The Graduate School of the University of Vaasa is looking for motivated, talented and research-oriented students to its doctoral programmes.
There are two application periods for doctoral studies at the university annually. The application deadlines are 30 April and 15 November each year. The students apply for admission to the doctoral programmes, and the primary study right is given for a doctorate degree. A doctorate degree consists of doctoral studies (60 ECTS) and research work. The main emphasis in the degree is put on the research work. The estimated duration of a doctorate degree is 4 years with full-time studies.
A supervisor or supervisors are appointed to each and every doctoral student, and students agree on the main principles of the supervision with their supervisors. The Graduate School of the University of Vaasa follows students’ progress in their studies and research work regularly.
There are no tuition fees or other mandatory fees for doctoral students. Doctoral students may become members of the Student Union by paying the Student Union fee which entitles them to use the services of the student union. Please note, however, that doctoral students are not entitled to other student benefits of the Student Union, e.g. student health care, subsidised meals or discounts on travelling fares.
Eligibility for doctoral studies
Eligible for studies leading to an academic doctorate degree shall be a person who has completed
- an applicable higher university degree;
- an applicable higher polytechnic degree; or
- an applicable education completed abroad which in the awarding country gives eligibility for corresponding higher education.
The university may require a student admitted to study for an academic postgraduate degree complete the necessary supplementary studies in order to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for the studies. (Universities Act 558/2009 Section 37.)
Admission Criteria
The Graduate School of the University of Vaasa requires that the doctoral student candidates have adequate knowledge in the study field of their doctoral theses. The applicants should have completed their previous degree with at least the grade ’Good’ and have been awarded the grade ’Good’ or higher for their Master’s thesis (grade ‘Good’, 3/5 or other equivalent grade). In special cases, additional studies supplementing the awarded grade or other qualifying study attainments may be taken into account in the admission process. The applicants should also present a proof of their language proficiency.
Eligibility for doctoral studies is assessed on the basis of the previous degrees which must be completed before the study right for doctoral studies begins. In the case of the application period ending on 30 April, the previous degree must be completed and the degree certificate awarded by 1 August. In the second application round of the year, the application period ends on 15 November, and the previous degree must be completed and the degree certificate awarded by 31 December.
Applicants who have not finished their Master's degree by the application deadline may apply for admission to the doctoral programme during the final year of their studies. However, the grade of their final thesis must be recorded to their transcript of record or the thesis supervisor must give a statement about the thesis and its grade before the application deadline. Eligibility to the programme is evaluated based on the thesis grade among other criteria. Therefore the thesis grade must be presented in the application for admission.
The admission criteria confirmed by the Faculties are applied to the selection of doctoral students. Admission criteria are available in the handbooks and study guides for doctoral students.
Application Process
Before submitting their application for doctoral studies to the University, the applicants should contact the professor responsible for the study field covered in the possible doctoral studies. This ensures that the topic of doctoral thesis is acceptable and the preliminary research and study plan may be accepted. Contact information of the professors is available at the Faculties’ webpages.
Applications to doctoral studies are submitted in writing to the University. Applicants must use the Application Form to Doctoral Studies (application form in pdf) when applying for admission. The application is submitted to the following address:
University of Vaasa
Academic Affairs office
P.O.Box 700
FI-65101 Vaasa
FINLAND
The street address of the university is as follows: University of Vaasa, Luotsi building, Academic Affairs office, Wolffintie 34, FI-65200 Vaasa, FINLAND
The doctoral programme, degree, and major subject must be clearly stated in the application. A preliminary study plan for doctoral studies is also included in the application form. The study plan should describe the contents and schedule of doctoral studies. More detailed information about the degree structure and requirements of doctorate degrees are available at the handbooks for doctoral studies.
The following documents must be enclosed in the application for doctoral studies:
- Degree certificates
- Transcript of Records of the previous degrees and explanation of the grading scale
- Photocopy of passport's information page
- Proof of language proficiency
- Two (2) recommendations from professors of the applicant’s home university. You may use the Letter of Recommendation Form or request a free-form recommendation from the professors.
- Curriculum Vitae. Please use the Europass CV form
- Preliminary research plan. The research topic of the doctoral thesis is presented in the research plan. The applicant should describe how the suggested topic is related to previous research in the field and how it is relevant to the interests of the University’s research groups. In addition to the description of the topic, the research plan must contain a preliminary schedule for the research, and a description of the material and methods applied to the work. Also, the applicant’s familiarity with the topic should be described in the research plan.
- A plan of financing the doctoral studies at the University of Vaasa
Language proficiency is to be verified by one of the documents listed below:
- TOEFL test results with minimum score of 550 in paper-based test, 213 in computer-based test or 79 in iBT (University of Vaasa’s TOEFL institution code is 0647)
- IELTS test results (academic band) with minimum score of 6.0 (each section minimum 5.5)
- National Certificate of Language Proficiency (arranged by Finnish National Board of Education) with an average language skill level 5 or 6 in the English language
- Master’s degree completed in English. If the language of instruction (English) is not clearly stated in the degree certificate, it is to be verified by a certificate signed by a university official
- Studies in the English language as one of the main subjects at university level. To be verified by a photocopy of the degree certificate and transcript of university records.
- Minimum one semester of university-level studies in an English speaking country (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, USA). The language of instruction is to be verified by a photocopy of the transcript of records or an original certificate signed by an official of the respective English-speaking university.
- Elementary and secondary education completed in English. In case of countries where English is not the main language of education, certificate of the language of instruction is required (confirmation signed by a governmental official or representative of appropriate school; contact information must always be included).
Please note that applicants applying for doctoral studies in the Doctoral Programme in Languages and Communication may not necessarily need a certificate of English language proficiency. If the applicants apply for admission to studies in a specific language, they are expected to have finished their Master's degree on an appropriate field and thus be fluent in the respective language.
Scholarships for the Doctoral Programme in Business Studies
Applicants of the Doctoral Programme in Business Studies have the possibility to apply for a scholarship when applying for admission to the programme. The Graduate School of the University of Vaasa offers three scholarships for the period of 1.8.2012–31.7.2013 for full-time doctoral students enrolled at the programme. The scholarships are mainly directed to applicants who will be admitted to doctoral studies in the intake of spring 2012. Scholarship application must be enclosed in the application to doctoral studies.
Results of the Application Rounds
The dean grants study rights for doctoral students based on a statement by a representative of the relevant study field. In addition to the evaluation of applicant’s eligibility for doctoral studies, applicant’s study and research plan and the available resources of the unit providing the supervision and courses for doctorate degrees are taken into account in the admission process. A primary supervisor and possible other supervisors are appointed to each student if their applications are successful.
Results of the application round are announced in writing to all the applicants after the decisions have been made. The study right of the students who submit their application by the deadline of 30 April and are accepted to the programme will begin on 1 August. The study right of the students who submit their application by the deadline of 15 November and are accepted to the programme will begin on 1 January. Students accepted to doctoral programmes may register as students of the university from 1 August / 1 January. Students must register as attending or non-attending every year throughout their studies. For information about the annual registration, please visit the section Studies.
Doctoral students should start their studies as soon as possible after the decision of acceptance is served. International students (persons not residing permanently in Finland) must return a binding confirmation for accepting the offered study place to the university by 30 August 2012 at the latest. The accepted students must confirm their study plan and prepare a written agreement about the main principles and responsibilities of supervision in the doctoral studies together with their supervisors. The study plan is updated annually. The plan helps students to understand the structure of their studies, and it is also used to follow the progress in studies regularly.
Please note: Admission to postgraduate studies does not automatically include any grant or right to research facilities.
Additional Information
If you have questions about the application process or admission criteria, please contact the University by sending email to information(at)uwasa.fi
For more information about practical matters such as accommodation, cost of living etc. related to living in Finland, please visit the section Studies.
Links
- Research at the University of Vaasa
- Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Business Studies
- Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Technology
- Research at the Faculty of Philosophy (Languages and Communication)
- Research and Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy (Administrative Sciences) (in Finnish)
- Study Guide for the Doctoral Students of Administrative Sciences
