University of Helsinki reduces its requirements for PhD

Since this past August, it has become easier to earn a PhD at the University of Helsinki in Finland, reports Yle News.

Doctoral degrees used to require three to five scientific publications, but now only two to three are sufficient. In some cases, a single article may be enough to meet the requirements. The university is also reducing the number of mandatory credits for PhDs from 40 to 30, easing the workload to gain a doctorate.

Academia in Finland is now worried about a race to the bottom, but University of Helsinki Rector Sari Lindblom emphasises that the one-article quota is only applicable to exceptional candidates publishing in top international journals. Lindblom argues that the university’s previous requirements were too demanding.
Full report on the Yle News site