Assistant Professor in the Sociology of Crime

The Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics at the University of Iceland invites applications for a full-time position of Assistant Professor in the Sociology of Crime. Under the regulations of the University of Iceland, the duties of academic staff are divided into three main components: research, teaching, and administration. Most of the teaching is in the master’s program in criminology, which is taught in English.

An applicant who already holds an academic position at an Icelandic or foreign university may apply for promotion to a comparable position upon appointment.

Main tasks and responsibilities

• Research in the fields of Criminology or the Sociology of Crime
• Teaching graduate courses and supervising MA students in Criminology
• Where applicable, teaching at the undergraduate level and supervising BA students in Sociology
• Administrative duties, including committees
• Obtaining grants from domestic and international research funds
• Participation in curriculum development at the Department of Sociology
• Participation in public discussion in their field of research

Qualification requirements

• A doctoral degree in Sociology, Criminology, or related disciplines.
• Research activity in the fields of Criminology or the Sociology of Crime in peer-reviewed international venues that apply rigorous scholarly standards
• Experience in seeking grants from domestic or international research funds is desirable
• Experience teaching at the university level
• A good command of spoken and written English.
• A good command of spoken and written Icelandic is desirable at the time of appointment, but applicants whose first language is not Icelandic must, within three years of the start of their appointment, have acquired sufficient proficiency in Icelandic to be able to carry out administrative duties and teaching assignments that require a knowledge of Icelandic.
• Communication skills, reliability, initiative, and independence in working methods, together with a strong ability to convey knowledge

Further information about the position

Salary is in accordance with the current collective agreement between the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs and the Association of University Teachers (Félag háskólakennara).

In appointing to the position, emphasis will be placed on the successful candidate being the best fit for the circumstances and needs of the Department of Sociology program and the School of Social Sciences.

The appointment will be for five years, with the possibility of a permanent appointment at the end of that period, cf. Paragraph 3 of Article 31 of the Regulations for the University of Iceland No. 569/2009.

An applicant who already holds an academic position at an Icelandic or foreign university may apply for promotion to a comparable position upon appointment.

The processing of applications, the assessment of applicants’ qualifications, and the appointment to the position are governed by the provisions of Act No. 85/2008 on Public Higher Education Institutions and the Regulations for the University of Iceland No. 569/2009.

Applicants must submit the following documents with their application. 

• A cover letter stating, among other things, how the applicant meets the qualification requirements
• Diplomas or, where applicable, a transcript of academic record
• An academic résumé (Curriculum Vitae)
• A list of publications 
• A report on scholarly work and other work the applicant has carried out
• A statement of research and teaching plans in the event of appointment
• Information on possible referees who may be contacted

The application must state which of the applicant’s written works, up to eight in total, the applicant considers most significant with regard to the position in question. The applicant should submit only these works with the application or indicate where they are accessible in electronic form. Where a submitted work has more than one author, applicants must account for their own contribution to the work. Application materials that cannot be submitted electronically should be submitted in duplicate to the Division of Science and Innovation, University of Iceland, Sæmundargata 2, 101 Reykjavík.

All applications will be answered, and applicants will be informed of the outcome once a decision has been made. Applications may remain valid for six months from the closing date for applications.

Appointments to positions at the University of Iceland take account of the University’s equality policy. Attention is drawn to the language policy of the University of Iceland.

Since its establishment, the University of Iceland has been a cornerstone of economic life and progress in Icelandic society. It is also a forward-looking research university and an active participant in international scientific collaboration.

The University of Iceland is the largest university in the country and offers close to 400 programs of study at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. About 14,000 students attend the University, more than 2,000 of them international students.

More than 1,800 people work at the University of Iceland. The University places emphasis on attracting a diverse group of staff and students into an international academic community in which academic freedom, professionalism, equality, diversity, and inclusion are paramount.

More about the University of Iceland, its Schools and Faculties

Percentage of employment is 100%

The application deadline is up to and including October 12, 2026

For further information contact

Thoroddur Bjarnason, Head of the Faculty of Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics - thoroddur@hi.is
Viðar Halldórsson, Chair of the Department of Sociology - vidarh@hi.is