Doctoral studies

The PhD/third cycle programme in Sport sciences at GIH comprises 240 ECTS credits, corresponding to four years of full-time studies.

Research and education

The central part of the programme is 180 credits and it focuses on conducting research and writing a doctoral thesis, which will be defended in public towards the end of the program. The programme also includes courses, 60 credits, that aim to provide the doctoral student with broad and specialized knowledge of the research field and methodology.

Continuous supervision is provided for each doctoral student throughout the entire period of study. Doctoral students may also work to a limited extent with teaching and administrative tasks.

Employment and financing

In most cases, doctoral students at GIH are appointed to doctoral studentships, meaning they hold temporary employment at the higher education institution. However, doctoral students may also be funded by scholarships from a foreign aid and capacity building programme or programmes financed by the European Union, or by other employers than GIH, such as other higher education institutions, public authorities, or companies.

See the links below for information about doctoral studies in Sweden.

Eligibility for Doctoral Studies

General entry requirement

To meet the general entry requirement for doctoral studies in sports science, the applicant must:

Have completed an advanced-level degree, fulfilled course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits (ECTS), of which at least 60 credits are at the advanced level, or in some other way, within or outside of Sweden, acquired equivalent knowledge.
Have the necessary abilities required to complete the education.

Language Requirements (English B/6)

High school grades equivalent to English 6 are a basic requirement. For applicants who do not have grades from a Swedish high school, proof of proficiency equivalent to English 6 from an internationally recognized language test (TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language, IELTS - The International English Language Testing System, or Cambridge ESOL - English Language Assessment) is required, in accordance with the requirements listed on universityadmissions.se External link..

Any exceptions to this requirement are regulated on universityadmissions.se External link.. Applicants with a master’s degree from an English-speaking university or program do not need to provide proof of an English language test.

The research subject Sport sciences

The PhD/third cycle programme at GIH is conducted within the research subject of Sport sciences. Sport sciences examine all physical activity performed to promote health and well-being, performance, and aesthetic experience. The focus is on studies of human movement.

The research questions formulated within the subject often require multidisciplinary approaches. At GIH these requirements are fulfilled by sport science research within human biology, humanities, and social sciences.

Broad and specialized competence

Sport scientific research requires broad and specialized competence within sports, physical activity, and health. A combination of theory, practice, and multidisciplinary approaches characterize knowledge production within the subject. Sport sciences have societal relevance regarding the significance of physical activity for health and the importance of sports in society.

Read more about the research at GIH

Notification of PhD positions

In Sweden, doctoral students are usually employed by higher education institutions. For this reason, it is only possible to apply for doctoral studies when the higher education institution announces available positions.

Suppose the applicant has obtained a scholarship from a foreign aid and capacity building programme or a programme financed by the European Union, or can verify funding by other employer than the higher education institution (other higher education institutions, public authorities, or companies). In that case, it is possible to apply on different occasions.

Information about vacancies and application

PhD positions are announced at the website for vacancies at GIH. Information about the application procedure, entry requirements and application documents are provided in the specific advertisement. Positions are usually advertised in the spring semester for the doctoral student to begin the doctoral programme the following autumn.