How to Apply for Doctoral Studies
Who Can Apply - Am I Eligible?
Educational Background
An applicant who has taken a degree equivalent to the Finnish master’s degree can be admitted to licentiate or doctor’s degree studies at the University of Lapland. If the University deems a degree deficient in some respect, the applicant may have to supplement his/her studies before beginning doctoral studies. No entrance examination is required.
It is possible to complete the licentiate degree in all degree programmes offered by the University of Lapland, except in the field of Art and Design, and a doctor’s degree in all major subjects. It is possible to complete a general PhD in all faculties, however the research topic needs to linked with the disciplines studied in the desired faculty.
Language Requirements
A good command of the English and/or Finnish language is required. Applicants must demonstrate their language skills with one of the approved language proficiency tests or one of the other approved methods of demonstrating language proficiency. Please see the complete list from the Demonstrating Language Proficiency page for more details.
Apply Now! - The Application Process
Application Procedure
International applicants who meet the general education and language requirements may apply for doctoral studies at the University of Lapland. There is no specific application period for postgraduate studies, except for the Faculty of Social Sciences and Faculty of Art and Design. The application deadlines for the Faculty of Social Sciences are November 15th at 16:00 PM and May 15th at 16:00 PM and for the Faculty of Art and Design September 15th and March 15th.
Please download and fill in the attached application form and send it with all the required enclosures to the University of Lapland, International Office mailing address. In case you have any general questions concerning the application process and the admission requirements, then please contact admission[at]ulapland.fi .
Required Enclosures to the Application
Documents can be submitted in Finnish, Swedish, or English (NOTE: All copies must be officially certified by the granting institution or a notary public!)
The following documents should be submitted to University of Lapland International Office:
1) The application form, duly completed and signed
2a) A copy of your master’s degree certificate/diploma from an institution of higher education and its Finnish, English, or Swedish translation
2b) Applicants for the Faculty of Social Sciences: a written thesis corresponding to a pro gradu thesis
3) A transcript of records/grade report which indicates also the grading system of the institution of higher education and its Finnish, English, or Swedish translation
NOTE: For the Faculty of Social Sciences the Doctoral applicant should have completed the advanced level studies (or equivalent) in the desired field of study.
4) A language test result or documentation of one of the other approved methods of demonstrating language proficiency in the English and/or Finnish language. Please see the Demonstrating Language Proficiency webpage for further details.
5) A copy of your passport’s ID page
6) A motivation letter
7) A short curriculum vitae.
8) Two letters of reference from a former instructors or supervisors (or, alternatively, one letter of reference from a professor of the faculty you are applying to in case you have prior academic involvement)
9) A preliminary research plan (about 10 pages)
10) A financing plan for your studies
Important details about the enclosures
All translations of the required documents must be done by official translators or by an authorised official of the institution that has issued the original document. The translations must bear the stamp and signature of the translator. Please note that you must also send an officially certified copy of the translated document in its original language. All copies of the degree certificates/diplomas, transcripts/grade reports and language proficiency documents must be officially certified by the institution that has issued the original document or by a notary public. The authenticity of all documents submitted to the University of Lapland will be examined and the use of forged documents will lead to the automatic rejection of the applicant.
The letter(s) of recommendation should be enclosed separately in sealed envelope(s).
All language test results or other approved documents demonstrating language proficiency must be sent to the University of Lapland, International Office (University of Lapland, Head of International Student Services, International Office, P.O.Box 122, FI-96101 Rovaniemi Finland). It is the applicant’s responsibility to make testing arrangements for her/himself. When filling out the TOEFL Registration Form, please fill in the University of Lapland’s Institution Code 8264.
All the required documents must be mailed via regular (air) mail or send through an international courier service (Fed-Ex, UPS, TNT, DHL, or similar) to the University of Lapland. E-mailed or faxed documents will not be accepted.
The accepted students will be required to present the original documents to the appropriate faculty before registration at the University. If it is revealed that false information has been provided, the right to study will be revoked.
You may apply to as many degree programmes at the University of Lapland as you want to. However, if you apply to more than one degree programme /major then you must submit a full application (with all the required enclosures) for each of them . However, only one language test score is needed. Only those applications which are fully documented will be considered for further processing.
The preliminary research plan should include topic/s of the research, initial research questions, methodological orientation, field/s of science/s, the structure of the dissertation (when applying to the Faculty of Art and Design, does it include an artistic production, if yes, then the balance between scientific part and the artistic production), suggested schedule and plan for financing the studies.
In the motivation letter you should introduce yourself and describe your interests in the field and education you are applying to. You should also explain the reasons why you are applying to the University of Lapland, what kind of expectations you have for the education, how you intend to proceed in your studies generally, and what kind of plans you have for studying (i.e. Are you going to be a part-time or full-time student, do you have a job besides the studies or do you have a scholarship?).
The application form and the enclosures will not be returned to the applicant after processing.
Please send the application and required enclosures to:
UNIVERSITY OF LAPLAND
Head of International Student Services
International Office
P.O.Box 122
FI-96101 Rovaniemi
FINLAND
Disclaimer
Please note that information presented on these web pages is subject to changes. The International Office and the Faculties of the University of Lapland reserve the right to interpret and change the conditions of admission of international students.