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Third-cycle courses

In addition to the thesis itself, doctoral education includes a course component. The range and content of the course component is governed by the general syllabus for the third-cycle subject.

Student account

For most third-cycle courses, you will need to log in to a learning platform called Canvas. To do so, you must first create a student account. Please note that this also applies to you who are already admitted as a doctoral student at MDU and have login details and you who are employed at MDU.

You need to create a student account

Student account | Mälardalen University External link.

University-wide courses

Mälardalen University offers several university-wide courses at doctoral level. A university-wide offering is intended to promote joint studies across the Schools and subject boundaries and thereby increase the critical mass that doctoral students need during their education.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2026-02-06 and 2026-02-20(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

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

2026-03-06 and 2026-03-20 (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

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

2026-04-10 and 2026-04-17 (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

University library courses

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: 3 March 2026
End date: 7 April 2026

Course Coordinator

ulrika.nyman@mdu.se

Lectures and examination

  • 3/3, 13:15-15:00
  • 10/3, 13:15-15:00
  • 17/3, 13:15-15:00
  • 24/3, 13:15-16:00

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 open until 17 February.

Registration for Research data for doctoral students in an Open Science Landscape

Course syllabus

Course syllabus: Research data for doctoral students in an open science landscapePdf, 220.5 kB. pdf, 174 kB, opens in new window.

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

Business Administration

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

Content

The overall purpose is to provide doctoral students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge of research in the subject Business Administration, and about how research is developed through seminar work.

The goal is that upon completing the course, the doctoral students will have broadened their insights about research in Business Administration and practiced independent critical review and assessment of new and complex issues. Furthermore, the doctoral students must be able to show the ability to give and receive constructive criticism.

The purpose of the higher seminars is to help doctoral students advance in their dissertation work. Each doctoral student is expected to present at one (1) seminar per year during their doctoral studies. This may include the doctoral student’s presentation of a thesis proposal and a final seminar presentation (mock defence).

Course coordinator

Emilia Rovira Nordman

Lectures + examination date

For dates for the seminars, check information at the School; for examination, check the syllabus

Enrollment

Apply to the course by sending an e-mail to ESTforskningsadministration@mdu.se

Literature

Decided on in connection with the seminars that you plan to attend.

Number of participants

Unlimited

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOES030

Course syllabus

Course syllabus - Higher seminars in Business Administration

Content

The overall purpose is to provide doctoral students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge of research in the subject Business Administration, and about how research is developed through seminar work.

The goal is that upon completing the course, the doctoral students will have broadened their insights about research in Business Administration and practiced independent critical review and assessment of new and complex issues. Furthermore, the doctoral students must be able to show the ability to give and receive constructive criticism.

The purpose of the higher seminars is to help doctoral students advance in their dissertation work. Each doctoral student is expected to present at one (1) seminar per year during their doctoral studies. This may include the doctoral student’s presentation of a thesis proposal and a final seminar presentation (mock defence).

Course coordinator

Emilia Rovira Nordman

Lectures + examination date

For dates for the seminars, check information at the School; for examination, check the syllabus

Enrollment

Apply to the course by sending an e-mail to ESTforskningsadministration@mdu.se

Literature

Decided on in connection with the seminars that you plan to attend.

Number of participants

Unlimited

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOES030

Course syllabus

Course syllabus - Higher seminars in Business Administration

Computer Science

Content

The course addresses the fundamental components of research planning. Its aim is to enable doctoral students to understand how to design and write a strong research plan, such as a licentiate or PhD proposal.

Course coordinator

Federico Ciccozzi

Study period

January-June 2026

Enrollment

Email the course coordinator federico.ciccozzi@mdu.se at latest on Dec 15 (if you haven't already signed up via Google Forms).

Language

English

Course code

FOID008

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Research planning

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

Content

The course will target basics and fundamentals of real-time communication in industrial setup, such as in automotive and automation industries.

Moreover, it covers various network technologies that are commonly used in the industrial setups. The technologies that are covered in this course includes fieldbus (CAN, CAN FD, CAN XL), Ethernet (Ethernet IP, Real-time Ethernet, AVB, TSN), and techniques for reliability analysis of the networks.

The objective of the course is to give students a deep understanding of requirements from industry in terms of timing, reliability, and resource utilization for designing and analysing industrial networks.

Course coordinators

Mohammad Ashjaei and Saad Mubeen

Study period

Feb-March 2026

Enrollment

Email the course coordinators mohammad.ashjaei@mdu.se or saad.mubeen@mdu.se

Number of participants

15 participants

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOID010

Course syllabus

Reliable and Real-Time Networks, 7.5 credits

Content

Learn more about an Industrial focused Automation in a DevOps software context, with the focus of test in all phases, will equip you with not only driving improvements together with industry, but also with an up to date view on utilizing and integrating tools of all types, to create a better flow of development.

You will end up with a workshop paper aligned with the course content. Read more about the course in the course description.

Course coordinator

Sigrid Eldh (sigrid.eldh@mdu.se)

Study period

First meeting 5 February (Thursday) (subject to change – room-availability!) 10.15-16.00

Then we meet monthly (on Thursdays) (schedule to be finalized after room booking is completed).

The course will be given at campus Västerås - in person.

Enrollment

Email the course coordinator Sigrid Eldh (sigrid.eldh@mdu.se) at latest 25 Jan 2026

Number of participants

18 participants

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FDAV002

Course syllabus

Test Automation in the Software lifecycle, 7.5 hp

Content

The course aims to provide the participants with the opportunity to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of wireless communication for collaborating embedded systems. After completing the course, the participant should have attained knowledge that will enable assessment of various wireless communication protocols suitable for distributed embedded systems. The participants should also have the ability to evaluate and compare the performance of wireless communication systems both in theory, regarding properties of electromagnetic waves and interference, and in practice regarding legislation and standardization.

Course coordinator

Elisabeth Uhlemann

Study period

  • 2026-03-02
  • 2026-03-16
  • 2026-03-23
  • 2026-04-10
  • 2026-04-20
  • 2026-05-08

Study pace

30 percent

Enrollment

To be announced

Number of participants

To be announced

Language of instruction

English

Course literature

To be announced

Course code

FDAV001

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Wireless Communications for Collaborating Embedded Systems, 4 credits

Didactics

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

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

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

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

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

Electronics

For information regarding courses at third-cycle level in the third-cycle subject Electronics, please contact the Director of doctoral education Federico Cicozzi.

Energy and Enviromental Engineering

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

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

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

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

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

Health and Welfare

The courses are connected to the following research topics:

  • Working Life Studies
  • Public Health Science
  • Physiotherapy
  • Social Work
  • Care Science

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

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

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

Course syllabus - contextual and interdisciplinary perspectives on Work life Science

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

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 - Health related behavior change II: Techniques, mechanisms of action, mediators and moderators

Industrial Systems

Content

The aim of the course is to give the doctoral student an introduction to and understanding of the research area Industrial Systems. Furthermore, the course includes an in-depth study where the doctoral student can relate his/her own research to the research area.

Study period

The course is given every other year. Next time is 2027.

Language

Swedish or English.

Course code

FOID006

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Industrial Systems

Industrial Economics and Organisation

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

Content

The overall purpose is to provide doctoral students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge of research in the subject Industrial Economics and Organization, and about how research is developed through seminar work.

The goal is that upon completing the course, the doctoral students will have broadened their insights about research in Industrial Economics and Organization and practiced independent critical review and assessment of new and complex issues. Furthermore, the doctoral students must be able to show the ability to give and receive constructive criticism.

The purpose of the higher seminars is to help doctoral students advance in their dissertation work. Each doctoral student is expected to present at one (1) seminar per year during their doctoral studies. This may include the doctoral student’s presentation of a thesis proposal and a final seminar presentation (mock defence).

Course coordinator

Magnus Frostenson

Lectures + examination date

For dates for the seminars, check information at the School; for examination, check the syllabus.

Enrollment

Apply to the course by sending an e-mail to ESTforskningsadministration@mdu.se

Literature

Decided on in connection with the seminars that you plan to attend.

Number of participants

Unlimited

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOES031

Course syllabus

Course syllabus - Higher Seminars in Industrial Economics and Organisation

Content

The overall purpose is to provide doctoral students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge of research in the subject Industrial Economics and Organization, and about how research is developed through seminar work.

The goal is that upon completing the course, the doctoral students will have broadened their insights about research in Industrial Economics and Organization and practiced independent critical review and assessment of new and complex issues. Furthermore, the doctoral students must be able to show the ability to give and receive constructive criticism.

The purpose of the higher seminars is to help doctoral students advance in their dissertation work. Each doctoral student is expected to present at one (1) seminar per year during their doctoral studies. This may include the doctoral student’s presentation of a thesis proposal and a final seminar presentation (mock defence).

Course coordinator

Magnus Frostenson

Lectures + examination date

For dates for the seminars, check information at the School; for examination, check the syllabus.

Enrollment

Apply to the course by sending an e-mail to ESTforskningsadministration@mdu.se

Literature

Decided on in connection with the seminars that you plan to attend.

Number of participants

Unlimited

Language of instruction

English

Course code

FOES031

Course syllabus

Course syllabus - Higher Seminars in Industrial Economics and Organisation

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)

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

Innovation and Design

Course objective

The course aims to provide an understanding of relevant theories in Innovation and Design as well as an understanding of how to describe and analyze a practical project in harmony with these. One focus is on collaboration and how joint knowledge development between different actors in a research project, in collaboration, can be carried out.

Course responsible

Yvonne Eriksson

Study period

2026-04-01 - 2026-06-30

Physical presence needed. The course will be given at campus Eskilstuna.

Study pace

20 %

Enrollment

Please apply to the vourse no later than March 1 by sending an e-mail to th ecourse responsible - yvonne.eriksson@mdu.se

Number of participants

Maximum 20 participants

Litterature

Litterature will be available March 2nd

Language

Swedish or English if needed.

Course code

FOID002

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Introduction to Innovation and design

Content

The course aims to provide an overview of what constitutes a sustainable society from different perspectives and develop critical thinking concerning challenges and opportunities of achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The course further aims to deepen PhD students’ understanding of methods, frameworks and theories and how they could be applied to sustainability research. Finally, the course aims to provide doctoral students with the opportunity of presenting and giving feedback to a research paper.

Course coordinator

Ioanna Stefan

Lectures

2026-01-19-2026-04-01

Lectures take place at campus Eskilstuna- Participation via digital link can be made possible with reason.

Enrollment

Please register via link. Register here External link.

Number of participants

15 participants

Literature

Literature will be available in due time before course start.

Language

English

Course code

FIOD001

Course syllabus

Course syllabys_Sustainable Society 5 credits

Mathematics/Applied Mathematics

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

Content

The purpose of the course is to give the student the opportunity to learn the foundations of algebraic geometry, in particular affine and projective algebraic geometry, and to give the student the opportunity to study some part of modern algebraic geometry.

Course responsible

Lisa Nicklasson och Olof Bergvall

Lectures + examination date

The lectures take place on site on campus Västerås.

The course starts November 12.

Lectures vill be given everu Wednesday at 10.00-12.00 until March 2026

Examination date: Will be announced in Canvas

Enrollment

Apply to the course throug a link. Please register here External link.

Course literature

Literature will be available on Canvas.

Language of instruction

English

Number of participants

Unlimited

Course code

FOUK034

Course syllabus

Course syllabus_Algebraic Geometry,

Content

The purpose of the course is to provide PhD students with a deep and coherent understanding of probability theory built on a measure-theoretic foundation. The course emphasizes key concepts such as probability measures, random variables, modes of convergence, laws of large numbers, the central limit theorem, conditional expectations, and martingales.

The course aims to strengthen the theoretical and analytical skills needed to understand and use modern research literature where probability theory plays a central role in mathematics and applied mathematics.

Course responsible

Ying Ni

Lectures + examination date

Lectures and seminars take place on campus in Västerås. You have to attend in person.

The course starts April 02.

Lectures will be given on Thursday afternoons until June 2026.

Examination date: to be announced in Canvas.

Enrollment

Apply to the course throug a link. Please register here External link.

Course literature

Main textbook:

  • Rick Durrett (2019), Probability: Theory and Examples, 5th edition, Cambridge University Press.

Reference literature:

  • Allan Gut (2013), Probability: A Graduate Course, 2nd edition, Springer.

Additional material, including lecture notes and exercises, will be provided by the course instructor.

Language of instruction

English

Number of participants

Maximum 30 participants

Course code

FMAM001

Course syllabus

Course syllabus Advanced Probability

Medical and Health Engineering

For information regarding courses at third-cycle level in the third-cycle subject Medical and Health Engineering, please contact the Director of doctoral education Federico Ciccozzi.