lund university phd in law

Faculty of Law

• Lund University
• Website https://www.law.lu.se

Lilla Gråbrödersgatan 4-6

22 222 Lund

221 00 Lund

Unit profile

Description.

The Faculty of Law is one of Lund University's four original faculties. Over 350 years, we have developed knowledge within jurisprudence which finds applications in all parts of society. Our law degree programme is one of the country's most popular degree programmes and the links to research provide our students with a critical and evaluating approach to law in a broad perspective, which is required and in demand on all levels of society. In addition, we offer two international Master's programmes and a number of freestanding courses.

The urgent research issues of today are multifaceted and we meet them with a subject-wide approach within the faculty, an interdisciplinary approach within Lund University and in collaboration with professional legal practice and wider society. Meanwhile, national law is facing new challenges through globalisation and Swedish membership in the EU, which have increased the focus on European and international issues.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Our work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

Collaborations the last five years

Dive into details.

Select a country/territory to view shared publications and projects

Department of Law

Organisational unit : Department

Dispute resolution

Organisational unit : Research group

Environmental Law

Sofia Åkerman

• Department of Law - Doctoral student
• Health Law - Researcher
• Norma Research Programme - Researcher
• Public Law - Researcher
• Law and Vulnerabilities - Researcher

Martin Albinsson

Andrea Algård

• Department of Business Law - Lecturer, Doctoral student
• Lund University Centre for Business Law (Swedish abbr: ACLU) - Researcher

Research output

• 1640 Book chapter
• 1482 Article
• 487 Consultation Response
• 310 Specialist publication article
• 252 Paper, not in proceeding
• 201 Review (Book/Film/Exhibition/etc.)
• 147 Doctoral Thesis (monograph)
• 143 Anthology (editor)
• 133 Web publication/Blog post
• 91 Paper in conference proceeding
• 76 Working paper
• 72 Abstract
• 71 Newspaper article
• 56 Miscellaneous
• 45 Debate/Note/Editorial
• 41 Chapter in Report
• 30 Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary
• 26 Web publication/site
• 18 Review article
• 10 Conference proceeding (editor)
• 8 Licentiate Thesis
• 7 Foreword/postscript
• 6 Special Issue (editor)
• 5 Doctoral Thesis (compilation)
• 5 Master's Thesis
• 4 Published meeting abstract
• 1 Scholarly or commented edition
• 1 Curated/produced exhibition/event

Research output per year

Lång väntan på praxis om sakliga skäl

Research output : Contribution to specialist publication or newspaper › Specialist publication article › Research

The Directive (EU) 2022/2041 on adequate minimum wages in the European Union: Much ado about nothing in Sweden?

Research output : Contribution to journal › Article

Environmental democracy: Examining the interplay between Escazu Agreement’s innovations and EU economic law

Research output : Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• 28 Not started
• 154 Finished

Projects per year

Förmögenhetsrättslig ond tro

Hvid, G. , Lindskoug, P. & Andersen, M. B.

2024/04/02 → …

Project : Dissertation

Understanding sentencing – Proportionality, Conformity and Sources of Law in Judicial Decision-making

Wegerstad, L.

Ragnar Söderbergs stiftelse

2024/04/01 → 2027/03/31

Project : Research

(Un-)natural borders: Multi-disciplinary perspectives on the boundaries of European integration - ASG, Pufendorf IAS

Öberg, M. , Pugh, R. , Caretta, M. A. , Kutz, W. , Manners, I. , Somsen, J. , Elbakidze, M., Evrard, E. & Zeffert, H.

2024/02/01 → 2024/12/31

Project : Network

Infrastructure

Faculty of Law Library

Catarina Carlsson (Manager)

• 316 Invited talk
• 312 Presentation
• 306 Participation in conference
• 138 Participation in workshop/ seminar/ course
• 111 Organisation of workshop/ seminar/ course
• 85 Research or teaching at external organisation
• 81 Public lecture/debate/seminar
• 77 Media participation
• 61 Member of board/committee/council etc
• 57 Organisation of conference
• 57 Journal/Manuscript peer review
• 43 Expert assignment
• 30 Supervision of PhD students
• 26 Work for advisory/policy/evaluation group or panel (public/government/UN/EU etc)
• 24 Member of journal or series' editorial board/committee
• 24 External Reviewer of PhD thesis/Opponent
• 19 Journal editor
• 15 Organisation of public lecture/debate/seminar
• 13 Examination
• 10 Participation in public lecture/debate/seminar
• 9 Member of external research organisation
• 9 Member of peer review panel or committee (not publications)
• 7 Consultancy
• 7 Hosting a visitor
• 5 Business cooperation
• 4 Member of peer review panel or committee
• 4 Commissioned education
• 2 Participation in festival/exhibition/concert/performance
• 2 Editor of series
• 2 Schools engagement
• 2 Performance
• 1 Organisation of festival/exhibition/concert/performance
• 1 Consultancy (in kind)
• 1 Work for advisory/policy/evaluation group or panel (non-public/non-government/industry)
• 1 Supervision
• 1 Supervision of masters students
• 1 Cooperation with society

Activities per year

Är svenska myndigheter tillräckligt oberoende?

Henrik Wenander (Role not specified)

Activity : Talk or presentation › Performance

ACLU: Upphovsrättens inskränkningar

Sara Bergström (Speaker)

Activity : Participating in or organising an event › Participation in workshop/ seminar/ course

Temple of Peace: Legal Ritual at the International Court of Justice

Valentin Jeutner (Speaker)

Activity : Talk or presentation › Presentation

Prizes and distinction

Fellow of the uk academy of social sciences.

Murphy, Thérèse (Recipient), 2024 Mar 4

Prize : Election to learned society

Lund University Agenda 2030 Honorary mention

Loxa, Alezini (Recipient), 2024

Prize : Prize (including medals and awards)

Oscar II:s stipendium

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PhD Handbook

Doctoral Studies at the Sociology of Law Department

Table of contents

What are phd studies.

- The role of the Faculty of Social Sciences - Entry requirements and admission

PhD courses and thesis work

- Doctoral seminars - Defence of the doctoral thesis - PhD courses

Teaching as a PhD student

- Higher education teacher training - How teaching affects your employment

Terms of employment

- Welcome guide for international staff - Introduction days - Salary issues and extensions - The university's rules and regulations - Doctoral students’ council - In case of illness - Parental matters and benefits - Work environment - Benefits

Internal documents

Guide to Swedish academia

Programmes leading to a doctoral degree (PhD) comprise 240 credits – a course component of 60 credits and a thesis component of 180 credits. For a doctoral degree, you write a research thesis (doctoral thesis) based on independent research that must be of a high scholarly standard. You publicly defended your thesis by the rules in the Higher Education Ordinance and local provisions for the Faculty of Social Sciences in Lund.

Doctoral studies follow a general syllabus established by the Sociology of Law departmental board and the faculty. Each PhD student follows an individual study plan (see information about electronic resources) that is revised annually. The revision should be done and signed by the head of department on 15 March every year.

• General syllabus in Sociology of Law (PDF, new tab)  
• Individual study plan (ISP) (online resource)
• Instructions on how to work with online ISP (PDF, new tab)  
• Regulatory documents concerning PhD studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences

The role of the Faculty of Social Sciences

The faculty is responsible for the coordination and quality assurance of doctoral studies. The Faculty Board determines issues such as the establishment and phasing out of subjects for PhD study programmes, general syllabi, as well as principles within the framework of Lund University’s decisions.

Here you will find information on PhD study programmes at the Faculty of Social Sciences – from general syllabus and courses to funding and supervision.

• The Faculty of Social Sciences’ information page on PhD studies

Entry requirements and admission

Vacancies for doctoral studentships in sociology of law are published on Lund University's main website. When you apply for a PhD position, we ask that you write a research plan. Look at our Research Plan Template to know what to include.

• Vacancies at Lund University
• Research Plan Template (PDF, new tab)

To be admitted, you must meet both the general and the specific entry requirements. The general entry requirements are a completed master’s degree or equivalent knowledge acquired in some other way. Additionally, you must have earned at least 30 credits in sociology of law in the second cycle, or acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or abroad. You must also have completed an independent degree project of at least 15 credits in the second cycle.

Each PhD student must have a funding plan covering the entire estimated period of study.

Mainly applicants employed under doctoral studentships are admitted to PhD studies leading to a doctoral degree. Lund University does not set up scholarships for doctoral studies. However, the study programme can be funded through a scholarship set up by an external agent, such as a municipality or research institute. It is also possible to be admitted if an external employer guarantees the salary, e.g. in the case of industry-employed doctoral students.

Lund University has its own rules of admission for PhD studies, which apply regardless of the faculty where you intend to do your PhD.

• Lund University Admission Rules for Third Cycle Education.  

PhD studies comprise 240 credits. The doctoral thesis, the core of the study programme, constitutes 180 credits – PhD courses make up the remaining 60 credits. The thesis can be written as a monograph or a compilation thesis in which different parts (in the form of academic papers) are compiled along with a summarising introduction.

• Guidelines for compilation thesis in sociology of law (PDF, new tab)

During the first six months, the head of department in consultation with the PhD student and the director of doctoral studies appoints two to three supervisors. You and your principal supervisor establish and revise your individual study plan (ISP).

Below are guidelines for each year of the PhD programme at the Sociology of Law Department (PDFs). You can use these when creating and revising the ISP.

• Year 1 (PDF, new tab)
• Year 2 (PDF, new tab)
• Year 3 (PDF, new tab)
• Year 4 (PDF, new tab)

Doctoral seminars

There are three formal milestones to help you complete the various stages. Relatively early on in the work, you hold a start-up seminar. This is mainly an occasion to present the research issue to be addressed in the thesis project, but also its theoretical starting points and planned methodology. On completion of approximately half of the thesis work, there is a midway review seminar, where you present an introduction and a coherent extract from the future thesis. Two discussants are appointed, one senior researcher from the department or e xternal , and one PhD candidate, to be special reviewers for the midway seminar. The last milestone is the final seminar before the public defence of the thesis.

• Guidelines for PhD Seminars at the Sociology of Law Department

All employed researchers are encouraged to take part in seminars as much as possible to enrich the research environment and disseminate interesting and topical information. The Sociology of Law Department arranges a series of research seminars, inviting both local and international researchers specialising in various areas of law and society. These seminars are normally open to the public.

Defence of the doctoral thesis

When you approach the final phase of the PhD studies (public defence of the thesis), you and the supervisors are to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible. The department has therefore produced a quick reference guide and some local guidelines. The faculty has also produced a quick reference guide with reminders of the most important stages and actions for the final period leading up to the public defence. Below are links to the department and faculty quick reference guides and guidelines for the public defence of your doctoral thesis.

• Departmental quick reference guide (login LU Box, new tab) - Available in the internal section of the PhD handbook
• List of previous dissertations at the Sociology of Law Department (to be included in the final print) - Available in the internal section of the PhD handbook
• Dissertation send list, specific for the Department - Available in the internal section of the PhD handbook
• Faculty information about the doctoral thesis defence

PhD courses

The course component comprises 60 credits. Of these, you must study at least 7.5 credits in the philosophy of science, at least 7.5 credits in socio-legal methodology, and at least 15 credits in socio-legal theory. You attain credits by taking common courses and individual courses, known as independent study courses. Courses are offered by the Sociology of Law Department (these are advertised internally) and by the Faculty of Social Sciences. There is also the possibility of creating a tailored reading course of 7.5 credits (see the document below).

• Reading courses syllabus (PDF, new tab)
• Doctoral courses at the Faculty of Social Sciences

You can also attend suitable courses outside your immediate environment. Courses organised around Sweden and in other countries can be integrated into your PhD studies. The costs of course participation outside the faculty are covered either by your funding or by other grants, which must be applied for.

You receive the course credits once you have completed and passed the course, and submitted appropriate course certificates to the director of doctoral studies, who registers the courses in Ladok.

The credits of completed second-cycle courses in the relevant subject can be transferred to the PhD studies subject by the decision of the director of doctoral studies. The credits form the basis for a reduction of the length of the doctoral studentship. Potential credit transfers are reviewed at your request.  

Teaching as a doctoral student

In addition to your doctoral studies, you may be asked to teach in first and second-cycle education and/or take on administrative duties.

The director of first and second-cycle studies is primarily in charge of planning teaching duties for doctoral students. They will consult with you early on to find out your teaching interests, etc. We usually work with teaching teams on our various courses, which supports you when you start teaching. The director of first and second-cycle studies will also assist in various ways.

Higher education teacher training

A doctoral student engaged in teaching is to have undergone two weeks’ introductory training in teaching and learning in higher education, or to have acquired equivalent knowledge by some other means. This does not affect the admission procedure, but it entails that, before being assigned teaching duties, you will be offered an opportunity to attend a course (or the equivalent) comprising at least two weeks’ training in teaching and learning in higher education.

During your time as a PhD student, you will also have the opportunity to attend various courses in teaching and learning in higher education offered either by the faculty or by the University’s Division for Higher Education Development. They list all current courses in teaching and learning on their website. Your plan your teacher training in consultation with your supervisor and director of studies.

The University’s stated target is for all teaching staff employed until further notice to have undergone 10 weeks’ training in teaching and learning in higher education.

• Courses at the Division for Higher Education Development

How teaching affects your employment

A doctoral studentship is 4 years long. Teaching and administration can make up 20% of full-time working hours at most. For time spent teaching and doing administration, you are compensated with an equivalent extension of the study period. If you are a doctoral student in sociology of law, you are also granted an extension for participation in courses in teaching and learning in higher education (equivalent to a maximum of 7.5 credits).  

As a doctoral student, you are employed for a fixed term at the Sociology of Law Department at Lund University. The Staff Pages offers a one-stop source of information answering FAQs about salary, sick leave, secondary employment and more.

• Read more about terms of employment for doctoral students.

Welcome guide for international staff

There is a guide for newly employed international staff containing advice and tips on everything from tax issues and how to open a bank account to options for healthcare and preschool.

• Read the Welcome Guide for International Staff.

Introduction days

An introduction will take place early in the first semester of your PhD studies. You meet and receive information from the head of department, director of doctoral studies, director of first and second cycle studies, human resources manager, health and safety representative and other people at the department. The faculty also organises introduction days for new doctoral students. In addition, you are invited to take part in the University’s introduction day for new employees. This event is normally organised once per semester. It addresses issues such as terms of employment, work environment, occupational health and employee organisations. It also includes an introduction to the large organisation that is Lund University and to its history.

Salary issues and extensions

There is a special salary scale for doctoral students. As a newly admitted doctoral student, you will normally receive an entry-level salary determined by the faculty. The doctoral student’s salary is increased in stages according to a salary ladder upon completion of 60 credits, 120 credits and 180 credits, respectively. It is the responsibility of the doctoral student to ensure that applications for salary increases are submitted when the necessary credits have been earned. The application is to be signed by the supervisor and the head of department and submitted to the HR coordinator at your department. The credits are to be calculated as 60 credits = one year of full-time studies within your PhD education in the form of doctoral courses and/or dissertation work. Time for departmental duties such as teaching and leave of absence is not included in the basis for the salary increase.

• Application form for salary increase (PDF, new tab)

In addition to an extension on the grounds of teaching duties carried out at the department, an extension is also granted for sick leave and parental leave. Also some types of authorised leave of absence, but not all, can give rise to an extension (check in advance with the director of doctoral studies or the human resources manager). There are also rules for the extension of an employment period due to elected office within student organisations and bodies in which students are represented.

The University’s formal rules and regulations

Lund University’s online rules and regulations include all University-wide rules, such as regulations, general advice and guidelines which are decided by the University Board, the vice-chancellor, the head of University administration, and the bodies or functions within the central university administration that have been authorised to make such decisions.

• The University's Rules and regulations portal on the Staff Pages.

Doctoral students’ council

You find information about the Social Science Doctoral Student Council, i.e. the PhD student representation at the faculty level, in their most recent guide for PhD students and postdocs.

• Social Science Doctoral Student Council's PhD and Post-Doc Guide (PDF, new tab)

In case of illness

You report illness directly to the human resources manager when you fall ill. Once you have recovered, you register your declaration of illness for the period of absence in Primula Web.

• Learn more about sick leave on the Staff Pages

Parental matters and benefits

Parental leave entitles you to an extension of your doctoral studies.

• Rules for parental leave, leave for the care of a sick child, and how to apply for benefits.

Work environment

Lund University has a doctoral students’ union and a doctoral student ombudsman who provides advice, support and information during your time as a doctoral student.

• Lund's Doctoral Student Union
• Lund University Staff Pages on working environment and health

You are entitled to various benefits as an employee of Lund University, including health promotion benefits.

• Read more about benefits on the Staff Pages

You need permission to access the internal documents of the Sociology of Law PhD Handbook.

To the restricted internal section of the PhD handbook .

Guide to Swedish Academia

Young Academy of Sweden has produced a guide explaining higher education and research in Sweden.

Read A Beginner's Guide to Academia in Sweden (PDF, new tab)

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Doctoral studies

Faculty of Social Sciences

Doctoral studies (PhD) is the highest formal education available. It provides training to become an independent and critically minded researcher, and prepares for work with research and development issues inside or outside the university.

About doctoral studies

Doctoral studies involves a total of four years of full-time study, forming a total of 240 ECTS credits. A programme consists of both courses and thesis, of which the doctoral thesis is to account for at least 120 credits. At the Faculty of Social Sciences you can get a PhD degree in twelve different disciplines.

Admitted doctoral students normally get a salaried position. This means that they will be employed as staff members and will get a salary whilst undertaking the doctoral studies. In return, the doctoral student often provides some departmental or teaching duties.

Admission to the doctoral studies requires one year of studies at the advanced level, and normally a total of three semesters of study of the discipline in question, including a half-semester thesis. The doctoral studies start in September.

All vacant positions for doctoral students are publicly announced. Applications are accepted only following a vacancy announcement. The application procedures vary from one department to another - refer to the doctoral studies contacts at this site for further details.

PhD vacancies - lu.se

Thesis work and courses

The doctoral thesis should be based on independent research and should be of a high scholarly standard. The thesis can take the form of a monograph or a compilation thesis in which different articles are gathered, together with a summarising chapter.

All doctoral students will be appointed a main supervisor and an assistant supervisor. The main supervisor and the assistant supervisor have the task of helping the doctoral student move the work forward from the idea stage to the finalised manuscript.

The course component includes methodology courses as well as thematic courses, chosen for their relevance to the thesis work. Courses are offered both at the departments and at faculty level. Doctoral students are also encouraged to take courses at other universities, in Sweden or abroad.

More about doctoral studies

More information about doctoral studies in a specific subject can be found on each department's website. Each research subject has a Director of Doctoral Studies to whom you can turn to for questions.

The links below lead to each department’s website.

• Communication and Media
• Gender Studies
• Human Ecology
• Human Geography
• Political Science
• Service Studies
• Social Antropology
• Social Work
• Sociology of Law
• Strategic Communication
• Sustainability Science

Already a doctoral student?

Check out the Faculty internal pages for doctoral students.

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• Admitted to education
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Doctoral Studies

Lund University is the only university in Sweden to offer a Phd-programme in the multidisciplinary field of Human Rights. The programme covers four years of full time studies (240 credits). The programme is convened by Human Rights Studies at the Department of History.

The research field integrates historical, philosophical, legal, and political perspectives on the study of human rights, their circumstances, challenges and role in our current times. Current areas of study are state and non-state agency, historiography and conceptualizations of human rights, minority protection, human rights in school curricula and teaching practice, women’s rights, rights and activism, children’s rights, political resistance, and rights discourses in civil society.

Read about our Doctoral students and their projects at our doctoral students .

Eligibility

In order to satisfy the general eligibility requirements for admission to Doctoral studies the applicant must have completed an academic degree on advanced level (one or two year master), or completed courses amounting to 240 Swedish university credits (of which at least 60 credits on advanced level), or equivalent. In order to satisfy the special eligibility requirements for Doctoral studies in Human Rights, two of the applicant’s prior years of study (120 credits) must have clear relevance for the field of human rights studies and for the planned dissertation project. The applicant must also have completed a thesis on master level (at least 15 credits) clearly oriented within the field of human rights.   Read more in our general syllabus .  

Questions about Doctoral studies in Human Rights are answered by Dan-Erik Andersson .  

• HT Faculties Doctoral Students Page
• Regulations Doctoral studies
• The Doctoral Student Union

Director of Studies

Dan-Erik Andersson LUX:A227 E-mail: dan-erik.andersson mrs.lu se

Head of Division

Programme coordinator.

LUX:A210 Phone: +46 46-222 3047 e-mail: mrs mrs.lu se

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AN OPEN NETWORK FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND INNOVATION IN THE AREA OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AT LUND UNIVERSITY

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AI & Law

This four-week course titled AI and Law explores the way in which the increasing use of artificially intelligent technologies (AI) affects the practice and administration of law defined in a broad sense.

Subject matters discussed include the connection be between AI and Law in the context of legal responsibility, law-making, law-enforcing, criminal law, the medical sector and intellectual property law. The course aims to equip members of the general public with an elementary ability to understand the meaningful potential of AI for their own lives. The course also aims to enable members of the general public to understand the consequences of using AI and to allow them to interact with AIs in a responsible, helpful, conscientious way. At the end of this course, you will have a basic understanding of how to:

• Understand the legal significance of the artificially intelligent software and hardware
• Understand the impact of the emergence of artificial intelligence on the application and administration of law in the public sector in connection with the enforcement of criminal law, the modelling of law and in the context of administrative law.
• Understand the legal relevance of the use of artificially intelligent software in the private sector in connection with innovation and associated intellectual property rights, in the financial services sector and when predicting outcomes of legal proceedings.
• Understand the importance of artificial intelligence for selected legal fields, including labour law, competition law and health law.

Syllabus and Format

The course consists of four modules where one module represents about one week of part-time studies. A module includes a number of lectures and readings, and finishes with an assessment – a quiz and/or a peer graded assignment. The assessments are intended to encourage learning and ensure that you understand the material of the course. Participating in forum discussions is voluntary.

Access the course at coursera.org

Words from the producers.

• Legal AI in the Public Sector
• Legal AI in the Private Sector
• Selected Challenges

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Doctoral studies

Doctoral programmes (PhD programmes) are offered by all six departments at the Lund University School of Economics and Management. It is often given in collaboration with other parts of Lund University or with other institutions in Sweden.

The doctoral degree is the highest academic degree. The Swedish doctoral degree comprises 240 credits and the doctoral programme normally takes four years of full-time study.

The programmes differ somewhat between disciplines, but in all cases they consist of at least one year of course work and at least two years spent writing the doctoral thesis. The thesis can be produced in the form of a monograph or in the form of a number of articles published during the doctoral programme, a so-called compilation thesis. The thesis is defended at a public defence where an opponent reviews and opposes the thesis. An examining committee consisting of at least three people grade the thesis.

You also have the option of obtaining a licentiate degree after 120 credits. Such a degree can either conclude a programme or be awarded when you are halfway to a doctoral degree. The thesis is then called a licentiate thesis and is presented and examined at a seminar.

After graduation many doctors pursue academic careers while others obtain positions within business or public administration.

At present, the School of Economics and Management has about 100 admitted doctoral students and around 20 doctoral theses are produced each year.

Regulations for third-cycle education at LUSEM (pdf, 290 kB)

Apply to a doctoral programme

Are you interested in joining a doctoral programme at the School of Economics and Management? You apply via the department where you want to do your research. All vacant PhD positions are advertised via Lund University’s job portal.

Application and admission

Financing your doctoral studies

At the School of Economics and Management there are two different ways of financing your studies: employment as a doctoral student, or external funding. External funding may consist of employment outside the university or a scholarship from an external source. It is important to recognise that the different types of funding give you different levels of social security. Upon admission, funding must be secured for the entire duration of the programme and must be at least half-time.

The doctoral degree conferment ceremony

The doctoral degree conferment ceremony takes place at the end of May and is the biggest event of the academic year. During the ceremony, the University rewards those who have completed a doctoral programme and defended a doctoral thesis. At the promotion ceremony, the insignia of learning are awarded: the hat or laurel wreath, the ring and the diploma.

On the same occasion, the University also honours outstanding researchers from other universities and individuals by awarding them honorary doctorates. As a tribute to previous generations, those who received their doctoral degree 50 years ago are also promoted to jubilee doctors.

The doctoral degree conferment ceremony – lunduniversity.lu.se

Quality assurance in research education

Our doctoral programmes are regularly evaluated to maintain their quality.

Doctoral studies at the departments

• Department of Business Administration
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Lund’s Doctoral Student Union

– for all research students at Lund University

For current doctoral students

More information about your doctoral studies in Canvas

• University of La Verne News
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Graduates Transforming Law Enforcement

Beverly Hills Police Department officers, Lieutenant Jesse Perez and Captain Giovanni Trejo, returned to the classroom during the pandemic to reshape the future of law enforcement.

Trejo researched organizational change in law enforcement at the top ranks, while Trejo focused on drone technology in policing — both a reflection of their unwavering commitment to excellence and the communities they serve. The pair recently earned education doctoral degrees in organizational leadership.

Captain Trejo’s academic journey began in 2020 during the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflecting on his experience, Trejo said the program was challenging with virtual learning and intense weekend Zoom sessions, testing his patience and determination at times.

“Two things that helped me get through the program were my love and appreciation for law enforcement. Our communities deserve the best. Anything below the mark of excellence is simply a disservice to them. That mark of excellence was my target when I embarked on this venture. Commitment to public service propelled me and got me to where I am today.”

Trejo’s dissertation was on “Organizational Change in Law Enforcement: Exploring the Use of Change Management Practices of Police Executives Adopting Less Traditional Patrol Procedures.” While he looked at police chiefs and how they connected to the community, he hopes all officers can find inspiration in building bridges and meaningful dialogue.

Perez, a patrol lieutenant watch commander and SWAT/CNT commander, used his 21 years of experience and hands-on work to delve into the transformative potential of drone technology in modern policing. His doctoral research is titled “Law Enforcement and Advanced Drone Technology: A Comprehensive Inside Look at the Use and Implementation of Law Enforcement Drone Technology and Its Effect on Officer Safety, Police Culture, and Public Perception.”

The study offers invaluable insights as law enforcement faces challenges such as losing confidence in government institutions, recruitment and retention issues, community trust, legal changes, and technological advancements. He emphasizes that technology, when used legally, ethically, and morally, can be a significant ‘force multiplier’ in 21st-century policing. He advocates for the responsible use of drone technology to enhance officer safety, gather intelligence, reconstruct crime scenes, search for missing persons, and support SWAT operations. Lieutenant Perez’s vision includes integrating drone technology in partnership with the community to promote transparency, accountability, and legitimacy in law enforcement. His work highlights the importance of using technology as a tool to assist law enforcement, not as a replacement for police personnel.

The officers’ achievement and work garnered recognition from Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark G. Stainbrook and an article local paper.

Congratulations Captain Trejo and Lieutenant Perez!

Related Stories

Partnership With National Continuing Higher Education Organization

La Verne Celebrates Class of 2024

2024 Graduate Highlights

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PhD Scholarship Opportunity in the School of Law and Government

SFI Co-Centre for Climate+ Biodiversity + Water PhD Scholarship 

Project title: Strengthening governance and policy for climate, biodiversity and water on the island of Ireland

DCU School of Law and Government and the Centre for Climate and Society are pleased to share this full time PhD position within the newly established Co-Centre for Climate + Biodiversity + Water , funded by Science Foundation Ireland . The Co-Centre brings together 14 higher education and research institutions across Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Great Britain, with the vision to be a home of research, innovation, and policy development across the interlinked challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and water.

The scholarship will provide a stipend of EUR 22,000 per annum and will cover EU fees, both for four years. Some funding for research equipment, materials, fieldwork, and conference travel will also be provided.

The PhD project 

Land-use policy and governance play a key role in achieving a Paris-aligned, biodiversity-rich, and prosperous society. Brexit will likely reduce the alignment of land use policy and governance in Ireland and Northern Ireland, posing risks for environmental outcomes across a range of domains including climate, biodiversity and water quality, creating a complex regulatory context for businesses and undermining investor confidence. Against this backdrop the central aim of this PhD project is to analyze trends in land-use regulatory and governance arrangements on the island of Ireland, develop scenario-based analysis of risks associated with policy and governance divergence, and identify potential approaches to mitigate such risks. The project will also focus on the theme of just transitions, and how these can be enabled through strengthened policy and governance frameworks across the two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland.

Closing date: 14 June 2024 

More information on the scholarship and instructions on how to apply are available on the jobs.ac.uk website and on this PDF . 

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Cellphone expert testifies missing data benefits University of Idaho murder suspect

A cellphone analyst suggested at a pretrial hearing Thursday that he has been stymied by law enforcement's disorganized data collection and recordkeeping in the case against Bryan Kohberger, the graduate student accused in the fatal stabbings of four Idaho college students .

Sy Ray , whom Kohberger's defense team plans to call as an expert witness at trial, said his review of the evidence provided by the FBI and police so far shows not all of the cellphone data extracted from Kohberger's phone around the time of the murders in 2022 was mapped.

He further testified that it's crucial that he receive all of the AT&T source data and related information for him to verify, given that prosecutors in Latah County are pinning Kohberger to the location of the killings, in part, by his cellphone use and cell tower records.

"It is a terrible practice to justify probable cause with these very detailed call detail records that give breadcrumb-like trails for individuals and then not map it," Ray said.

"Because of the piecemealing of the data, because of the missing data, because of the data I'm reviewing that is incredibly inaccurate, everything that is missing is absolutely in benefit of the defense right now," Ray testified, adding, "There are other reports that are missing that I can't tell you are benefiting of Mr. Kohberger or the state."

He added that it's unclear why certain data is unavailable: "Is this human error? Is it accidental? Is it intentional?"

What he has seen so far, he said, appears to be "exculpatory" to Kohberger.

Ray, a former police detective in Arizona, testified that he typically has been an expert witness for prosecutors in criminal cases. His expertise has previously come under scrutiny .

Earlier in Thursday's hearing, a lead investigator with the Moscow Police Department testified that thousands of hours of video were collected in relation to a Hyundai Elantra that prosecutors say Kohberger was driving when he left his apartment in Washington state, 9½ miles from where the murders took place in Moscow, Idaho.

Thursday's testimony was part of an ongoing attempt by the defense to ask the judge to compel prosecutors to turn over certain evidence in the discovery phase. DNA experts were expected to be called during a later hearing closed to the public. Prosecutors have argued that they aren’t purposefully withholding information.

The slow pace of the pretrial hearings and the discussions hanging over such a high-profile case have only delayed the trial and pushed a trial date back to spring or summer 2025 — frustrating families of the victims , who say their ability to heal has been impeded. Documents filed Friday also showed that a hearing on whether to move the trial out of Latah County, initially scheduled for late June, has been further delayed to Aug. 29.

The family of Kaylee Goncalves, one of the murdered students, mocked Thursday's hearing as "business as usual."

"The defense claiming they haven't received all the evidence in the case and the prosecution stating, 'We can't give it if we don't have it,'" the Goncalves family said in a statement.

"The hearings have become a Wild West of statements, witnesses, issues, hand holding of the attorneys and excuses for continued delay," they said, adding that "the victims' families want justice, but just as importantly, we want the case to move forward."

Three of the victims — Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; and Xana Kernodle, 20 — lived in an apartment house near the University of Idaho, where they were students. Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20, had been staying over and was also killed early Nov. 13, 2022.

In an affidavit following Kohberger's arrest weeks after the killings, prosecutors said he was linked to the scene through  male DNA discovered on a knife sheath  left at the victims' apartment house. Investigators also said his cellphone use and video surveillance connected him to the crime.

Kohberger's a libi defense maintains that he would go for nighttime drives and that they only increased during the school year.

Erik Ortiz is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital focusing on racial injustice and social inequality.

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Master's degree studies

We offer over 130 Master's degree programmes taught in English across a wide range of subjects. Every year, applicants from around 160 countries apply to our international Master’s programmes. The programmes are therefore truly international and offer a global perspective on the issues our world is facing today.

Education at Lund University is closely tied to current research and many of the programmes and courses are unique. International guest lecturers and speakers from businesses, governments, NGOs and research fields regularly feature as part of the curriculum to further connect studies to the professional world.

In addition to our Master’s degree programmes, there is a wide range of stand-alone courses to choose from for those who are not looking for a full degree.

Find your Master’s programme

On each programme webpage, you will find all the details you need about that specific Master’s programme, such as the entry requirements, how to apply, selection criteria and tuition fees.

To get an overview of all Master’s programmes we offer, you can find them listed by subject area. You can also search for programmes open in a current or the most recent application round:

• All Master's programmes by subject area
• Search for Master's degree programmes
• Programmes and courses A–Z

Master’s programmes open to students with different academic backgrounds

Many of our programmes offer a unique interdisciplinary approach and some of these also accept students with different academic backgrounds (not only from the same subject area, that is). If you are looking to change to a different discipline than the major within your Bachelor’s degree, these programmes may be of special interest to you.

Some of the programmes open to students with any or a wide range of Bachelor’s degrees are:

• Master's in Applied Cultural Analysis (for those with a humanities or social science major)
• Master's in Asian Studies  (for those with a humanities or social science major)
• Master's in Climate Change and Society (luscus.lu.se) – new programme starting in autumn 2025
• Master's in Disaster Risk Management & Climate Change Adaptation
• Master's in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Master's in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
• Master's in Environmental Management and Policy
• Master's in Geographical Information Systems
• Master's in International Development and Management
• Master's in Management (for those with a non-business major)
• Master's in Politics and Society of the Contemporary Middle East
• Master's in Public Health

Joint Master’s programmes and double-degrees

For those of you who are interested in studying your degree at several universities, we also offer a range of European (Erasmus Mundus) Joint Master’s degrees, as well as other joint programmes and double degrees with partner universities.

European Joint Master’s degrees, other joint programmes and double-degrees

Related links about Master’s studies

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• How to apply to Master’s studies

How to apply to a Master's programme

Watch on YouTube: How to apply to a Master's programme at Lund University