Phd At The Department Of Political Science And Public Management (Sdu)

The Department of Political Science and Public Management, University of Southern Denmark invites applications for 1 or 2 PhD scholarships within the research areas political science, public administration, international and regional politics, welfare studies, or journalism studies. The expected start date is November 1, 2026, or as agreed.

As a PhD student, you will be affiliated with one of the department’s three research sections: Public Administration, Welfare and Politics (PAWP), International and Regional Politics (IRP), or Journalism (JOUR). For more information about the department organization, strategy, research, and teaching, please visit the website .

The Public Administration, Welfare and Politics research section is comprised of the two research fields public administration and welfare studies . The scholars of this section conduct research on issues within public management and administration, comparative welfare studies and social policy as well as comparative politics and political economy.

The International and Regional Politics research section consists of the Center for War Studies , the Centre for Border Region Studies , and the Danish Centre for Rural Research . The affiliated scholars conduct research on matters related to contemporary security issues, the changing characteristics of war and the relationship between war and peace; European border regions in the past and present; as well as understanding and improving life in rural areas.

The Journalism research section, consisting of the Centre for Journalism , is centered around two joined research networks: one is focused on rhetoric and journalistic usage of language, the other on social, societal, and political aspects of journalism.

The three research sections provide high-quality, research-based teaching and supervision in Bachelor, Master, and Professional Master study programs, disseminate research-based knowledge to key stakeholders, and train doctoral students.

The ideal applicant and PhD project proposal

To qualify for a PhD scholarship, you must have a high academic level and be able to outline an original research project. Your master’s degree must be in a discipline relevant to the research profile of the Department. Priority is given to political science, international relations, journalism and communication, and social sciences.

The project is individual, and it should be related to the ongoing research areas in one of the research sections (see above). The call welcomes research projects across the full range of disciplines represented in the Department’s research program. Applicants are expected to submit project proposals that demonstrate knowledge of the chosen topic and ability to formulate a coherent research design.

We are looking for candidates who (please also consult the Scholarly Qualification Matrix ):

• demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a strong motivation to develop original research ideas.
• are able to work independently and, in consultation with the PhD supervisor, prioritize the different aspects of the PhD plan, including participation in PhD courses, teaching and supervision of undergraduate students.
• have good interpersonal skills.
• are interested in engaging with the national and international research community (your supervisor and the department will support you in this), i.e., participate in conferences and present own work.
• have interest in applying for smaller grants and/or participate in applications for larger grants.
• prioritize being present and taking part in the daily academic and social environments at the department.

When applying, you must enclose a project proposal as well as a short statement indicating your preferred research section and suggestion for a supervisor (if possible). When preparing these documents, you are strongly advised to consider the research profile and the staff of the relevant section. Please also consult the general guidelines for preparing a project proposal at the PhD School's webpage .

The department believes in fostering a stimulating and inspiring environment for both faculty members and students. The department's ambition is therefore to recruit, develop, and retain talented scholars committed to both academic excellence and departmental development. Furthermore, the department wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Requirements and program structure

As a PhD student you will follow an individual PhD plan including course work, conference participation, and teaching. PhD Students typically spend one semester at another research institution, often abroad. The scholarship carries a monthly salary including pension plus office facilities and financial support for conference travels and research visits abroad. Conditions of employment will be in accordance with the agreement (note: in Danish) between the Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations).

If selected for the position(s), you will be enrolled in the PhD program in Political Science, Journalism, or Social Sciences. Applications are invited from candidates who have obtained a master's degree by the starting date of the position. Such applications should be made within the 5+3 program. This call is also open for applicants interested in pursuing a PhD within the 4+4 program. The 4+4 program is open to candidates who have not obtained yet a master’s degree, but who, in addition to their bachelor's degree, expect to have passed 60 ECTS of their master's program by February 1, 2027.

A 5+3 PhD program spans over three years (fully salaried), while the 4+4 program runs for a period of four years. Read more here . If enrolled in the 4+4 program, you will be enrolled in the PhD program and the master's program parallel to each other. During this period, the pay will consist of the Danish Student Allowance (SU) - if you are entitled to it - and a supplementary salary for job assignments. After completing the master's degree, you will enter a fully salaried PhD scholarship for the remaining two years. Employment as a paid PhD fellow takes place in accordance with the circular of 20 December 2021 on the collective agreement for academics in the state – appendix 5, protocol on PhD fellowships, and entails a work commitment of 840 hours spread throughout the entire duration of the PhD, 3 years under the 5+3 program, 4 years under the 4+4 program, respectively.

A successful candidate may be hired at our campuses in Odense, Esbjerg or Sønderborg, depending on the research section.

For further information about the PhD program, please contact PhD coordinator, Associate Professor Romana Careja, tel. +45 6550 2216, e-mail rca@sam.sdu.dk .

For further information about the Department of Political Science and Public Management, please contact Head of Department Lars Tønder tel. +45 6550 1710, e-mail ltoe@sam.sdu.dk .

Application and assessment process

The application must include:

• Application form .
• A project proposal of no more than 12,000 keystrokes in total, including spaces, notes, appendices, bibliography etc. The project description must be anonymized, i.e., it may not reveal your name or identity in any way. The total number of keystrokes (including spaces) must be stated on the first page of the project description.
• An abstract for the above project description of no more than 250 words, to be submitted on a separate sheet/page.
• A letter of motivation.
• A short statement indicating your preferred research section as well as a suggestion for a PhD supervisor (if possible) among the academic staff at the Department of Political Science and Public Management, to be submitted on a separate sheet/page.
• A detailed CV (max 2 pages).
• A copy of your master's degree certificate including all examination results. In case of applying under the 4+4 program, a copy of your bachelor's degree certificate and a transcript of your master's level examination results must be included. The applicants for a 5+3 position must have completed a master’s degree of 120 ECTS or equivalent documented qualifications corresponding to (or complete it by the start of enrollment in the PhD program). Having completed 60 ECTS in a Master program gives entry to enrollment under the 4+4 scheme.
• A summary of the Master thesis of no more than 3000 keystrokes (space included), highlighting the research question, the main literature debate addressed, the research design, the data, and the main findings.
• Information on experience with teaching, dissemination, or scientific publication(s), if available.

All non-Danish documents must be translated into English.

Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number) – in this case, the CPR number must be crossed out.

If you do not adhere to the above-mentioned specifications, your application may be rejected without further assessment. The department reserves the right to arrive at a decision solely based on the material submitted.

Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process. Please note that only shortlisted applicants will receive an assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU . Incomplete applications and applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated. This also applies to reference letters.

Shortlisted applications will be assessed by an internal committee. When the assessment committee has submitted its report, the candidate will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns them. The assessment report is subsequently forwarded to the head of department who assembles an appointment committee and determines if one or more of the qualified applicants should be invited to a job interview. The appointment committee will organize and complete job interviews, and advise the head of department on which candidate(s) should be offered appointment.

Applications must be submitted electronically using the link “Apply now”. All applicants are expected to read the information " How to apply for a position at SDU " before applying. Please note that the application documents should be in pdf-format and attached as three documents: motivation letter, CV and the remaining documents. You can read more about the PhD school at the Faculty of Social Sciences here .

Application deadline: June 8, 2026, at 11.59 PM/23:59 (CET/CEST)

If you experience technical problems with submitting the application, please contact hcm-support@sdu.dk before the application deadline.

About the Department of Political Science and Public Management

The Department of Political Science and Public Management is part of the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences and currently has approximately 100 permanent employees as well as several part-time employees. Currently, the department attracts around 2,500 students in its various full-time bachelor and master programs as well as part-time professional master programs. The department is located on three of the University of Southern Denmark’s campuses in Odense, Sønderborg and Esbjerg, respectively.

The department is organized around three research sections in Public Administration, Welfare and Politics, International and Regional Politics, and Journalism as well as several cross-disciplinary research centres and research groups.

For a detailed description of the Department of Political Science and Public Management’s profile and activities, please visit the department's website .

About SDU

The University of Southern Denmark was established to create value for and with society. Whether our contributions come in the form of excellent research, innovative solutions, education or learning, we must make a positive difference to society and contribute to a sustainable future. We do this by cultivating talents and creating the best environments for research and learning. It is therefore crucial that SDU retains, develops and recruits talent. At the same time, we need to ensure consistently high quality in all our activities – and we can only do that with the right people. The University’s researchers, lecturers, students, managers and technical/administrative staff are the foundation of our success.