Transferring to another doctoral programme

If you are planning to transfer to another doctoral programme, first contact your supervisors and your coordinating academic (sometimes called responsible professor or responsible teacher). Transferring between doctoral programmes requires supporting statements from the supervisors and the appointed responsible person. If you also intend to change your supervisory arrangements at the same time, agree on the matter in advance with the possible new supervisors and the new coordinating academic.

To apply for a transfer, please fill in the relevant application form. The form must be accompanied by an up-to-date research plan and a new study plan that takes into account the degree requirements of the new doctoral programme and the related changes to the content of studies. When completing the form, be sure to justify your request to transfer between programmes and to change the topic of your dissertation (if applicable). Both you and your supervisors and coordinating academic must sign the form. Once completed, submit the form to your home faculty’s doctoral student services.

Although you can change doctoral programmes later on in studies, it is easiest in the early stage when your dissertation topic has not yet been finalised. Transfers are not possible after the preliminary examination of the doctoral dissertation has begun.

Please also note that if you have a University of Helsinki’s salaried doctoral researcher position allocated by the doctoral programme, you cannot change the programme during the employment period (unless you are prepared to give up your funded position). The same applies to positions allocated by the UH Research Foundation.

The steering committee of your prospective doctoral programme will consider your application at its next appropriate meeting. The steering committee assesses the research and study plans, the supervisory arrangements, the necessity of the transfer and the applicability of the dissertation to the research profile of the new doctoral programme. If significant changes to the dissertation topic and discipline are expected, transfer applications will be processed following the same criteria as new applications for a right to study. The admission criteria for doctoral programmes can be found on the programme websites.

Once the steering committee of the doctoral programme has considered your application, the education coordinator of your home faculty’s doctoral student services will present the matter to the faculty dean. The education coordinator will notify you of the decision by email. If the dean approves the transfer, information on the programme change and potential new supervisory arrangements will be entered into student records. If the dean does not approve the transfer, you will receive a written explanation of the decision.