The Danish School of Education (DPU) at the Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, invites applications for two assistant or associate professor positions in educational sociology with a focus on the application of quantitative methods.
The assistant professorship is a full-time, three-year training position. The selected applicant is required to complete a university teaching course specifically designed for assistant professors.
The associate professorship is a tenured, permanent position.
Applicants must state explicitly whether they are applying for the assistant professorship or the associate professorship.
Both positions are full-time and will commence on 1 February 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter by mutual agreement. It is important that the chosen candidates take part in the daily activities of the department, including both teaching and supervising. Since the department is located in both Aarhus and Copenhagen, the chosen candidates should expect some travel activity between the two campuses.
The positions
The positions are affiliated with the Department of Educational Sociology, which is responsible for the Master’s degree programme in educational sociology. The selected applicants for the assistant or associate professor positions are expected to complement and contribute to the ongoing development of research and teaching within the field of educational sociology, and will be formally based in the Department of Educational Sociology, while contributions to activities in other departments at DPU may also be expected.
The Department of Educational Sociology aims to be at the forefront of the broad field of educational research, including areas such as social pedagogy, stratification, education and social mobility, school research, teacher education and adult education. The selected candidates will join a thriving research community and are expected to contribute to ongoing research activities through participation in meetings, conferences, seminars and other forums. In particular, they should support the further development of the department by applying quantitative methods within the field of educational sociology.
Applicants should be able to document research qualifications in educational sociology and quantitative research methods.
The selected applicants are expected to communicate research-based knowledge to the research community, to professional practice, to the media and to policymakers.
Furthermore, they are expected to teach and supervise students at Master’s degree level and to contribute to research grant applications and the strengthening of international networks.
Required qualifications
Building on the overall job description above, the selected applicants are expected to contribute to the development of a systematic knowledge base for research in educational sociology in one or more of the following areas: in- and exclusion processes, social pedagogy, stratification, mobility, school research and transitions, teacher education and adult education.
Assistant professorship – specific qualifications
The selected applicant for an assistant professorship must hold a PhD or equivalent in educational sociology or a related field and is required to document:
Experience in the broad field of educational sociology, with research conducted at the forefront of areas such as social pedagogy, stratification, mobility, school research and transitions, teacher education and adult education
Knowledge of theory, methods and practice within educational sociology
Research qualifications and experience with quantitative research methods
Experience of or interest in teaching on the Master’s degree programme in educational sociology as well as other relevant programmes at DPU
An internationally oriented research profile
A relevant and internationally oriented publication profile
Experience of or interest in participation in national and international research networks
Experience of or interest in communication and knowledge exchange
Experience of interdisciplinary collaboration and interdisciplinary research
Experience of or potential for obtaining external research funding
Experience of or interest in interdisciplinary teaching, including innovative teaching methods
Experience of or interest in supervising student projects and supporting researcher talent development.
In addition, the selected applicant for an assistant professorship is expected to develop new research projects of immediate relevance to the field.
Associate professorship – specific qualifications
The selected applicant for an associate professorship must hold a PhD or equivalent in educational sociology or a related field, as well as research and teaching qualifications equivalent to those obtained through an assistant professorship. Applicants must also be able to document:
Experience within the broad field of educational sociology, with research conducted at the forefront of areas such as social pedagogy, stratification, mobility, school research and transitions, teacher education or adult education
Experience with theory, methods and practice within the field
Research qualifications and experience with quantitative research methods
An internationally oriented research profile
A well-established, relevant international publication record
Experience of participation in collective research projects
Teaching experience at Master’s degree level in educational sociology, as well as proficiency in academic English for classroom teaching
Proficiency in languages relevant to the area of research
Experience of participation in national and international networks
Experience of interdisciplinary collaboration
Experience of attracting external research funding
Experience of supervising student projects and an interest in researcher talent development.
The selected applicant for the associate professorship is expected to develop new research projects of immediate relevance to the field and to document research output at an international level as well as scholarly contributions to the sociology of education.
The selected applicants for both positions will be required to teach and publish in English. Applicants who do not speak Danish will be offered support to learn the language within a period of three years.
We emphasise the importance of good working relationships, both among colleagues and with our students.
Formalities