Doctoral studies: Required attachments
Table of contents
The instructions are valid during the 2026 admission rounds to doctoral programmes at JYU.
In addition to the application form, the applicant must submit to the University of Jyväskylä the following documents. Please make sure that you have the required attachments in good time before the application deadline.
- Research plan
- Doctoral study plan
The research plan must be in English or Finnish or the language of the doctoral dissertation. Doctoral study plan must be in English or Finnish.
If the intention is to complete the doctorate as a full-time student, the dissertation research plan and the doctoral study plan will be designed to enable the doctorate to be completed in 3-4 years.
When the applicant attaches a research plan to the application, he/she consents to have the plan inspected with an electronic plagiarism detection system (Turnitin).
If you use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to aid your research plan, you must indicate which model (e.g., ChatGPT, Bing Chat) you have used and in what way.
See below for the doctoral programme-specific instructions for preparing the research plan and doctoral study plan.
The guidelines will be updated by the end of February 2026.
Research plan
The research plan plays an important role in the application and its assessment. The length of the research plan, including references, should not exceed 2500 words. The research plan should include the following:
- the name of the applicant and the working title of the doctoral dissertation,
- the topic of the research and its relevance,
- research setup, research problems and the research questions,
- theoretical premises,
- research methods and data or sources,
- research ethical considerations,
- the structure of the doctoral dissertation (if an article dissertation, describe articles; if a monograph dissertation, the structure of the work), and
- the timetable for the research
Faculty's research plan template should be used when making the research plan.
When preparing your research plan, please also take into account the dissertation requirements of the University of Jyväskylä and the possible additional dissertation instructions of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The research plan attachment does not need to include a funding plan. However, please note that there is a question on the funding plan in the application form. The funding plan can be based on the information found on the Doctoral dissertation funding page.
Doctoral study plan
A doctoral study plan contains a preliminary timetabled plan for both the doctoral dissertation and the additional doctoral courses and other professionally qualifying activities. Please note that
- the doctoral study plan must be in accordance with the curriculum 2026-2028 of the Doctoral Programme in Humanities and Social Sciences
- the doctoral study plan must be drawn up using the form for the Doctoral Programme in Humanities and Social Sciences
Research plan
The planned dissertation topic must be in line with the field of study and doctoral degree you wish to pursue.
Faculty's research plan template should be used when making the research plan.
Prepare a research plan with assistance of your intended supervisors. Attach the research plan to your online application preferably as a pdf file.
Doctoral study plan
Prepare your doctoral study plan (a personal plan for the coursework), based on the study requirements specified in the curriculum for the doctoral programme. Follow the requirements of your specialisation. The minimum scope of studies in all specialisation options is 30 ECTS credits.
The doctoral study plan (a personal plan for the coursework) must be prepared using one of the forms below. Select the correct form, save on your own device, fill in and attach to your online application in the Studyinfo portal (as pdf, if possible).
- Form for the doctoral study plan (coursework plan), Specialisation in Information Systems Science (PhD and D.Sc. (Econ. & Bus. Adm.))
- Form for the doctoral study plan (coursework plan), Specialisation in Computing and Education
- Form for the doctoral study plan (coursework plan), Specialisation in Computer Science and Engineering (PhD)
- Form for the doctoral study plan (coursework plan), Specialisation in Computer Science and Engineering (D.Sc. (Tech.))
- Form for the doctoral study plan (coursework plan), Specialisation in Computational Science
- Form for the doctoral study plan (coursework plan), Specialisation in Cognitive Science
See also What can I study. Your intended supervisor-in-charge should accept your coursework plan before you attach it to your online application.
Research Plan
The research plan includes the motivation for the research, the starting points, research questions, methodological solutions, objectives, timing of the research, and references.
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 in the Faculty. The applicant must familiarize themselves in advance with the research conducted at 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 plan must be drawn up using the Faculty’s template. The proposed supervisor-in-charge must approve the research plan before the applicant attaches it to their application in Studyinfo. The research plan must be attached to the application in PDF format.
The research plan template will be added to this page by the beginning of March 2026.
Doctoral Study Plan
The personal doctoral study plan includes the studies to be included in the doctoral degree, a career plan, mobility plan, and funding plan. The doctoral study right does not include funding, but the necessary funding must be applied for separately. The Doctoral dissertation funding page can be used as a guide when preparing the funding plan.
The doctoral study plan must comply with the 2026-2028 curriculum and the requirements of the specialisation, be realistic, and support the dissertation research. The curriculum for the Doctoral Programme in Business, Economics and Finance 2026–2028 can be found in the University of Jyväskylä study guide.
The applicant must have the necessary competence for the education at the time of admission, and all the courses required from the student and included in the doctoral study plan must be part of the minimum scope of the doctoral degree curriculum. No supplementary studies will be assigned to the applicant.
When preparing the study plan, it is also advisable to refer to the page What can I study.
The plan must be prepared using the faculty’s template. Note that there is a separate template for the Business Studies and another for the Economics and Finance. The proposed supervisor-in-charge must check the suitability of the studies and approve the doctoral study plan before the applicant attaches it to their application in Studyinfo in PDF format.
The template for the doctoral study plan will be added to this page by the beginning of March 2026.
Supervisors’ endorsement form
Applicants must attach to their application in Studyinfo the supervisors’ endorsement, which includes information about supervisor-in-charge, who is a member of the faculty's teaching and research staff, at least one other supervisor, and the follow-up group. The supervisor-in-charge must sign the form. By signing the form, the supervisor-in-charge confirms that they support the research and doctoral study plan, are committed to their duties, and have discussed the supervision resources in the subject.
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.
The supervisors’ endorsement form will be added to this page by the beginning of March 2026.
Research plan
The research plan (max. 5 pages) must be drafted to the doctoral programme's template. Please take into account the focus areas of research and JYU’s dissertation requirements including the additional instructions of the faculty. Evaluation of the research plan will focus on the following:
1) Quality of the research plan and research questions, clarity of the used concepts, applicability of the methods chosen for data collection and analysis, and quality and extent of references
2) Feasibility of the study design, data collection, and timetable
3) Coherence in the use of concepts and clear connection between them and the theoretical framework.
Doctoral study plan
The doctoral study plan must be drafted to the doctoral programme’s template. It must follow the doctoral programme’s curriculum 2026-2028. Please use the codes of your specialisation.
The doctoral study plan form also contains the signatures of the supervisors and the member of the follow-up group. With their signatures, they commit to the supervision. The signatures can be replaced by email approval (for example 'With this email I confirm that I am committed to act as one of the (or main) supervisor(s) / member of the follow-up group of N.N.')
Research plan
The research plan includes for example the scientific justification of the research, research questions, methodological solutions, goals, timing of the research, and financing plan. The doctoral study right does not include funding, but the necessary funding must be applied for separately. The Doctoral dissertation funding page can be used as a guide when preparing the funding plan.
The planned 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.
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 plan must be prepared using the faculty’s template. The maximum length of the plan is 6 pages (title page and references are not counted), font Palatino Linotype size 12, tables size 10, and page margins 2.54cm.
The supervisors, follow-up group member and the specialization representative must approve the research plan before the applicant attaches it to their application in Studyinfo. The research plan must be attached to the application in PDF format. The approval form can be found under the heading “Supervisors’ Approval Form”.
The research plan template will be added to this page by the beginning of March 2026.
Doctoral Study Plan
The personal doctoral study plan includes the studies to be included in the doctoral degree. The doctoral study plan must comply with the 2026-2028 curriculum, be realistic, and support the dissertation research. The curriculum for the Doctoral Programme in Sport and Health Sciences 2026–2028 can be found in the University of Jyväskylä study guide.
The applicant must have the necessary competence for the education at the time of admission, and all the courses required from the student and included in the doctoral study plan must be part of the minimum scope of the doctoral degree curriculum. No supplementary studies will be assigned to the applicant.
When preparing the study plan, it is also advisable to refer to the page What can I study.
The plan must be prepared using the faculty’s template. The proposed supervisor-in-charge must check the suitability of the studies and approve the doctoral study plan before the applicant attaches it to their application in Studyinfo. The doctoral study plan must be attached to the application in PDF format.
The template for the doctoral study plan will be added to this page by the beginning of March 2026.
Supervisors’ Approval Form
Applicants must attach to their application in Studyinfo the supervisors’ approval form, signed by all supervisors (supervisor-in-charge and 1-2 other supervisors), member(s) of the follow-up group, and the specialisation representative. Supervisor-in-charge must be a member of the faculty's teaching and research staff. By signing the form, they confirm that they support the application and are committed to their duties.
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.
The supervisors’ approval form will be added to this page by the beginning of March 2026.
Research plan
The application for a doctoral study right must include a research plan. The level and feasibility of the research plan is one of the admission criteria.
Prepare the research plan with assistance of your supervisor(s). The research plan is written in either Finnish or English and its length is typically 2–4 pages. Faculty's research plan template should be used as the starting point when making the research plan.
Doctoral study plan
In the Doctoral Programme in Mathematics and Science, the doctoral study plan (a personal plan for the coursework) must be prepared using one of the forms below. Select the form corresponding the specialisation you are applying to, save on your own device, fill in and attach to your online application in the Studyinfo portal (as pdf, if possible).
NOTE! The links below will be updated by the end of Febraury!
- Form for the doctoral study plan in Biological and Environmental Science
- Form for the doctoral study plan in Chemistry
- Form for the doctoral study plan in Physics
- Form for the doctoral study plan in Mathematics
- Form for the doctoral study plan in Statistics and Data Science (PhD)
- Form for the doctoral study plan in Statistics and Data Science (D.Sc. (Tech.))
Prepare your study plan based on the study requirements specified in the curriculum of the doctoral programme for the period 2026-2028:
See also What can I study.
Your intended supervisor-in-charge should accept your coursework plan before you attach it to your online application.
- Degree Certificate
- Transcript of records
Documents must be either officially certified copies of the original documents, or the original official documents.
If you apply with a degree awarded by a Finnish higher education institution, please note the country-specific requirement for Finland!
- Official translation of degree certificate
- Official translation of the transcript of records
Required if the educational document is issued in a language other than English, Finnish or Swedish.
If you demonstrate your language skills with a language test or language proficiency certificate, attach the result of the language test or the language proficiency certificate to your application.
If you would like to be evaluated on the basis of a scientific publication or other research report instead of the grade of your thesis, please attach the publication or research report to your application.
Other documents that are required by the doctoral programme such as a CV or motivation letter.
See below which other attachments you should attach to your application. The documents must be written in English or Finnish.
The guidelines will be updated by the end of February 2026.
All applicants for the Doctoral Programme in Humanities and Social Sciences will be required to submit as an attachment a CV, a motivation letter, and a supervisor-in-charge endorsement form. Below are more detailed instructions for these.
CV
A curriculum vitae (CV) must be attached to the application. The CV should be written in accordance with The Finnish National Board on Research Integrity (TENK) CV format. For guidance on the TENK CV format, please visit https://tenk.fi/en/advice-and-materials/template-researchers-curriculum-vitae . The maximum length of a CV is 3 pages.
Motivation letter
A motivation letter must be attached to the application. The maximum length of the motivation letter is 700 words. The motivation letter should include at least the following information:
- why you want to apply for doctoral studies
- briefly describe what you have previously studied and how it relates to the field of research you are applying for
- what your career and employment goals are and how doctoral studies will contribute to them
- why you are applying to the University of Jyväskylä
Supervisor-in-charge endorsement form
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.
In addition to the attachments specified in the general guidelines, you need to attach to the application
- a resume (curriculum vitae, CV), preferably as a pdf file. The resume (CV) should be attached to the application form.
- the supervisor-in-charge endorsement form. The applicant must attach to their application the supervisor-in-charge endorsement form, which is signed by the intended supervisor-in-charge. By signing the form, they confirm their support for the application and their commitment to their tasks.
Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics requires Supervisor’s Endorsement to be attached to the application (see heading “Research plan and doctoral study plan").
The Faculty of Education and Psychology does not require specific faculty-specific documents.
The Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences requires Supervisors' approval form to be attached to the application (see the heading "Research plan and doctoral study plan").
Applicants for the Doctoral Programme in Mathematics and Science must include in their online application the following:
- Letter of motivation
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Approval of the responsible supervisor. The approval is given with the endorsement form that is attached to the online application in Studyinfo portal.
Applicants may also 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 required attachments and further information.