Eligilibity for doctoral programmes

This page explains what is required of applicants to prove their eligibility to apply for doctoral programmes.
General information about eligibility for doctoral programmes

In general, you are eligible to apply for a doctorate if you meet these conditions:

  1. You have completed, or will complete by the deadline, a degree that gives you eligibility to doctoral studies.
  2. You can prove in a manner accepted by the University of Helsinki that you have academic level language skills.

Note! A foreign institution that confers a qualification must be recognised as an official higher education institution with degree-conferring authority by the official authorising body of the country in question.

Doctoral programmes may have additional, programme-specific / degree-specific rules for eligibility – please see the doctoral programmes' websites for further information.

Your eligibility for doctoral education is examined by the Admission services based on the documents you upload on your application.

  1. You must upload to your application copies of the educational documents for the degree that gives you eligibility to doctoral studies.
  2. You must prove your language skills in a manner accepted by the University of Helsinki.
  3. If you have not yet graduated from the degree that gives you eligibility to doctoral studies, you must submit a statement from the administration of your degree programme that all the studies included in your degree, including a possible thesis, have been successfully completed and approved by the deadline.*

*If you are applying on the basis of an incomplete licentiate degree in medicine and dentistry or a licentiate degree in veterinary medicine at a university from EU/EEA country the statement is not usually required.
Applying when you have not yet graduated

You can apply for a study right if all studies included in your Master’s degree (or equivalent) have been completed, but you have not yet graduated. All the studies included in your degree - including a possible thesis - must be completed, graded, and approved by the end of the application period. Upload your latest transcript of records on the application form. 

In addition, ask the administrative staff of your study program for a free-form statement confirming that you have completed all the studies included in your degree by the end of the application round. Attach the statement you receive to the application form in the space provided on the application form.

There is an exception to this rule in some doctoral programmes. If you have not yet completed all your studies, check from your programme’s own instructions, if you can still apply.
Language skills

University of Helsinki demands an indication of academic level language skills in either Finnish, Swedish or English of all applicants. You can prove your skills in any of these three languages – it does not have to be your doctoral dissertation’s language.

Upload the document that proves your language skills on your application form by the given deadline.

University of Helsinki has a specified list of acceptable methods of proving your language proficiency as decided by the rector of the university. You cannot prove your language proficiency with any other methods.