Title of Docent, Faculty of Theology, 3/25

Re­quired en­clos­ures

1. A free-form application letter addressed to the Faculty of Theology. In the letter, including his/her contact information, the applicant should specify the field of the applied docentship ("I apply a title of docent in xxx").
2. The portfolio must be drawn up following the portfolio instructions of the University.
3. An English-language list of publications. Please, use the categories defined by the Ministry of Education (pdf). N.B: The applicant should specify in the beginning of her/his publication list, (a) which publications overlap her/his doctoral thesis and how, and (b) which publications show her/his new thematical openings, showing her/his widened expertise and development as a researcher after doctoral degree. If you have any co-authored publications, you should attach a report on your contribution to each of them.
4. Publications submitted for assessment. Publications should be submitted via recruitment system and each document should have letters DOS in the beginning of its name and be numbered as in the list of publications. The applicant's doctoral thesis should be included. Should the publication not be available in electronical form, two hard copies of the publication must be delivered to the Faculty.
5. A non-Finnish Citizen should include a copy of the passport certified by two people. Copies of relevant diplomas and certificates enclosed should have an English-language translation if the original diploma/certificate is granted in another language than Finnish, Swedish or English. Diplomas and Certificates shall be enclosed to academic portfolio as instructed.

Publications submitted for assessment should demonstrate applicant’s qualifications for the docent:

• the adequacy of scholarly publications (in quantity, the publications should be equivalent in scope to two doctoral dissertations; both monographs and research articles can be included)
• the scope of the publications, especially with regard to the field of the docentship
• research conducted after the doctoral dissertation contributes to new scholarly knowledge and demonstrates applicant’s development as an independent researcher

After sub­mit­ting the ap­plic­a­tion

After the application round has closed, the Research Committee of the Faculty of Theology considers whether the applicants seem to fulfill the qualifications for docentship so that their applications can be sent forward to be fully evaluated.

In this first stage evaluation, the Research Committee pays attention to following points:

• academic quality of the applicant’s publications and their quantity (The recommended quantity is approximately twice the length of a doctoral dissertation, which is 250 pages without appendix. Both monographs and research articles are taken into account).
• the scope of the publications, especially with regard to the field of the docentship
• research activity after finishing one’s doctoral degree; the applicant should have new peer-reviewed publications by high-quality publishers  
• new research openings after doctoral degree, widening one’s expertise and demonstrating her/his progress as an independent researcher
• on which level the applicant is on her/his career path
• international publications and activities
• activity in both national and international research forums

If the requirements seem to be fulfilled, the Committee sends the application to the Department of the disciple into which the docentship is intended. If the Research Committee comes to a conclusion that the applicant does not fulfill the required qualifications, it recommends that the applicant should withdraw her/his application.

The department gives its comments on the applied field of the title and suggests two experts who could evaluate the applications. The Research Committee prepares a proposal to the Faculty Steering Committee which decides whether the applications will be sent forward to the expert evaluators. The Teaching Skills Committee evaluates applicants’ teaching skills. On the grounds of the evaluation reports, the Faculty Steering Committee decides whether it proposes to the Chancellor of the University that the applicant should be granted the title of docent.