Admissions to doctoral studies

The target degrees available within the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Veterinary Medicine are:

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
• Doctor of Philosophy

Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry

• Doctor of Science (Agriculture and Forestry)
• Doctor of Food Sciences
• Doctor of Philosophy

Please check which degree is available in the chosen faculty with your background studies. Both the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry have specific instructions about some of the degrees.

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine may admit the following persons to pursue the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

• Holders of the Licentiate of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (formerly the College of Veterinary Medicine) at the University of Helsinki
• Holders of an equivalent degree from a foreign university
• Persons who have been admitted to pursue a licentiate degree in veterinary medicine at a Finnish university or at a university from EU/EEA country
• veterinarians licensed by the Finnish Food Authority who have completed applicable education abroad in their home country equivalent to a second-cycle university degree or a second-cycle degree from a university of applied sciences

The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry may admit the following persons to pursue the degrees of

Doctor of Science (Agriculture and Forestry)

• Persons who have completed the degree of M.Sc. (Agriculture and Forestry) in University of Helsinki
• Persons who the coordinating academic estimates to have sufficient field-specific background included in the previous degree. A minimum of 100 ETCS of the field-specific studies in the previous degree are required. 

Doctor of Food Sciences

• Persons who have completed the degree of Master of Food Sciences in University of Helsinki or University of Eastern Finland
• Persons who the coordinating academic estimates to have sufficient field-specific background included in the previous degree. A minimum of 100 ETCS of the field-specific studies in the previous degree are required. 

Supervisory arrangements and the quality of the research environment are an important part of the selection criteria. The doctoral programme requires that each applicant must have a supervisor/supervisors when submitting the application. It is the responsibility of the applicant to find a supervisor and discuss and agree on the research and study plans with him/ her. A good starting point for finding a potential supervisor is the University of Helsinki is Research portal.

• A doctoral candidate must have 1–3 thesis supervisors with doctorate degrees.
• At least one of the supervisors must in addition hold the title of docent or have equivalent academic qualifications.
• In case where the first supervisor is also the coordinating academic, another supervisor is required.
• More information about potential supervisors can be found from contacts & supervision.

You must attach to your application a supporting statement form (pdf) signed by your supervisors, coordinating academic, and thesis committee members stating the planned supervision arrangements.

You will be assigned a coordinating academic 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. Your supervisor may be appointed also as the coordinating academic, provided he or she fulfills the criteria. The coordinating academic will be appointed at the same time as the supervisors.

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. 

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,

In the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine professors and associate professors, and also a few other persons appointed by the faculty may act as the coordinating academics for doctoral candidates. See further information on coordinating academics on the Faculty's doctoral education web site.

In the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry professors and associate professors may act as the coordinating academics for doctoral candidates. See further information on coordinating academics on the Faculty's doctoral education web site.

Please note, that you must have a thesis committee upon applying a doctoral study right.

• The thesis committee consists of at least two experts who are able to assess the progress of the dissertation.
• At least one must hold the qualifications of a docent or equivalent academic qualifications.

Thesis committee members cannot be close collaborators (e.g. shared research projects or grants within the last 3 years, no family connections or manager/employee relationship) of the thesis supervisors.

It should also be taken into account when assembling the committee that members of the thesis committee cannot later be appointed as preliminary examiners or opponents for the doctoral dissertation in question. See further information on the duties of thesis committee in the university's Instructions for Students.

Your research plan will be evaluated with the following criteria:

• Demonstration of adequate knowledge in relevant fields and potential of the applicant to develop into an independent researcher
• Scientific relevance and ambition of the research plan, use of relevant methodology
• Thematic fit of the research plan with the doctoral programme profile.
• Funding plan and feasibility of the thesis project within the intended timeframe (net time 4 years)
• PLEASE NOTE the following CVM-specific instructions:
  • The rationale of the research project should be motivated based on previous knowledge and include references to previous research when applicable. This part needs to be more than just a general description of the topic.
  • The plan should be as concrete as possible. The research questions should be clearly stated and should not be unrealistically broad. Hypotheses should be stated clearly.  
  • The section on research methods should include a description of the methods to be used and those who will be conducting the work in practice. The experiments, experimental settings, measures, and analysis should be described in enough detail to allow for assessment of feasibility and validity. Please pay attention to the connection between hypotheses and research methods/experiments: does the plan justify how the chosen methods can be used to assess hypotheses?
  • All relevant co-operators should be named in the plan.
  • Please pay attention that the plan a) clearly states the sample size, b) justifies the sample size, c) has a sufficiently large sample size, d) clearly states the control group, and e) clearly states the inclusion/exclusion criteria. If sample size calculation is not performed, this decision should also be justified. The research material field should include information on how and where the animals/samples are obtained.
  • Please make sure that the plan states clearly the relevant ethical issues and how they are taken into account. Please also pay attention that all relevant ethical permits are stated in the plan.
  • Please make sure that the timetable is realistic.
  • The plan should state how the applicant aims to cover both personal salary and material costs.

Your motivation and previous knowledge (e.g. CV or equivalent) are an important part of the evaluation criteria.

Your study plan must be included with your application. Please acquaint yourself with the doctoral programme’s degree requirements available in the Instructions for students.

NB! Choose the doctoral programme from the site's degree programme menu:

• Doctoral Programme in Clinical Veterinary Medicine (CVM)