Apply for doctoral studies

We recommend that you contact the professor of your academic field already when planning to apply for doctoral studies. Discussion with the relevant professor on your research topic, research plan and studies will give you a better understanding of the doctoral path.

If you do not know who the professor you should contact at these early stages is, you can search for professors in our research portal. You can also get in touch with the administrative manager or head of study affairs in the relevant faculty or the coordinator of the Graduate School to find out potential supervisors. We need a preliminary research plan to be able to connect you with a professor; please provide this information already when contacting us. It can be a good idea to read the professor's most prominent research publications before discussion.

Search for professors in our research portal >

Contact head of study affairs Janette Tolppi in the Faculty of Art and Design >

Contact head of study affairs Anne Autti in the Faculty of Education >

Contact administrative manager Tiina Leppänen in the Faculty of Law >

Contact administrative manager Jukka Sankala in the Faculty of Social Sciences >

To apply for the right to pursue doctoral studies, you need a research plan. The research plan must include a schedule and information on funding. Please note: Admission to doctoral studies does not automatically include any grant or right to research facilities. We have developed a research plan template based on the Academy of Finland's research plan structure. If you wish, you can also use a different template, but please make sure that your research plan contains all the information provided in a potential job advertisement for a salaried PhD position.

In your application, much value is placed on the quality of your research plan. Therefore, it is wise to discuss your plan – and refine it based on feedback – beforehand with a potential supervisor. It is also rather clear that it is advisable to read the supervisor's scholarly work as well.

Research plans are requested primarily in English, as international experts can participate in the evaluation of applications. You may also submit your research plan in Finnish or Swedish.

Research plan template >

Your application should be appended with personal study plan. When making your plan, comply with the requirements of the doctoral programme under consideration. In each programme, you can take courses from the Graduate School's offer.

If you have already agreed on supervising, complete the supervising agreement

There are two application periods every year.

Application periods in year 2024:

• 6–27 February 2024 by 15:00 (local Finnish time)
• 1–22 October 2024 by 15:00 (local Finnish time).

Application periods in year 2025:

• 4–25 February 2025 by 15:00 (local Finnish time)
• 30 September–22 October 2025 by 15:00 (local Finnish time).

The dates and times are local Finnish time. If your application is successful, your study right begins either on 1 January or 1 August, depending on whether you applied in autumn or spring. It is possible to grant the study right at other times, but we require strong grounds – such as significant research funding requiring a doctoral study right – for making such an exception. The appendices of your application should be uploaded to the application form within the application period. The Applicant and Student Services is responsible for receiving applications and appendices: see the detailed procedure on their website.

Apply here:

Decisions will be published in the studyinfo.fi portal in two months after the end of the application period.

Eliisa Leskisenoja did her PhD on enjoying school in doctoral programme Communities and changing work

Eliisa Leskisenoja defended her thesis in education.

Read Eliisa's story >

Auður H Ingólfsdóttir did her doctoral dissertation as a joint degree PhD candidate

Auður H Ingólfsdóttirʼs dissertation Climate Change and Security in the Arctic. Analysis of Norms and Values Shaping Climate Policy in Iceland was examined in the Faculty of Social Sciences. She carried out her doctoral research as a joint degree PhD candidate, in accordance with an agreement between the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Lapland and the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Iceland.

Read more about Auður's dissertation >