Studies for the doctoral degree (min. 30 ECTS cr) at LUT University are typically doctoral-level courses offered by LUT/other universities or doctoral training network seminars or summer schools targeted for doctoral students. Doctoral studies must always include studies from your own research field. In addition, you can include methodology studies, literature studies, personal assignments and also studies that develop transferable skills necessary for a researcher.

You cannot be awarded ECTS credits for the doctoral degree based on your participation in preparing a course/course material or teaching a course. The same applies to participating in organizing a workshop, conference or equivalent.

Postgraduate (doctoral) courses offered at LUT (academic year 2025-2026) can be found in the Guide for Postgraduate Studies. You can also search courses in Sisu, please see further information in Sisu instructions for doctoral students. The same instructions give also detailed guidance on how to get credits registered in Sisu.

When you plan your studies for the doctoral study plan (and later in Sisu) please take into account that the studies to be included in the doctoral degree must be completed before the permission to print is granted by the Academic Council. LUT Doctoral School recommends that the studies should be completed during the first two years of studying.

The study attainments included in a doctoral degree may not be older than seven years. On special grounds, an exception can be made and the decision on the matter is made by the head of the doctoral programme. Supplementary studies will not expire. When checking the expiration of studies, it is done on a yearly-basis. This means that your studies completed in 2017 or earlier have expired. See further information on the validity of studies in Files below.

Note! Credits are not registered for inactive students, who have neglected the registration for the academic year.

General instructions on studies

• General courses and training at LUT suitable for all doctoral students, please see Other education & training at LUT for doctoral students.
   
• Studies that degree programmes offer as study drafts, please the page Study drafts.
   
• Previously completed studies that are suitable for a doctoral degree may only be included in the doctoral degree if they have not been included in any other degree.
   
• Master/advanced courses: Courses may be included at the discretion of the supervisor only if the suitability of such a Master (advanced) course for postgraduate studies is mentioned in the course description.
  
  If you have been awarded a right to study before August 1, 2022 Master (advanced) courses that are already in the register can be included in the doctoral degree at the discretion of your supervisor. This also applies to courses that have been passed before August 1, 2022 but are not registered yet. In addition, Master courses that have been included in the original accepted study plan delivered with the application for the right to study a doctoral degree can still be included in the degree.
   
• Defining ECTS credits: If the number of credits has not been defined, the scope will be measured on the basis of the amount of work by the student (27 h = 1 ECTS credit, in whole numbers only).
   
• Literature examination results: 40-70 pages usually correspond to 1 ECTS credit. When you deliver your preliminary study plan as an attachment to the application for the right to study a doctoral degree, it is enough that you give a general subject field of the literature in addition to the ECTS credits and how the content will be examined.
   
• Conference presentations from your own discipline or additional publications: You can receive a maximum of 4 ECTS cr for your doctoral degree based on these accomplishments. As far as conferences are concerned, it is a condition that the conference has had a so-called review practice and you yourself have given a presentation. Please note that you will not be able to use the above-mentioned accomplishments for your article-based dissertation.
   
• Seminars for doctoral students: These are commonly accepted in the ECTS credit extent defined by the organiser (university, doctoral programme).
   
• University pedagogy training at LUT (25 ECTS cr), professional teacher education or equivalent training packages that enhance your professional qualification:  You can be awarded a maximum of 4 ECTS cr for your doctoral degree based on such accomplishments. Credits are not given based on single courses taken.

Study possibilities outside LUT

Discuss your plan and the suitability of studies outside LUT for your doctoral degree in advance with your supervisors. Check the course level from the organiser and if necessary, contact LUT Doctoral School for additional advice. If needed, the supervisor also converts the grade to the scale applied at LUT University.

• Doctoral courses in Finland-website: Here you can find doctoral courses available to all doctoral researchers that have a right to study a doctoral degree in one of the following Finnish partner universities: Aalto University, Hanken School of Economics, University of Eastern Finland, University of Jyväskylä, University of Lapland, LUT University, University of Oulu, Tampere University, University of Turku, University of Vaasa and Åbo Akademi.
   
• Doctoral training networks: Doctoral programmes may offer possibilities to attend courses in their national cooperation and doctoral training networks such as NORDTEK and KATAJA. Please consult your supervisors on this option.
   
• Winter and summer schools: For example some popular ones in Social Sciences are Essex Summer School, ECPR Methods School, GESIS Summer School and ICPSR Summer Program. 
   
• EULiST (European Universities Linking Society and Technology): LUT University is a member of the EULiST alliance. From time to time study/training possibilities with limited access are offered by partner universities.
   
• MOOCS and other online courses: Ensuring the course level is essential especially if you intend to participate in courses openly offered online (MOOCs=Massive Open Online Courses, e.g. edX, Coursera). Please note that it is not possible to include "beginner"- or "intermediate"-level courses in the doctoral degree. An "Advanced"-level course can be included only if complemented with extra assignments to make it a doctoral-level course.