Here’s how to apply for doctoral studies at Åbo Akademi University:

1) Check to see whether you are eligible to apply for doctoral studies.

You must have completed

• an appropriate university Master’s degree or
• an appropriate vocational higher education degree or
• an appropriate foreign education, which provides eligibility for equivalent doctoral-level studies in the country in question.

In general, you are required to have completed advanced studies in your chosen major subject or possess corresponding knowledge either within or in addition to a prior degree.

2) Familiarise yourself with the doctoral programmes and the strategic research profiles at Åbo Akademi University.

Doctoral programmes at Åbo Akademi University have one or more major subjects. The specific criteria for admission and content of doctoral programme studies vary by faculty, programme and subject.

3) Contact a professor in your desired major subject.

Together with a professor, discuss your interest in research and plans for doctoral studies in relation to the subject’s research and any supervisors involved.

4) Draft a research plan (max 10,000 characters) in consultation with the supervisor recommended by the professor/subject.

The research plan is a required attachment to the application for doctoral studies. The research plan may be checked for plagiarism. You write the plan according to the advice you get from your assigned supervisor and the instructions in the individual studyplan (max 10,000 characters (incl spaces) + references).

5) Fill out an individual study plan for doctoral studies together with your assigned supervisors and head of subject.

The individual study plan (ISP) is a required attachment to the application for doctoral studies. The ISP specifies the rights and obligations of the doctoral student and supervisors. The ISP must be signed by the applicant, the potential supervisors and the head of subject before attachment to the application. If all parties cannot sign a hard copy of the plan, it is allowed to scan and sign each in their turn, or, to attach several signing pages (as PDF or photo) to the ISP. If all other technical solutions are impossible, the parties can give their approval by email. Then, the emails should be printed as PDF and attached to the ISP. The main issue is that the approval by all parties must be documented.

6) Submit your application in the application portal Studyinfo within a deadline.

Only fully completed applications will be given consideration. A complete application contains the following appendices:

• copies of your certificates showing completion of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees or equivalent degrees; the verified copies should include transcript of records (verified = for instance, a third party confirms the copy to be true by writing date and signature on the copy)
• Your individual study plan for doctoral studies (NB! Must be signed by the applicant, potential supervisors and the head of subject before attachment to the application, cf section 5 above!)
• Your research plan

How to submit an application

• Go to the national application portal Studyinfo
• Search for the doctoral programme that you want to apply to.
• Click on the doctoral programme of your choice in the search results.
  
• Click on Application ongoing > Show study programmes available for application > Fill in application form. The function is active only during application periods, starting from approx. one month before the deadline.
• Fill in the application and attach the appendices.

When the faculty has reached a decision on your application, you will receive a written notification from Research Services. NB! You need to accept your right to study within the deadline in the notification on the admission.

7) Application deadlines

Each academic year, there are four application periods for doctoral studies. Applicants fill out and submit their application in the portal Studyinfo.

The application deadlines for the academic year 2023-2024 have closed.

The application deadlines for the academic year 2024-2025 are, as follows:

8) On tuition fees

For now, there is no tuition fee for doctoral students. On the other hand, there are no scholarship programmes for doctoral students. Hence, as a doctoral student you are expected to provide financially for yourself.

Do you have questions? Please, contact Research Services by e-mail: graduateschool@abo.fi