Target Degrees

The Faculty of Medicine offers the following doctoral degrees: Doctor of Medical Science, Doctor of Dental Science, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology), and Doctor of Health Sciences. Applicants must select a target degree during the application process. The target degree should be compatible with the applicant’s previous education, planned field of research, and dissertation topic.

The target degree is therefore not determined solely by the doctoral programme. Based on the applicant’s prior degree and planned doctoral research, the Faculty assesses which target degree the applicant is eligible to pursue.

As a general rule, applicants must hold an appropriate Master’s degree or equivalent higher university degree. In addition, applicants must meet the eligibility and supervision requirements of the relevant doctoral programme.

The previous degree must be relevant to the research topic and discipline. In evaluating suitability, particular attention is paid to whether the applicant’s prior education provides sufficient theoretical knowledge and methodological competencies for the planned doctoral research.

Doctor of Medical Science

The Doctor of Medical Science degree is primarily intended for applicants with a medical background whose doctoral research falls within the field of medical sciences.

A person may apply for the degree of Doctor of Medical Science (MD, Doctoral degree) if they:

• have completed the degree of Licentiate of Medicine (MD) at a Finnish university;
• or have completed an equivalent degree abroad that qualifies them for corresponding higher education studies in the country where the degree was awarded;
• or have been granted the right to pursue the degree of Licentiate of Medicine at the University of Helsinki.

As a rule, the Doctor of Medical Science degree is not selected as the target degree if the applicant’s previous degree is other than the higher university degree defined above. In such cases, a more appropriate target degree may be, for example, the Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Doctor of Dental Science

The Doctor of Dental Science degree is primarily intended for applicants with a dental education background whose planned doctoral research relates to dentistry or oral health.

A person may apply for the degree of Doctor of Dental Science (DDS, Doctoral degree) if they:

• have completed the degree of Licentiate of Dentistry at a Finnish university;
• or have completed an equivalent degree abroad that qualifies them for corresponding higher education studies in the country where the degree was awarded;
• or have been granted the right to pursue the degree of Licentiate of Dentistry at the University of Helsinki.

Doctor of Philosophy

A person may apply for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) if they:

• have completed an appropriate Master’s degree at a Finnish university;
• or have completed an equivalent foreign degree that qualifies them for corresponding higher education studies in the country where the degree was awarded;
• or have been granted the right to pursue a higher university degree at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki.

In certain cases, holders of a Licentiate degree in Medicine or Dentistry may also pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree if the field of research, previous degree, and target degree together form an appropriate academic combination.

Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology)

A person may apply for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology) if they:

• have completed a Master’s degree in Psychology at a Finnish university, or the advanced studies and practical training required for the Master’s degree in Psychology;
• or have completed an equivalent foreign degree that qualifies them for corresponding higher education studies in the country where the degree was awarded;
• or have been granted the right to pursue a Master’s degree in Psychology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology) degree is particularly suitable for applicants with a background in psychology whose doctoral research is situated within the discipline of psychology.

At the Faculty of Medicine, a Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology) degree can be completed with Psychology as the major subject, provided that the applicant has completed the advanced studies and practical training included in the Master’s degree in Psychology and has earned a higher university degree from a Finnish university (or an equivalent degree from a foreign university).

Students majoring in Psychology may alternatively pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree in cases where no clinical training is completed or where the individual has graduated from a Master’s programme in Organizational Psychology.

Doctor of Health Sciences

A person may apply for the degree of Doctor of Health Sciences (DHS) if they:

• hold an appropriate higher university degree in a health-related field or another field relevant to the proposed research topic;
• or have been granted the right to pursue a Master’s degree in Health Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki.

The Doctor of Health Sciences degree is particularly suitable for applicants whose previous degree and research are situated within health sciences, healthcare, nursing science, public health, or another health sciences discipline.

Examples of suitable previous degrees, depending on the research topic, include:

• a Master’s degree in Health Sciences;
• a higher university degree in Nursing Science or another health sciences field;
• a higher university degree in Public Health or another appropriate health-related field;
• another suitable higher university degree, provided that the degree content, field of research, and planned doctoral research together form a sufficiently coherent academic foundation.

Degree requirements are specific to each doctoral programme and include 30 credits of theoretical studies, a doctoral dissertation, and the public defence of the dissertation. Programme-specific degree requirements can be found in the by selecting the relevant doctoral programme from the degree programme menu.

Doctoral programmes provide theory and methodology studies appropriate to their respective disciplines. The methods of completion are diverse, and the theoretical studies required for a doctoral degree may include, for example, seminars, workshops, or conference presentations.

Teaching information is available on the page. Course information can also be browsed without logging in via the page.