Doctoral studies: Admission criteria

At the application stage, applicants must already have at least one supervisor committed to the task, who will act as the supervisor-in-charge. The applicant must name the proposed supervisor-in-charge in the StudyInfo application and attach the supervisor’s endorsement to the application, confirming their support for the research and doctoral study plan and commitment to supervision. The endorsement must be made on the form provided. In addition to the person committed to acting as the supervisor-in-charge, the applicant may provide information on other persons committed to acting as supervisors and on the follow-up group on the StudyInfo application form, if known. All supervisors and members of the follow-up group who have committed to the task must comply with the requirements and guidelines of the University of Jyväskylä and the faculty. 

The Doctoral Programme in Information Technology doctoral education in the fields of science, business and engineering (ICT). Applicants are invited to apply for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Science (Economics and Business Administration), or Doctor of Science (Technology) degree, focusing on one of the specialisations available. Please note that all degree options are not available in all specialisation options.

The planned dissertation topic must be in line with the field of study and doctoral degree you wish to pursue.

An applicant who has completed a higher education degree that provides eligibility to apply for doctoral studies and whose previous studies are deemed suitable as a basis for the planned doctoral studies may be admitted to the doctoral programme. A suitable background is generally considered to be a degree that provides eligibility to apply for doctoral studies which includes extensive studies in a field equivalent or close to the field of the intended doctoral degree.

Doctor of Science (Economics and Business Administration) degree is awarded to an applicant who has completed a higher education degree that provides eligibility to apply for doctoral studies and has completed a university-level basic studies or equivalent in business studies.

Doctor of Science (Technology) degree is awarded to an applicant with a Master of Engineering degree or Master of Philosophy degree, or an equivalent degree abroad, and in addition

1. has a Master of Engineering degree in ICT; OR
2. has completed at least 35 credits of studies corresponding to the courses in mathematics of technical education at the University of Jyväskylä and in addition at least 150 ECTS credits of courses in information or software technology, corresponding to 70 ECTS credits in engineering bachelor's degrees and 80 ECTS credits in engineering master's programs at the University of Jyväskylä.

See also Doctoral studies: Eligibility requirements.

The right to study can be applied before the completion of the higher education degree that provides eligibility to apply for doctoral studies, in which case the applicant can be accepted for doctoral studies with a conditional admission decision. With regard to conditional admission decisions, the conditions and schedules specified by the University are followed.

Applicant's basic knowledge of an applicable discipline and applicant's success in studies that provide eligibility to apply for doctoral studies

The eligibility requirements for doctoral studies are specified in the Universities Act (558/2009, section 37) and in the general admission criteria for doctoral education at the University of Jyväskylä. In its detailed admission criteria, the faculty can define the fields from which applicants must have completed a degree to make the applicants eligible for doctoral studies in the faculty’s doctoral programme. Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics does not define the fields from which applicants must have completed a degree to make the applicants eligible for doctoral studies. The proposed supervisor-in-charge assesses the suitability of the eligible applicant's studies as background studies; the applicant must have sufficient knowledge of the discipline, mastery of scientific methods, and an understanding of research ethics. In the application evaluation process, the evaluation group will assess the suitability of previous studies based on the educational documents submitted with the doctoral studies application.

If the applicant demonstrates competence equivalent to a thesis using a scientific publication or other research report, the proposed supervisor-in-charge will assess its suitability and level during the application phase. During the application evaluation process, the evaluation group will assess the suitability and level of the scientific publication or other research report.

In accordance with the general admission criteria for doctoral education, those selected for the programme will not be required to complete supplementary studies in order to acquire the skills necessary for the programme.

Research topic's suitability for the research area of the faculty, the level and feasibility of the research and study plan, applicant's commitment to complete the degree within the target completion time

The research topic of the dissertation must align with the specialisation and the doctoral degree the applicant wishes to pursue and be in line with the research conducted at the faculty. The applicant must familiarize themselves in advance with the research conducted in the Faculty. The research plan plays a significant role in both the application process and its evaluation. In accordance with the dissertation requirements of the University of Jyväskylä, the topic and content of the dissertation research are limited so that it is possible to defend the dissertation within 3–4 years of full-time study. The doctoral study plan must comply with the curriculum, be realistic, and support the dissertation research. The research and doctoral study plans must be prepared using the faculty’s templates. Templates and more detailed instructions can be found on the Required Attachments page.

The proposed supervisor-in-charge and the evaluation group will assess the suitability of the dissertation topic and the level and feasibility of the plans. 

The availability of expert supervision and the sufficiency of supervision resources

According to the University of Jyväskylä Degree Regulations (Section 36), each doctoral student must have at least two supervisors appointed by the dean, one of whom shall be the personal supervisor-in-charge. All supervisors must hold a doctoral degree and have sufficient academic merit. The supervisor-in-charge must be employed by the University of Jyväskylä. In addition to the supervisor-in-charge, at least one supervisor must be a researcher at the docent level or higher.  A dissertation supervisor can simultaneously act as the supervisor-in-charge for a maximum of ten active doctoral students pursuing a doctoral degree. In addition, each student pursuing a doctoral degree shall have a follow-up group appointed by the dean. The members of the follow-up group can also be from outside the University. At least one member of the follow-up group must hold a doctoral degree. A supervisor of the dissertation cannot be appointed as a member of the follow-up group. 

More detailed instructions for supervisors and the follow-up group can be found on the page Main stages in the applying – Find out the availability of relevant supervision. 

Applicant must familiarize themselves with the faculty's research areas in advance and include in their application information about the supervisor-in-charge, who must be a member of the faculty's teaching and research staff, as well as at least one other supervisor. In addition, the application must include information on the member of the follow-up group. Applicants must attach to their application an endorsement signed by the supervisor-in-charge in accordance with the instructions provided. More detailed instructions and a form for the supervisor-in-charge's endorsement can be found on the Required attachments page.  

Language skills requirements

The language proficiency requirements for doctoral studies at the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics comply with the methods of demonstrating language proficiency and minimum score limits specified in the general admission criteria for doctoral education. More detailed instructions and requirements can be found on the Demonstrating language skills page. 

Conditional Admission Decisions

In the doctoral programme of the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics, a conditional admission decision can be made for an applicant who is otherwise eligible and meets the admission criteria, based on the fact that the degree that provides eligibility to apply for the studies has not yet been awarded or the applicant has not supplied the officially certified copies of educational documents and their possible translations following the application guidelines. To be accepted, the applicant must demonstrate by the given deadline that the basis for the conditional admission decision has been removed. More information and schedules can be found on the Conditional admission decision page.

Documents related to the admission criteria to be attached to the application

Applicants to the doctoral programme of the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics are required to submit, in addition to their research and doctoral study plan, an endorsement signed by their supervisor-in-charge regarding the supervision arrangements and follow-up group. Applicants must submit the required documents in accordance with the instructions. Even if an applicant otherwise meets the eligibility requirements but has not submitted all the required attachments in the required manner, they do not meet the admission criteria and therefore cannot be selected.

Choice of specialisation

Applicants may be selected for one specialisation. The specialisation is selected on the application form during the application phase.

Principles governing the transfer of doctoral students from another faculty at the University of Jyväskylä or another Finnish higher education institution to the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics to complete their doctoral degree

It is not possible to be accepted into the doctoral programme of the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics through a transfer application. In accordance with the general admission criteria for doctoral education at the University of Jyväskylä, doctoral students from another faculty of the University of Jyväskylä or another higher education institution must apply for the right to pursue doctoral studies in accordance with the University of Jyväskylä's application and selection procedure during the application periods for doctoral programmes.

Doctoral programme in Education and Psychology

Supervision: Ensuring supervision before submitting the application is one of the selection criteria used in the evaluation of applications for the right to pursue doctoral studies. At the application stage, applicants must already have a responsible supervisor committed to the task, at least one other supervisor, and a follow-up group. The supervisors and follow-up group must comply with the guidelines of the university and faculty. The details of the supervisors and monitoring group who have agreed to take on the tasks must be provided in the application. The steering group responsible for doctoral education at the faculty will plan and provide more detailed instructions on how to include the above information in the application. Failure to provide supervision in accordance with the application guidelines may result in the application being rejected.

Documents to be attached to the application: The steering group responsible for doctoral education at the faculty will draw up and issue more detailed instructions for preparing the research plan and postgraduate study plan attachments. (Use the faculty templates for research plan and doctoral study plan.)

Conditional acceptance: The faculty may make a conditional student selection decision in accordance with the conditions specified in the university's general guidelines, excluding the option where the applicant demonstrates their language skills through a language proficiency assessment (ACRES) completed during the application process, as this option is not currently available to applicants for doctoral studies at the faculty. 

Applicant's basic knowledge of an applicable discipline and applicant's success in studies that provide eligibility to apply for doctoral studies

The eligibility requirements for doctoral studies are specified in the Universities Act (558/2009, section 37) and in the general admission criteria for doctoral education at the University of Jyväskylä. In its detailed admission criteria, the faculty can define the fields from which applicants must have completed a degree to make the applicants eligible for doctoral studies in the faculty’s doctoral programme. Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences does not define the fields from which applicants must have completed a degree to make the applicants eligible for doctoral studies. The proposed supervisor-in-charge assesses the suitability of the eligible applicant's studies as background studies; the applicant must have sufficient knowledge of the discipline, mastery of scientific methods, and an understanding of research ethics. In the application evaluation process, the evaluation group will assess the suitability of previous studies based on the educational documents submitted with the doctoral studies application.

If the applicant demonstrates competence equivalent to a thesis using a scientific publication or other research report, the proposed supervisor-in-charge will assess its suitability and level during the application phase. During the application evaluation process, the evaluation group will assess the suitability and level of the scientific publication or other research report.

In accordance with the general admission criteria for doctoral education, those selected for the programme will not be required to complete supplementary studies in order to acquire the skills necessary for the programme.

Research topic's suitability for the research area of the faculty, the level and feasibility of the research and study plan, applicant's commitment to complete the degree within the target completion time

The research topic of the dissertation must be in line with the research conducted at the faculty, so applicants should familiarize themselves with the faculty's research areas in advance. The research plan plays a significant role in both the application process and its evaluation. In accordance with the dissertation requirements of the University of Jyväskylä, the topic and content of the dissertation research are limited so that it is possible to defend the dissertation within 3–4 years of full-time study. The doctoral study plan must comply with the curriculum, be realistic, and support the dissertation research. The research and doctoral study plans must be prepared using the faculty’s templates. Templates and more detailed instructions can be found on the Required Attachments page.

At the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, research plans are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Convincing scientific justification for the research
• Realistic funding plan and schedule
• The scientific justification, research questions, and research methods form a coherent whole
• The description of the research design, research methods, variables, and participant recruitment supports the feasibility of the plan.

The proposed supervisor-in-charge and the evaluation group will assess the suitability of the dissertation topic and the level and feasibility of the plans. 

The availability of expert supervision and the sufficiency of supervision resources

According to the University of Jyväskylä Degree Regulations (Section 36), each doctoral student must have at least two supervisors appointed by the dean, one of whom shall be the personal supervisor-in-charge. All supervisors must hold a doctoral degree and have sufficient academic merit. The supervisor-in-charge must be employed by the University of Jyväskylä. In addition to the supervisor-in-charge, at least one supervisor must be a researcher at the docent level or higher.  A dissertation supervisor can simultaneously act as the supervisor-in-charge for a maximum of ten active doctoral students pursuing a doctoral degree. In addition, each student pursuing a doctoral degree shall have a follow-up group appointed by the dean. The members of the follow-up group can also be from outside the University. At least one member of the follow-up group must hold a doctoral degree. A supervisor of the dissertation cannot be appointed as a member of the follow-up group.

More detailed instructions for supervisors and the follow-up group can be found on the page Main stages in the applying – Find out the availability of relevant supervision.

Applicant must familiarize themselves with the faculty's research areas in advance and include in their application information about the supervisor-in-charge, who must be a member of the faculty's teaching and research staff, as well as at least one other supervisor. In addition, the application must include information on the member of the follow-up group. Applicants must attach to their application the approval form signed by all supervisors, members of the follow-up group, and the specialisation representative accordance with the instructions provided. More detailed instructions and the form can be found on the Required attachments page.  

Language skills requirements

The language proficiency requirements for doctoral studies at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences comply with the methods of demonstrating language proficiency and minimum score limits specified in the current general admission criteria for doctoral education. More detailed instructions and requirements can be found on the Demonstrating language skills page.

Conditional Admission Decisions

In the doctoral programme of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, a conditional admission decision can be made for an applicant who is otherwise eligible and meets the admission criteria, based on the fact that the degree that provides eligibility to apply for the studies has not yet been awarded or the applicant has not supplied the officially certified copies of educational documents and their possible translations following the application guidelines. To be accepted, the applicant must demonstrate by the given deadline that the basis for the conditional admission decision has been removed. More information and schedules can be found on the Conditional admission decision page.

Documents related to the admission criteria to be attached to the application

Applicants to the doctoral programme of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences are required to submit, in addition to their educational documents, research and doctoral study plan, an approval form signed all supervisors, members of the follow-up group, and the specialisation representative. Applicants must submit the required documents in accordance with the instructions. Even if an applicant otherwise meets the eligibility requirements but has not submitted all the required attachments in the required manner, they do not meet the admission criteria and therefore cannot be selected.

Target degrees

The specialisations of the Doctoral Programme in Sport and Health Sciences lead to a Doctor of Sport Sciences (D. Sport Sci.), Doctor of Health Sciences (D. Health Sci.), or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree as follows:

• The target degree in the Sport and Exercise Sciences specialisation is either Doctor of Sport Sciences (D. Sport Sci.) or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).
• The target degree in the Health Sciences specialisation is either Doctor of Health Sciences (D. Health Sci.) or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

A graduate from the field of sport and health sciences can choose whether they want to graduate as a Doctor of Sport Sciences (D. Sport Sci.) / Doctor of Health Sciences (D. Health Sci.), or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

For a graduate who has completed the degree qualifying for postgraduate studies in a field other than sport or health sciences, the target degree is always Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

Choice of specialisation

Applicants may be selected for one specialisation. The specialisation is selected on the application form during the application phase.

Principles governing the transfer of doctoral students from another faculty at the University of Jyväskylä or another Finnish higher education institution to the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences  to complete their doctoral degree

It is not possible to apply to the doctoral programme of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences  through a transfer application. In accordance with the general admission criteria for doctoral education at the University of Jyväskylä, doctoral students from another faculty of the University of Jyväskylä or another Finnish higher education institution must apply for the right to pursue doctoral studies at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences in accordance with the University of Jyväskylä's application and selection procedure during the application periods for doctoral programmes.

In the Doctoral Programme in Mathematics and Science, the general admission criteria of the University are followed.

Applicants may be interviewed and/or asked to provide a video. Applicants will be contacted if they are invited for an interview, or if a video is needed.

Specialisation in Clinical Cell Biology is only offered in Finnish. See the Finnish instructions for the admission criteria and further information.