Elective courses

The research school offers at least two elective courses each year.

The courses will be open for all military doctoral students of the research school. Additional places will be offered to civilian doctoral students at member universities.

Initially, two courses will be offered each year by the Swedish Defence University. Additional courses will be offered when available, organised by member universities (by themselves or together with the Swedish Defence University). Courses will be selected each year by the steering committee.

Elective courses for 2025

The Practice of Soldier Scholars (7,5 ECTS)
Like many other researching practitioners, military officers with a PhD degree are often confronted with the conflicting identities of being both a military officer and a researcher. This course aims to introduce and develop analytical tools to better manage and reflect over these dual identities. Do you become a better officer if you are a researcher and do you become a better researcher if you are an officer? How do these roles and identities interact in the research process as well as in the military profession?

Course provider: Swedish Defence University, Department of War Studies
Course director: Professor Jan Ångström.
Course dates 2025: week 14-18.

Research in Sensitive Contexts: Ethics and Secrecy (7,5 ECTS)
The aim of this course is to provide doctoral students with knowledge about conducting research in sensitive contexts, specifically the use of different social scientific methods and strategies to address ethical and security-related challenges. The course illustrates how sensitive contexts in various ways shape the entire research process of planning, conducting and publishing research.

Course provider: Swedish Defence University, Department of War Studies
Course director: Professor Maria Eriksson Baaz.
Course dates 2025: week 41-45.