PhD Fellow at the Department of Sociology

UiB - Knowledge that shapes society

UiB shall be among Europe's leading universities, internationally known for high quality in research and education. As a social institution, we shall contribute to sustainable and democratic development and be an attractive and inclusive place of study and work.

Video: https://youtu.be/M5n6RnScNgAPhD Fellow

We welcome you to apply for a position as a PhD Fellow at the Department of Sociology. The position is for a period of 4 years, where 25% of the total employment time is career-advancing work to be performed at the department. The workplace for this position is in Bergen.

The Department of Sociology belongs to the Faculty of Social Sciences and is part of a large social science environment that also includes collaboration with other sociology environments nationally and internationally. The department has extensive teaching responsibilities, including a one-year study, a bachelor's and master's program, and a lecturer program in social sciences. The work at the department is based on long research traditions and currently represents a broad research profile, including research on welfare, youth, family, life course, mobility, inequality, migration, gender, class, elites, and education.

Qualifications and attributes:

• A master's degree in a social science subject. A master's degree in sociology is an advantage. The degree must be completed by the application deadline.
• The minimum requirement for applicants shall normally be B, or better, both on the master's thesis and for the master's degree as a whole.
• Ability to work independently, have high work capacity and enthusiasm for research
• Motivation to teach our subjects, at both BA and MA levels
• Applicants must have good written and oral English skills
• Personal and interpersonal qualities will be emphasized. Ambitions and potential will also count when assessing candidates.
• It is an advantage if the project is clearly linked to some of the research taking place at the department. Applicants are asked to familiarize themselves with the research profile at the department when designing the project: http://www.uib.no/sosio/38157/forskningsprofil
• The workplace for this position is Bergen, and the work requires you to be physically present at the department daily.

Selected candidates will be called for an interview.

The language of instruction is normally Norwegian, but some of the teaching is also given in English.

The following applies to the position:

About the PhD fellowship (applies to university PhD fellowship positions): The total fellowship period is 4 years. At least three years of work shall be dedicated to the doctoral work. The remaining time is set aside for other career-advancing work that will contribute to the employee qualifying for relevant careers that require research competence. If you have previously been employed in a recruitment position, a deduction may be made from the employment period.

About the doctoral education: As a PhD Fellow, you will participate in the ph.d. education at the Faculty of Social Sciences, UiB. The education has a normed timeframe of 3 years and leads to a ph.d. degree. For admission, you must have completed a master's degree. The scope of the master's degree must normally be 120 ECTS credits and build on a bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS credits (normally 2+3 years), or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS credits (5 years). The master's degree shall normally include independent work of a scope of at least 30 ECTS credits. The master's degree shall normally be within the subject area for which admission is sought.

We offer:

• A position as a PhD Fellow (code 1017) with an annual salary of NOK 593,700 - gross. Automatic salary development for up to 4 years with a 3% annual increase.
• A good academic and social environment with high quality in research and teaching.
• Membership in Statens pensjonskasse
• Good welfare schemes

The project:

A concise project description (5-8 pages including literature list) must be submitted with the application. The project description shall account for the theme, research question(s), and choice of theory and method. The description shall include a progress plan for the various parts of the research work. Upon appointment, the project description will be the basis for admission to the ph.d. education. The faculty has prepared guidance for writing the project description.

The application shall include:

• A short statement about the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position
• Name and contact information for two references, one of whom must be the main supervisor from the master's thesis or equivalent task
• Project description
• CV
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees
• Relevant certificates
• Any list of scientific work (publication list)
• Any publications
• If you have a master's degree from a foreign educational institution, or a 2-year discipline-based master's degree (or equivalent) within a different subject area than the one you will be associated with, you may be asked to submit an overview of the syllabus for the master's degree you have obtained

Application and attachments with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded in Jobbnorge.

Application deadline August 31, 2026.

Applications without a project description or applications sent by e-mail will not be considered. Only attached documents will be used for assessment.

General information:

More information about the position can be obtained by contacting the department head: Katharina Sass – katharina.sass@uib.no

Practical questions regarding the application process can be directed to HR – advisor Gudrun Horvei – gudrun.horvei@uib.no

The person who is employed will be admitted to the faculty's ph.d. education. Any questions about the ph.d. education can be directed to senior advisor Elina Troscenko – elina.troscenko@uib.no

Diversity is a strength and enables us to solve our tasks even better. UiB therefore needs qualified employees regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and age.

We encourage women to apply. If several applicants have approximately equal qualifications, the rules for moderate gender quotas apply.

The University of Bergen utilizes increased transparency in the recruitment of scientific positions. Information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to be included in the applicant list. If the request is not followed, the applicant shall be notified of this.

We encourage applicants with disabilities, immigrant backgrounds, or gaps in their CV to apply. If you check this box in the application, you may receive positive special treatment. We always invite at least one qualified applicant from each of these groups to an interview. More about the recruitment process here.

Life as a ph.d. candidate at UiB

Astrid Nybø tells about life and the daily work routine as a ph.d. candidate at UiB.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo3Z63yzkKA&list=PLf8ZIYfAO0qjhROTj6SthDbSScg0lSO6G&index=5

About the employer:

The University of Bergen is a recognized educational and research institution, organized into seven faculties and approximately 54 departments and academic centers. The campus is located in central parts of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien, and Årstad.

The Faculty of Social Sciences consists of seven departments. Read more about the faculty and associated departments.