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Completing a doctoral degree

Instructions for the final stages of studies, graduation and public examination/defence of a doctoral dissertation

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The thesis is examined in a public examination event known as a public defence of a dissertation.   

  1. Check supporting studies together with the supervisor-in-charge 
  2. Obtain a Turnitin certificate of your written thesis manuscript  
  3. When your written thesis is done, contact specialists at the doctoral schools.   
  4. Deliver the manuscript to siba.tutti@uniarts.fi for preliminary examination  
  5. Contact the Tutti team, whose specialists will prepare a proposal for submission to the Academy Board.  
  6. The pre-examiners are appointed by the Academy Board. The pre-examination statement shall be issued within three months.  
  7. If the pre-examination statements are positive, start the publication process by contacting Henri Wegelius  
  8. After receiving the pre-examination statements, discuss with supervisor-in-charge and make any corrections. Also inform the examiners/opponent about any modifications made so that they will be taken into account in the examination session.   
  9. On the proposal of the specialists on the Tutti team, the Academy Board 
  • grants permission for public examination/defence on the basis of pre-examination statements  
  • appoints a chair (Custos) and an examiner (Arts Study Programme and Applied Study Programme) or an opponent (Research Study Programme).   
  • appoints a member to the Grading committee (Applied Study Programme).  
  1. Once you have received permission for the public examination/defence, make sure that the written thesis is published and publicly displayed 10 days before the examination (public display). The written components may be published in electronic or printed form.  
    Read more about publishing a written thesis (LINK) 
  2. Agree on the date of the public examination/defence with the Tutti team. Reserve time for the public examination/defence, assessment by the Academy Board, any corrections to be made, printing and public display. Public examination/defence events are not held in July-August and not on Sundays. The full completion of a doctoral degree, from the requests for statements to the public examination/defence, takes at least five months.  
  3. The assessment committee (Arts Study Programme), Grading committee (Applied Study Programme) or opponent (Research Study Programme) submits a proposal for the grade  
  4. The Academy Board Division for Doctoral Education and Research approves and evaluates the written thesis based on the preparation of Tutti team specialist 
  5. Fill out the diploma application (link) and submit it approximately one month before the date of graduation. Check the certificate application and graduation schedule and the graduation (pubic) days here: https://student.uniarts.fi/guides/graduating-from-the-sibelius-academy/  

Example programmes of the public examinations

Here is an example of the schedule for a public examination and dissertation defense. Please check the program details with your OVO or the Tutti team (siba.tutti@uniarts.fi) before providing them to the communications team.

Public defence of dissertation (Research or Applied study programme/research)

  • Opening of the public examination  
  • Lectio praecursoria  
  • Statement of the Opponent  
  • Examination of the dissertation  
  • Closing statement of the Opponent  
  • Audience questions  
  • Closing of the public examination 

Programme 

  • Opening of the public examination
  • Lectio praecursoria  
    Performances during the lectio:  
  • Statement of the written component 
  • Discussion  
  • Audience questions 
  • Final Statements  
  • Closing of the public examination 

Notification of a public examination or defence

Information on the public examination or defence (date, place, time, key persons and examination/defence programme), an abstract of the written work, a brief description of the artistic component of the degree (Arts Study Programme) and a short biography of the doctoral student are required in the notification for a public examination/defence. Review the material with your supervisor-in-charge and submit it to the Sibelius Academy communications team at least one month before the public examination/defence using the forms below.  

Communications team   

  • handles external communications related to the public examination/defence (website, social media, media communications), drafts a elecronic handbill for the public examination/defence and oversees communications in the university’s internal and external newsletters  
  • selects the best external communications method for the degree and its topic: media contact, press release, online news, interview or blog post. The selection is based on communications criteria, such as time, degree topic and impact.  
  • prepares a digital programme for the event and a QR code directing to it presented at the venue

Doctoral candidate, supervisor-in-charge and/or doctoral school planners  

  • finalises the data needed for communications (date, place, time, key persons, abstracts and descriptions, e.g. repertoires for doctoral concerts, CV) and submits them to the Communications team   
  • ensures communications within Uniarts Helsinki (e.g. Artsi and Students’ Uniarts, email lists)  
  • sends out official invitations to the public examination/defence and handles stakeholder communications (own research communities, other universities, other stakeholders, such as various field-specific associations and organisations)  

Printed programme for a doctoral defence or examination event

If you would like a printed programme in addition to the digital version for your doctoral defence or examination event, you will need to order it at your own expense. Follow these steps:

  1. Go to the University of the Arts’ media bank and download the Word-format programme template. Save it to your computer, fill it in, and save the completed version.
  2. Review the information for the programme with your supervisor.
  3. Fill in the separate order form. On the form, select the cover design you want for the programme and the number of copies, and attach the completed Word document.
  4. Place your order at least 10 days before the event.
  5. You will receive a proof from the printing house to review before the event. Check it carefully and contact the printing house immediately if you would like to make any further changes. The printing house will contact you if necessary. The programme will be printed by AM Digipaino, who can be reached by email at info@amdigipaino.fi.
  6. The printing house will deliver the finished programmes to the address you provide, where they will be given to the event’s attendants, who will bring them to the venue before the event starts.

Communications schedule  

  • Approximately 1.5 months before the event: the doctoral student delivers the information required for communications, the Communications teams schedules the measures to be taken (online publication, social media, media connections)
  • Approximately 1 month before the public examination/defence: the Communications team publicly announces the event (uniarts.fi, social media) and drafts an electronic programme for the event 
  • (OPTIONAL: 10 days prior to the event, ordering of the printed programmes for the event)

How to arrange a post-doctoral party

After a public examination/defence, it is customary to arrange a “karonkka”, which is a post-doctoral party held to thank all who contributed to the work. This is not compulsory, and it can also be arranged however you prefer. Traditionally, it is a formal dinner according to academic protocol.  

Guests of honour are the opponents, Custos, supervisors, pre-examiners and family and friends. The dinner usually starts at 6:00 p.m. The doctor pays for the party, but it is also possible to offer dinner only to the most important guests of honour. In such cases, the other guests will pay for their own dinner. Dinner consists of an opening toast, an appetiser and main course, dessert and coffee.  

In the invitation, guests are informed of the desired dress code, such as formal (white tie or long evening gown) or a dark suit. The doctoral candidate sits as close to the middle of the table as possible. The opponent or the chair of the artistic board, sits to the right of the candidate, while the supervisor of the event sits either to their left or opposite them. The spouse usually sits opposite the doctoral candidate. From here, the seating order progresses by academic merits. Relatives and friends are seated farthest from the host or hostess of the evening.  

Speeches are an important part of the dinner. The doctoral candidate begins by thanking guests of honour in the academic order of importance during the opening toast. Other speeches are usually made after the main course or between dessert and coffee. The next speaker is the opponent or the chair of the artistic board, after which counter-speeches are held in the same order as those praised in the first speech. Speeches by friends and family come at the end, and according to the old custom, the last one is delivered by the spouse. At the end of their speech, each speaker can propose a toast, so it is a good idea to ask for the glasses to be refilled after the main course. The programme may also include music or other artistic programmes.   

After dinner, you can continue your party in a relaxed manner. You can also invite additional for an after-party. Guests of honour may leave immediately after dinner if they so wish.