The role of the faculty in doctoral education 

Postgraduate education offered by the Faculty of Social Sciences is scientific postgraduate education that leads to a doctoral degree consisting of a doctoral dissertation and other postgraduate studies. Doctoral researchers play a significant role in the research communities of the faculty. After graduating with PhDs, the graduates are experts in their field and qualified to work in the most demanding expert positions in society. 

The faculty awards Doctoral degrees, and as is the case with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, the educational content of the degrees is largely determined by the discipline of the degree. The Graduate School of the University of Lapland supports our postgraduate education, and doctoral candidates have the opportunity to participate in the doctoral programme The Arctic in a Changing World coordinated by the Graduate School. 

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Postgraduate studies

At the Faculty of Social Sciences, it is possible to pursue a doctoral degree in Social Sciences, Administrative Sciences or Philosophy according to the aforementioned regulations. The scope of a doctoral degree is 210 credits.

Doctor of Administrative Sciences

Doctor of Social Sciences

The right to pursue a doctorate in in philosophy (PhD) may be awarded when the dissertation represents a major subject that is not included in the faculty’s supply of subjects. This can be done in the case of a highly multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary research or if the postgraduate student ’s previous degree focuses on a field so distant that the doctorate cannot be awarded on the basis of the faculty’s disciplines even after supplementary studies.

The studies of the faculty’s discipline-specific doctoral programme are structured as follows. 

 

Discipline- and faculty-specific studies, 20 cr. 

POSTG01 Discipline-specific studies 5–10 cr.  

POSTG02 Expertise in the topic of the research 5–10 cr.  

POSTG06 Doctoral seminar 5–10 cr. 

Philosophy of science and research skills, 10 cr.  

POSTG300 Dissertation, 180 cr. 

The thematic, multidisciplinary doctoral programme supports the research profile of the University of Lapland: the research proceeds according to the programme and strengthens the central areas of our university’s research profile. The thematic doctoral programme includes students from all faculties, fostering the formation of multidisciplinary doctoral student communities through joint courses and shared research interests. 

 

The Doctoral School provides thematic special studies. Further information on the study content is available on the Doctoral School’s pages at www.ulapland.fi/ arcticdp. In addition to thematic special studies, the doctoral studies must include participation in the doctoral seminar of the academic subject. 

Thematic studies of the doctoral programme, 15 cr. 

Philosophy of science and research skills, 10 cr.  

Discipline- and faculty-specific studies, 5 cr.  

POSTG06 Doctoral seminar, 5 cr. 

 

POSTG300 Dissertation, 180 cr. 

Doctoral study guide of the Faculty of Social Sciences 2025–2027 (PDF) 

*DocSoc360  


Apply for a doctoral programme 

An existing right to pursue postgraduate studies is a prerequisite for pursuing a doctoral degree. Typically, there are two application periods for doctoral programmes per year. When you are considering postgraduate studies, we recommend that you first contact the professor whose area of expertise is the closest to your research topic and discuss the research topic, research plan and supervision of the postgraduate studies with them. You can find information on people suitable as supervisors and their expertise via our Research Portal. 

Read more about the application process and the application periods on the Doctoral School page.

Last updated: 20.10.2025