Orientation weeks for new doctoral students

Orient yourself towards your studies

Supervision

• agree with your supervisors on a precise timetable for starting your doctoral studies and research and for arriving on campus
• familiarise yourself with the responsibilities of the doctoral student, supervisor and follow-up group
• familiarise yourself with the guidelines on the supervision document
• if you wish, you can already start outlining your own supervision document in the supervision document system from your own perspective. Please note that it will not be possible to complete your supervision document until you have agreed the principles of supervision with your supervisors.
• during your doctoral studies, you will have the help and support of many different people. For more information, see the guidelines on supervision and study councelling for doctoral students.

Planning your studies (coursework)

Please follow the links below to familiarise yourself with

• the curriculum of your doctoral programme
• the courses offered by the university. Please note that the teaching schedule may still be updated at the beginning of the year.
• the University of Jyväskylä's study information system Sisu. Find out more about Sisu, and watch Sisu instruction videos on study planning and enrolment. 

Once you are familiar with the curriculum, the teaching schedule and the Sisu system, you can start creating your study plan in Sisu. You can also register for those courses/study units where enrolment is open (note: some courses/study units do not require enrolment, or enrolment may start later in the academic year).

If you have technical problems using Sisu, help is available from Sisu support.

In other study related issues you can consult your own supervisor or contact the Support for Doctoral Studies team.

Academic study skills

At the beginning of your studies, it is worth reminding yourself of your academic study skills: what are they and do you need to develop your own skills in these areas? See our Academic Study Skills instructions for more information. 

How to apply for funding

Research and Innovation Services of the University of Jyväskylä have created a self-learning course Introduction to Applying for Research Funding. The course offers expertise and practical tips on where to apply for research funding and how to prepare a funding proposal. You can join the course environment at any time and study at at your own pace. You can also complete the course and receive credits, but this is not compulsory. You can find more information on the course in Intranet UNO (requires login). 

University guidelines and services

• complete the University of Jyväskylä information security course
• familiarise yourself with various guidelines related to dissertation research, such as guidelines on research ethics
• if you are employed by the University (doctoral researcher position), please contact your supervisor, your superior and/or assistant of your unit for office space and facilities issues. If you are not employed by the university, please read to our guidelines on facilities and equipment.
• if you are employed by the University (doctoral researcher position), please check the Staff HR Handbook (UNO intranet, requires login)
• if you work on a grant, please check the Guide for Grant Researcher (UNO intranet, login required)
• IT Instructions and tools for students

Wellbeing

During your doctoral studies, it is important to remember to take care of your wellbeing. Doctoral students have the opportunity to take advantage of self-study materials on Intranet Uno to develop their wellbeing skills, and a range of services to support mental wellbeing. Doctoral students can also take advantage of the services offered by the uMove (Academic Sports) by purchasing a uMove membership. Read more about the various guidelines from our web page Instructions for the doctoral student regarding university community.