The programme admits new doctoral researchers four times year: twice in the spring and twice in the autumn.
The spring 2026 application period is from 1 April 2026 at 08:00 AM EEST until 16 April 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.
Academic year 2026-2027:
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:
An applicable education at an institution abroad providing eligibility for equivalent higher education in the country in question
In addition, applicants who have been admitted to pursue a licentiate degree in medicine and dentistry or a licentiate degree in veterinary medicine at a Finnish university or at a university from EU/EEA country, or at the University of Helsinki can also be admitted to pursue a postgraduate research degree.
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 professors and associate professors employed by the faculty may act as coordinating academics for doctoral researchers.
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:
Sustainability science
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.
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
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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