Docents

Docent is an academic title awarded in recognition of scientific and teaching merits. The title of docent can be granted to an applicant possessing extensive knowledge in his or her field and the ability to conduct independent research as demonstrated by publications or other means, as well as good teaching skills. The number of University of Helsinki docentship holders is close to 4,400.
Docent’s duties and applying for the title of docent

The most important duty docents have in the academic community is to provide teaching. Holders of the title of docent are entrusted with the right to supervise licentiate and doctoral theses. Docents who are employed by the University are also often engaged in research. Above all, the title of docent testifies to its holder’s position as a distinguished member of the academic community, as both an excellent researcher and teacher in their field. All docentships are university-level, rather than faculty-level, titles.

At the University of Helsinki, the requirement for the title of docent is scholarly works equivalent in scope to at least two doctoral theses as well as good teaching skills. When applying for the title of docent, applicants must provide a list of scholarly publications and other qualifications, as well as give a demonstration of teaching skills in their own field. The applicants’ qualifications are assessed by independent academic assessors. At the University of Helsinki, the chancellor grants the title of docent at the proposal of faculties. Some 180 titles of docent are granted annually.

Instructions of the Faculties

Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Faculty of Pharmacy

Faculty of Arts

Faculty of Educational Sciences

Faculty of Medicine

Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry

Faculty of Science

Faculty of Social Science

Faculty of Law

Faculty of Theology

More information

General contact details

Titles of docent granted by the chancellor (in Finnish)

The Docents' Association of the University of Helsinki