Admissions to doctoral studies

The following postgraduate degrees can be completed in the programme:

Faculty of Medicine

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Doctor of Medical Science
• Doctor of Dental Science
• Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology)
• Doctor of Health Sciences

Faculty of Pharmacy

• Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmacy)
• Doctor of Philosophy

When approving an application for postgraduate studies, the faculty will decide on the basis of the applicant’s previous studies and the topic of the planned doctoral dissertation to which degree the applicant’s studies will lead.

Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences

• Doctor of Philosophy

The application must comply with the minimum requirements for supervision arrangements (see admission criteria). The application must contain information on the following:

• Supervisors (1–3)
• Coordinating academic

Include in the application the supervision contract signed by the supervisor(s) who has/have agreed to supervise the doctoral thesis, describing the planned supervision arrangements. NB! In the electronic application form, attach the supervision contract to the section for the supervisors’ supporting statement.

Supervision

Arrangements related to supervision and progress monitoring (details in the supervision contract) are an important admission criteria. The doctoral programme requires applicants to have one or more supervisors at the time of submitting their application. Applicants are responsible for finding a supervisor and drawing up a research plan and study plan with the supervisor. When looking for a supervisor, you should utilise the University of Helsinki's Research portal.

• You must have one to three supervisors who have completed a doctoral degree.
• At least one of the supervisors must hold the qualifications of a docent or equivalent academic qualifications.
• Doctoral researchers completing a multidisciplinary doctoral thesis may be appointed a third supervisor, provided that there are well-grounded reasons for this presented in the application for the right to pursue a doctoral degree.
• The doctoral programme strongly recommends that the main supervisor is not emeritus/emerita or in absentia.

You will be assigned a coordinating academic based on your proposal. The coordinating academic is employed by the same Faculty as you are applying for.

The coordinating academic is familiar with the instructions concerning doctoral education and doctoral degrees at the University of Helsinki. The first supervisor may be appointed also as the coordinating academic, provided he or she fulfills the above criteria. The coordinating academic will be appointed at the same time as the supervisors. You can use the University of Helsinki People finder and contacts -service to look for a suitable coordinating academic.

Provide the required information on your coordinating academic on the application form and supporting statement although your main supervisor would be appointed to the coordinating academic. 

In the Faculty of Medicine professors, associate professors and docents may act as the coordinating academics for doctoral candidates. Note! A docent contract alone is not enough!

In the Faculty of Pharmacy, professors and associate professors may act as the coordinating academic for a doctoral student. You can use the University of Helsinki People finder and contacts -service to look for a suitable coordinating academic.

If you are applying to the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, please see the faculty's website for a list of coordinating academics at each discipline.

The coordinating academic’s role is

• to ensure the continuity of the supervision arrangements,
• to assist you in acquainting yourself with the rules of doctoral education and the dissertation examination process,
• to make the faculty a formal proposal on the pre-examiners and opponent to be named,
• to approve the studies to be included in your doctoral degree
• if supervisor/s are not employed by the University of Helsinki, the coordinatic academic approves the doctoral researchers courses completed outside the University of Helsinki.

In this doctoral programme, thesis committee is not obligatory at the application stage, but it has to be formed and the first meeting arranged within 6-12 months after being accepted to the programme. General and programme specific instructions for thesis committee can be found in Instructions for students. 

Your research plan will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• Suitability of the research topic to the profile of the doctoral programme
• Scholarly quality and feasibility of the research plan
• Suitability of the research environment and the support it provides
• Major part of the research needs to be done in Finland and thus the applicant needs to be committed to move to Finland.
• Use of appropriate research methods
• Feasibility in the planned timetable (four-year target net duration at the University of Helsinki)
• Funding plan for the doctoral thesis project: The first-year funding, including your living costs and project costs, must be confirmed at the application stage. The supervisor commits to covering your living costs if no other funding is available. Itemise the funding sources (or doctoral researcher’s independent funds) in the supervision contract.

• Your motivation and previously acquired learning (e.g., CV or equivalent) as well as your success in previous studies (transcript of studies) are important assessment criteria.
• Your application must include a study plan. Please get acquainted with the degree structure of Doctoral Programme in Biomedicine (DPBM)