Application form
Applications must be submitted via the online application form. The link for the form can be found in the section ‘Submitting the application’. Prepare your application carefully, concentrating on the sections below, supervision arrangements and in addition, to the educational documents required to support your application. Please, prepare your application and its documents in good time before the deadline. You may use this checklist to ensure, that you have all the necessary documents.
Sections submitted directly to the application form
1. The research proposal is the most important part of your application. In the electronic application form, the research proposal is divided into the fields listed below. Prepare your research proposal right from the start to fit the different fields and their maximum lengths, so you will not need to start re-editing the proposal when filling in the application form.
The following fields related to the research plan are included in the electronic application form (the number in parentheses indicates the maximum number of characters per field, spaces included). Please note that these instructions are subject to minor changes:
- Preliminary title of the doctoral thesis
- Field of research (menu)
- Specification or additional information on the field of research
- Language of the dissertation
- Other language skills needed for completing the doctoral dissertation
- Brief summary of the research plan (2000)
- Research plan contains mathematical special characters or chemical formulas (yes or no)
- Motivation for conducting doctoral research (2000)
- Rationale for the research project (2000)
- Objectives of the research and scientific impact of research results (2000)
- Research methods and materials to be used and its significance for the research project (3500)
- Preliminary plan on the collection, usage and storage of the research material. (1500)
- Ethical issues (1000)
- Does the research project require animal testing? (Yes or no)
- The most important literature references for the research plan (2500)
- Form of the dissertation (an article-based dissertation or a monograph)
- Publication plan and timetable for the articles or a preliminary outline of the monograph (1000)
- Preliminary timetable for your research (2000)
- Planned funding for the research project including received and applied notable funding thus far (1000)
- Estimated year of graduation
2. Previously acquired knowledge supporting the dissertation project (the number in parentheses indicates the maximum number of characters per field, spaces included):
- Previously acquired research knowledge (1500)
Previous experience in research work, other scientific work and/or scientific merits, including possible academic awards and other academic acknowledgements.
- Possible previous publications and conference presentations (1500)
- Possible international experience and other work experience relevant to your doctoral research (1500)
- Possible career breaks (1500)
Here you have the option to list reasons that may have caused delay in your studies (for example: possible family leaves, military or civilian service).
3. A study plan (the number in parentheses indicates the maximum number of characters per field, spaces included):
- Preliminary study plan: Discipline-specific studies, 30 ECTS (1500)
- Preliminary study plan: Transferable skills, 10 ECTS (1500)
- Completed doctoral studies (in ECTS) up to date, if any
Doctoral programme degree structures can be found in WebOodi (Course catalogues – Doctoral Schools and Programmes) or consult the MBDP degree structure and requirements to plan your doctoral studies.
In the study plan, please indicate the course name (and code), credit number and estimated time of completion if known. You can find courses arranged by MBDP on our webpage.
4. The title and summary of your Master´s thesis or equivalent (750).
5. Supervision arrangements: supervisors and members of a thesis committee
This doctoral programme requires that you have a supervisor when you submit your application. In MBDP, each postgraduate student must be assigned one to three supervisors (motivation for appointing a third supervisor is required) that are appointed at the application stage. Supervisors must hold at least a doctorate, and at least one of the supervisors must hold the qualifications of a docent or equivalent academic qualifications. More information about potential MBDP supervisors and their research interests can be found from University of Helsinki Research Portal.
Every applicant needs to have also a responsible professor (a person in charge of studies). Responsible professors/persons in the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, the Faculty of Medicine, in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and in the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. Other faculties: please check from the respective faculty's website.
MBDP also requires you to have a thesis committee when applying for the doctoral study right. See also: Instructions how to get a thesis committee.
After finding a potential supervisor, contact him or her to discuss your research ideas and plans. Please note that professors and principal investigators get dozens of emails from potential doctoral candidates. If you want to get your email noticed, you must give the professor/ principal investigator the information they need, quickly, clearly and professionally.
Your supervisors, responsible professors and thesis committee members must commit to support you during your doctoral studies by signing the form below which must be attached to your online application.
If you find it difficult to get signatures for your application due to the corona situation, you can ask the supervisors, responsible professor and thesis committee members to send a confirmation of their support directly to viikki-phd@helsinki.fi.
Approval for supervisors and members of the thesis committee - form