Frequently Asked Questions

Section 37, subsection 5 of the Finnish Universities Act (558/2009) stipulates about the eligibility for studies leading to a higher university degree as follows:

Eligible applicants for studies leading to an academic or artistic licentiate or doctoral degree have completed

(1) a relevant Master’s degree awarded by a university;

(2) a relevant Master’s degree awarded by a university of applied sciences; or

(3) a relevant applicable study programme abroad which in the awarding country gives eligibility for the corresponding level of higher education.

This means that you need to have a degree equivalent to a Finnish master's degree. If you're in doubt about the eligibility of your current degree, please get in touch with us.

Read the Universities Act (558/2009) >

The Doctoral School is a coordinating unit that supports the Faculties in implementing doctoral education. It does this by organising certain courses for parts of the doctoral degree. Your Faculty grants the study right and – eventually – the doctoral degree.
The Doctoral School organises Philosophy of research and research skills studies (20 ECTS credits) which are open for all ULapland doctoral students and constitute a part of the doctoral degree. In addition, the Doctoral School organises thematic studies (20 ECTS) in the thematic, multidisciplinary doctoral programme The Arctic in a Changing World.

If there are any salaried positions, information about them is provided at the university of Lapland´s website. Salaried positions are open quite rarely and they are understandably actively competed for.

Read more about funding doctoral studies >

The Graduate School offers some courses online. Please see the selection at: www.ulapland.fi/jointstudies You can also carry out your doctoral research remotely if your supervisor is fine with that. However, please note that we do not have PhD programmes completely distantly per se – so, you would most likely need to visit Rovaniemi, Finland, sometimes.