Admission requirements

In order to be eligible to third-cycle/doctoral programme at the University of Borås, applicants must fulfill certain general entry requirements, as well as  specific entry requirements.  Specific entry requirement are specified in the general syllabus for each subject/discipline. at the University of Borås. General entry requirements are the same for all disciplines.

General entry requirements

General entry requirements for third-cycle/doctoral studies are:
1. a degree at second-cycle/Master's degree level
2. have completed at least 240 credits (ECTS) whereof at least 60 credits have been acquired at second-cycle/Master's degree a one-year Master degree level
3. corresponding knowledge obtained on another manner in Sweden or abroad

Specific entry requirements

Specific entry requirements vary between the different research disciplines. However, regardless of research discipline all applicants must verify that their English language skills correspond to upper secondary level (post-16) course English B in the Swedish school system.

If your secondary school qualification in English does not meet these requirements, you must submit the official results of an internationally recognised test or examination. 

Transitional regulations: ”Those who prior to July 1, 2007 meet the general entry requirements for access to a third-cycle programme, shall thereafter also be considered to have access to education at third-cycle level, though no further than to the end of June 2015.”

The selection

The Faculty board has delegated the responsibility of selecting the candidates most profiting from a doctoral education to the Research Education Committee .

Once the application have reached the university's registry it is sent to the Admissions office where the degrees from each applicant will be scrutinized and verified. The Admissions office will also make sure that each applicant meet the general entry requirements. Applications are then sent to the research committee where a ranking of formal merits decides who will be called to an interview.  The number of candidates that will be called to an interview varies. If there are two or more candidates for the position, a minimum of two candidates should be called in all cases. After the interviews a decision is taken as to whom will be offered a doctoral student position. The selected candidate will first be notified informally (e.g. via phone or e-mail). All documents in the selection process is sent to the registry and the registry then send the decision to the Admissions office. Once all documents in the selection process have been reviewed by the Admissions office, a registration in the Ladok database will take place and a formal notification will be sent out. All applicants will be notified once the selection has been made. 

The decision of the Research Education Committee can not be appealed according to Swedish law.

Documents of importance in the selection process

(at present, most documents listed below are only available in Swedish)

Ranking criteria (an example taken from BHS/GU 2002)

Work sheet for interview selection 

Template for protocol, interview selection

Template for information to the registry regarding interviews

Template for the Research Education Committee (REC) for admission to doctoral programme