Turku Doctoral Programme of Molecular Medicine - Admission Criteria and Instructions for Applicants
The TuDMM offers diverse and high-standard doctoral training in the broad field of molecular medicine.
The traditionally strong research areas of bio- and clinical medicine at the Turku Campus, such as cancer research, endocrinology and metabolism, immunology, microbiology, and connective tissue research, are all represented among the research groups affiliated to our Programme.
TuDMM works together with the other local doctoral programmes operating in biosciences and will also participate in the national networks of doctoral programmes in the area of life sciences.
>Application periods for doctoral training
During the application period is 1 - 15 May 2024 the doctoral programme invites applications for the right to study for a doctoral degree in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Turku from 1 August 2024 onwards.
Instructions for the applicants
The right to study for doctoral degree at the Faculty of Medicine can be applied for by persons who meet the eligibility criteria for pursuing a doctoral degree, as stipulated in the Universities Act (558/2009, Section 37), as well as the prerequisites for pursuing a doctoral degree at the Faculty of Medicine.
Eligible for studies leading to an academic postgraduate degree is a person who has completed
1. an applicable higher university degree in Finland
2. an applicable higher polytechnic degree in Finland; or
3. an applicable education completed outside Finland which in the awarding country gives eligibility for corresponding higher education.
Degree specific prerequisites for pursuing a doctoral degree are written in the Study Guide 2022-2024 of the doctoral programmes of the Faculty of Medicine.
-> Go to the study guide of the doctoral programme of your choice -> Faculty of Medicine -> Show description
Please read carefully the guidelines for applying
Prepare also the documents mentioned in the call for applications of the Doctoral Programme of Molecular Medicine.
- Check the application period and requirements.
- Read the instructions of the Faculty of Medicine and the doctoral programme carefully.
- If you are going to verify your language skills with a language test, make sure that you book your test time well in advance. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make their own language test arrangements.
- Get the required signatures in time and prepare the appendix documents as pdf's.
- Fill in the electric application form.
- Remember to apply in time. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be processed.
- Keep the original degree certificates and other relevant educational documents at hand during the application process.
A detailed call for applications will be published before the next call on this www-page. The application for the right to study consists of an electronic form and attached PDF files including all required material according to the instructions.
Instructions for filling in the application form (pdf)
Applying
Qualified applicant with research topic fitting the scope of TuDMM can apply. The motivation to apply to TuDMM is presented in the Motivation letter. The applicant should have two supervisors* with at least one supervisor affiliated with University of Turku and holding the UTU -account (UGIS-supervisor) to use the UGIS system. One member in the follow-up committee should be well familiar with the practicalities of doctoral training in the faculty and TuDMM.
To plan the theoretical studies, take into account the Learning outcomes of TuDMM at Study guide and your career plans.
Please notice that the TuDMM application should be made in English.
*At Faculty of Medicine: When only one supervisor for doctoral training is proposed, the supervisor’s justified plea for approval of only one supervisor must be attached to the application.
The right to study for a doctoral degree is applied for by filling in an electronic form in My Studyinfo service and attaching the required additional documents. The form will be accessible as the application period begins on 1 May 2024 and closes at 3 pm (local time in Finland) on 15 May 2024.
During one application round the applicant may apply to a maximum of three doctoral programmes at the University of Turku. You can only have one valid study right at a time for a doctoral degree at the University of Turku.
Applications that arrive after the application period has ended will not be processed. The application documents will not be returned to the sender.
The application should include the following in pdf-form:
1. Motivation letter (Max 1 page)
2. CV of the applicant including list of publications (max 2 pages, it is mandatory to use this attached CV model)
3. Research plan (max 3 pages, Arial, font 12, excluding references). The plan should consist of: abstract, background and significance, aims and hypotheses, how will the plan be carried out in practice, research environment, timetable and funding plan.
The research plan should follow the guidelines for the responsible conduct of research (see Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) | Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK). The research plans can be checked with the Turnitin OriginalityCheck plagiarism detection software. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in the preparation of the research plan should be clearly indicated in the research plan.
4. Supervision and study plan – the Faculty’s form (Fill in electronically, print and sign together with the supervisor/-s and the head of subject)
See: Subjects in doctoral training and heads of doctoral subject (PDF)
5. Degree certificates and transcripts of study records
If you have completed your former degree(s) that make you eligible for doctoral studies at a higher education institution in Finland, you must attach your scanned original degree certificates, transcripts of study records and other educational documents which may be of relevance in the selection to the electronic application form.
If you have completed your former degree(s) that make you eligible for doctoral studies at a higher education institution abroad (i.e. outside of Finland), you must attach the following items to the electronic application form:
- scanned original degree certificates (in the language that the degree was completed in)
- scanned original transcripts of study records (in the language that the degree was completed in)
- scanned other original educational documents which may be of relevance in the student selection and that you are applying based on.
If the original degree certificates or transcripts of study records are not written in English, Finnish or Swedish, official translations to one of these languages must also be submitted. An official translation here refers to a translation of the educational documents issued by the awarding institution and a translation made by an authorised translator. A transcript in English can be replaced by a Diploma Supplement (DS) awarded by a European educational institution, provided that it contains the information about completed courses and other study attainments.
Please make sure that all attachments are good-quality, easy to read, full colour scans or photographs of the complete required document. Attachments that do not meet these requirements may be rejected.
6. Verification of language proficiency
The University of Turku follows the Rector’s decision on the means of verifying one’s language proficiency. See the language requirements on the webpage of the university’s graduate school.
If you are required to prove your language proficiency with a language test, a scanned certificate of a completed language test must be attached to the application.
7. Copy of a valid passport
Attach a copy of your valid passport or official identification card with photo and information on citizenship. If you have a Finnish personal identity code and you have entered it on the application form, you do not need to attach a copy of your passport.
8. The supervisor’s justified plea for approval of only one supervisor when only one supervisor for doctoral training is proposed. See Before applying / Doctoral training at the Faculty of Medicine under section Supervision.
The steering committee of the doctoral programme will evaluate the applications and use outside experts, when needed. The applicant’s motivation, merits, previous studies, the ability to complete a doctoral degree, and the quality and feasibility of the research are taken into consideration when selecting doctoral researchers. The research plans attached to the applications may be checked with the Turnitin OriginalityCheck plagiarism detection software in accordance with the University of Turku quality assurance system.
The selection process is step wise and applicants may be invited for an interview after the preliminary selection. The invitation will be sent by email.
The Dean/Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine decides on granting the right to study for a doctoral degree based on the proposal of the steering committee of the doctoral programme.
Admission decisions concerning the call from 28 February to 28 March are made by the end of May 2024. Admission decisions concerning the call from 1 to 15 Mary are made by the 12 June 2024. All applicants will be personally informed about the decision.
An admitted applicant has to notify the University of Turku of their acceptance of the study place according to the instructions given in the admission notification. This must be done by 3:00 pm (local time in Finland) on 14 June 2024 (call 28 Feb - 28 March)/on 19 June (call 1-15 May). If the admitted applicant does not give the notification by the end of the allotted period of time mentioned above, they forfeits the study place. A person admitted to more than one university or polytechnic degree programme only notifies the one educational institution at which they accepts the study place. Notification, i.e. accepting a study place, is binding and may not be cancelled or changed later.
According to Finnish university legislation, a student may accept only one study place leading to a higher education degree in Finland during one academic term (autumn term 1 Aug – 31 Dec or spring term 1 Jan – 31 Jul). This rule applies to all higher education, i.e. Bachelor and Master level degrees awarded by Finnish universities of applied sciences, Bachelor and Master degrees awarded by Finnish universities, and Licentiate and Doctoral degrees awarded by Finnish universities. This regulation is not applied to study rights received in transfer student selections, from the Åland University of Applied Sciences, from the Police University College, and from institutions of higher education outside Finland.
The applicants who have completed their prior degree in a country other than Finland and who are granted a study right in this call, need to deliver either the original degree certificates or certified copies of the original degree certificates and their translations to the University of Turku, as instructed in the admission notification, on 6 September 2024 at the latest. If the admitted applicant does not deliver the required certificates by the deadline, they forfeit the study right. Instructions on delivering certificates and country-specific requirements are available here: Instructions on delivering certificates and country-specific requirements
Appeal for rectification
If an applicant is dissatisfied with the result of the student selection, they has the right to submit an application for the rectification of the decision to the Faculty of Medicine within 14 days of the official publishing of the results.
In the spring of 2024, the faculty is in the process of updating the curricula. The instructions and regulations regarding doctoral education, which will lead to e.g. the regulations regarding postgraduate studies and the dissertation may change from August 1, 2024. The accepted applicant will complete their doctoral degree in compliance with the regulations that come into effect on August 1, 2024. Any updating of the graduate study plan to comply with the new regulations will be instructed separately.
Additional information on study right
Faculty of Medicine: Chief Academic Officer Outi Irjala
Additional TuDMM information
TuDMM director Noora Kotaja, nookot(at)utu.fi
TuDMM coordinator tudmm(at)utu.fi
TuDMM UTUGS and InFLAMES decision on funded positions 2024-2025
The application period was open 28 August to 15 September 2023