The University of Eastern Finland's Doctoral School and the associated doctoral programmes are responsible for arranging scientific doctoral studies at our university. Our doctoral programmes offer teaching and supervision for doctoral researchers. The aim is to ensure the high quality of doctoral education and to educate highly skilled researchers and experts.
The director of the doctoral school is Academic Rector Tapio Määttä. Administration of the school is coordinated by Head of Education Kaisa Laitinen, and the development of the doctoral school's activities and teaching programme are coordinated by Senior Lecturer Merja Lyytikäinen (contact information below).
Doctoral programmes
Doctoral education in the University of Eastern Finland is arranged in 13 discipline specific or thematic doctoral programmes. Further information about applying to programmes, research areas and doctoral studies can be found on the homepages of doctoral programmes.
Philosophical Faculty
- Doctoral Programme in Educational Studies
- Doctoral Programme in Social and Cultural Encounters
- Welfare, Health and Management (WELMA) Doctoral Programme
Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology
- Doctoral Programme in Science, Technology and Computing
- Doctoral Programme in Environmental Physics, Health and Biology
- Doctoral Programme in Forests and Bioresources
Faculty of Health Sciences
- Doctoral Programme of Clinical Research, including dentistry
- Doctoral Programme in Drug Research
- Doctoral Program in Molecular Medicine
- Doctoral Programme in Health Sciences
Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies

Finland Fellowship
Finland Fellowship
The recipients of the Finland Fellowship funding will be employed for the year 2023 to work at UEF and they will receive a one-off compensation for expenses of € 2 000.
Content related to doctoral education
Contact information
The UEF Doctoral School coordinates doctoral education at the university and provides transferable skills studies to all of the university's doctoral students. All doctoral students are automatically included in the doctoral school.
Doctoral programmes processes applications and makes proposals for the faculties on the rights to study to be granted. They are responsible for the organisation of subject-related doctoral studies, and for the supervision of doctoral students.
Faculties are responsible for the administration of doctoral studies. Faculties decide on requirements of doctorates, approve the doctoral studies curricula, grant the right to pursue doctoral studies, approve the research topic and research supervisor(s), research and doctoral study plans and any changes made to these. Faculties also appoint the preliminary and final examiners for doctoral dissertations and licentiate theses and the opponents and the chairman of the public examination (the Custos) for doctoral dissertations. Faculties grant the permission for the public examination, approve and grade the licentiate thesis and the doctoral dissertation, and approve completed doctoral degrees, award the degrees and give the degree certificates.
Development of the doctoral school's activities and teaching programme: Senior Lecturer Merja Lyytikäinen.
Administration of the doctoral school: Head of Education Kaisa Laitinen.
Contact information of the directors and coordinator of the doctoral programmes can be found on the homepages of programmes.
Philosophical Faculty
Contact person: Amanuensis Kaisu Kortelainen.
E-mail: FiloDoctoralstudies@uef.fi
Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology
Contact person: Head of Education Kaisa Laitinen.
Faculty of Health Sciences
E-mail: ttjatkokoulutus@uef.fi
Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies
Contact persons: Head of Education Annikki Honkanen and Academic Affairs Coordinator Anne Korhonen.