Profile & activities

Want to know what we're all about? On this page, we've gathered information on our research profile and the disciplines involved in the programme. Here, you will also find information on the studies and the type of activities and networks that await if you join the doctoral programme.
Key research areas

The general theme of the DoCS doctoral programme is computer science. The focal areas of DoCS are Algorithmic bioinformatics; Algorithms, data analytics, and machine learning; Data Science; Networks and services; and Software systems.

Courses and studying

A doctoral degree in the programme comprises of a doctoral thesis and 40 credits of additional studies. The studies are divided into discipline-specific studies, aimed to support your research project, and transferable skills training.

Part of the studies are completed flexibly through means other than traditional coursework: conference presentations, essays, scientific and popular articles, editing work etc. Want to know more? Visit our study planning instructions for current doctoral students.

The programme organizes a monthly PhD student seminars. Our Master's programmes have a wide selection of courses which you can complete. You can also complete courses, which support your research work, even outside our university.

Courses in research ethics and transferable skills are offered throughout the academic year by the Doctoral School in Natural Sciences.

Events and activities

The programme organizes a lot of informal events for all of its students. These include a Pizza event after the PhD seminar, where students can get to know each other. The programme also organizes a yearly seminar day outside campus, where the theme has been, for example, the wellbeing of students.

International networks

The DoCS programme collaborates actively with Helsinki Institute for Information Technology HIIT and computer science related departments at Aalto University. With the Aalto University, the collaboration is done, for example, via the joint doctoral education network,  Helsinki Doctoral Education Network in Information and Communications Technology (HICT).