Doctoral Programme in Fine Arts: General instructions for doctoral studies

Published 27.2.2023 | Updated 24.9.2024

Application for approval of independent study attainments

These instructions explain how to get credits from independently accomplished study attainments. You do not need to fill an application for credits from courses organised by Uniarts Helsinki, as these are always registered into Peppi by academic staff in charge of the course.

The degree of Doctor in Fine Arts may also include doctoral studies that are not organised by Uniarts Helsinki, such as conference presentations, publications, or by separate agreement, also courses organised by other higher education institutions.

Exceptions

These instructions are not for applying to have studies that are already included in a previous degree transferred into your doctoral degree. There is a separate application for credit transfer or recognition and validation of prior learning.

Additionally, you cannot apply for separate credits from such attainments that you will include as part of your doctoral thesis.

How to apply for credits

To include credits from things other than Uniarts Helsinki courses into your degree, send a credit application email to your responsible supervisor. Include the following information in the email:

1. A short description of what you are applying credits for. This should state at least “what, where, and when” as well as a description of 1–2 sentences explaining why the attainment is suitable to be included as part of your doctoral degree in fine arts.
2. Write down which study unit from your PSP this attainment should be registered to and how many credits you are applying for it. Please note the following additional details:
   • Conferences: Attach proof of attendance or having your own presentation into the application (e.g. a verification email). You do not need to provide proof, if your responsible supervisor was also present at the event.
   • Symposium: Attach proof of having organised a symposium into the application. You do not need to provide proof, if your responsible supervisor was present at the event.
   • Publication: Attach a link or file that includes the publication details into your application.
   • Studies completed elsewhere: Under the heading “Exceptions” above is a link to an electronic application form, where you can apply for credit transfer from studies conducted at another institution. A study transcript is a compulsory attachment in the application.
   • Some other doctoral level study attainment, such as a summer school for instance. Attach proof of attendance. Also state where do you want the attainment to be included in your PSP: consider whether it supports general research skills (e.g. method studies or general transferable skills), or if it is better suited as part of field specific skills in fine arts (under theme seminars).
3. Your responsible supervisor decides whether the attainment is accepted as part of your doctoral studies and checks the correct study unit according to the curriculum, as well as the number of credits for it.
4. If the responsible supervisor accepts the credit application, the information is delivered to the doctoral programme’s planning officer, who will register the credits to Peppi. The attainment might be accepted as part of your studies with a different study unit or number of credits than you suggested, if the responsible supervisor sees that the suggestions do not align with the curriculum you are following.

Applying for a travel allowance

The 2024 call for applications for a travel allowance is continuous. The maximum amount of all travel allowances varies annually depending on the funding granted to the doctoral programme. In 2024, the total budget is 6,000 euros.

All doctoral students of the Academy of Fine Arts who have registered as attending can apply for a travel allowance.

Criteria

The allowance is granted for both domestic and foreign conference and seminar trips. Priority will be given to applicants who are giving a presentation at the conference. The allowance is granted from the 2024 budget for trips made during this year. The allowance cannot be granted retroactively for trips that have already taken place. 

The application must be accompanied by a copy of the acceptance letter or email for participating in the conference. The allowance may also be granted on a conditional basis so that the allowance is granted if the applicant is accepted for the conference. 

The application must clearly state the destination, purpose, and time of the trip, itemised travel expenses and reasons why the trip is necessary for the applicant’s own research. The application must also include the supervisor’s statement of support, which the supervisor can also send directly to the doctoral education planning officer by email. Without the supervisor’s statement of support, the application will not be processed. 

The following guidelines are followed in the processing of applications: 

1. When granting the allowance for conference and seminar trips, priority is given to applicants who are giving a presentation at the conference. 
2. The allowance is for participation, travel and accommodation expenses. 
3. The prerequisite for granting the allowance is that the doctoral student has registered as attending, has an up-to-date personal study plan (PSP), and has actively progressed in their studies. 
4. The theme of the conference must meet the needs of the research, that is, it must be appropriate regarding the topic and stage of the studies.

Applying for the allowance

The following must be attached to the application: 

1. A copy of the acceptance letter or email for participation in the conference
2. The supervisor’s statement of support (the supervisor may also send this directly to the planning officer)
3. Up-to-date study transcript, can be downloaded from Peppi

The applications and their attachments are sent as early as possible before the trip by email to the planning officer. Incomplete applications are not processed. 

Once the application has been approved, doctoral students with an employment contract must also prepare a travel plan in the M2 Blue system, through which the travel allowance is also paid to them against their expenditure records. For non-employed doctoral students the allowance is paid as a grant.

Decisions

The doctoral programme’s teaching staff processes travel allowance applications collegially and informs the applicants of their decision through the planning officer. 

Reporting

Conference trips must be reported to the CRIS system as soon as possible after the trip. Keep the original records, as the tax administration may require you to provide information about the grant. If the intended trip is cancelled, the recipient of the grant is obliged to return the grant.

Exchange guidelines in doctoral education of the Academy of Fine Arts

According to the Academy of Fine Arts guidelines supplementing the education regulations (Section 26, Student exchange):

The dean is in charge of deciding on the guidelines on student exchange. Studies that a student completes during a student exchange on the basis of a university agreement are included in the student’s personal study plan, and the credits will be recognized in full into the student’s degree.

The possibility for an exchange depends on whether the doctoral candidate is  employed by Uniarts Helsinki or not. Long-term exchanges covering a full academic term or an academic year are not possible for employed doctoral candidates because of the applied employment conditions.

When a doctoral candidate is not employed by Uniarts Helsinki, a long-term exchange is possible within the first four years of study. Only legal absences defined by the Universities Act, Section 39 are taken into account when considering the possible time for an exchange. The studies completed during the exchange must be included in full into the doctoral degree. It is also possible to conduct doctoral thesis research during the exchange, if agreed in advance between Uniarts Helsinki and the host university. The latter will then appoint a supervisor for the doctoral candidate for the time of the exchange period.

Short-term exchanges, usually in the form of individual courses, are possible if the study credits can be included in the minimum scope of the doctoral degree (240 ECTS).

Doctoral candidates employed by Uniarts Helsinki can conduct short-term exchanges as staff mobility. The exchange is then executed as a work trip and the doctoral candidate’s superior must approve the travel plan and their unit commit to covering any costs that might exceed the staff mobility grant. The grant is not paid to the doctoral candidate directly, instead the costs are reimbursed against a travel invoice.

Doctoral candidates not employed by Uniarts Helsinki can receive an exchange programme specific student grant for short-term exchanges.

In addition, employed doctoral candidates can conduct teacher mobility if the teaching hours are included in their total working time and work plans, and their superior approves the travel plan. The exchange is executed as a normal work trip and the doctoral candidate’s unit commits to paying any possible costs exceeding the teacher mobility grant.

These guidelines will enter into force on the academic year 2024-2025.

With questions concerning exchange possibilities, you may contact specialist Ulla Tissari, who is in charge of international affairs at the Academy of Fine Arts.