Doctoral Programme in Exact Sciences - Admission Criteria and Instructions for Applicants

Make sure you are eligible to apply:

In the August - September 2026 application call (CALL CLOSED):

• When applying for the right to pursue a doctoral degree 
  • You are required to have completed a relevant Master’s degree awarded by a university or a university of applied sciences, or a relevant study programme abroad which in the awarding country gives eligibility for the corresponding level of higher education (Universities Act 558/2009, 37§). The degree that gives eligibility for admission must be completed by the application deadline, or after the application deadline on the condition that the applicant graduates and submits a scanned degree certificate and a transcript of study records to the University of Turku email address sci-docstudies@utu.fi by 31 December 2026. Until then, the selection is conditional.
  • You must meet the University of Turku language proficiency requirements. Link to the Graduate School’s web page on language requirements;
  • You must meet the faculty and doctoral programme requirements for granting the right to pursue a doctoral degree. Carefully read the study right application guidelines of the Faculty of Science and the requirements of the EXACTUS Doctoral Programme. More information is provided in the call for applications under “Criteria for granting the right to pursue a doctoral degree”.
• When applying for a doctoral researcher position
  • You must hold an active study right to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Turku in the Faculty of Science, EXACTUS Doctoral Programme. In addition, when acquiring the degree or otherwise, you are required to have demonstrated the ability to undertake postgraduate studies and the capacity to complete a doctoral degree in accordance with the research plan (University of Turku Rules of Procedure 13.12.2024).
  • or if you have not yet been granted right to pursue a doctoral degree, you must apply for the right to pursue a doctoral degree in the EXACTUS Doctoral Programme in this call via the Studyinfo (Opintopolku) service (see the instructions in the call for applications). The right to pursue a doctoral degree is a prerequisite for being selected for a position of a doctoral researcher. The degree, which grants the applicant the eligibility for the study right for a doctoral degree, must be completed within the application period, or after the application deadline on the condition that the applicant graduates and submits a scanned degree certificate and a transcript of study records to the University of Turku email sci-docstudies@utu.fi by 13 November 2026;
  • You are planning to pursue or pursuing your first doctoral degree;
  • You have not previously received four years of full‑time funding for doctoral studies.
  • The doctoral researcher position requires working in Finland and the place of work is Turku.

Also:

• Read the call for applications.
• Application attachments: Prepare all the required application attachments according to the call for applications.
• Supervision plan*: An applicant has to agree with supervisors and a research director about supervision and research plan before the application can be made. This means that you must contact potential supervisors and make a supervision plan and a research plan in collaboration with them. You will need to include a signed supervision plan with your application.
• Funding plan: Prepare a funding plan as a right to study does not include funding or scholarship from the University. In the August-September call, in addition to a right to study, you can also apply for a fixed-term doctoral researcher position under an employment contract.
• Degree certificates: Prepare your original degree certificates, original transcripts of study records and other original educational documents, etc. for the application. If needed, obtain officially certified copies with English translation. Check the call for applications for requirements.
• Proof of language requirements: If you need to verify your language skills with a language test, make sure that you book your test time well in advance. Instructions for language requirements for right to study for a doctoral degree and when is a language test not required.

*What is the supervision plan?

• The supervision plan is a plan of supervision of your doctoral degree that you make together with your potential thesis supervisors and your research director to determine the responsibilities and duties of each party, and their commitment to the cooperation (see the Faculty of Science Code of Conduct for information about the doctoral researcher's, supervisor's and research director's roles, these same ones are listed in the supervision plan form).
• The blank supervision plan form can be found under at the bottom of the page.
• The supervision plan must be signed by all supervisors, the research director, and the applicant.
• Get to know the research conducted at the University of Turku and potential supervisors in your research field:
  • Research and Personnel at the Department of Chemistry
  • Research and Personnel at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics
  • Research and Personnel at the Department of Physics and Astronomy
  • Research at the Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA)
  • Research at the Turku PET Centre
  • Research at the Turku Research Institute for Learning Analytics
• Rules about potential supervisors and research directors in the Faculty of Science:
  • A doctoral researcher is required to have a research director, a principal supervisor and at least one other supervisor.
  • The principal supervisor should be a professor, associate professor, assistant professor or adjunct professor/docent and in most of the cases have an employment contract to the University of Turku.
  • Other supervisors should hold a doctoral degree.
  • The research director should have an employment contract to the department where the major subject of the doctoral degree is based and the title of the research director should be a professor. In an exceptional case, if there is no professor available, an associate professor can be nominated as a research director.

• Read the Call for applications (will be found at the bottom of the page) carefully before filling in the electronic application.
• Make sure you have attached all the required attachments (see the call for applications).

For the September call: applying for a funded position (doctoral researcher position under an employment contract) and have technical issues? See FAQ guidance and contact details: How to submit a job application in TalentAdore service

Here you will find information on the mandatory attachments per each call. Please note, that for each call the attachments might vary from call to call and therefore always check the call for applications.

The University of Turku follows the Rector’s decision (8.6.2026) on the means of verifying their language proficiency.

You should carefully read the University of Turku’s guidelines on language proficiency. Link to the website of the language requirements. 

Please note! You must attach a scanned certificate of language test approved by the University of Turku to your application, unless otherwise stated in the guidelines.

Prepare to deliver your original or originally certified degree certificates to the University of Turku if you are granted the right to study a doctoral degree.

Instructions on delivering certificates and country-specific requirements on the Information for admitted students page.