The Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences

 The aim of the degree   |  The structure of the studies  |   Studying in the doctoral programme in Social Sciences

Professor in charge: Anneli Anttonen

The Aim of the Degree

The Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences includes the following disciplines:

• Music Studies
• Social Anthropology
• Social Policy
• Social Psychology
• Social Work
• Sociology
• Gender Studies and
• the research field of Peace and Conflict Studies

The aim of the doctoral programme is to offer education in research that provides diversified skills for working in demanding specialist and research duties. Postgraduate studies enhance general theoretical and methodological skills, train students to work in multidisciplinary research groups and develop their ethical and practical working life skills. A graduate of the doctoral programme

• knows the theories and the methods of his/her own discipline exceedingly well
• has a broad knowledge of social research and its issues, and
• can evaluate the significance of the various research approaches and methods.

The Structure of the Studies

The studies of the Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences (240 ECTS) consist of three modules:

1. Joint doctoral studies 20 – 30 ECTS
2. Broad and profound knowledge of the student’s own discipline and research subject 30-40 ECTS
3. Dissertation 180 ECTS

Studies are designed by the following types of educational activities:

a) Participating in the teaching of the student’s own discipline (5 ECTS)
b) Participating in other national or international postgraduate programmes (one or two postgraduate courses equal 5 ECTS)
c) Scientific publishing (one refereed scientific publication not included in the dissertation equals 5 ECTS)
d) Presentations at scientific conferences (two scientific presentations equal 5 ECTS)

1. Joint doctoral studies (20-30 ECTS) 

Joint doctoral studies deepen students’ general theoretical and methodological skills and prepare them to work in multidisciplinary groups. The studies consist of a postgraduate seminar and the studies and other coursework defined by the disciplines. Doctoral students participate actively in the postgraduate seminar and/or a postgraduate small-group seminar organised by the School and present their dissertations twice a year in these seminars. Other studies may consist of the studies offered by the University’s Doctoral School, the studies of the doctoral programmes of the other Schools or organised by national or international doctoral programmes. A student’s personal study plan may include studies at other universities or from other doctoral programmes. The courses Research Ethics (5 ECTS) and Philosophy of Science (5 ECTS) are compulsory.

2. Broad and profound knowledge of the student’s own discipline and the of research subject 30-40 ECTS

These studies enhance a student’s knowledge of his/her own discipline beyond the theme of his/her dissertation and deepen his/her knowledge of the special issues of the discipline. The module consists of postgraduate studies and courses offered in the student’s own discipline, in the other disciplines of the School, by the national and the international doctoral programmes and conferences, and other studies agreed upon with the supervisor.

Published texts not included in a student’s dissertation and presentations given at scientific conferences can be accepted as part of the curriculum. Mastery of the student’s own discipline can be improved by the student teaching courses in his/her own discipline. 

3. Dissertation (180 ECTS)

The dissertation is an independent work of scientific research written on a topic accepted by the School and the supervisors. The standard extent of a dissertation is 180 ECTS, which requires working full-time for about three years. The Board of the School accepts the dissertation after a successful public defence.

Right to Study and Studying in the Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences

New students are accepted into the doctoral programme twice a year. After having been granted the right to study, students prepare a personal study plan and an agreement on supervision with their supervisor in which the general principles of the supervision relationship and the respective rights and duties of the student and supervisor are agreed.