Facilities, Financing, and National and International Co-operation
Postgraduate Teaching: Academic year 2004-2005
This Doctoral Programme offers
a unified study line for two degrees: the Licentiate Degree and
the Doctoral Degree in Social Sciences. The former degree, "the
lower doctorate", was earlier a prerequisite for the latter.
It is now possible to receive the doctoral degree without having
a licentiate. The latter provides the possibility for interim
dissertation research and a study option for persons wishing to
update and upgrade their skills in social science research.
This programme is a direct extension
of the Department's present Master's Programme leading to the
degree of Master of Social Sciences with Political Science as
a major. Political Science is perceived in the same manner as
in the Master's Programme, comprising not only "main stream"
Political Science but also International Relations and Administrative
Studies as two alternative fields of specialisation. Graduates
of other Finnish or foreign universities wishing to enrol in the
Doctoral Programme are expected to have an equivalent Master's
degree. When formally accepted onto the programme, they may still
be asked to do some complementary studies to ensure that all participants
have the same theoretical and methodological background.
The required studies are the same
for the students of the Licentiate degree and the Doctoral degree.
The difference lies in the level of required research and its
reporting. For the Licentiate Degree the student may present an
unpublished thesis, that is, a less ambitious unpublished report
of his/her postgraduate research project. For the Doctoral degree,
the student's dissertation must be refereed, published, and publicly
defended by the student. It is often advisable for those studying
directly for the doctoral degree to present their progress report
in a more extensive form, and to have it assessed and accepted
as a Licentiate Thesis.
The programme requires the completion of 35 credits, amounting to about three semesters of full-time studies. These studies include: workshop and seminar participation, earning credits by writing research papers, participation in postgraduate courses and national and international seminars and conferences. At the same time the student is also expected to finalise his/her postgraduate research plans and start his/her postgraduate research project. The doctoral degree can be completed in eight semesters of full-time studies and research. Of course the time required depends on the level and quality of the student's earlier studies and research experience.
Students who have a Master's degree
with political science as their major from an accredited institute
of higher learning may apply for the programme. In addition, students
with a Master's degree in neighbouring disciplines, e.g. Business
or Public Administration, International Politics, International
Relations, International Law or Diplomacy, can apply for admission.
In such cases some complementary studies in political science
will be required.
The general prerequisites for all applicants are good or excellent grades in advanced studies in political science or in equivalent subject. Furthermore, it is required that applicant’s Master’s thesis was graded at least magna cum laude approbatur (“very good knowledge”). Applicants from foreign universities are required to present documents detailing the grading scale of their Master’s theses.
The department's own graduates submit an application form (available
in the Office of the Department of Political Science), appending
a study plan with a research proposal (10-15 pages) to support it, to
the Faculty of Social Sciences. The
closing dates for these applicants during the 2004-2005 academic year
are 15 November 2004 and 15 May 2005.
Graduates of other Finnish
universities must submit
the same application form supported by 1) their degree diplomas
and credit transfer transcripts, and 2) a preliminary proposal
for the doctoral/licentiate research they are planning to carry
out to earn their degree. They are also expected to provide a
study plan with a schedule of the complementary studies they will
take in their major or minor field. This, however, can be done
at a later date, once they have discussed the potential need of
complementary studies with the assigned advisor. The applications
should be submitted to the Faculty of Social Sciences. The
closing dates for these applicants during the 2004-2005 academic year
are 15 November 2004 and 15 May 2005.
Foreign students must submit the form "UNIVERSITY
OF HELSINKI, Application for International Students" and
provide certified copies of diplomas and other documents required
therein. Those taking courses and examinations in English
must provide a recent TOEFL certificate with a score of 550 or
more or an equivalent proof of sufficient skills in oral and written
use of English (see Section C of the form). Section F of
the form specifies the additional documents needed to support
the application for the postgraduate (doctoral) studies, i.e.:
1) Official information on the curriculum and course contents of their Master's programme
2) Information on their Master's thesis: the title and abstract
3) A short curriculum vitae
4) A preliminary proposal for
the doctoral/licentiate research they are planning to carry out.
The applications should be submitted to the Faculty of Social Sciences. The closing dates are 15 November and 15 May.
If admitted, the student receives
a letter of acceptance containing the registration instruction.
Foreign students must register both at the Faculty Study Office
(to gain the status as a full-time student of the University)
and at the office of the Department of Political Science (to appoint
a dissertation advisor). This requires the completion of an enrolment
form, which is available at the Office of the Department.
The student is expected to renew
his/her registration at the Office of the Department at the beginning
of each academic year. This will help the student's advisor(s)
monitor his/her progress, and keep up-to-date the address register
of the Department, to facilitate sending information about seminars
and classes organised for postgraduate students.
Upon being admitted to the programme,
an advisor (usually a professor, in special cases a docent, that
is, an "adjunct" professor) is assigned by the chairperson
of the department to supervise the student's studies and dissertation
research. The advisor first helps the student plan his/her study
programme and begin his/her postgraduate research project. In
matters concerning the dissertation research, the student, of
course, may turn to other members of the Faculty of Social Sciences
or to teachers of other faculties or universities for advice and
help.
At a later date, the advisor requests
that the chairperson appoints two other persons to the dissertation
committee, which assesses the research plan, research papers
and progress reports of the student. In most cases, the members
of the committee are professors of the department, though competent
outside members may also be considered.
Sometimes, after assessing the academic background of the student, the advisor may ask her/him to update studies in theory and methods before starting the programme studies and planning the dissertation research. Complementary studies (15 credits or less) are frequently assigned to students who have received their degrees from other universities or faculties. The student's academic advisor will decide how these studies are to be completed. The student may also transfer credits from other universities and doctoral programmes; their acceptance must be negotiated with the advisor and confirmed by the dissertation committee and the chairperson of the department.
The student is expected to earn
the required 35 credits during the first three semesters of full-time
studies. During that time he is also expected to write and present
a detailed research plan for his/her dissertation research. After
eight semesters of full-time studies and dissertation research
the student must present an extensive progress report
(a licentiate thesis or a first draft manuscript of a dissertation).
Staff members advising postgraduate students assign their students
(on their own or jointly with some other staff members) to workshop
sessions. These provide a platform for the students to develop
their ideas and present research papers for group discussion.
The workshops are organised around a topical research area or
theme, and focus on its theoretical and methodological problems.
The workshops have a dual function as discussion groups, which
meet more frequently and seminars, where students can present
research papers. Normally, the research plan is reviewed in a
workshop session, with the dissertation committee present. The
drafts of the progress reports may also be discussed in workshop
sessions prior to their formal review.
During each semester there will
be plenary sessions of the postgraduate seminar for all doctoral
students in the department. In these sessions the advisors will
report on workshop plans and activities and the students will
present their progress reports for final acceptance. Postgraduate
seminar sessions are also arranged when it is deemed important
that all doctoral students attend a guest lecture given by a scholar
of international repute.
The required 35 credits in the
Doctoral Programme are gained by writing research papers either
in the workshops or for postgraduate courses and seminars. Credits
may also be earned through the presentation of papers at national
and international social science workshops, meetings and conferences.
The advisor may also design tutorials for his /her students with
special research assignments or information retrieval tasks. All
research papers and other assignments are assessed and confirmed
by the dissertation committee. Papers should be of high quality,
reflecting the latest advancement in the student's area of research.
Students may study at other Finnish universities or abroad and transfer the credits to the programme. It is advisable to present the study plan to the advisor in advance. The transfer of credits must also be confirmed by the dissertation committee. When studying abroad for a longer period, students are expected to maintain regular contact with their research advisor by letter or e-mail.
4 FACILITIES, FINANCING,
AND NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION
Doctoral students enrolled in
full-time studies pay no tuition and, by paying the Student Union
membership fee, they will get the same social benefits as all
other degree students. They also have the same right to use the
library and computer facilities. The Department does not have
funds specifically for supporting its doctoral students. Financing
must be secured through other sources. However, there are a few
posts as teaching assistants and some postgraduate students may
participate in and be financed by individual departmental research
projects.
The Academy of Finland supports
Finnish doctoral students by providing financing through national
"graduate schools", consisting of networks of doctoral
programmes at Finnish universities in a given field of postgraduate
studies and research. In political science this network is called
VAKAVA, the Finnish Doctoral Programme for Political Science and
International Relations. Besides channelling financing to the
students accepted in the national programme, VAKAVA co-ordinates
postgraduate studies and research and organises joint instruction,
courses and workshops. In administrative science, the national
graduate school is called VALHALL. Students wanting to take part
in this programme should consult their advisor.
The Department has an extensive network of international contacts, which facilitates the international exchange of teachers and students. The network and exchange relations are maintained by individual staff members and research projects.
Student Exchange abroad via the Department of Political Science
Study Unit 13J: Workshops and Postgraduate Seminar, 5 credits (79681-3)
a) Workshop participation (credits for the other units below can be earned by research papers written and presented in the workshops)
b) Postgraduate seminar participation and presentation of the progress report
Requirements: a) - b) Active workshop and postgraduate
seminar participation, presentation of a research plan in a workshop
session and a progress report in a plenary session of the postgraduate
seminar. The advisor and the other two members of the dissertation
committee must approve the plan and progress report. If the progress
report is presented as a Licentiate Thesis, the examiners (2)
are appointed by the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Study Unit 14J: Studies in Political or Moral Philosophy, Methodology and the Logic of Scientific Inquiry, 12 credits (79682-0)
a) political and moral philosophy or empirical research on values/ethics in politics (3 credits)
b) philosophy of science, methodological research or science studies, (3 credits)
c) research strategies and research methods (6 credits).
Requirements: a) a postgraduate course or
a research paper written and presented in a workshop session or
in a national or an international conference, b) an extensive
research paper presented in a workshop session; c) two postgraduate
courses, or two research papers presented in workshop sessions
or in national or international conferences. The advisor proposes
themes for papers in a workshop and the inclusion of seminar/conference
participation in the student's study plan.
Study Unit 15J: Studies in One's Own Field of Specialisation,
12 credits (79683-7)
a) new approaches and recent theoretical research in the sub-field of specialisation: in political science, administrative studies or international relations (6 credits)
b) recent research related to the topic of the dissertation (6 credits)
Requirements: a) three postgraduate courses or 2-3
extensive research papers, b) a tutorial with the advisor and
two research papers. The advisor approves the inclusion of courses
and tutorials in the student's study plan and organises faculty
examinations; he also approves credit transfers from other disciplines
and universities.
Study Unit 16J: Minor Studies (Studies in another field of research),
6 credits (79684-4)
a) theory and methods in the minor field (3 credits)
b) recent empirical research in the minor field (3 credits)
Requirements: a)-b) two postgraduate courses or 1-2
research papers. The advisor approves the minor field. The minor
field must be chosen outside the Department of Political Science.
Study Unit 17J: Final Examination (a preparation for presenting the Licentiate Thesis or handing in the dissertation manuscript, no separate credits), (79689-9)
Requirements: A group discussion in a workshop session, with the dissertation committee present.
Reports of Doctoral Research
Reports of Doctoral Research: a) The Licentiate Thesis and/or b) publishing and defending the dissertation.
a) The Licentiate Thesis
The Licentiate Thesis is an extensive
report of the postgraduate student's research project. It is expected
to reflect the student's ability to carry out independent research
in his/her selected field, on a considerably higher level of analytical
sophistication and research skill than what is required for the
Master's thesis. Four copies of the thesis must be submitted to
the Dean of the Faculty for examination. The licentiate thesis
must be accompanied by an abstract written in the same language
as the thesis, and an abstract in English. If the thesis has been
written in English, it must be accompanied by an abstract in English
and in Finnish or Swedish. The Dean will nominate two examiners
who, after an oral defence of the thesis in the Postgraduate Seminar,
will submit written statements, including proposed grades, on
the thesis. The statements will be sent to the author and also
to the members of the Faculty Board, who will decide on the final
grade in the Faculty Board meeting.
b) The Doctoral Dissertation
The dissertation is an extensive
report of the doctoral student's dissertation research. It should
be an original scientific research report, based on independent
research on a topic within one of the disciplines taught in the
Faculty, and which has not been published previously. The dissertation
may also consist of a series of published articles on a specific
topic, plus a report summarising the aims, methods and results
of the research.
A doctoral candidate must submit
two copies of the dissertation manuscript to the Dean of the Faculty
and at the same time ask for permission from
the Faculty to defend the dissertation in a public oral examination.
The Faculty Board will nominate a minimum of two referees for
the manuscript. These examiners will submit their written
statements within three months, recommending that permission to
defend the dissertation be granted or withheld. The statements
will be sent to the author and to the members of the Faculty Board,
who will then decide whether permission for the
public examination will be granted. The Faculty Board will also
nominate one or two opponents for the dissertation and a Chair
(the Custos) for the public examination. It is up to the chairman
to decide on the language of the public examination.
The overall grade for the required
35 credits is proposed by the dissertation committee and confirmed
by the Faculty Board. The grading scale is satisfactory, good,
excellent. The grading scale for the licentiate and doctoral
thesis (in descending order) is laudatur, eximia cum laude
approbatur, magna cum laude approbatur, cum laude approbatur,
non sine laude approbatur, lubenter approbatur and approbatur.
The authors of both licentiate
and doctoral theses are entitled to present their objections to
the Faculty Board against the nomination of the examiners, the
statements of the examiners, and in the case of the licentiate,
the grading of the thesis. Doctoral candidates may submit objections
to the grading of their thesis to the Chancellor of the University.
Postgraduate students wishing to object to any of the above matters
are advised to contact the Faculty Office without delay.
The Faculty Board will grant a certificate of a completed postgraduate degree. In order to obtain the certificate, students must present their credit book, complete with all the necessary credits, to the Faculty Secretary.