Follow-up group

Follow-up group, the duties of the follow-up group and guidelines on the general operating principles of the follow-up group

General instructions on the follow-up group

Instructions on follow-up group (doctoral study right begun before 1.8.2026)

These instructions apply to doctoral students whose doctoral study right has begun August 1, 2026. However, if there are changes to follow-up group on or after August 1, 2026, the instructions below will apply to the new follow-up group arrangements.

In accordance with the general principles the University Board has approved for the University of Jyväskylä Graduate School for Doctoral Studies, a follow-up group is formed for each doctoral student. The follow-up group is appointed by the faculty. The follow-up group includes at least one person with doctoral degree, who is not the supervisor of the student in question and is not closely linked to student's dissertation research, for example as a co-author, or in a role that enables the production of research-based information. Follow-up group members may be external to the University.

The follow-up group meets the doctoral student and the supervisor once a year. Main responsibilities of a follow-up group include following-up the progress of doctoral student's dissertation research and studies and supporting doctoral student's career planning. The target is to create a group that has good internal communication and can be expected to communicate openly with the student.

Doctoral student documents the follow-up group in the supervision document.

Instructions on follow-up group (doctoral study right begun 1.8.2026 or after, and changes in the follow-up group)

The following guidelines apply to doctoral students whose doctoral study right begins on or after August 1, 2026, and, starting August 1, 2026, also to doctoral students whose doctoral study right began on or before January 1, 2026, if there are changes to the members of their follow-up group. These guidelines are based on Degree Regulations 36§ and the Vice Rector’s decision on the operating principles of the University of Jyväskylä Graduate School (March 27, 2026).

Each student pursuing a doctoral degree shall have a follow-up group appointed by the dean. The members of the follow-up group are appointed by the dean when granting the right to pursue doctoral studies. During doctoral studies, new members can be appointed to the group or existing members can be replaced if necessary, in which case the specialisation representative submits a proposal on the members of the follow-up group to the dean.

Members of the follow-up group:

One to three members are appointed to the follow-up group.
At least one member of the follow-up group must hold a doctoral degree.
The members of the follow-up group can also be from outside the University.
A supervisor of the dissertation cannot be appointed as a member of the follow-up group.
The members must not have any close connection to the doctoral student’s dissertation research. They cannot, for example, be co-authors of articles or have a role facilitating the generation of research data.

The main tasks of the follow-up group are to monitor and support the progress of the doctoral student’s dissertation research and studies, as well as to support career planning.

Full-time doctoral students convene their follow-up group at least once a year. Part-time doctoral students agree on the frequency of meetings with the follow-up group and the supervisor-in-charge. Doctoral students can also convene their follow-up group between annual meetings if they wish, as well as meet with the group without their supervisors being present.

Duties of the follow-up group include:

monitoring and supporting the progress of the doctoral student’s dissertation research and studies.
supporting the doctoral student’s career planning and discussing postdoctoral employment opportunities.
supporting the doctoral student’s professional development and wellbeing in their work and studies.
informing the specialisation representative of any conflicts related to dissertation supervision.
expressing an opinion on the progress of the doctoral student’s studies and research when the dissertation’s supervisor-in-charge has proposed deactivation of the doctoral study rights.

Supervision document

University of Jyväskylä Graduate School for Doctoral Studies: Structure and General Principles (Intranet UNO)

Appointing a follow-up group

The follow-up group is appointed before the start of postgraduate studies as part of the doctoral student admission process.
The follow-up groups are also named for doctoral students who have already started their doctoral studies (excluding students marked inactive in the study register) but do not have a follow-up group or whose follow-up group is no longer available.
The supervisor or the doctoral programme is responsible for nominating the follow-up group members. The student’s opinion should also be heard when selecting the group members. The target is to create a group that has good internal communication and can be expected to communicate openly with the student.

According to the University of Jyväskylä Regulations, section 13 §, the Dean nominates the follow-up group for a doctoral student unless these matters are delegated to be handled and decided by the vice-dean responsible for research. Read more about the supplementary instructions for your faculty.

The doctoral student documents the follow-up group (i.e., names of the group members or describes the body operating as the follow-up group) in the supervision document. The student also updates changes in the follow-up group if necessary.

Duties of the follow-up group

The duties of the follow-up group are described in appendix 1 of the supervision document and they are as follows:

Supporting and follow-up of the progress of doctoral studies and dissertation work and collaboratively refining the study and/or research plan, if needed.
Supporting the doctoral student’s career planning and discussing postdoctoral employment opportunities with them.
Paying attention to that the amount of teaching and other duties of the doctoral student is appropriate considering the maximum time of four years (if doctoral studies are full-time) and does not prevent graduation within the target time.
According to given instructions, reporting of potential problems with the progress or funding of the doctoral studies to the steering board of the doctoral programme or to the persons in charge of doctoral training in the department or faculty.
Verifying the supervisor information registered in the supervision agreement form in the annual meeting of the doctoral student and the follow-up group.

Appendix 1 of the supervision document: Responsibilities of the doctoral student, supervisor and follow-up group

Doctoral student follow-up groups and monitoring of the progress of doctoral students. Additional guidelines on the general operating principles of the University Graduate School

The Graduate School steering board has issued detailed instructions on follow-up groups and monitoring the progress of a doctoral student (see below).

The doctoral student and the follow-up group meet once a year so that there are at least three meetings during the four-year doctoral training. The meeting interval may be longer for part-time doctoral students. A part-time doctoral student agrees on the meeting interval with the follow-up group and the supervisor-in-charge. The supervisors attend the follow-up group meeting as well. The supervisor or the doctoral student is responsible for calling the follow-up group for an annual meeting. The doctoral student must prepare for the follow-up group meetings in advance.
In the follow-up group meetings, the doctoral student has an opportunity not only to present how the dissertation work proceeds but also to discuss their concerns related to doctoral studies.
The doctoral student may also convene the follow-up group between the annual meetings and meet the follow-up group without the supervisors being present.
When assessing the student’s progress, the follow-up group should give feedback that complies with good practices (i.e. it should be objective, responsible and encouraging).

The faculty doctoral school or the doctoral programme gives detailed guidelines to

doctoral students and supervisors on the practices for the organisation and proceeding of follow-up group meetings as well as for preparing for the meeting and writing a report. In addition, the guidelines must also provide information on the timing of the meetings (e.g. in relation to application rounds for funding).
the members of the follow-up group on who should be informed of possible serious problems in the progress of doctoral studies or in their funding.

Examples of good practices for the follow-up groups:

The doctoral student prepares for follow-up group meetings in advance. The faculty doctoral school or doctoral programme may prepare a list of questions the student should be prepared to answer in the next meeting, or the student may prepare a report for the meeting in accordance with the instructions from the faculty doctoral school or doctoral programme and deliver it to the members of the follow-up group before the meeting.
The follow-up group meeting is documented so that it is possible to return to the document as a basis for preparing for the next meeting. The faculty doctoral school or doctoral programme may instruct the student to write a concise report on the progress of the meeting and the matters handled. The report is submitted to the group members after the meeting.
If necessary, video calls or other technical solutions may be used to facilitate the follow-up group meetings.

To ensure that the methods and tools for following the progress of a doctoral student constitute a meaningful entity, the Graduate School Steering Board recommends that the follow-up meetings focus on discussing the themes of

building the researcher’s professional competence,
integration with the research environment and
finding a balance between sufficient guidance and the independent work required from a doctoral student.

In addition, the discussions may deal with other topics recommended by the faculty doctoral school or doctoral programme or brought up by the student or the follow-up group members.

Example questions for the follow-up group meetings:

The first follow-up group meeting

Are you happy with your doctoral study plan? Is it realistic and does it help you achieve your personal learning outcomes? Have you been able to start your doctoral studies effectively?
Are you happy with your research plan? Is it realistic? What motivates you to carry it out? Have you been able to start your research effectively?
What do you expect from your doctoral studies? In terms of your career plan and employment targets, what kind of skills do you want the doctoral training to develop? How are these skills visible in your doctoral study plan and/or research plan?
How important is it for you to acquire international experience during doctoral studies in terms of your career plan and employment targets? How is this goal visible in your doctoral study plan and/or research plan?
Do you know what is expected of you as a doctoral student and what you can expect from your supervisors and follow-up group?
Do you have a clear understanding of what is required of a dissertation in your field?
What is the funding situation of your doctoral studies?

The second and third follow-up group meetings

Have you been able to follow your doctoral study plan and research plan? Have you been able to keep to the timetable agreed with your supervisors? Have you needed to change or further specify the plans during your studies? Do you want to discuss matters that have promoted or impeded following your plans or keeping the timetable?
Has supervision met your needs? Can you give examples of matters that have promoted or impeded the functioning of the supervision relationship?
Have you had enough opportunities to affect the content of your doctoral studies? Have you had enough opportunities to demonstrate your ability to plan and implement research, analyse and interpret the data and write a scientific article or monograph?
In your opinion, what are the key skills a researcher needs in order to work at universities or elsewhere? Have your researcher skills developed appropriately along the progress of your studies and dissertation work in terms of your career plan and employment targets? Have you received sufficient support and guidance in strengthening your pedagogical skills or your competence in, for example, research methods, academic writing, communication and interaction, research ethics and the management of research projects and research data?
Do you feel that you are a part of the University community? Have you had an opportunity to participate in its activities? Is the amount of other duties related to your doctoral studies and dissertation (e.g. teaching) reasonable considering the timetable you and your supervisors have created for your doctoral studies and dissertation? Do you know where to acquire information and guidance in questions related to, for example, studying, academic activities or working at the University? Do you feel that you receive sufficient support from other doctoral students?
What is the funding situation of your doctoral studies?

The final follow-up group meeting

Are you happy with the dissertation in progress and its scientific credibility and integrity? Do you feel that your dissertation works as a demonstration of your ability to independently and critically apply the methods of scientific research and create new scientific knowledge?
Do you believe that you are able to gain a deep understanding of your field of research and its societal importance during your doctoral studies? Do you know the development, basic problems and research methods of your field of research? Are you able to follow the development of your discipline and of other related disciplines?
Does your doctoral education provide you with the necessary communication and language competences, along with other readiness, to function in working life that includes wide-ranging, demanding expert and development roles as well as international cooperation? Do you find that you are developing an identity as an academic expert?
Have you changed your career plans or employment aspirations during your doctoral studies? What factors have affected your idea of researcher expertise, academic specialist work and the employment possibilities of doctors?
What is your plan for employment after completing the doctoral degree?

Example topics for the report submitted to the follow-up group:

Short description of the dissertation topic (max 200 words)
Dissertation supervisors and their division of duties
Dissertation structure plan (articles to be included in the dissertation or the main division of monograph chapters) and the phases of different parts (e.g. published/writing phase/analysis phase/data collection phase/planning phase)
Completed studies included in the doctoral degree
Significant changes in the research plan and/or the doctoral study plan
Other significant changes that affect the progress of the dissertation work and/or doctoral studies, for example, changes to full-time/part-time study, supervision arrangements or the financing of dissertation work
Scientific publications that are completed, in progress or planned but will not be part of the dissertation, accompanied with a justification of why the student has used/will use time for them
Completed studies not intended to be included in the doctoral degree, accompanied with a justification of why the student has completed them
Oral scientific presentations and/or poster presentations and science communications directed at the general public
Teaching and guidance duties and other duties related to the work of the University community, such as participating in organisation, planning and development work
Domestic and international mobility and research cooperation
A plan for studies to be completed during the coming year
A plan for research duties to be implemented during the coming year
A plan for other duties to be implemented within the University community during the coming year, including teaching and guidance duties
A funding plan for the coming year
Other matters notified to the follow-up group

When applicable, the example questions can be used in the discussions of follow-up group meetings and in possible reports to the follow-up group, specified in further detail by the faculty’s doctoral school or the doctoral programme.

In addition to operating in follow-up groups, dissertation supervisors monitor the progress of the doctoral student as part of their supervision duties. The duties of supervisors are described in Appendix 1 of the supervision document. Starting point for the monitoring of the progress of doctoral studies is the doctoral study plan that is created before the start of doctoral studies, approved by the faculty as part of the doctoral student admission process and updated when necessary. In addition, the progress of the dissertation research is monitored through the realisation of the research plan. Doctoral students with an employment relationship also have development discussions and evaluation discussions with their (immediate) supervisor in accordance with the University salary system.

Resolving of conflicts and problematic situations

Conflicts during doctoral training are prevented by the supervision document and follow-up group practices as well as through competence development, informing and guidance. The aim is to resolve conflicts as early as possible.

Doctoral students discuss about their dissertation research and doctoral studies with the supervisor and the follow-up group in the supervision discussions and the follow-up group meetings. The follow-up group informs the person responsible of the student's specialisation about unresolved conflicts. If a conflict cannot be resolved at the level of the specialisation, it is transferred to be resolved by the doctoral programme. The doctoral student or the supervisor can also contact the person responsible of the specialisation or the head of the doctoral programme (i.e. Vice Dean of research) directly. The director of the Graduate School for Doctoral Studies and the Graduate School Steering Board support doctoral programmes in resolving conflicts.

If the conflict concerns a matter whose settling or resolution has been stipulated in a separate university-level decision (e.g. the University of Jyväskylä Regulations or the Degree Regulations) or the University has a suitable operating model for settling or resolving the problem (e.g. the RCR process), the model is followed.

(University of Jyväskylä Graduate School for Doctoral Studies: Structure and General Principles. Approved at the University Board meeting of 10 December 2021.)

The supplementary instructions of the Faculties

The faculty or the doctoral programme gives detailed guidelines to doctoral students and supervisors on the practices for the organisation and proceeding of follow-up group meetings as well as for preparing for the meeting and writing a report.

Follow-up groups (NOTE: these instructions apply only to doctoral students whose doctoral study right has begun August 1, 2026. However, if there are changes to follow-up group on or after August 1, 2026, the general instructions above will apply to the new follow-up group arrangements.)

Department of History and Ethnology: there are two follow-up groups at the Department as follows:
- follow-up group for the doctoral students of Finnish History, Economic History and General History: professor Laura Stark, professor Kustaa H. J. Vilkuna, professor Antero Holmila, university lecturer Timo Särkkä and senior researcher Jari Eilola. The contact person for the group is professor Kustaa H. J. Vilkuna.
- follow-up group for the doctoral students of ethnology and anthropology (KUMU): professor Outi Fingerroos, professor Miikka Pyykkönen, professor Pertti Ahonen, university lecturer Karina Horsti and senior university lecturer Sirpa Tenhunen. The contact person for the group is senior university lecturer Sirpa Tenhunen.
Department of Language and Communication Studies: the Department’s research steering board acts as the follow-up group for doctoral students. The members of the follow-up group are professor Esa Lehtinen (chair), professor Tommi Jantunen, academy researcher Mélodine Sommier, professor Åsa Palviainen, assistant professor Karoliina Talvitie-Lamberg and professor Mikko Villi. You can take the initiative to arrange a meeting by contacting any member of the research steering board.
Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies:
- Department's research council is automatically appointed as the follow-up group for all the new doctoral students of the department when the doctoral study right is granted.
- Later the composition of the doctoral student's follow-up group is updated to reflect the purpose of the follow-up group. The update means that, in connection with the first supervision meetings, the supervisors and the doctoral student consider a suitable person or persons who, in addition to the supervisors, will be asked to be members of the follow-up group and who will replace the research council as the follow-up group.
- Department's research council continues to function as a body to which doctoral students, supervisors and members of the follow-up group can inform about possible major problems or conflicts related to doctoral research processes.
- The contact person for the group is associate professor Tuuli Lähdesmäki.
Centre for Applied Language Studies: The group consists of an external member(s). The external member is either the hear of CALS or the vice head of CALS (education).
Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy: the follow-up group consists of an external member. You can take the initiative to arrange a meeting by contacting any member of the follow-up group.

Changes in follow-up group

During the doctoral studies, a need may arise to change the composition of the follow-up group. After consulting the doctoral student and the supervisors, the department's vice head is responsible for proposing a change in the composition of the follow-up group. In the other departments of the faculty, the vice head responsible for research is responsible for the matter, and in Centre for Applied Language Studies (Solki), the vice head responsible for education. The vice head of the department sends to the faculty's doctoral studies coordinator the proposal on the changes in follow-up group using the faculty's form available in Intranet Uno. The dean makes the decision on changes to the follow-up group. The coordinator responsible for faculty's doctoral studies informs the department and the doctoral student when the decision has been made. After this, the doctoral student must update the changes in their supervision document.

Below you can find the IT Faculty guide for follow-up groups and supervison document. Especially those students who have started their studies in 2021 or after should follow these instructions, but others can use them as well.

Follow-up group

The follow-up group is appointed when the doctoral student is admitted the doctoral study right. The division leader of the research area is appointed in the follow-up group if they are not supervising the student (in which case, a deputy will be appointed). The members of the follow-up group may be updated as necessary on a case-by-case basis.

The members of the follow-up group must have a doctoral degree and sufficient experience. They cannot be supervisors of the student in question, or members of the research group in which the dissertation research is carried out. They can be Docents of the Faculty, or come from outside of the university.

Follow-up group meetings

In the IT Faculty, the follow-up group meetings can be arranged for example during the annual IT Faculty Reasearch Day (intranet UNO, login required). Indicative timing of the meetings:

1st meeting
- in the beginning of doctoral studies (1. year)
2nd meeting
- usually after one year of studying (25%)
- going through the updated research plan, the completed and planned coursework, possible adjustment needed in the plans, supervision situation
3rd meeting
- after two years of studying (50%)
- current situation of the research and coursework, an outline of the final version of the thesis (including the publications to be included in the thesis)
4th meeting
- after three years of studying (75%)
- scheduled plan for the last year of doctoral studies (incl. planned schedule for the examination process), discussion regarding career prospects after graduation

For the first meeting there is a question form (see Question form for the 1st meeting of the follow-up group, word document), which the student fills in before the meeting with the follow-up group and forwards to the group members at latest a week before the meeting. In the follow-up group meeting, at least the issues listed in the question form are discussed. The student updates the question form after the meeting and sends the updated version to the group members.

For other meetings (2^nd-4^th meeting), the question form of the first meeting can be used as appropriate. See also other possible questions for follow-up group meetings. It is recommended that the doctoral student submits a report on the progress of the work to the follow-up group 1-2 weeks before each meeting. See examples of things to record in the report.

Schedule of the next follow-up group meeting is decided at the end of every meeting.

Changes in the follow-up group

In situations requiring a change in the composition of the follow-up group:

The doctoral student and supervisor discuss possible changes needed in the composition of the follow-up group.
The supervisor agrees on the changes with the current and possible new members of the group.
Once changes have been agreed, the supervisor-in-charge will discuss the issue with the specialisation representative (Head of the division in question; in cognitive science, Associate Professor Tuomo Kujala). The proposal for changes is made using the faculty form.
Specialisation representative sends a proposal for changes to the coordinator of doctoral education via HelpJYU (or to doctoral-studies-it@jyu.fi).
The coordinator prepares the Dean's decision on the matter.
The dean decides on the matter. The coordinator will inform the parties concerned when the decision has been made.
After this, the doctoral student records the change in the supervision document and the responsible supervisor confirms the updated supervision document.

In accordance with the operating principles of the University of Jyväskylä Graduate School, a follow-up group must be formed for each active doctoral student at JSBE. At JSBE, the follow-up groups operate under the guidance and supervision of the JSBE's doctoral programme.

Note to doctoral students and supervisors:Failure to comply with these instructions may be a reason to deactivate the doctoral study right at JSBE.

Structure and formation of the follow-up group

The follow-up group must include at least one docent-level member, who is external to the research group in which the dissertation is done.

The supervisor-in-charge is responsible for making sure that for each of doctoral student under their supervision, there is a follow-up group in place. The supervisor-in-charge is also responsible for selecting the follow-up group member(s) external to the research group, who may also be external to the University.

The structure (i.e., names of the members) of the follow-up group has to be documented in the online supervision document. After the student's doctoral study right has begun, they must fill in a postgraduate questionnaire in the supervision document. Using this online form, the doctoral student must document the member(s) of the follow-up group in the supervision document.

Purpose and duties of a follow-up group

The duties of the follow-up group are described in the general instructions above, provided by the University of Jyväskylä Graduate School.

In addition to the duties outlined by the University of Jyväskylä Graduate School, the follow-up groups at JSBE are requested to verify, in collaboration with the student, that all the information in the online supervision document is up-to-date and provided as requested and that the student has complied with the registration and other administrative requirements of the university and faculty.

The follow-up group at JSBE should take immediate action

if for some reason, the agreement on supervision between the doctoral student and the main supervisor terminates; the remaining follow-up members have to actively provide help and guidance in finding a new main supervisor for the doctoral student.
if there are serious problems with the progress or funding of the doctoral studies of the student: if such problems are identified, the follow-up group should actively try to solve them and to report them to the faculty's coordinator doctoral education.
if the structure of the follow-up group needs to be changed (e.g. member changes): instructions for changing the composition of the follow-up group can be found on the Doctoral study supervisors page, in the section The supplementary instructions of the Faculties - Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics.

Organisation of the follow-up group meetings

The follow-up group meets the doctoral student at least once a year in an annual meeting. Part-time doctoral students may have a longer interval between meetings.

At JSBE, each follow-up group can decide when the annual meeting is organized; this may depend, e.g., on the needs of the student, progress of the studies and availability of funding to them. However, each academic year, the annual meeting should be held by the end of June at the latest.

The doctoral student is responsible for the practical organization of the meeting(s): after consulting the supervisor-in-charge, the doctoral student calls the follow-up group for a meeting. They have to make sure that all the members of the follow-up group and the supervisors are able to contribute to the meeting; if necessary, video calls or other technical solutions may be used to facilitate the follow-up group meeting(s).

The doctoral student is expected to provide an agenda for the follow-up group meeting and prepare for it in advance. In the follow-up group meetings, the doctoral student has an opportunity not only to present the progress of the dissertation work but also to discuss their concerns related to doctoral studies.

For more information, see the general instructions of the University of Jyväskylä Graduate School above.

Documentation of the follow-up group meetings at JSBE

After each follow-up group meeting, the doctoral student should prepare a short summary document of the issues discussed in the follow-up group meeting so that it is possible to return to them later (e.g., in next meeting). This short summary document should be sent to the follow-up group and supervisors by email within two weeks after the meeting. The short summary document should include, at least the following information: name of the student, date of the meeting, members of the follow-up group and supervisors who contributed to / participated in the meeting as well as brief description of the agenda and issues that were discussed.

At the Faculty of Education and Psychology, the following more detailed instructions have been agreed on:

the student and the follow-up group meet annually if the student is a full-time student for the whole doctoral studies period (e.g. a position of a doctoral student in a department, funding from the department’s budget, project funding from outside of the University) or if the student has funding for at least one year (e.g. from a department or a grant from a foundation).
all follow-up groups meet during the first year of the student’s studies.
the doctoral students who are not working as full-time students will meet the follow-up group less frequently and when needed, but the minimum is twice during the studies.
the student can also initiate a follow-up group meeting.

Doctoral programme in Education: the form to be used in follow-up group meetings can be found in Intranet UNO.

Doctoral programme in Psychology: the form to be used in follow-up group meetings can be found in Intranet UNO.

Doctoral programme in Cognitive Neuroscience: the form to be used in follow-up groups can be found in Intranet Uno.

Progress and follow-up of postgraduate studies

The supervisor-in-charge is responsible for following the progress of the studies and reports the progress to the steering group for doctoral education.

In an article-based dissertation, the goal is to publish annually one article which is sent to either an international or Finnish scientific journal.

In a monograph-based dissertation, the work should progress as presented in the postgraduate study plan.

A follow-up group is formed for each student and it comprises of at least one docent-level member, who is not part of the research group in which the student completes the dissertation. The follow-up group meets every year, and a report from the meeting is sent to the faculty's coordinator of doctoral education via HelpJYU form Contact doctoral education services.

If the studies do not progress according to the schedule of the postgraduate study plan, the student will be moved to the follow-up register. To become an active student again, the student needs to present a report on continuing the studies for the steering group for doctoral education.

If a student who has an accepted plan for a doctoral degree would like to complete a licentiate degree, this must be agreed with the specialisation representative and the steering group for doctoral education.

Changes in the follow-up group

Instructions for changing the composition of the follow-up group can be found on the Doctoral study supervisors page, in the section The supplementary instructions of the Faculties - Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences.

FACULTY INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOLLOW-UP GROUPS

Policy on the follow-up groups of doctoral theses in the Faculy of Mathematics and Science (since March 14, 2023):

As a general rule, the members of the follow-up group should have a doctoral degree. When planning the composition of the group, it is recommended that the diversity of the group and a sufficient range of expertise is considered.

It is the task of the follow-up group to ensure the quality of the supervision and that the supervision document is up to date.

The regularity of the follow-up group meetings is monitored by the doctoral programme. The doctoral student must report the follow-up group meetings and any proposed measures to the Head of the doctoral programme in accordance with the guidelines given by the doctoral programme. It is the responsibility of the doctoral student to record each follow-up group meeting in the supervision document at the next update.

Appointing the Follow-up Group

The follow-up group is appointed when the doctoral student is admitted the doctoral study right. Information regarding the follow-up group can be given in the online application form, or after the application deadline, in accordance with separate instructions.

Changes in the composition of the Follow-up Group

In situations requiring a change in the composition of the follow-up group:

The doctoral student, the supervisors and the members of the follow-up group will consult each other in the first instance.
Once changes have been agreed between the student, the supervisors, and the current and potential new members of the follow-up group, they will be discussed with the Head of the Doctoral Programme.
The Head of the Doctoral Programme makes the proposal on the changes using the faculty form and sends it to the coordinator of doctoral education via HelpJYU.
A decision will be prepared by the coordinator of doctoral education and decided by the Vice Dean.
The coordinator of doctoral educationl will inform the parties concerned when the decision has been made.
After this, the doctoral student records the change in the supervision document and the responsible supervisor confirms the updated supervision document.

FOLLOW-UP GROUPS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

For instructions on the follow-up groups at the Department of Biological and Environmental Science, please see the UNO intranet (login required).

FOLLOW-UP GROUPS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

The following guidelines apply to the follow-up groups at the Physics Department.

Selecting the members of the follow-up group: The group is formed when the PhD studies start. To form the group the principal supervisor of the student suggests suitable senior researchers and discusses the choices with the student. Also the study advisor of the PhD students of the Department may be consulted at this point. In addition to the supervisors of the work, the follow-up group must include at least one person who has a doctoral degree and is from outside the research group in which the work is done. The principal supervisor gives the composition of the follow-up group to the study advisor of the PhD students and the Head of the Doctoral Programme. The Head of the Doctoral Programme informs the coordinator of Faculty Doctoral School, who prepares a decision on the matter. The decision is made by the Vice Dean of the Faculty.
Arranging the meetings of the follow-up group: The group will meet the student immediately as the PhD studies begin and after that once a year, more often if needed. The group meetings are arranged by the student. In the meeting arranged when the third year is starting, the study advisor of doctoral students is invited.
Instructions for the meetings of the follow-up group: In a meeting, in addition to progress of research and studies, the working habits, the functioning of collaboration, funding, plans for future after completing the PhD and anything affecting daily making of science should be discussed. The PhD student will report the main points of the discussion by using the online form (intranet, login required). In a meeting, at least the points found in the form should be discussed. If the research is conducted outside the Department and the student does not often meet the supervisors, the group should prepare well in advance for the meeting and the discussions should be documented in greater detail.

FOLLOW-UP GROUPS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

The doctoral student will send a follow-up report using the online form (UNO intranet, login required) after every follow-up group meeting. It is recommended to meet the follow-up group once a year.

FOLLOW-UP GROUPS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

The doctoral student will report the meeting of the follow-up group and any proposed actions by e-mail to the head of the doctoral programme after each meeting of the follow-up group.

Follow-up group

General instructions on the follow-up group

Instructions on follow-up group (doctoral study right begun before 1.8.2026)

Instructions on follow-up group (doctoral study right begun 1.8.2026 or after, and changes in the follow-up group)

Appointing a follow-up group

Duties of the follow-up group

Doctoral student follow-up groups and monitoring of the progress of doctoral students. Additional guidelines on the general operating principles of the University Graduate School

Operating principles of the follow-up groups

Detailed guidelines for the follow-up group meetings

Discussion themes for the follow-up groups

The unity of monitoring the progress of a doctoral student

Resolving of conflicts and problematic situations

The supplementary instructions of the Faculties

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Faculty of Information Technology

Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics

Faculty of Education and Psychology

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

Faculty of Mathematics and Science

Responsibilities of the doctoral student, supervisor and follow-up group