Doctoral dissertations constitute a significant part of the research we carry out at our university. Doctoral education here is, however, much more than the dissertation: through doctoral education at the University of Lapland, you claim a place in the academic community as an international expert in your field. We warmly welcome new enthusiastic researchers into our research community, particularly if you take an interest in Arctic and northern issues.
As a doctoral candidate, it is important that you identify yourself as a member of the academic community. Carrying out research requires self-discipline and strong internal motivation. Growing as a researcher and developing a researcher identity, however, means that you need to get to know other doctoral candidates and to integrate into the academic community. Participating in course meetings in situ is therefore very valuable, although we also have online courses. Please note that some courses require attendance due to their content or learning aims.
We consider the international aspect very important in our daily work at the Graduate School: we communicate in two languages and we organise courses in both Finnish and English. You can also benefit from international student mobility support; it is meant for studies or practical training. You can obtain a doctoral degree at two universities – the University of Lapland and another university outside Finland – through the Cotutelle agreement.
You can conduct doctoral studies either as an employed researcher or on various grants. The most financially stable way is to get an employed position in a doctoral programme or research project. Such positions are open quite rarely and they are understandably actively competed for. Therefore, it is definitely advisable to look into other funding opportunities as well.
The doctoral degree contains 240 study credits (ECTS). This considerable amount of work is divided into sections: the doctoral dissertation constitutes 180 credits, and studies constitute altogether 60 credits.
Read more about the structure of a doctoral degree >
Each ULapland doctoral candidate belongs to one of our faculties and one of our doctoral programmes. As faculties eventually grant the doctoral degrees, applicants also apply to the relevant faculty.
Get to know the faculties >
We have two doctoral programmes. Each doctoral candidate belongs firstly to the Faculty, and to a doctoral programme. The doctoral path is defined by your programme: if you belong to the field-specific programme, your doctoral degree structure follows the field-based structure in your Faculty. You are also welcome to take courses in the thematic programme if there are places available on the course. The doctoral programmes have candidates from all faculties. The field-specific doctoral programme is home to various discipline-specific doctoral paths. It is also referred to as the general doctoral programme. We have a multidisciplinary, thematic doctoral programme The Arctic in a Changing World that will bring together all thematic doctoral education at the University of Lapland.