Södertörn University is a higher education institution in Stockholm that conducts education, research and collaboration with the surrounding community for sustainable societal development. Education and research are conducted in the humanities, social sciences, technology and natural sciences. The university also provides police and teacher education programmes with intercultural profiles. A significant amount of our research is multidisciplinary and specialises in the Baltic Sea region and Eastern Europe. At Södertörn University we combine subjects, perspectives, people and experiences, searching for surprising syntheses, challenges and development.
Södertörn University welcomes doctoral proposals in History, to be conducted within the research project: “Money(-)making empire. Monetary policies and practices in the Swedish Baltic Empire, ca. 1600–1800”. For more information, please visit the project website here.
The project “Money(-)making Empire” examines monetary evolution in the Baltic Sea region within the broader context of early modern Northern Europe, using the Swedish Empire as a case study. Conceptualising the empire as a polycentric polity, the project challenges nation-state–centred historiography and instead analyses money as a transregional lens through which flows of power, conflict, and integration can be traced across imperial spaces. Monetary policy was central to both warfare and empire-building and its effects extended far beyond Sweden proper, influencing peasants, soldiers, merchants, urban authorities, and foreign rulers across the Baltic Sea Region. For more information, please click here.
History at Södertörn University is a dynamic environment for historical research and education, with researchers who specialise in a variety of time periods and societal or cultural processes. Sweden, the Nordics, and the Baltic Sea region and Eastern Europe are the main geographical areas of expertise. History is taught from bachelor’s to doctoral level and is an important part of various multidisciplinary programmes. At doctoral level, we are partners in the National Graduate School of Historical Studies, hosted by Lund University, as well as the Association for Political History, which is an international research training network. For more information, please click here. For a Swedish version click here
The Department of History is part of the Historical Studies research area at Södertörn University, an area of the humanities in which aspects of society, culture and heritage are studied from different perspectives. The area is characterised by an empirical and theoretical focus on societal and cultural change, and long-time perspectives. Historical Studies includes five subject areas for doctoral studies: Archaeology, Ethnology, History, History of Ideas, and the Study of Religions. For more information, see Historical Studies – Södertörn University. For more information, please click here. For a Swedish version click here.
Description of the doctoral position
The successful applicants will complete their doctoral theses as part of the project and within its thematic and theoretical framework. These doctoral projects may adopt a range of perspectives, such as analyses of monetary practices and discourses among and/or between different social groups (such as the nobility, merchants, peasants, and burghers), as well as political and administrative discourses, policies, and practices at the imperial, national, and/or local levels. We therefore welcome applications that encompass the full spectrum of approaches, from macro- to micro-level studies of social and cultural relations and practices, provided that they align with the project’s aims.
The project advances three interrelated analytical perspectives. First, it emphasises the polycentric nature of the Swedish Empire, integrating its Baltic and German provinces into a single framework and showing how power was negotiated through multiple institutional and social centres. Second, it treats money not merely as an economic instrument but as a practical and socially embedded problem, foregrounding everyday monetary practices, coin shortages, and alternative means of exchange among ordinary people. Third, it focuses on circulation, examining how money, knowledge, and practices moved across regions and how popular reactions – petitions, protests and riots – both responded to and constrained state policy. Methodologically, the project combines quantitative analysis with qualitative readings. Beyond its historical contribution, the project offers comparative insights into early modern composite states and provides a historically grounded perspective on contemporary monetary integration and tension in the Baltic Sea region and Europe more broadly.
The work environment at Södertörn University, as well as within the research project, is bilingual, with both Swedish and English as working languages.
For more information about the research project “Money(-)making empire. Monetary policies and practices in the Swedish Baltic Empire, ca. 1600–1800” and the doctoral positions, please contact the project manager (see below).
Entry requirements
The general entry requirements are:
- a second-cycle qualification, or
- fulfilled requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or
- substantially equivalent knowledge acquired in some other way in Sweden or abroad.
The Faculty Board may permit an exemption from the general entry requirements for an individual applicant, if there are special grounds. (Ordinance 2010:1064)
Specific entry requirements
The specific entry requirements are met by someone who has at least 90 credits in History, Economic History, the History of Ideas or the equivalent and who has authored an independent dissertation in History worth at least 15 credits at Master’s level. Prerequisites for undertaking the degree programme are the ability to assimilate scientific work in English and command of the language necessary for work on the thesis.
Eligible applicants will first be ranked according to their ability to assimilate education at research level, then other qualifications will be reviewed on the basis of this ranking.
The applicant’s communication and cooperation skills may also be assessed using references and interviews
Admission and employment
This position includes admission to third-cycle education, i.e. research level, and employment on a doctoral studentship at the School of Historical and Contemporary Studies at Södertörn University. The intended outcome for admitted students is a PhD. The programme covers 240 credits, which is the equivalent of four years of full-time study. The position may be extended by a maximum of one year due to the inclusion of departmental duties, i.e. education, research and/or administration (equivalent to no more than 20% of full-time). Other grounds for extension could be leave of absence because of illness or for service in the defence forces, an elected position in a trade union/student organisation, or parental leave. Provisions relating to employment on a doctoral studentship are in the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5, Sections 1-7.
Date of employment: 1 January 2027
General Syllabus for third-cycle programmes in History: English version or Swedish version.
Information about admission regulations including selection criteria and third-cycle education at Södertörn University: English version or Swedish version
Application procedure
For more details, see this website under FAQ. Please use Södertörn University’s web-based recruitment system “ReachMee”. Click on the link "ansök" (apply) at the bottom of the announcement.
Your application may be written in English or Swedish/Norwegian/Danish and must include:
- a letter of motivation (1-2 pages) detailing your previous research experience and skills relevant to the project
- curriculum vitae
- degree certificate and certificates that demonstrate eligibility to apply for the position (if not written in English or Swedish/Norwegian/Danish, you must enclose translated versions)
- Bachelor’s essay and thesis at second-cycle level in the field in accordance with the entry requirements (if not written in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German or English, you must enclose a summary of 5-6 pages, approx. 14,000 characters, to the copy of the essay).
- a research plan (project plan) of between 1,000 and 1,500 words. The proposal’s relevance to the research project must be clear.
- two references, with contact details.
If available, a maximum of three publications may also be attached.
Incomplete applications will not be processed.
Application deadline: 9 August 2026 at 23:59
Further information
Christopher Pihl, Project Manager, [email protected]
Elisabeth Wollin, Director of Studies (third cycle), [email protected]
Mirjam Bargello Lindberg, Human Resources Officer, [email protected]
Welcome with your application! Publications referred to must be attached to the application. An application that is not complete or arrives at Södertörn University after the closing date may be rejected. Union representatives: SACO: [email protected] ST: [email protected] SEKO: [email protected] and Robert Lindberg [email protected] Södertörn University has made strategic advertisement choices for this recruitment. Therefore, we decline all contact with advertisers and other salespersons of advertisement.
