Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) at Jönköping University, Sweden, is offering two fully financed PhD in Sweden in Business Administration for 2027. The positions are aimed at candidates interested in entrepreneurship, ownership, or family business and are offered as full-time doctoral employment.

According to the vacancy information, the positions are scheduled to start on January 1, 2027, or by agreement, with an application deadline of October 1, 2026. The positions are salaried doctoral positions rather than conventional scholarship-only opportunities.

For prospective international students searching for a fully funded PhD in Sweden, this opportunity is particularly relevant if your academic background and research interests match Business Administration and at least one of JIBS’s specified research areas.

PhD in Sweden in Business Administration: Quick Overview

The vacancy information specifies two positions, full-time employment, the January 2027 starting date, and the October 1, 2026 deadline.

What Is This PhD in Sweden in Business Administration?

The doctoral positions are part of the PhD in Sweden in Business Administration environment at Jönköping International Business School. JIBS is one of the schools within Jönköping University and offers doctoral education in an international research environment.

JIBS’s Business Administration doctoral programme is structured around doctoral coursework and thesis research. The university states that the programme comprises 240 credits, normally corresponding to four years of full-time doctoral study, with 90 credits of coursework and 150 credits for the doctoral thesis.

The university also describes doctoral education as combining advanced research training with participation in seminars, academic presentations and, for employed doctoral students, teaching responsibilities.

Is this a fully funded PhD in Sweden?

Yes, according to the vacancy information, these positions are fully financed doctoral positions. Successful candidates are employed as PhD students and receive a monthly salary while undertaking their doctoral studies.

This is an important distinction for international applicants. A salaried doctoral position means that the candidate is employed by the university rather than simply receiving a scholarship to cover selected study expenses.

Research Areas for the Jönköping University PhD in Sweden in Business Administration

Applicants should have research interests that fit at least one of three specified areas:

1. Entrepreneurship
2. Ownership
3. Family Business

The supplied vacancy information states that research proposals outside these areas will not be considered.

This means that applicants should not treat the research proposal as a generic Business Administration proposal. The proposed research needs to demonstrate a clear intellectual connection to one or more of these areas.

1. Entrepreneurship Research

The entrepreneurship research area covers a broad range of questions concerning entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial firms, innovation and the environments in which new ventures emerge and grow.

Potential topics include:

• Entrepreneurial actors and processes
• Entrepreneurial cognition and decision-making
• Entrepreneurial emotions, identity and well-being
• Entrepreneurial behaviour
• Strategy and organization in entrepreneurial firms
• Management and organizational processes
• Team dynamics in entrepreneurial ventures
• New venture creation
• Venture growth and exit
• International entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurial ecosystems
• Regional and institutional conditions for entrepreneurship and innovation
• Gender, diversity and inequality in entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurial careers
• Access to entrepreneurial resources and financing

These topics are particularly relevant for applicants whose proposed research examines how entrepreneurs create, develop, finance or transform businesses.

2. Ownership Research

The ownership research area examines how ownership structures, owner objectives and governance arrangements influence organizations.

Possible research themes include:

• Ownership rights
• Psychological ownership
• Ownership competence
• Owners’ goals
• Ownership and organizational objectives
• Ownership strategy and governance
• Corporate finance and investment
• Accounting under different ownership structures
• Family ownership
• Foundation ownership
• Cooperative ownership
• Employee ownership
• State ownership
• Dispersed ownership
• Responsible ownership
• Ownership transitions
• Long-term ownership commitments
• Governance across generations

This area could be particularly suitable for research examining the relationship between ownership, governance, strategic decision-making and organizational outcomes.

3. Family Business Research

Family business is another major research area at JIBS.

Potential research topics include:

• Family business governance
• Family business strategy
• Family business organization
• Family governance bodies
• Professionalization of family firms
• Non-family managers
• Internationalization of family firms
• Heterogeneity among family owners and family businesses
• Entrepreneurship and innovation in family firms
• Transgenerational entrepreneurship
• Corporate venturing
• Portfolio entrepreneurship
• Family offices and investment
• Family relationships and conflict
• Next-generation development
• Leadership succession
• Family goals and identity
• Family wealth

Applicants interested in succession, family governance, entrepreneurship across generations or the strategic development of family-owned firms may find this research area especially relevant.

Which JIBS Research Centre Could Fit Your PhD Proposal?

A strong application should not only identify a research topic. The supplied vacancy information asks applicants to connect their proposed research with at least one JIBS interdisciplinary research centre.

Three centres are particularly relevant to the advertised research areas.

Centre for Family Entrepreneurship and Ownership (CeFEO)

CeFEO focuses on family business and ownership research.

Its research includes areas such as:

• Family business governance
• Family business strategy
• Succession
• Responsible ownership
• Family-business relationships across generations
• Differences between family owners and family firms

Applicants proposing research on family firms, ownership, succession, family governance or transgenerational entrepreneurship should consider whether CeFEO provides the strongest research fit.

Centre for Entrepreneurship and Spatial Economics (CEnSE)

CEnSE focuses on entrepreneurship, innovation and firm dynamics within spatial and institutional contexts.

Relevant themes include:

• New venture creation
• Business growth
• Entrepreneurial ecosystems
• Innovation
• Firm dynamics
• Regional entrepreneurship
• Institutional conditions affecting entrepreneurship

This may be particularly relevant for proposals examining regional entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ecosystems, innovation or the institutional environment surrounding new ventures.

Media, Management and Transformation Centre (MMTC)

MMTC examines entrepreneurship, strategy and organization in contexts experiencing technological and institutional transformation.

The supplied information identifies research interests including:

• Media
• Digital platforms
• Artificial intelligence
• Technological transformation
• Institutional change

This could be relevant for applicants examining how technology, digital platforms or AI are changing entrepreneurship, ownership, strategy and organizational structures.

JIBS’s broader Business Administration research environment also includes researchers affiliated with CEnSE, MMTC and CeFEO.

PhD Admission Requirements at Jönköping University

Applicants must satisfy the admission requirements for doctoral studies at JIBS.

The vacancy information specifies the following requirements:

• A completed or expected second-cycle degree (Master’s degree)
• At least 240 ECTS credits in total
• At least 60 ECTS credits at second-cycle level
• At least 90 ECTS credits in Business Administration
• Fluency in written and spoken English

The doctoral programmes at JIBS are conducted in English.

Jönköping University’s general doctoral-admission information similarly states that applicants normally need a passed second-cycle examination, at least 240 ECTS credits including 60 at advanced level, and a relevant subject background. It also states that applicants must demonstrate English proficiency.

The 90 ECTS Business Administration Requirement

For many applicants, the most important eligibility point is the 90 ECTS requirement in Business Administration.

Having a Master’s degree alone does not automatically mean that an applicant meets the subject-specific requirement.

Before applying, candidates should therefore review their Bachelor’s and Master’s transcripts and determine how many credits are formally attributable to Business Administration.

For international applicants, it is particularly important to compare the actual content of their degree and transcripts with JIBS’s admission requirements rather than assuming that a degree title alone establishes eligibility.

How Is the PhD in Sweden in Business Administration Structured?

JIBS states that the Business Administration doctoral programme normally comprises 240 credits:

The programme normally corresponds to four years of full-time doctoral study.

The doctoral coursework includes compulsory methodological and research-oriented courses as well as elective courses.

Examples of compulsory coursework listed by JIBS include:

• Philosophy of Science and Research Ethics
• Scientific Method: Quantitative
• Scientific Method: Qualitative
• Classics in Economics
• Classics in Accounting
• Classics in Organisation Theory
• Classics in Marketing
• Classics in Entrepreneurship

Elective courses are intended to provide broader or deeper knowledge related to research areas at JIBS.

Research seminars and academic development

Doctoral students are also expected to participate in research seminars and present their work during the doctoral programme.

JIBS states that doctoral students participate in research proposal seminars and regular research seminars and are expected to present their research at seminars and conferences.

The university also encourages doctoral students to spend part of their studies at another university, normally for approximately one term, for doctoral courses or thesis-related work.

What Is the 80% PhD Study and 20% Teaching Model?

For doctoral students employed by JIBS, the typical arrangement combines doctoral research with teaching and administrative activities.

The university describes the typical doctoral employment arrangement as:

• 80% doctoral studies
• 20% teaching and administrative work

The exact employment arrangement should always be confirmed in the specific vacancy and employment agreement.

For the advertised positions, the supplied vacancy information likewise states that approximately 80% of the candidate’s time is dedicated to doctoral studies and 20% to teaching and administrative activities.

What Documents Are Required?

A complete application is essential. The supplied vacancy information states that incomplete applications will not be assessed.

Applicants should prepare the following documents in English.

1. Letter of Intent

The letter should address three central questions:

1. Why do you want to become a PhD in Sweden in Business Administration student?
2. Why do you want to pursue doctoral studies at JIBS?
3. Why should JIBS select you for this position?

A strong letter should connect your academic background, research interests and career objectives rather than simply repeating your CV.

2. Research Proposal

Applicants must submit a preliminary research proposal of no more than 3,000 words.

The proposal should:

• Explain your current research interests
• Identify the relevant research area
• Demonstrate alignment with entrepreneurship, ownership and/or family business
• Identify the relevant JIBS research centre
• Explain how your proposed research connects with that centre

The vacancy information also requires a short statement explaining whether and how AI was used in preparing the proposal.

This is especially important. Applicants should not submit generic AI-generated research proposals. The research proposal should demonstrate genuine intellectual engagement with the research problem and JIBS’s research environment.

3. Curriculum Vitae

Applicants must submit an up-to-date academic and professional CV.

The CV should make relevant research experience, publications, thesis work, quantitative or qualitative methods, teaching and professional experience easy to identify.

4. Academic and Professional Documents

Applicants should provide relevant supporting documentation, including:

• Academic transcripts
• Degree certificates or diplomas
• Evidence of teaching experience, where applicable
• Evidence of relevant industry experience, where applicable

All required documents should be prepared in English as specified in the vacancy information.

5. Master’s Thesis

Applicants should submit a copy of their Master’s thesis.

If the thesis has not yet been completed, the supplied vacancy information indicates that applicants may provide a current draft or executive summary instead.

Relevant academic publications may also be included.

6. Academic Reference

One academic reference letter is required from someone who can evaluate the applicant’s academic potential.

7. Two Additional References

Applicants must also provide contact details for two additional references:

• Name
• Telephone number
• Email address

How Will JIBS Evaluate Applicants?

Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission.

The supplied vacancy information indicates that JIBS will consider factors including:

• Formal PhD in Sweden in Business Administration admission requirements
• Quality and completeness of the application
• Academic achievements
• Research potential
• Genuine research interests
• Motivation for doctoral studies
• Personal profile
• Fit with JIBS’s working culture
• Fit with the selected research focus
• Fit with at least one JIBS research centre

JIBS also states more generally that doctoral admission is restricted and that applicants are assessed on academic merits, experience, suitability, research interests and their expected ability to complete the programme successfully.

What makes an application competitive?

A competitive application should do more than demonstrate that the applicant has a Master’s degree.

Ideally, the application should establish a clear chain:

Previous academic training → research experience → research problem → proposed methodology → JIBS research area → JIBS research centre → long-term research goals

The research proposal is therefore likely to be one of the most important parts of the application.

Employment, Funding and Salary

The advertised positions are described as full-time temporary employment at Jönköping International Business School.

The vacancy information states that successful candidates will be employed as PhD in Sweden in Business Administration students and receive a monthly salary.

Important: The supplied vacancy information does not state a specific salary amount. Therefore, applicants should not assume a particular monthly or annual salary without checking the official employment information.

Why Consider a PhD in Sweden in Business Administration at Jönköping International Business School?

JIBS offers a research environment for candidates interested in business-related research with an international orientation.

The Business Administration doctoral programme covers multiple research areas, while JIBS’s research centres provide opportunities for more specialized research.

The advertised position may be particularly suitable for applicants interested in:

• Entrepreneurship
• Business ownership
• Family business
• Business strategy
• Organizational studies
• Innovation
• Corporate governance
• International business
• Technology and entrepreneurship

The combination of doctoral education, research activity, teaching experience and salaried employment makes this type of position different from a conventional tuition-based PhD in Sweden in Business Administration programme.

Who Should Apply?

This opportunity is most relevant to candidates who meet the academic requirements and can demonstrate a strong research fit with JIBS.

You may be a good fit if:

• You have a relevant Master’s or second-cycle degree.
• Your academic background satisfies the required ECTS credits.
• You have at least 90 ECTS in Business Administration as required by the vacancy.
• Your research interests fall within entrepreneurship, ownership or family business.
• You can formulate a focused research problem.
• You can connect your proposal to a JIBS research centre.
• You are comfortable conducting research in English.
• You are interested in an academic or research-oriented career.

The opportunity is less suitable for applicants whose proposed research is unrelated to the three specified research areas.

How to Prepare a Strong Research Proposal for JIBS

A 3,000-word proposal should not attempt to cover an entire field. It should demonstrate that you understand a specific research problem and can develop a credible research project around it.

A useful structure is:

Step 1: Identify the research problem

Begin with a clearly defined problem rather than a broad topic.

For example, instead of:

“I want to study family businesses.”

A stronger starting point would identify a specific phenomenon, relationship, context or unresolved research question within family business.

Step 2: Explain why the problem matters

Explain the academic and practical significance of the research problem.

Step 3: Establish the research gap

Identify what existing research does not adequately explain.

Do not claim that a topic has “never been studied” unless you can substantiate that statement.

Step 4: Develop research questions

Research questions should follow logically from the identified problem and gap.

Step 5: Explain your methodology

Depending on the research question, this could involve quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, longitudinal, comparative or other approaches.

The methodology should be appropriate to the research question rather than selected simply because it is familiar.

Step 6: Establish JIBS fit

This is critical.

Explain:

• Which JIBS research area your project belongs to
• Which research centre is relevant
• Why the JIBS research environment is appropriate
• How your project could contribute to the centre’s research

Step 7: Explain the expected contribution

State what the research could contribute to theory, empirical knowledge and/or practice.

Common Mistakes Applicants Should Avoid

1. Applying with an unrelated research topic

The advertised position has specific research priorities. A general Business Administration proposal may not be sufficient.

2. Ignoring the 90 ECTS requirement

Applicants should verify their Business Administration coursework before spending substantial time preparing an application.

3. Writing a generic motivation letter

Statements such as “Sweden has a high-quality education system” are unlikely to demonstrate strong programme fit on their own.

4. Treating the research proposal as a personal statement

A research proposal should focus primarily on the research problem, questions, theoretical framing, methodology and expected contribution.

5. Failing to identify a JIBS research centre

The vacancy specifically asks applicants to connect their proposed research to a relevant centre.

6. Submitting an AI-generated proposal without meaningful intellectual input

The vacancy specifically asks applicants to disclose whether and how AI was used in preparing the proposal. Applicants should therefore ensure that the proposal genuinely represents their own research thinking.

Application Deadline for the Jönköping University PhD in Sweden in Business Administration

The application deadline stated in the vacancy information is:

October 1, 2026, at midnight CET.

The expected start date is:

January 1, 2027, or according to agreement.

The reference number is:

HR2026/79

Applicants should avoid waiting until the final day because the application requires several supporting documents, including a research proposal, thesis and references.

How to Apply for the PhD in Sweden in Business Administration in Business Administration at Jönköping University

Eligible applicants should prepare a complete application in English and submit it through the Jönköping University application system.

Before submission, check that you have prepared:

• Letter of Intent
• Research Proposal of maximum 3,000 words
• Curriculum Vitae
• Academic transcripts
• Degree certificates
• Master’s thesis or permitted alternative
• Academic reference letter
• Two additional references
• Evidence of relevant teaching or professional experience, where applicable
• AI-use statement for the research proposal

The vacancy information states that incomplete applications will not be assessed.

Official contact

Mart Ots
Jönköping University
Email: mart.ots@ju.se

The supplied vacancy information also lists union representatives Thomas Cyron (Saco-S) and Helena Holmström (ST).

Key Takeaways

• Jönköping University is offering two PhD positions in Business Administration for 2027.
• The positions are based at Jönköping International Business School (JIBS), Sweden.
• The advertised research areas are entrepreneurship, ownership and family business.
• The positions are full-time and fully financed through salaried doctoral employment according to the vacancy information.
• The expected start date is January 1, 2027, or by agreement.
• The application deadline is October 1, 2026.
• Applicants need a second-cycle degree and must satisfy the specified ECTS requirements, including 90 ECTS in Business Administration.
• The research proposal must be no longer than 3,000 words and should clearly connect the proposed research with a relevant JIBS research centre.
• JIBS’s Business Administration PhD normally comprises 240 credits: 90 credits of coursework and 150 credits for the doctoral thesis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Jönköping University Business Administration PhD fully funded?

Yes. The advertised positions are described as fully financed doctoral positions. Successful candidates are employed as PhD students and receive a monthly salary.

How many PhD positions are available?

There are two PhD student positions in Business Administration in this recruitment.

What is the research focus of the PhD positions?

The advertised positions focus on entrepreneurship, ownership and family business.

What degree is required for the PhD?

Applicants must hold, or be expected to receive, a second-cycle Master’s degree and meet the additional ECTS requirements specified by JIBS.

How many ECTS credits in Business Administration are required?

The vacancy information specifies at least 90 ECTS credits in Business Administration. Applicants should verify this requirement carefully against their transcripts.

Is English proficiency required?

Yes. JIBS’s doctoral programmes are conducted in English, and applicants must demonstrate fluency in written and spoken English.

Do I need a research proposal?

Yes. Applicants must submit a preliminary research proposal of no more than 3,000 words. The proposal should explain the research interests and demonstrate fit with one or more of the specified research areas and a relevant JIBS research centre.

Can I propose a research topic outside entrepreneurship, ownership and family business?

For this particular recruitment, the supplied vacancy information states that the research proposal must fit at least one of the three specified focus areas.

How many references are required?

The application requires one academic reference letter plus contact information for two additional references.

What is the application deadline?

The stated deadline is October 1, 2026, at midnight CET.

When does the PhD position start?

The expected start date is January 1, 2027, or according to agreement.