The programme admits new doctoral students twice a year: once in the spring (January) and once in the autumn (september).
More detailed information on the application periods is on the page How to apply to doctoral programmes
A doctoral study right can only be gained through the admissions process. Applying to the programme outside the set admission periods is not possible.
In addition to the university's general requirements for doctoral applicants on eligibility and language proficiency, the doctoral programme has set the following additional criteria for eligibility:
Applicants to the programme must have completed:
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 applicants who have been admitted to pursue a bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology and logopaedics at a Finnish university 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.
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 (Word) stating the planned supervision arrangements. Signatures of thesis committee members are not required.
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.
The following postgraduate degrees can be completed in the programme:
The Doctor of Science (Agriculture and Forestry) degree is available for those who have completed the degree of M.Sc. (Agriculture and Forestry) in University of Helsinki, or who the coordinating academic estimates to have sufficient field-specific background included in the previous degree. A minimum of 100 ETCS of the field-specific studies in the previous degree are required.
The Doctor of Food Sciences degree is available for those who have completed the degree of Master of Food Sciences in University of Helsinki or University of Eastern Finland, or who the coordinating academic estimates to have sufficient field-specific background included in the previous degree. A minimum of 100 ETCS of the field-specific studies in the previous degree are required.
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 a supervisor/supervisors when submitting the application. It is the responsibility of the applicant to find a supervisor and discuss and agree on the research and study plans with him/ her. A good starting point for finding a potential supervisor is the University of Helsinki is Research portal.
You need to have a coordinating academic, who is 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. The supervisor may be appointed also as the coordinating academic, provided he or she fulfills the above criteria. The coordinating academic will be appointed at the same time as the supervisors. You can use the University of Helsinki People finder and contacts -service to look for a suitable coordinating academic.
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.
In the Faculty of Medicine professors, associate professors and docents may act as the coordinating academics for doctoral candidates, if they are employed by the Faculty. Note! A docent contract alone is not enough!
In the Faculty of Pharmacy professors and associate professors may act as the coordinating academics for doctoral candidates.
In the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, professors and associate professors may act as the coordinating academic for a doctoral student.
If you are applying to the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, please see the faculty's website for a list of coordinating academics at each discipline.
The coordinating academic’s role is
Please note, that you have to name your thesis committee members upon applying a doctoral study right.
Thesis committee members cannot be close collaborators (e.g. shared research projects or grants within the last 3 years, no family connections or manager/employee relationship) of the thesis supervisors.
It should also be taken into account when assembling the committee that members of the thesis committee cannot later be appointed as preliminary examiners or opponents for the doctoral dissertation in question. See further information on the duties of thesis committee in the university's Instructions for Students.
Your research plan will be evaluated with the following criteria:
Your motivation and previous knowledge (e.g. CV or equivalent) are an important part of the evaluation criteria. Please acquaint yourself with the doctoral programme’s degree requirements before drawing up your study plan.
The degree structure of the Doctoral Programme in Population Health (DOCPOP) (Select Docpop from the menu)
Acquainted with the selection criteria and all set to apply? Great! Now go back to the university's general instructions for doctoral applicants, where you will find all the information you need to prepare and submit your application and the needed enclosures. Good luck!
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.
Before making the proposal, the doctoral programme will ask for a statement from the relevant discipline. The decision-making of the faculty and the steering group are not bound by the recommendations received from the disciplines.
A timetable for decisions is available in the university's general instructions for doctoral applicants.