The programme admits new doctoral researchers four times year: twice in the spring and twice in the autumn.
The first application period in autumn 2026 is from 2 September 2026 at 08:00 AM EEST until 15 September 2026 at 03:00 PM EEST:
The second application period in autumn 2026 is from 3 November 2026 at 08:00 AM EEST until 16 November 2026 at 03:00 PM EEST:
A doctoral study right can only be gained through the admissions process. Applying to the programme outside the set admission periods is not possible.
Application periods in spring 2027:
In addition to the
Previous degree
Your previous degree must be relevant to the planned research topic and discipline. A degree is regarded as relevant if it includes sufficient studies in a discipline which, given the topic of the proposed doctoral dissertation, can be regarded as a suitable basis for doctoral studies.
Applicants to the Doctoral Programme in Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Sustainability in Society (ELOISA) must have completed:
In addition, applicants can be admitted to complete a postgraduate research degree if they have a valid right to complete a licentiate or master’s degree in medicine or dentistry at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki.
In addition, applicants can be admitted to complete a postgraduate research degree if they have been admitted to pursue a licentiate degree in veterinary medicine at the University of Helsinki, an other Finnish university, or at a university from EU/EEA country.
Furthermore, applicants licensed as a healthcare professional by the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health or veterinarians licensed by the Finnish Food Authority who have completed applicable education abroad in their home country equivalent to a second-cycle university degree or a second-cycle degree from a university of applied sciences can be admitted.
Supervisory arrangements
Applications must meet the minimum requirements set for supervisory arrangements (see selection criteria). The application must include information on the following:
Attach to your application a signed supporting statement form stating the planned supervision arrangements. You find the pdf form below in Doctoral programme's selection criteria, subtitle "Supervisory arrangements".
Ethical permissions
Please confirm in the application that you have, or you have applied for all needed ethical permissions: a permit by an Ethical Review Board and/or by the National Animal Experiment Board, if required by the research arrangement. The permission documents need not to be attached to the application.
Only applications meeting the formal criteria for eligibility continue to scientific evaluation in the doctoral programmes.
Students admitted to the Doctoral Programme in Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Sustainability in Society (ELOISA) can complete the following degrees:
Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry
Faculty of Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities
Faculty of Educational Sciences
Please, check which degree is available in the chosen faculty with your background studies and also, note that your supervisory arrangements regarding a coordinating academic must match your chosen target degree and home faculty. The
A suitable field of science is required in the application form. Please, add one from the list below:
Supervisory arrangements and the quality of the research environment are an important part of the selection criteria. The doctoral programme requires that each applicant must have supervisors when submitting the application. It is the responsibility of the applicant to find a supervisor and discuss and agree on the research plan with them. A good starting point for finding a potential supervisor is
You must attach to your application a supporting statement form signed or digitally signed by your supervisors and coordinating academic.
Thesis committee members are not required when applying for the study right. A thesis committee is gathered during the first year of studies.
Your coordinating academic must be employed by the same Faculty as you are applying for. The coordinating academic is familiar with the instructions concerning doctoral education and doctoral degrees at the University of Helsinki. Your supervisor may also act as the coordinating academic, provided they fulfil the criteria.
Provide the required information on your coordinating academic on the application form and supporting statement although your main supervisor would be appointed to the coordinating academic.
The coordinating academic’s role is
At the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences (starting from 1 September 2026 onwards) all professors, associate professors, university lecturers, senior university lecturers and docents employed by the faculty may act as coordinating academics for doctoral researchers. Staff from research institutions with partial employment with the faculty can also act as coordinating academics. Supervisors cannot serve as coordinating academics.
At the Faculty of Science professors, associate professors and docents employed by the faculty may act as coordinating academics for doctoral researchers.
At the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry professors and associate professors employed by the faculty may act as coordinating academics for doctoral researchers.
At the Faculty of Social Sciences professors or docents on the third or fourth tier of the career path for teaching and research staff at the Faculty or at the Swedish School of Social Science, who are in a contractual employment at the Faculty or at the Swedish School of Social Science, and have prior experience in supervising dissertations to their completion, may act as coordinating academics for doctoral researchers.
At the Faculty of Educational Sciences professors or docents employed by the faculty, who are familiar with the University of Helsinki's doctoral education and the guidelines for doctoral studies, and who are permanently employed by the faculty, may act as coordinating academics for doctoral researchers.
At the Faculty of Humanities professors, associate professors (at tenure track level 2), and docents employed by the faculty and are familiar with the doctoral education and the guidelines regarding the doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki may act as coordinating academics for doctoral researchers. Whenever possible, the coordinating academic should be from the field of study that the applicant's dissertation research represents.
Your research plan will be evaluated with the following criteria:
In ELOISA, the applicant needs to have secured funding for the first year. The main supervisor of the applicant must confirm the secured funding. The application needs to contain the sources and sums of the secured funding (both salary and research costs). Please, use the supervision form (pdf) in the section ‘Supervisory arrangements’ above.
The personal cost funds should cover at least the minimum expected income level for full‑time doctoral research. Applicants who wish to work on their thesis part-time or as self-funded need to clearly explain their funding plan and justify how they will manage to work elsewhere while still making progress on their doctoral thesis, research work, completing compulsory doctoral studies, and participating in the activities of the doctoral program and research community.
Your motivation and previous knowledge (e.g. CV or equivalent) relevant to your planned research are an important part of the evaluation criteria.
Acquainted with the selection criteria of this doctoral programme and all set to apply? Now go back to the
You can reach us through
The selection criteria are valid until further notice.
Decisions on admissions for doctoral studies in the programme are made based on the university’s general criteria for doctoral admissions as well as the programme-specific complementary selection criteria, presented on this page.
The final decision on admission is made by the faculty awarding the applicant’s target degree, based on a proposal from the steering group of the doctoral programme.
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