Interested in doctoral studies

Arctic and northern dimension

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.

You become a member of the academic community

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.

The Faculty grants degrees

The University of Lapland has four faculties, which grant the study rights and degrees. As a doctoral candidate, you always belong to one of the faculties and to one of the two doctoral programmes of the university.

The most important contact person throughout your doctoral path is your main supervisor. Kindly also familiarise yourself with the research web pages of your Faculty, and the doctoral study guide of your Faculty in particular:

Faculty of Art and Design

Faculty of Education

Faculty of Law

Faculty of Social Sciences.

Doctoral School supports Faculties in doctoral education

The task of the Doctoral School is to support our Faculties in organising doctoral education. We are implementing this task by e.g. organising joint courses for doctoral researchers. The set Philosophy of research and research skills (20 cr.) is relevant for all doctoral researchers at ULapland: you can participate in courses that are most suitable for your growth as a researcher. 

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 researchers belongs firstly to the Faculty, and to a doctoral programme. The doctoral path is defined by your programme: if you belong to the discipline-specific programme, your doctoral degree structure follows the field-based structure of your Faculty. It has earlier also been referred to as the general doctoral programme, so you may hear still this term.

The other programme is the a multidisciplinary, thematic doctoral programme The Arctic in a Changing World, based here at the University of Lapland.

Both doctoral programmes have researchers from all Faculties.