Doctoral Programme Committee (School of Science)

Members of the Doctoral Programme Committee

The doctoral programme committee comprises a chair and 4-6 professorial members merited in doctoral education and representing the central fields of research of the school. One of the professorial members may be from another school within Aalto University. In addition, the committee has a doctoral student member representing the fields of research of the school. The committee elects a vice chair from among its members. The committee may have deputy members.

The term of the Doctoral Programme Committee is three calendar years. The term of the current committee continues until the end of year 2025. Student representatives are appointed for one calendar year at a time, by the proposal of the Student Union AYY.

Chairperson, Professor Adam Foster

Secretary of the Doctoral Programme Committee: Study Coordinator Kitta Peura

Meetings and deadlines 2024

Doctoral students will be informed of the decisions concerning them after the meeting.

Christmas break: the DPC does not make decisions between Wed 20.12.2023-Wed 3.1.2024

Tasks of the Committee

The doctoral programme committee shall

1. develop the content of the doctoral programmes and the joint studies offered by the school;
2. put forth proposals to the school academic committee on the fields of research in doctoral programmes;
3. prepare proposals for the Dean on admission of doctoral students;
4. appoint the preliminary examiners of dissertations and decide on the permission for public defence of dissertation;
5. appoint the opponents for doctoral dissertations;
6. evaluate the dissertations;
7. appoint the examiners of licentiate theses;
8. evaluate licentiate theses; and
9. perform other duties assigned to it by the Dean or in the degree regulations.

In addition, the doctoral programme committee shall, unless it has assigned the chair to decide on any of the matters:

1. appoint a supervising professor and advisor(s) for the doctoral student;
2. decide on the degree language of the doctoral student, and on the topic and language of the licentiate's or doctoral thesis;
3. confirm the individual study plans of doctoral students;
4. decide on the time and language of the of public defence of the doctoral dissertation, and appoint the custos for it.

The Doctoral Programme Committee assigned the following matters to the Chair of the Doctoral Programme Committee from 1.8.2018 onwards (updated 22.9.2020):

1. appointing a new supervising professor or thesis advisor, after the start of the doctoral studies, but before the pre-examination begins;
2. deciding on the degree language of the doctoral student and on the topic and language of the licentiate or doctoral thesis, if the change is done after the start of the doctoral studies, but before the pre-examination begins;
3. confirming the study plans of doctoral students; however if, for example, the decision of an individual study plan requires wider discussion, the Chair can reassign the matter to the Doctoral Programme Committee.
4. deciding on the time and language of the public examination of the doctoral thesis and appointing the custos, if these have not been decided at the same time as the opponent or if they change; and
5. confirming the full-time / part-time status of the doctoral student, if it changes after the start of the doctoral studies
6. confirming the change of a research field of the doctoral student, if it changes after the start of the doctoral studies.