PhD Course: Research Group Participation 

(4.5 higher education credits, third cycle)

28 August 2023 – 1 September 2024

Course Convener

Lisa Strömbom

• Email: lisa [dot] strombom [at] svet [dot] lu [dot] se (lisa[dot]strombom[at]svet[dot]lu[dot]se)
• Phone: +46 46 222 45 53

General Information

The aim of the course is to help the students achieve a broader and deeper understanding of contemporary scholarly debates in the subfields of research represented in selected research groups, preparing students to make their own contributions to these fields. 

Students will participate in the seminar series/meetings of at least two research groups at the Department of Political Science. Participation in at least 8 such seminars in total is compulsory and should preferably take place during the first year of PhD studies. 

The course is examined through an individually authored memo of about 2500 words (excluding the list of references) where the student reflects on selected contemporary debates in the subfield of one of the two research groups that the student has participated in. The memo should also contain reflections on the student’s own learning process and an appendix listing information on the seminars attended, the topics and readings for these seminars, as well as the set of articles (on which the memo is based) selected in cooperation with a research group coordinator. The course is examined by a course examiner (rather than by the research group coordinators). 

The grades awarded are Pass or Fail. To be awarded a Pass the student must fulfil the learning outcomes specified and also demonstrate an independent and reflective approach to the study of political science.

The course is primarily intended for students admitted to the third-cycle program at the Department of Political Science at Lund University. 

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course, the student shall demonstrate:

• an ability to engage critically with state-of-the-art research in the domain of one or more of the selected research groups,
• a deepened understanding of scholarly debates in the subfield of one or more of the selected research groups,
• an ability to identify possible contributions of the student’s own research to the subfield in question, and
• an ability to communicate scholarly ideas orally and in writing.

Course Literature

Students will be required to read the papers and articles that are assigned to 8 meetings of the research groups’ seminar series. These papers and articles will change from year to year. In addition, the students will be required to read a set of articles that will be selected in collaboration with the research group coordinators. In total, the readings should amount to approximately 600 pages.