The Research School of Health and Welfare

Postgraduate education started in 2004 when the School of Health Sciences was granted the right to issue PhD degrees in Gerontology. In 2007 the postgraduate education also came to include Disability Studies, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Oral Health and Social Work all included in the formation of the Research School of Health and Welfare.

Research for better health and welfare

The ultimate objective of research at the School of Health Sciences is to improve the methods for the preservation and restoration of the individual´s health, well-being and welfare. The multi-disciplinary environment of the school supports our research areas that embrace our research and education:

• Ageing, Living Conditions and Health
• Quality Improvements, Innovation and Leadership
• CHILD (Children - Health - Intervention - Learning - Development)

The school has developed a number of strategic alliances with other universities and health-care institutions, nationally as well as internationally, to facilitate the advancement of innovative knowledge and experience. Part of our mission is also to build bridges between research and practice with the aim of improving health and welfare in the community.

An interdisciplinary research school 

The School of Health Sciences offers PhD programmes at our interdisciplinary Research School of Health and Welfare, where the PhD student is enrolled to do research in one of six subjects: Disability Studies, Gerontology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Oral Health, Social Work and Quality Improvement and Leadership in Health and Welfare.
The PhD programme entails a minimum of four years of full-time work or a longer period, if conducted on a part-time basis. Swedish doctoral programmes include both course work and thesis work. The PhD programme offered at the Research School includes course work to a minimum of 90 higher education credits (ECTS credits) and thesis/research work giving 150 ECTS credits.

Course work

All PhD students enrolled at our Research School are expected to attend the compulsory courses which account for a total of 30 ECTS credits. These courses have an interdisciplinary approach.

• Health and welfare  - a multi-disciplinary research area, 7,5 ECTS credits
• Research ethics, 7,5 ECTS credits
• Philosophy of science, 7,5 ECTS credits
• Research strategies and design problems in health care research, 7,5 ECTS credits

In addition, the PhD student must select courses in their research subject that give a total of 30 ECTS credits, and another 30 ECTS credits related to the student´s specific research topic. The courses should be assessed on a PhD level and approved by the main supervisor.

Dissertation

A doctoral dissertation should present the results of research and at the same time provide evidence of the PhD student´s ability to formulate and solve scientific or academic problems, as well as future potential to become an independent researcher. A doctoral dissertation must provide new knowledge moving research forward.
There are two types of dissertations: monographs and compilations, with the compilation dissertation being the most common. A monograph is a dissertation written as a unified and coherent work. A compilation dissertation, on the other hand, is a collection of at least four published articles and a summary. Two of the articles must have been accepted for publication or published in journals reviewed by referees, and as such subject to peer review.