Instructions about Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Science

The structure of the doctoral studies is determined in the study guide. 

In the Faculty of Science, the structure of a doctoral degree is as follows:

• Dissertation and the public defence
• Postgraduate studies 40 ECTS
  • Discipline-specific studies 20-36 ECTS
    • Studies supporting mobility and professional career, at least 2 ECTS
  • General studies aiming for expertise 4-20 ECTS

All doctoral degrees follow the degree requirements of 40 ECTS postgraduate studies, which have been valid since 1 August 2018. A doctoral researcher may complete the degree in accordance with the degree requirements approved in 2018-2020 or thereafter, so that
the doctoral researcher can’t comply with the degree requirements that were in effect before they obtained the right to complete the degree.

• Doctoral researchers prepare their personal study plans together with their supervisors.
• The plan must comply with the study requirements of the doctoral programme in the study guide.
• The plan is approved by the research director.
• The plan is prepared and approved according to the instructions in the UGIS portal.

Updating the plan

• There is no need to update the personal study plan due to small changes (for example, the course recorded in the plan changes to another course in the same field). Changes in general studies aiming for expertise typically do not require an update of the plan.
• If there are significant changes in the study module compared to the plan, the doctoral researcher will primarily discuss with their supervisor whether the desired learning outcomes will be achieved. The personal study plan will be updated if needed. The update of the plan is approved by the research director.
• If the doctoral researcher wants to complete studies at other Finnish universities, then it may be necessary to update the study plan. See below Flexible Study Right - Studies at other universities

Doctoral researchers can complete such courses at other Finnish universities that are not offered at the University of Turku. Completing a course at another university requires applying for the Flexible Study Right. The target university determines a way to apply for the flexible right to study.

1. If your target university is Åbo Akademi, apply for the flexible study right using the electronic form. The electronic form for applying for the flexible study right from Åbo Akademi
2. If your traget university is another Finnish university, check the application instructions from the website of the university.
   • If the flexible study right is applied for usign a form, you can find the form in https://wiki.eduuni.fi/display/Ristiinopiskelupalvelu/Paperinen+hakulomake. When you have filled in and signed the form, send it by email to sci-docstudies@utu.fi.
   • If the university uses another application policy, follow the university's guidelines. Be sure to ask your faculty's doctoral training administrator (chief academic officer) for approval. If approval has not been requested, your application cannot be processed at the target university.

Requirements for obtaining a flexible study right for a course are as follows:

• The course is included in the accepted study plan of the doctoral researcher. The course has thus been discussed with the supervisor and has been found to be suitable for the doctoral researcher's postgraduate studies. Please note, that you have to communicate with the doctoral programme coordinator to have your personal study plan officially accepted.
• The corresponding course is not taught at the University of Turku.
• The applicant must be able to include their applied studies into the minimum degree requirements (40/60 credits).
• The official support of the Faculty of Science for a doctoral researcher's or licentiate student's flexible study rigth application is given by chief academic officer Sanna Ranto.

If doctoral researchers want to apply for a flexible study right for a course that is not yet included in their personal study plan, they must first update their plan. The personal study plan is updated in the UGIS portal.

Åbo Akademi University's (ÅA) courses are an exception. To complete ÅA courses, you must apply for a flexible study right, but it is not necessary to update your personal study plan before applying for a study right for ÅA courses.

Registering the completed course to the study register

When you have completed a course in another Finnish university (concerns also Åbo Akademi), apply for the registration of the study credit by the electronic form. Attach a study transcript which proves your achievement to your application.

Electronic form for updating supervison plan

• The doctoral researcher fills in the form after verbally agreed with the supervisors, research director and possible members of the follow-up group on the changing supervision arrangements.
• The form will be electronically sent for approval to the supervisors at the University of Turku.
• If the doctoral researcher has supervisors outside the University of Turku, the researcher will collect their approval to the change of the plan, for example, via an email.
• The doctoral researcher receives an email from the supervison form including a link to it. The doctoral researcher uses it to add approval of supervisors outside UTU.
• Once the supervisors have approved the form and the doctoral researcher has added the external supervisors approvals, the coordinator of the doctoral programme will check it. The coordinator forwards it to the research director and decision-makers for approval.
• Once the vice dean of the faculty has made a final decision, the approved supervision plan will be emailed to the doctoral researcher, supervisors and reserach director.

Signing a cotutelle agreement is a good idea when there is a need for doctoral dissertation supervision from another university located outside Finland.

Please contact Chief Academic Officer Sanna Ranto when you plan to make a cotutelle agreement.

See the Cotutelle instructions of the University of Turku.

Guidelines for Dissertation Defence

Faculty's instructions for dissertation process

When doctoral researchers make publication agreements with publishers, they have to ensure that they are allowed to republish the articles as part of their doctoral thesis. If publishers set a time limit (embargo) for the right to republish an article, doctoral researchers have to ensure that there is no conflict with the planned schedule of the public defence of the doctoral thesis.

Faculty-specific instructions