At the beginning of the doctoral studies, each doctoral candidate is appointed one or two supervisors representing the highest expertise available in the particular field of research and methodology. One of the supervisors can also be appointed later, once the orientation or the focus of the research is more clearly defined. At least one of the supervisors shall be a member of the faculty at the Theatre Academy. The other supervisor can either be from the Theatre Academy, or a person from outside the Theatre Academy meeting the criteria for expertise. At least one of the supervisors must hold a doctorate.
The doctoral candidate negotiates the question of the supervisors with the Contact Teacher who takes the suggestions to Tutke’s Faculty Meeting. Based on the discussion at the Faculty Meeting, the Contact Teacher contacts the candidate supervisors. If they are willing to take the task of the supervisor, the Planning Officer drafts the proposal for the appointment to be decided by the Head of the Doctoral Programme of Artistic Research in Performing Arts.
The task of the supervisors is to offer their expertise in supervising, supporting and advancing the realization of the research. Supervision is based on mutual trust and functional communicative relationship. If the supervisor or the supervisee believe that a breach of the Supervision Commitment has taken place, he or she can ask for amendment or rescission of the commitment. The Planning Officer functions as a mediator in such cases.
As the process leading to a doctoral degree progresses in several phases, the doctoral candidate’s need to contact the supervisors varies. In the beginning, the supervision can focus on the theory of research, methods, practices and developing the research plan. There are also periods in the research process when there is less need for face-to-face supervision.
The task of the doctoral candidate is to actively communicate with the supervisors and to inform them of the progress of the research process. Updating the research plan, as well as the external examinations of the doctoral research, require special activity and initiative from the doctoral candidate. The supervisory relationship becomes more intense once the doctoral research project has advanced and reached the final phase. The task of the supervisors is to support the doctoral candidate in finalizing the research project so that it is ready for external examination in terms of both contents and form. The supervisors conduct a preliminary assessment of the work, and their permission is a prerequisite for starting the external examination process of the artistic parts as well as the commentary.
The supervisory relationship is a long-term and durable process shared by the doctoral candidate with the maximum of two experts in the field. As the doctoral studies progress, the need for expertise might change along with the possibly shifting research focus. The supervisor can be replaced in such case. However, the replacement must always be first discussed with the current supervisors and the Contact Teacher.
The work of the supervisors continues until the public examination takes place. It is advisable that the doctoral candidate keeps in touch with the supervisors, as their experience on finalizing the process may be very useful. For example, it is worthwhile to go through the external pre-
examiners’ statements thoroughly and discuss the comments and suggestions presented with the supervisors.
Two external examiners are appointed by the Research Council, based on the proposal from the Contact Teacher and the supervisors. Regulations on disqualification are taken into account. Primarily, the same external examiners examine both the artistic parts and the commentary, and they often act as opponents as well. The criteria for selecting the examiners are formal qualification and expertise in the field. At least one of the examiners must hold a doctorate and the other has to be a respected pedagogical or artistic expert in the field. In addition, practical matters, possible disqualification issues and the doctoral candidate’s wishes are taken into account in the selection of the external examiners.
The doctoral candidate discusses the choice of the external examiners for the doctoral research with the supervisors and the Contact Teacher in good time, well before the first artistic part of the doctoral research is ready for examination. The suggestions are also discussed in the Faculty Meeting at Tutke. After the discussion at the Faculty Meeting, the Contact Teacher asks the candidate external examiners for their willingness to accept the task.
Appointing external examiners takes time, starting from the discussions and ending with their appointment, and therefore at least four months need to be reserved for the artistic part to be ready for external examination. Permission for external examination cannot be granted before the external examiners have been appointed. The Research Council appointing the examiners meets three to four times a semester.
The doctoral candidate informs the supervisors, the Contact Teacher and the Planning Officer about the performance dates and location for the artistic part to be examined at least two months before the planned examination date. The doctoral candidate sends a “linking paper” and the updated research plan to the Contact Teacher and the Planning Officer at least two weeks before the artistic part is realized. Tutke will forward the information and the documents to the examiners. The doctoral candidate does not contact the examiners, as the communication is the responsibility of the Contact Teacher or the Planning Officer. The “linking paper” motivates how the particular artistic part is related to the doctoral research and the research questions and discusses the role of the artistic part in the context of the doctoral research. In the performance event, it is a good idea to inform also the members of the audience of the research-related aims of the artistic part in question.
The doctoral candidate is Contact for taking care that the recordings and other documentation of the artistic part are of such good quality as appropriate. Documentation is required for the pre- examination of the commentary of the doctoral research and as material for the opponents.
The doctoral candidate is Contact for asking the supervisors and the Contact Teacher to submit their written recommendations on the examination of the artistic part per email to the Planning Officer. The Head of the Doctoral Programme of Artistic Research in Performing Arts grants the permission for external examination based on the recommendations of the supervisors and the Contact Teacher. The permission for external examination must be granted at least four weeks before the performance date.
The Planning Officer informs the external examiners about the external examination process. It is advisable that both external examiners see the same performance. If they wish, the external examiners may put questions forward to the author, and the doctoral candidate should therefore be prepared to discuss their work with the examiners.
The external examiners submit their written statements on the work they have examined to the Planning Officer within one month from the presentation date. The external pre-examiners’ statements are discussed in the Research Council which makes a decision on the acceptability of the artistic part as part of the doctoral research. The doctoral candidate has the right to receive the statements as soon as they have arrived.
The external examiners have the right to propose in their written statement that a particular part be failed. In such case the doctoral candidate has the right to hand in a response before the meeting of the Research Council where the matter is discussed. The Research Council may give permission for a particular part to be re-examined, or it may decide upon suspension of the examination process.
It is recommended that the doctoral candidate studies the Guidelines for External Examiners.
The study credits given for the part subject to external examination depend on the total number of the parts to be examined. The credits are agreed on individual grounds in the PSP discussion between the doctoral candidate and the Contact Teacher. The credits are registered only after the Research Council has accepted the artistic part as part of the doctoral research, based on the statements from the external examiners.
External examiners have been appointed to examine the artistic parts and to pre-examine the commentary of the doctoral research. The external pre- examination of the commentary takes place after all artistic parts have been examined. The doctoral candidate is responsible for keeping the Contact Teacher and the Planning Officer informed of the progress of the commentary. The Head of Tutke grants the permission for the commentary to be pre-examined, based on the recommendations from the supervisors and the Contact Teacher and the report from the Turnitin plagiarism detection program. The doctoral candidate is responsible for requesting that the supervisors and the Contact Teacher submit their recommendations per email to the Planning Officer. The pre-examination process of the commentary begins when the permission for the external pre-examination has been granted.
The doctoral candidate takes care of having the language checking of the commentary done. The Structure and Annotation Guide helps in filling the formal requirements.
The commentary to be pre-examined must include abstracts in Finnish or Swedish and English; a table of contents; and all audiovisual material that are integral parts of the doctoral research. The commentary is submitted to the Planning Officer with the documentation or links to the artistic parts included, or links to the doctoral research in case it is published online.
The doctoral candidate makes sure that all required doctoral studies have been completed before submitting the commentary for external pre-examination. Completed studies is a presupposition for granting the permission to examine the doctoral research.
Once the commentary has been the submitted for external pre-examination, it must not be modified until the external pre-examiners’ statements have arrived. The pre-examiners are given two months to familiarize themselves with the commentary of the research and to send in their statements. The doctoral candidate has the right to see the statements as soon as they are available, and in case one or both are negative, the doctoral candidate has an option to hand in a response before the meeting of the Research Council takes place. The statements by the external pre-examiners and the possible response by the doctoral candidate are discussed by the Research Council when it meets for the decision on granting the permission for the doctoral research to be publicly examined. In case only one of the pre-examiners propose granting the permission, the Research Council confers, based on the statements and the response by the doctoral candidate whether it grants the permission for public examination.
The main task of the external pre-examiner is to evaluate whether the manuscript can be accepted as the commentary of the doctoral research as it is. In finalizing the doctoral research, the doctoral candidate can respond to the critical observations presented by the external pre-examiners, and the supervisor can help in assessing the significance of the modifications suggested in the statements.
In case the external pre-examiners do not accept the manuscript, or if they require substantial changes, the Research Council can require rewriting of the commentary as suggested by the external pre-examiners and the Research Council. The Research Council appoints supervisor to monitor that the required changes and modifications are made. The Research Council also determines whether the changes required call for re-examination of the commentary, or whether the statement from the supervisor confirming the corrections is sufficient. In case of re-examination, the Research Council appoints either the same or new external pre-examiners for the commentary.
The credits for the commentary are granted only after the Research Council, based on the statements from the external pre-examiners, has accepted the parts as integral parts of the doctoral research.
[edit. agreement on commitment deleted 3.4.2024]
After the external pre-examination process has ended, the Research Council nominates, based on the discussion at Tutke’s Faculty Meeting, one or two opponents for the doctoral research, grants the permission to publicly defend the doctoral research, and nominates the proctor, the Custos, of the public examination. The opponents, or one of them, may have functioned as external pre-examiners. At least one of the opponents must hold a doctorate.
The Contact Teacher can ask the supervisors to suggest possible opponents, and when all suggestions have first been discussed at Tutke’s faculty meeting, the Contact Teacher submits the proposal for the Research Council. The guidelines for the appointment of the opponents aim to grant the impartiality, non-impediment and expertise of the public examination of the doctoral research. The doctoral candidate does not participate in the appointment of the opponents but is offered an opportunity to submit their complaint against the appointment.
The Planning Officer agrees on the date for the public examination having first discussed it with both the defender and the Custos. The opponents are given two months to familiarize themselves with the doctoral research before the public examination takes place.
Publishing the doctoral research, preparing for the public examination and practical arrangements are described in more detail in the document Instructions for the defender.
The defender prepares for the public examination and the publication of the research by scheduling a meeting with the Planning Officer. In this meeting, they discuss preparations for the public examination and the responsibilities assumed by the defender and those assumed by Tutke, as well as the practical arrangements for the public examination – what is the role of the Theatre Academy in organizing the event, and what costs are covered by it. The defender also sets up a meeting with the Custos, since it is the task of the custos to inform the defender about the public examination as a formal process and support the defender on preparing for the examination.
The defender, together with the Planning Officer and the Senior Adviser in Publishing, identifies all costs and liabilities resulting from the publication and the information dissemination. If, for example, the doctoral research is printed on paper, how many author’s copies will the defender receive? Who sends out the invitations and the author’s copies? What kind of arrangements does the event require? Eventual performative arrangements that take place in conjunction with the public examination must be considered in advance. The practicalities regarding the performative arrangements must be taken care of in good time, the costs have to be recognized, and the arrangements need to be agreed on with the Custos, especially as regards the practical arrangements.
The defender also schedules a meeting with the Planning Officer and the Communications Officer for discussing the memo on how to prepare for the public examination. The back flap text and other texts related to the information dissemination of the doctoral research are agreed on in the meeting. The defender writes the press release together with the Communications and submits a photograph to the Communications Officer.
The invitations and the official information about the public examination are sent out approximately one month before the public examination takes place. The defender needs to make sure that all guests invited to the public examination receive an invitation. The Communications at the Theatre Academy cooperates with the defender in this task. The doctoral research must be displayed for public viewing at least ten days before the public examination.
The defender submits one copy of the doctoral research publication to each supervisor and invites them to the public examination If the supervisors need to travel for the public examination, the practical arrangements can be negotiated with the Planning Officer.
It is not obligatory to organize a party after the public examination, but according to academic traditions a party, the karonkka, is organized in honour of the opponents. The Custos and the supervisors are also among the guests of honour. The karonkka may be a small dinner party or a grand feast, depending on how one wants to celebrate the completion of the doctoral research, and who in particular one wants to thank and acknowledge for the support during the research journey. It is also quite common to organize a small-scale event in honour of the opponents first and a bigger party for other important people afterwards.
The Uniarts has no instructions about the karonkka, so the defender can plan the event according to one’s personal preferences, and makes all necessary preparations: books the premises, arranges the catering, sends out the invitations and covers the costs for the party.
The public examination usually takes place in the large auditorium at the Theatre Academy around noon. A room is reserved nearby for the defender, the opponents and the Custos for the preparations before the public examination. After the public examination, Tutke raises a toast in honour of the defender.
The Custos declares the public examination open. The introductory lecture (Lat. lectio praecursoria) prepared in advance by the defender follows. The opponents present their general summaries, after which they examine the doctoral research. The public examination rests on the questions presented by the opponents. The discussion taking place in the public examination between the defender and the opponents not only serve the purposes of the examination but also open the thematic area of the doctoral research for the public.
The lectio is the defender’s statement where he or she presents the central research questions and the results of the doctoral research and explains how the different parts of the doctoral research work together. It is an important opportunity to complement and contextualize what has been presented and motivated in the doctoral research. The lectio can be informative and also take a stand in pedagogy, or social or arts policy, discussing reasons why this particular doctoral research has been worthwhile as well as its expected impacts. A good lectio presents a motivated point of view, and its focus is clear, so that the audience will get an idea of the research design and the results; a good lectio is also popular – not merely a presentation of the doctoral research for expert audience. The length of the statement must be no more than 20 minutes. If an artistic element is presented in conjunction with the lectio, the total length of the presentation must not exceed 30 minutes. Alternative ways of presenting an artistic element are for example an installation or a video shown to the audience in some other venue at the Theatre Academy during the same day. The defender must agree with the Custos on the practicalities concerning the form and the arrangements of the lectio. The defender can use assistants, assisting performers and technical aids as agreed on beforehand with the custos and the opponents. The defender will also run over the practical choreography of the public examination with the Custos and the opponents in advance – usually in the morning on the day when the public examination takes place.
The comments and questions of the opponents can be reflected upon in advance. The statements written by the external pre-examiners can provide hints, particularly if one of them acts as the opponent. Participating in public examinations well in advance during the doctoral studies is
beneficial for preparing for one’s own public examination. Also presenting the research results at conferences and seminars gives an idea of what kinds of questions the research may provoke, and how to best argue one's points of view in a way that encourages discussion.
After the public examination, the opponents are given one month to write their final statements on the doctoral research, in which they take into account what was presented at the public examination and evaluate the doctoral research. The opponents can also choose to give a joint statement. The defender has the right to submit a written response for the final statement addressed to the Research Council, in case the statement is not favorable.
The Research Council decides on the accreditation of the doctorate. The Research Council is also informed of the Custos’s report on the public examination. The defender is officially a doctoral candidate until the Research Council has granted the degree, the right of the doctoral candidate to conduct studies has ended, and the Dean has granted the doctoral diploma. In principle, it is possible for the doctoral research to be disqualified even at this stage, but the supervision aims to secure that this does not take place. Once the Research Council has approved the doctorate, the defender fills in the Application for a Degree Certificate form, encloses a transcript of records, and submits it to the Student Advisor at the Study Services. The application form is the same as in the degree programmes.
All graduating students at the Theatre Academy are honored with a special graduation party,
publiikki, twice a year, in May and in December. Recently graduated doctors are also warmly welcome.
Theatre Academy’s first conferment ceremony was organized in 2009 and the first conferment ceremony of the Uniarts took place in 2018.
The graduated doctors are welcomed to join the alumni network of the Theatre Academy.