Get to know our research

Our research

The aim of our research is to understand educational phenomena and promote learning and teaching in the context of social change. In the last few years sustainable development has strengthened its position as the strategic focus of our faculty. It informs our future research in terms of social sustainability, equality and well-being.

We have two focuses in our research. The first one is learning and teaching as advocates of socially sustainable development. The research focuses on teacherhood, teaching, studying and learning processes and their planning and development. Our research aims to promote participation, social relations, diversity and locality in the changing operational environments in the Arctic and northern regions.

The second focus is education, work and equality in Arctic communities. The research is interdisciplinary and examines the agency of citizens of different generations from the point of view of intersecting differences. Our guiding principles are inclusion, equality and well-being.

Areas of research

Our focuses are realised in the following areas of research:

Learning and teaching as advocates of socially sustainable development

Media pedagogy
Sámi pedagogy
Inclusive pedagogy
Teacher research
Feminist pedagogy

Education, work and equality in Arctic communities

well-being of children and the youth
well-being and participation in the media society
states, opportunities and limitations of agency in working life and training

Our faculty as a project partner

Become our project partner!

The Faculty of Education is an efficient and nationally and internationally noteworthy project partner. Our strengths include education, training, learning and teaching in northern communities, participatory education and pedagogy that take differences into account, adult learning, well-being at work, and the well-being of children and the youth in northern regions.

Aims of our project activities

The aim of our project activities, carried out in collaboration with various national and international agents, is to strengthen educational research and research-based teaching.

Research and development projects can help us find solutions for numerous challenging practical issues. Projects generate knowledge and operational models that can be applied when developing training, education and various services, and when striving to prevent marginalisation.

Instructions for doctoral studies

Read the following instructions on how to apply for doctoral studies and the general advice on the Graduate School web pages.

Our faculty's doctoral study guide provides you with information on the procedures and process of completing a doctoral dissertation and obtaining a doctoral degree in education.

Contact the professor of your academic field

We recommend that you contact the professor of your academic field already when planning to apply for doctoral studies. Discussion with the relevant professor on your research topic, research plan and studies will give you a better understanding of the doctoral path.

If you do not know who the professor you should contact at these early stages is, you can search for professors in our research portal. You can also get in touch with the administrative manager or head of study affairs in the relevant faculty or the coordinator of the Graduate School to find out potential supervisors. We need a preliminary research plan to be able to connect you with a professor; please provide this information already when contacting us. It can be a good idea to read the professor's most prominent research publications before discussion.

Contact head of study affairs in the Faculty of Art and Design >

Contact head of study affairs in the Faculty of Education >

Contact administrative manager in the Faculty of Law >

Contact administrative manager in the Faculty of Social Sciences >

Contact coordinator of the Doctoral School

Write your research plan

To apply for the right to pursue doctoral studies, you need a research plan. The research plan must include a schedule and information on funding. We have developed a research plan template based on the Academy of Finland's research plan structure. If you wish, you can also use a different template, but please make sure that your research plan contains all the information provided in a potential job advertisement for a salaried PhD position.

In your application, much value is placed on the quality of your research plan. Therefore, it is wise to discuss your plan – and refine it based on feedback – beforehand with a potential supervisor. It is also rather clear that it is advisable to read the supervisor's scholarly work as well.

Research plans are requested primarily in English, as international experts can participate in the evaluation of applications. You may also submit a research plan in Finnish or Swedish.

Research plan template >

Make your personal study plan

Your application should be appended with a personal study plan. When making your plan, comply with the requirements of the doctoral programme under consideration. In each programme, you can take courses from the Graduate School's offer and from other programmes.

If you have already agreed on supervising, complete the supervising agreement.

Apply online

Application periods in year 2025:

4–25 February 2025 by 15:00 (local Finnish time)
30 September – 21 October 2025 by 15:00 (local Finnish time).

The dates and times are local Finnish time. If your application is successful, your study right begins either on 1 January or 1 August, depending on whether you applied in autumn or spring. It is possible to grant the study right at other times, but we require strong grounds – such as significant research funding requiring a doctoral study right – for making such an exception. Your study right application is addressed to the faculty relevant to your research.

To the online application system

Structure of a doctoral degree

The doctoral degree contains 240 study credits (ECTS). This considerable amount of work is divided into sections: the doctoral dissertation constitutes 180 credits, and studies constitute altogether 60 credits.

Structure of a doctoral degree in the thematic doctoral programme. In the discipline-specific doctoral programme, the structure can differ from this because of discipline-specific requirements.