The aim of scientific doctoral education is to educate professionals in research who have the capacity to work independently in solving scientific problems and producing new scientific knowledge. A doctorate can be a qualification requirement for some positions.
Doctoral education at the University of Eastern Finland
The University of Eastern Finland operates scientific postgraduate studies in seven doctoral programmes, which are responsible for the organisation of subject-related doctoral studies and the supervision of doctoral researchers. Each doctoral programme has a designated head, board, and a coordinator. The doctoral school is responsible for providing transferable skills studies to all of the university’s doctoral researchers, as well as for general development of doctoral education. The doctoral school is led by Vice Rector for Research Jussi Pihlajamäki with the help of a board, and a coordinator, Head of Academic Affairs Kaisa Laitinen and Academic Affairs Specialist Katri Antin. University Lecturer Merja Lyytikäinen is responsible for general development and for transferable skills studies. University Lecturer Ira Virtanen developes supervision and peer mentoring practices and training to support well-being at work at various research levels. University Lecturer Tuomas Pernu is responsible for teaching research ethics and philosophy of science.
A doctoral degree consists of a doctoral dissertation, and compulsory doctoral studies (30 credits) that support the research work and development of expertise. The aim is to complete doctoral studies in 3–4 years.
There are no tuition fees in doctoral programmes.
Doctoral dissertation
The objectives of a doctoral dissertation are to demonstrate the capacity of the doctoral candidate to conduct independent research of academic weight/academic significance in his/her field of research, including the ability to critically utilize relevant literature and research methods in producing new scientific knowledge. The dissertation is to be defended in a public examination.
The two main dissertation forms are a monograph and an article-based dissertation. The monograph is a scientific presentation based on independent research that promotes knowledge in the discipline in question. The article-based dissertation consists of 3–5 peer reviewed research articles concerning the same research problem and a conclusion based on these.
Doctoral studies
Doctoral studies consist of discipline-specific studies and transferable skills studies. The exact study requirements vary among the doctoral programmes. The transferable skills studies include, for example, courses is academic writing, project management, research ethics, and career skills.