.

Course coordinator

Olcay Sert

Lectures and examinatiton

Hybrid: lessons take place in person and you can attend via link.

• 29 January
• 5 February
• 19 February
• 5 March
• 12 March
• 19 March
• 26 March

Examination date will be announced at the beginning of the course.

Language of instruction

English

Enrollment

Apply to the course by following the link. Apply here External link.

The registration opens on December 1 and closes January 15.

Literature

Information about course literature will be given in Canvas in due time before course start.

Number of participants

Maximum 8 participants

Course Code

FOUK003

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Multimodal Analysis of Pedagogical Interaction pdf, 225 kB.

Content

The objective of the course is to enhance PhD-students’ ability to critically assess and evaluate doctoral dissertations, and reflect on questions during or raised in relation to the public defences.

The course runs over several terms to enable attending public defences with a variety of foci, and relevance for the course participants.

Participation in at least five public defences and the related seminars to discuss and reflect on the dissertation and the defence is mandatory.

Information about upcoming public defences is continually updated on Canvas. In order to meet the requirements on variety and relevance, participants are offered to attend seminars together with PhD-students from other universities in the vicinity.

Participants must be prepared to travel to other universities to attend public defences in person.

Individual dates for examinations will be decided in agreement with the participants.

Course coordinator

Nina Klang

Literature

Literature will be available on Canvas at course start.

Language of instruction

Swedish. If necessary, seminars will be in English.

Enrollment

Enroll to the course by sending an e-mail to research administrator petra.coolen.larsson@mdu.se

Course Code

FOUK028

Course syllabus

Course syllabus for Dissertation defence course pdf, 258 kB.

Content

The purpose of the course is to give the students tools for taking decisions on how to act if they want to commercialize their research results. Different routes will be presented and discussed as well as what to consider.

Course responsible

Erik Dahlquist

Study period

September 1 until December 18

Lectures + examination date

The teaching sessions are on site at Campus Västerås. The opportunity to participate via link is available.

Enrollment

Apply for the course here: Register for the course External link.

The link opens on June 2.

Literature

Literature will be available on Canvas at course start.

Number of participants

Unlimited

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOES023

Course syllabus

Course syllabus_Project Management and Commercialisation of Research Results pdf, 227 kB.

Content

The purpose of the course is to familiarize students with the basics of Python as a platform to use AI/data-driven methods and optimisation for energy systems. Current practices and future developments will be discussed along with a diverse array of application case studies.

In this course, participants will learn about current state-of-the-art AI-based modelling and optimisation methods, including case studies of relevant applications. Special focus is given to educational applications and modelling, and optimisation for industrial systems.

Course coordinator

Avinash Renuke

Lectures and examinationsdate

Seminars, lessons and workshops take place on campus in Västerås.

Dates for the seminars/lessons/workshops: Start date: 8th October 2025 , End date: 20th November.

Examination date: 18th December 2025

Enrollment

Apply to the course by following the link: Apply for the course External link.

The registration period opens on June 10.

Course literature

Information about course literature will be given in Canvas before course start.

Number of participants

25 participants

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOES032

Course syllabus

Course syllabus AI-based modelling and optimisation for industrial systems pdf, 251 kB.

Content

The "Research Planning" course objective is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the key principles and practical skills necessary for effective research planning at the PhD level.

Through a combination of theoretical knowledge and hands-on exercises, students will learn to formulate clear and specific research questions, conduct thorough literature reviews, and develop robust research designs and methodologies.

After each seminar, an assignment must be handed in as part of INL1.

Course coordinator

Sasan Sadrizadeh

Lectures and examination date

Seminars, lessons and workshops take place on campus in Västerås and online.

Dates for the seminars/lessons/workshops:

Monday, November 10

Friday, January 9, 2026

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Examination dates: Available in Canvas.

Enrollment

Apply to the course by following link External link.

Literature

Information about the course literature will be given on Canvas in due time before the course starts.

Number of participants

Maximum 15 participants

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOES022

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Research planning pdf, 239 kB.

Content

The course is offered to students who are in the initial stages of their PhD. The course introduces theories and methods relevant to research and development in the engineering sciences. A further aim is to encourage reflection and constructive critical discussion of current research, research methods and their theoretical background.

Course coordinator

Amir Vadiee

Lectures and examination date

Seminars, lessons and workshops take place on campus in Västerås or Eskilstuna.

Dates for the seminars/lessons/workshops:

November 14, 9-12 and 13-16.

November 21, 9-12 and 13-16.

November 28, 9-12.

December 5, will be announced in Canvas.

Examination date: Will be announced in Canvas.

Enrollment

Apply to the course by following link External link.

Literature

Information about course literature will be given in Canvas in due time before course start.

Number of participants

Unlimited

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOES025

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Research Methodology pdf, 273 kB.

Content

The purpose of the course is to equip the participants with the essential concepts, tools and frameworks from microeconomics and macroeconomics to analyse, model, and evaluate energy technologies and systems. Participants will develop the ability to perform detailed techno-economic assessments at the project level, and to understand and interpret market mechanisms, energy statistics, and policy influences at the system level.

Through a mix of theoretical foundations, real-world datasets, and case studies, participants will learn to make informed decisions regarding energy investments, operations, and strategic planning within diverse market and policy environments. The course provides a critical foundation for energy-related research and project management in industrial contexts.

Course coordinator

Chang Su

Lectures and examination date

Seminars and lectures place on campus in Västerås. Participation by link is possible.

Dates for the seminars and lectures:

• 2026-05-04, 10:00-12:00
• 2026-05-08, 10:00-12:00
• 2026-05-11, 10:00-12:00
• 2026-05-15, 10:00-12:00
• 2026-05-18, 10:00-12:00
• 2026-05-22, 10:00-12:00

Examination date: 2025-05-22

Enrollment

Register between December 1 and April 20.

Please apply to the course by following the link. External link.

Literature

Information about course literature will be given in Canvas in due time before course start.

Number of participants

15 participants

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOES033

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Economic analysis for energy technologies and energy systems pdf, 227 kB.

Content

The course objective is that students will understand and apply various perspectives, theories and concepts within health and welfare, relate to its complexity, as well as clarify their own knowledge contribution in relation to health and welfare.

Course coordinator

Jonas Stier

Course date

2025-08-11--2026-06-16

Enrollment

Deadline 3 June.

Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Number of participants

Maximum 10 participants

Place of study

Digital with campus-based seminars. Campus location Eskilstuna and Västerås.

Language

English

Reading list

Will be provided before the course starts.

Course code

FHVV020

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Health and Welfare - Research and Utilisation pdf, 171 kB.

Content

The objective for the course is for the student to acquire knowledge of some of the theories and methodological approaches used to study the relationship between humans and other animals within the frame of the research field of human-animal studies.

Course coordinator

David Redmalm

Course date

2025-09-01--2026-01-18

Enrollment

Deadline 13 June

Please contact david.redmalm@mdu.se

Study pace

25%

Number of participants

Maximum 40 participants

Place of study

Online

Language

English

Reading list

Will be provided before the course starts.

Course code

FHVV031

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Animals in Society pdf, 209 kB.

Content

The objective of the course is that doctoral students acquire additional in-depth knowledge about theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of person-centred and recovery-oriented care and their application in research and practice.

Course coordinator

Martina Summer Meranius

Course date

2025-09-01--2025-11-09

Enrollment

Deadline 15 August
Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

50%

Number of participants

Maximum 20 participants

Place of study and teaching formats

The course comprises a blended learning approach, with both digital and campus- based teaching (campus Västerås).

Language

English

Reading list

Will be communicated before the course starts.

Other

Subject to availability, the course is open for applications from teachers with a PhD.

Course code

FHVV033

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Person-centredness and recovery-orientation in caring and research about caring pdf, 222 kB.

Content

The objective is for the doctoral students to develop a broad and in-depth theoretical and methodological understanding of work life studies, including its history, contextual dependencies and interdisciplinarity and apply this knowledge to their PhD project.

Contact person

Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz

Course date

2025-09-01--2026-03-06

Enrollment

Deadline 15 August

Please contact

HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

25%

Number of participants

Maximum 15 participants

Place of study

Hybrid (campus Västerås)

Language

English

Reading list

Will be communicated later

Course code

FHVV036

Course syllabus

Syllabus pdf, 219 kB.

Content

This course provides doctoral students with a deep understanding of how digital health technologies (DHTs) interact with diverse users and contextual factors within the healthcare ecosystem, influencing health outcomes.

Students will explore key concepts and principles of DHTs, addressing the challenges and opportunities they present within health systems.

The course covers methodologies for generating Real-World Evidence (RWE) to assess the value and effectiveness of DHTs, as well as international regulatory and legal frameworks.

Ethical considerations surrounding big health data, guided by the WHO guidelines, will be discussed, with particular attention to the global digital equity gap and its relevance to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Course leader

Professor Sarah Wamala Andersson

Course date

2025-10-01--2025-10-28

Enrollment

Deadline 3 september, please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

50%

Number of participants

Maximum 20 participants

Place of study

Online only

Language

English

Reading list

A reading list and further course details will be available in June.

Course code

FHVV037

Course syllabus

Course syllabus pdf, 235 kB.

Content

To deepen knowledge about theories and frameworks for sustainable health related behavior change and to analyse interventions for these behavior changes.

Contact person

Johanna Fritz

Course date

2026-01-12--2026-02-08

Enrollment

Deadline 10 December. Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

50%

Number of participants

Maximum 20 participants

Place of study

Västerås and digitally

Language

English

Reading list

Will be communicated in autumn 2025

Course code

FHVV034

Course syllabus

Course syllabus pdf, 218 kB.

Content

To deepen and develop knowledge about behavior change techniques and mechanisms of action for sustainable health related behavior change of relevance for the PhD student’s research field and thesis.

Contact person:

Caroline Eklund

Course date

2026-08-31--2026-10-11

Enrollment

Deadline 19 June 2026

Please contact HVVforskarutbildning@mdu.se

Study pace

50%

Number of participants

Maximum 20 participants

Place of study

Digital and campus- based teaching (campus Västerås)

Language

English

Readling list

Will be communicated in autumn 2025

Course code

FHVV035

Course syllabus

Course syllabus pdf, 240 kB.

Content

The course is given in Swedish. Please see the Swedish page for more information.

Course Coordinator

Eva Lindell, docent EST

Seminars and examination date

The seminars is given on specified campus.

Full day seminars are given 29/8, 23/9, 28/10, 24/11-25

Examination date: Final examination 31/1-26

Litterature

Information about course literature will be available in Canvas.

Number of participants

Obegränsat

Enrollment

The registartion opens at May 15. Please register here. External link.

Selection will take place three weeks before the course starts. You will be notified by email when you are accepted. In the meantime, questions about the course can be asked to the teacher responsible for the course.

Language

Swedish

Course code

FOES026

Course syllabus

In Swedish_Kursplan_Diskursiv psykologi - språkanvändning i vardag, organisation och samhälle pdf, 234 kB.

Content

The course is a joint introduction and orientation course to research in Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) in the broad sense in the Nordic region. The course aims:

• To provide an orientation on the ongoing research in the subject area at Mälardalen University (MDU), Royal Institute of technology in Stockholm (KTH) and Uppsala University (UU).
• To show important theoretical foundations and new perspectives on
  which the ongoing research is based.
• To create a common identity of industrial engineering and management as a postgraduate subject.
• To strengthen the regional network within the subject of industrial
  engineering and management

Course coordinator

Magnus Frostenson

Lectures + examination date

Seminars, lessons and workshops take place on campus.

• Uppsala universitet, den 25–26 mars
• Mälardalens universitet, den 22–23 april
• Kungliga tekniska högskolan den 20–21 maj och 16 juni

Examination date: June 16

Enrollment

Registration is open between December 1 and March 11.

Apply to the course by following the link. External link.

Literature

Information about course literature will be given in Canvas in due time before course start.

Number of participants

Maximum of 8 participants

Language

Engelska

Course code

FOES021

Course syllabus

Course Syllabus Industrial Engineering and Management: Research Frontiers and Theoretical Foundations (In swedish) pdf, 231 kB.

Content

Course coordinator

Terene Fell

Enrollment

Only for doctoral students from the research school Future Proof Cities. Please contact the course coordinator by mail.

Literature

Literature will be available on Canvas at course start.

Language of instruction

English

Content

The course aims to equip doctoral candidates with an understanding of the theory and numerical aspects of inverse problems, with a specific emphasis on

regularization techniques. In particular, Tikhonov type regularization and iterative regularization methods for ill-posed inverse problems will be introduced and various inverse problems will be studied.

Course responsible

Maksat Ashyralyyev

Seminars

Seminars in person on campus Västerås.

Seminar dates:

• 30 October 2025 (13:15-17:00)
• 6 November 2025 (13:15-17:00)
• 13 November 2025 (13:15-17:00)
• 20 November 2025 (13:15-17:00)
• 27 November 2025 (13:15-17:00)
• 4 December 2025 (13:15-17:00)
• 11 December 2025 (13:15-17:00)
• 18 December 2025 (13:15-17:00)

Enrollment

Apply to the course from May 15. Please register here External link.

Course literature

Literature will be announced at course start.

Language of instruction

English

Number of participants

Unlimited

Course code

FOUK036

Course syllabus

Course syllabus_Inverse Problems pdf, 229 kB.