Employment as a doctoral student

In order to employ someone as a doctoral student, the person must be admitted to the doctoral programme. Read more about admission to doctoral programmes in the right-hand column.

Universities may employ a doctoral student full-time for a maximum of four years, but not all at once. Doctoral students must always be employed in batches. The first instalment must be for a maximum of one year. Thereafter, the employment can be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. This means that a doctoral student can be employed for 1+2+1 years (or 1+1+2 years) if everything goes according to plan. It is possible to employ the doctoral student for a shorter period if there are objective reasons for doing so.

The total period of employment may be longer than four years full-time if there are special reasons, such as the doctoral student being on leave due to illness, service in the armed forces or for positions of trust in trade unions and student organisations, or parental leave. 

Read more about the extension of employment in the right-hand column. Doctoral students may be employed for a maximum of one year after graduation.

Doctoral students' salaries are revised and set according to special procedures. 

Employment as an assistant professor and clinical assistant

The Higher Education Ordinance sets the rules for how Lund University can employ teaching assistants and clinical assistants.

Both employment as a teaching assistant and as a clinical assistant are limited to a maximum of one year and can be renewed. The total period of employment may not exceed three years.

Employment as an amanuensis may not exceed 50 per cent of a full-time position. The work as an amanuensis must include teaching, administration or participation in research or artistic research. To be employed as a teaching assistant, the student must be admitted to a first or second cycle programme at the department. The employment may not have a negative impact on the assistant's studies.

A clinical assistant shall work in clinical education and research. Only those who have completed a medical degree or who are admitted or already admitted to a doctoral programme in medicine at Lund University may be employed as a clinical assistant.