National Program for Doctoral Courses in Human Geography

The National Program for Doctoral Courses in Human Geography was established in 1997. It aims to:

  • Offer courses for Sweden’s PhD students in human geography, with instructors from Sweden and abroad
  • Give all of our PhD students the benefit of expertise outside one’s home department
  • Allow PhD students to meet senior researchers as well as their colleagues from other departments

An average of four courses are offered per year, some of which are regularly recurring. The selection of doctoral courses is made by a steering committee consisting of representatives of each participating department. The group is currently led (since 2022) by Associate Professor David Jansson, Department of Human Geography, Uppsala University.

Courses that are included in the program usually comprise 7.5 ECTS credits, and course meetings take place on two or three occasions to limit travel expenses (occasionally a course will be offered as a week-long experience). The costs incurred for participating doctoral students are paid by their respective departments.

If places are available, courses are also open for postgraduate students in other disciplines, but course fees may apply (contact the course organizer).

Cooperation with human geographers at the University of Oslo

PhD students in human geography at the University of Oslo’s Department of Sociology and Human Geography have the right to take courses in the Swedish national program without a course fee.

All Swedish PhD students in human geography have the right to take PhD courses in human geography at the University of Oslo without a course fee. The courses can be found at the subject search page where the relevant courses begin with ”SGO” and where ”avhandlingsseminarier” are excluded.

National listserv for PhD students in human geography in Sweden

The PhD students in human geography at Uppsala University have created a listserv for all PhD students in the subject in Sweden. The purpose is to provide increased opportunities for networking and information exchange across departmental boundaries. If you are a PhD student in human geography in Sweden and want to be added to the listserv, or have questions about it, contact Olivia Butler (olivia.butler@kultgeog.uu.se) or Adam Lundberg (adam.lundberg@kultgeog.uu.se).

National PhD Courses in Human Geography 2026

Research Frontiers in Economic Geography
February–April 2026
Organizers:
Rikard Eriksson (course leader), Umeå University; Markus Grillitsch, Lund University; Martin Henning, University of Gothenburg; Johan Jansson, Uppsala University
Course Description PDF pdf, 150 kB.
Contact: Rikard Eriksson, Umeå University. Email: rikard.eriksson@umu.se
Application deadline: 1 December 2025

Landscape and Property
May–September 2026 (with an intensive period in Visby, Gotland 18–22 May 2026)
Organizers: Department of Human Geography, Uppsala University; Department of Human Geography, Lund University; Department of Economics, Geography, Law and Tourism, Mittuniversitet
Course Description PDF pdf, 177 kB.
Contact: Tom Mels, Uppsala University. Email: tom.mels@kultgeog.uu.se. Don Mitchell, Uppsala University. Email: Don.Mitchell@kultgeog.uu.se.
Application deadline: 1 March 2026

Time-geography – theoretical approach, notation system and method
14-16 September 2026 and 11-13 November 2026 (in Gothenburg)
Organizers: Eva Thulin, Professor, Department of Economy and Society, Gothenburg University; Kajsa Ellegård, Professor, Department of Thematic Studies, Technology and social change, Linköping University; Åsa Westermark, PhD, Human geography, Jönköping University
Course Description PDF pdf, 102 kB.
Contact: Eva Thulin. Email: eva.thulin@geography.gu.se)
Application deadline: 15 May 2026.

Tourism and Human Geography: A Critical Perspective
Autumn 2026
Organizers: Richard Ek, Department of Geography, Media and Communication, Karlstad University; Dimitri Ioannides, Department of Economics, Geography, Law and Tourism, Mid Sweden University; Dieter Müller, Department of Geography, Umeå University.
Course description PDF pdf, 239 kB.
Contact: Richard Ek, Karlstad University. Email: richard.ek@kau.se
Dimitri Ioannides, Mid Sweden University. Email: dimitri.ioannides@miun.se
Application deadline: 1 maj 2026

Quantitative Methods in Human Geography
Dates to be determined.
Details forthcoming, autumn 2025

National PhD Courses in Human Geography 2025

Classics in Theories of Space and Place
27-28 March, 24-25 April, 7-9 May 2025
Organizers: Karlstad University, Malmö University
Course Description Classics in Theories of Space and Place PDF pdf, 166 kB.
Contact: Mekonnen Tesfahuney, Karlstads University, email: mete@kau.se

Qualitative Methods: From the Archives to the Field
17–19 September, 2–3 October 2025
Organizers: Stockhoms universitet, Göteborgs universitet.
Course Description Qualitative Methods PDF pdf, 110 kB.
Contact: Kanchana N Ruwanpura, Göteborgs universitet, email: kanchana.ruwanpura@gu.se
Application deadline: August 30, 2025

Geographical Migration Studies
22–24 October 2025; 26–28 November 2025
Organizers, Umeå University, Stockholm University
Course Description Geographical Migration Studies pdf, 144 kB.
Contact: Charlotta Hedberg, Umeå University, email: charlotta.hedberg@umu.se
Application deadline: 15 June 2025

Digital Geographies
9-10 September, 7-8 October, 18-19 November, 16 January 2026
Organizers: Örebro University, Stockholm University, Karlstad University
Course Description PDF (updated August 2024) pdf, 134 kB.
Contact: Natasha Webster, Örebro University natasha.webster@oru.se
Application deadline: 15 June 2025

2025
Qualitative Methods in Human Geography and Social Science: Critical and Reflective Practices (Course Description PDF) pdf, 218 kB.

2024
Research Frontiers in Economic Geography (Course description PDF pdf, 109 kB.)
Landscape and Labor (Course description PDF pdf, 109 kB.)
Time-geography: Theoretical Approach, Notation System and Methods (Course description PDF pdf, 98 kB.)
Development Geographies: Current Debates (Course description PDF pdf, 117 kB.)

2023
Rural Transformations and Social Movements in the 21st Century (Course description PDF) pdf, 174 kB.
Classics in Theories of Space and Place (Course description (PDF)) pdf, 238 kB.
Feminist Geographies (Course description (PDF)) pdf, 179 kB.

2022
Economic Geography (Course Description PDF pdf, 167 kB.)
Landscape and History (Course Description PDF pdf, 298 kB.)
Class and the City (Course Description PDF pdf, 271 kB.)
Regional Development - Nordic perspectives (Course Description PDF pdf, 116 kB.)
Development Geographies - Current Debates (Course Description PDF pdf, 107 kB.)

2021
Classics in Spatial Theory
Time Geography
Future Geographies

2020
Economic Geography

2019
Classics in Spatial Theory
Feminist Geographies
Topics in Political Geography
Agrarian Transformation under Modernization
Urban Rage in the Urban Age: Crisis and the Transformation of Cities

2018
Qualitative Methods
Global Urbanism
Landscape and Production

2017
Economic Geography
Political Geography
Time Geography
Media Geographies

2016
Housing, the City and Justice
Landscape and Identity

2015
Global Urbanism
Economic Geography
Time Geography

2014
Mobility, Security and Space
Landscape and Modernity
Political Geography

2013
Social Theory and Geography
Economic Geography
Development, Livelihoods and Rural-urban Interaction
Gender Theory and Spatial Understanding

2012
Urban Conflict and Urban Justice
Landscape and Resources
Remote Sensing for Social Scientists

2011
Mobility, Security and Space
Economic Geography
Qualitative Methods

2010
Landscape and Justice
Time Geography
Gender Theory and Spatial Understanding
Mobility in Time and Space

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