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Structure of the Ph.D. degree
Doctoral studies can be adapted according to each doctoral student’s individual needs. After admission to the university, students will make a plan for their postgraduate studies together with the appointed supervisor, specifying the studies to be included in the degree, as well as their scope. The study plan includes also a research plan, a plan for the funding and schedule for the studies. The plan and the progress of the student has made are monitored and revised annually. The aim is that it should be possible to complete the doctoral degree in approximately four years’ full-time study at post-Master’s level.
The doctoral study right is granted by the relevant Faculties in each university and the study details follows then the guidelines given by the Faculty.
The degree consists of 240 credits. To achieve a Ph.D. degree, students must:
- Complete a total of 60 credits of studies specified in the study plan.
- Complete and publish a doctoral thesis (180 credits) accepted by the Faculty after public disputation.
The studies may comprise courses from the departments from another institution or organization, reading on the topic, field trips or attendance at scientific conferences and publications not included in the thesis. Studies may also include general training events for researchers, as well as courses or course work from other subjects that are related to the field of research or the thesis. Basic level studies may only be included in exceptional, well-justified cases. The courses can be taken at any moment during the four year period of PhD studies.
The co-operation agreements between the university of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, together with the TUCS co-operation between the departments, give the TUCS students the possibility to participate in courses at all four participating departments, with some minor restrictions.
The thesis may be either a monograph or a collection of several scientific publications supplemented by a review of the publications (detailing the objectives, methods and outcomes of the research).
When the dissertation is finished, the Faculty decides on the pre-examination of the doctoral thesis, on granting permission to publish it, on appointing the opponent(s) and custos, and on accepting the thesis. The thesis is then subject to a public defense, where the doctoral candidate will defend his/her research presented in the dissertation.