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Research studies in Sweden

PhD programmes in Sweden are mainly research-based. This means that most of your time, you will be performing research toward your final dissertation. This will usually take a minimum of four years of full-time work (or 240 ECTS credits).

Research studies (third-cycle studies) are organised in six areas in which the University has obtained degree-awarding powers at third-cycle level.

  • Embedded Systems (the subjects of Computer Science and Electronics)
  • Innovation and Product Realisation (the subject of Innovation and Design)
  • Environment/Energy and Resource Optimisation (the subjects of Energy and Environment Engineering and also Mathematics/Applied Mathematics)
  • Industrial Economics, Work Life Studies and Management (the subject of Industrial Engineering and Management)
  • Didactics (the subjects of Didactics and also Science and Technology Didactics)
  • Health and Welfare (the subjects of Caring Sciences, Work Life Science, Social Work, Physiotherapy and Public Health Sciences)

MDU has around 215 active doctoral students.

Because they are research-based, Swedish PhD programmes are very different from study-based bachelor’s or master’s programmes. PhD positions are also usually paid positions: you’ll receive a monthly salary and won’t have to pay tuition fees. Even though you are technically a PhD ”student”, doing a PhD in Sweden is more like having a full-time job. The application process is the same as for a regular job position.