According to the Goverment Degree (794/2004) the aims of doctoral training are that the student

• becomes well-versed in his/her own field of research and its social significance and gains knowledge and skills needed to apply scientific research methods independently and critically and to produce new scientific knowledge within his/her field of research;
• becomes conversant with the development, basic problems and research methods of his/her own field of research; and
• gains such knowledge of the general theory of science and of other disciplines relating to his/her own field of research as enables him/her to follow developments in them.

The aim of the Graduate School is to educate doctors so that graduates have acquired, within a period of four-years, the professional and social skills necessary for doctoral level positions. This qualification includes the ability to search for, produce and apply knowledge, good team-work skills, and the ability to work internationally. Departments, as well as national/international doctoral programmes are responsible for providing field-specific studies; the University of Oulu Graduate School provides support and ensures equal opportunities for every student to complete the doctoral degree, by providing general and transferable skills courses, monitoring the studies, and by taking care of the administration of doctoral study rights and degrees.