Postdoctoral Position in Ancient History

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 56 000 students and 6 600 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

Doctoral position in Classical Archaeology & Ancient History

At the Department of Historical Studies, which belongs to the Faculty of Humanities, education and research are conducted in the three subjects of History, Archaeology and Classical Archaeology and Ancient History. Education is offered at all levels, from the undergraduate to the PhD student level. The research takes place both within the individual subjects and in major interdisciplinary projects, where national and international collaboration is an important element. The department currently has around 100 employees in the form of researchers, lecturers, doctoral students, and administrators.

In the discipline of Classical Archaeology & Ancient History, teaching and research addresses aspects of social and political changes, and in ancient societies. The chronological and geographical range embraces the ancient Mediterranean from prehistory to Late Antiquity but with a strong focus on Greek and Roman cultures. It is an interdisciplinary field of research based on visual, textual and archaeological evidence. Both teaching and research are carried out in collaboration with the other academic disciplines at the department.

More information about the department and the subject of Classical Archaeology & Ancient History can be found on our website https://www.gu.se/en/historical-studies.

The Department of Historical Studies is now searching for a qualified and motivated individual for a doctoral studentship position (PhD student) in Classical Archaeology & Ancient History.

General information about being a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg can be found on the university's doctoral student pages https://www.gu.se/en/doctoral-studies.

Duties   

A doctoral student is expected to conduct research and to contribute to the development of knowledge within the discipline. Expectations towards a doctoral student include the capacity to develop independent ideas and communicate research results in oral and written form.

The aim of a PhD student position is for the doctoral candidate to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to be able to conduct research independently within Classical Archaeology & Ancient History and to contribute to the development of knowledge within the discipline through the production of a scholarly thesis. Another aim is for the doctoral student to develop an ability to later apply the acquired knowledge and skills within post-doctoral research or other qualified professional work.

The position is limited to four years in duration and is carried out on a full-time basis unless there are acceptable reasons to the contrary (minimum 50 %). As part of your employment as a doctoral student, you may have departmental duties corresponding to up to 20 % of full-time employment, distributed throughout your study period. Departmental duties usually consist of teaching at first- and second cycle levels but may also include research and administration. If such tasks are carried out, the duration of the appointment will be extended accordingly.

Eligibility   

Doctoral education requires general eligibility and, where appropriate, specific eligibility as set out in the general syllabus for the subject.  

The general eligibility requirements for doctoral studies are:    

1. having completed a degree at second-cycle level, or
2. the fulfilment of course requirements totalling at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits must be at second-cycle level, or  
3. the acquisition of equivalent knowledge in some other way, either in Sweden or abroad. 

The specific entry requirements for third-cycle studies in Classical Archaeology & Ancient History are at least 120 HEC in Classical Archaeology & Ancient History or equivalent qualifications, of which at least 30 HEC (including a degree project of at least 15 HEC) must have been completed in the second cycle, or equivalent qualifications. To be eligible, the applicant should also have sufficient proficiency in Swedish and English to be able to actively participate in mandatory courses, seminars, and other activities at the Department.

Assessment criteria   

According to the Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7, applicants will be assessed based on their estimated ability to benefit from the study programmes and on the Department’s supervisory resources. We will base this assessment primarily on the following:

1. Relevant previous work, which will be assessed in terms of ability to formulate, delimit, and analyse research tasks and present research results.
2. A proposal of the intended research project outlining the applicant’s research interest(s) and planned focus area of his/her doctoral thesis. The project proposal must demonstrate familiarity with previous and current research, sources, and methods of relevance for the study, and an ability to formulate scientific problems.
3. Academic transcripts.
4. Previous merits.
5. The final selection process will include interviews.
6. The applicant should provide the names and contact information for two persons who can serve as references.

Admission to the doctoral program may also be granted within a framework where the PhD student is employed elsewhere (external position, so-called samverkansdoktorand). The assessment process for these applicants is the same as for other applicants. In these cases, an agreement will be made between the employer and the University of Gothenburg.

The applications are reviewed by an advisory committee and final decisions on admission are made by the Head of Department. Decisions on admission are announced in May and cannot be appealed.

Admission and employment   

Once you have been admitted to doctoral studies, you will be employed as a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg. The provisions for employment as a doctoral student can be found in ordinance SFS 1993:100.    

Initial employment as a doctoral student may apply for a maximum of one year, and may be renewed by a maximum of two years at a time. A doctoral student may be employed as a doctoral student for a maximum of eight years, but the total period of employment may not be longer than the equivalent of full-time education at doctoral level for four years.   

• Type of employment: 4 years
• Extent: 100% (full-time)
• Location: Department of Historical Studies, Gothenburg
• First day of employment: 2025-09-01

The University applies a local agreement on salaries for doctoral students.

Please note, doctoral studies at the Department of Historical Studies require physical presence to conduct the studies. If the admitted applicant needs a residence permit for higher education to pursue studies in Sweden, the Department of Historical Studies has the right to revoke the admission decision if the applicant cannot present a valid residence permit no later than at the start of the studies.

Contact information 

Questions about the doctoral program:

Professor Lars Hermanson, Associate Head of Department for doctoral studies. E-mail: lars.hermanson@history.gu.se

Questions about the subject of Classical Archaeology & Ancient History:

Associate professor Kristian Göransson, Head of Classical Archaeology & Ancient History. E-mail: kristian.goransson@gu.se

Questions about employment conditions:

Johanna Hagbranth, Human Resources Officer. E-mail: johanna.hagbranth@gu.se

Unions 

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/en/work-at-the-university-of-gothenburg/how-to-apply-for-a-position.  

Application   

You can apply to be admitted to doctoral education via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal. It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per this notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline. Incomplete applications or changes/additions submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Please register your application electronically under ‘Apply online’. For the application to be considered complete it must include:

1. A cover letter of 1000 words maximum (approx. 2 pages). The letter should consist of four sections in the following order: a) a brief presentation of yourself, b) a short presentation of your merits, c) a summary of the intended research project and d) a short motivation statement why the doctoral studies programme at the Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg is of interest to you.
2. CV including a list of publications (if applicable) and the names and contact information for two persons who can serve as references.
3. A second-cycle thesis (normally the final examination thesis from a Masters program) or another major independently authored scholarly text (e.g., a published article).
4. A description of the proposed research project indicating the applicant’s research interests and planned focus area of his/her thesis and research. The proposal should a) demonstrate an ability to formulate scientific problems and to establish the relevance and originality of the project, b) show familiarity with previous and current research, c) describe appropriate sources and methods for the study and d) provide a brief time schedule for the project. The project description should not exceed 3,000 words (approx. 6–7 pages), including abstract, excluding bibliography.
5. Verified copies of academic transcripts and evidence of other relevant qualifications, if applicable. Please note that you need to submit detailed academic transcripts that specify your finished courses, credits and degrees. It must be clear from the submitted transcripts whether courses and essays/theses have been completed on a first- (BA), second- (MA) or third-cycle (PhD) level.

Please note that submitted documents – transcripts, essays and project descriptions – will normally only be considered if they are in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian or English or if translations into any of those languages are also provided.

All electronic documents must be submitted in PDF format.

Applications must be received by: 2025-01-31.

Information for International Applicants 

Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step. Thus, to give you a general idea of what we and Gothenburg have to offer in terms of benefits and life in general for you and your family/spouse/partner please visit: 

https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/welcome-services 
https://www.movetogothenburg.com/ 

The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.