PhD positions at the Department of Modern Languages

Do you want to pursue doctoral studies supported by competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Are you looking for an employer that invests in sustainable staff development and offers secure, favorable working conditions? We invite you to apply for a doctoral position at Uppsala University.

The Faculty of Languages at Uppsala University conducts teaching and research in several classical and modern languages and cultures, as well as in linguistics and computational linguistics. This diversity of linguistic, literary and cultural orientations constitutes the core of humanities research and lays a solid foundation for fruitful collaborations within the faculty, but also with other disciplines and society at large.

The Department of Modern Languages has approximately 60 employees who primarily engage in research and teaching in a wide range of languages within both linguistics and literary studies.

The department is now announcing two doctoral positions with a focus on linguistics or literary studies within one of the department's subject areas: Finno-Ugric languages, Romance languages, Slavic languages, or German. You can find out more about the department's research areas here. Here you can also find our researchers' profiles. Note that although the researchers specialize in certain areas, they are qualified to supervise doctoral students in related areas as well.

Duties
The doctoral education comprises four years of full-time study and is financed through employment as a doctoral fellow at the Department of Modern Languages. Departmental duties, such as teaching, may (by agreement) be included up to 20 percent of full-time. The doctoral student is expected to participate in and contribute to the department’s activities.

Requirements
To meet the entry requirements for doctoral studies, you must

• hold a Master’s (second-cycle) degree, or
• have completed at least 240 credits in higher education, with at least 60 credits at second-cycle level including a thesis worth at least 15 credits, or
• have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way.

In addition to general eligibility, applicants must meet the specific eligibility requirements stated in the general study plan for doctoral education in one of the following subject at Uppsala University:

Finno-Ugric languages:

ASP Finsk-ugriska språk 2021.pdf

Romance languages:

ASP Romanska språk 2021.pdf

Slavic languages:

ASP Slaviska språk 2021.pdf

German:

ASP Tyska 2021.pdf

Selection

The admission process for doctoral education is prepared by a departmental working group and finalized by the Head of Department. The selection is based on the evaluation of the applicants' ability to successfully complete the doctoral education. Particular emphasis is placed on the quality of the applicant’s previous theses, academic results, and the proposed research plan. The working group also considers the department’s capacity to supervise the proposed projects. Applicants shortlisted for the position may be invited to interviews.

Additional information

Regulations for doctoral students can be found in the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5, Sections 1–7, and in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines.

For information on admission criteria, see the Faculty of Languages’ website: PhD studies – Faculty of Languages – Uppsala University

Further details about doctoral education in our subjects are available on the department’s website: Department of Modern Languages – Uppsala University

Application
Applications must be written in Swedish or English and include:

1. Cover letter

2. CV: including documentation verifying general and specific eligibility for doctoral education

3. Copies of degree certificates

4. Bachelor’s and Master’s theses and any publications

5. A dissertation plan (approx. 5 pages excluding references) written in Swedish or English, describing the project the applicant intends to carry out.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that certificates are translated into Swedish or English.

About the employment
Salary: According to local agreement (Local collective agreement for doctoral students and teaching assistants).

Starting date: 1 September 2026 or as agreed.

Fixed-term employment until 31 August 2030 according to the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5, Section 7.

Location: Uppsala.

The position is full-time and the PhD student is expected to spend most of their working hours at the department.

For general and detailed information about the research areas of the doctoral positions, please contact:
Director of studies, third cycle (doctoral): Anastasia Makarova, +46 18 471 13 08, anastasia.makarova@moderna.uu.se
Deputy Head of Department: Maria Thomasfolk, +46 18 471 14 36, maria.thomasfolk@moderna.uu.se

Welcome to submit your application no later than 2 March 2026, UFV-PA 2025/3854.