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Career opportunities and employability for Aalto doctoral students
Doctoral graduates from Aalto value the problem solving skills and other competencies given by their degree, which they can directly apply to their work. Our graduates consider their doctoral degree important for their career, and are able to find work in the private sector more successfully than doctoral graduates from other universities, on average. Learn more about career opportunities that our studies, community and networks open.
Doctoral career paths
Doctoral studies at Aalto University cater for four different career paths:
- Career in the academia
- Career in the private sector / industry
- Career in the public sector
- Career as entrepreneur / freelancer
In addition to the skills and knowledge of an expert in your field, we also boost your transferable skills relevant for all working environments.
Our doctorates and working life
Doctoral level expertise is needed as ABB is engineering the energy transition
Joint doctoral research projects between Aalto University and ABB are training scientists to develop the cutting-edge products needed in the future.
'Doctoral studies are a company's investment in the future'
Murata encourages its employees to pursue doctorates while working
An entrepreneurial researcher takes action and creates something new
When a researcher thinks like an entrepreneur, they can create something truly groundbreaking.
Kalle Spoof's doctoral research for Saab opened the door to the company's product development
In his doctoral thesis, Kalle Spoof developed beamforming of radar systems
Sahar Babaeipour dreams of entrepreneurship – but before that, she wants to graduate as a doctor
The doctoral research conducted by Sahar Babaeipour, a doctoral researcher at Aalto University’s Bioinnovation Center, aims at a more sustainable packaging industry.
Completing a doctoral degree alongside work – the thesis opened the doors to the product and technology development of a deep-tech company
Karita Kinnunen-Raudaskoski and Jani Lehmonen have both graduated as doctors of chemical engineering from Aalto University and for them, writing a doctoral thesis alongside regular work meant long hours but was also highly rewarding.
A doctorate prepares you for a career in industry, too
For Antti Alahäivälä, doctoral studies were a day job that allowed him to focus on interesting research and self-development. His doctoral research provided a strong foundation for his current work at Wärtsilä.
Graduate survey 2022I feel truly confident in my professional skills and knowledge after completing the doctoral program.
Skills learned and employment
Three years after graduation 60 percent of our doctoral graduates are employed by a private companies, compared to the national average of one in four. One third work in universities. 70 percent have an expert position in their organisation.
Half of our graduates work in research and one fourth in development and planning duties. 10 percent work in consulting or training and seven percent work primarily in management and supervision duties.
Doctoral graduates feel that they can utilize the skills they learned during their doctoral studies in their work and that the requirement level of their work matches their doctoral degree. 80% of our graduates consider that doctoral studies gave them good qualifications for working life.
(Career monitoring survey 2023 and Doctoral graduate survey 2023)
* Doctoral career monitoring survey 2023, 3 years after graduation
We support our doctoral students in their career planning
Aalto University wants to support doctoral students in shaping their own study and work path already from the beginning of their studies. We offer services and resources that help you to plan your dream career during your studies. Career planning is also part of the Doctoral personal study plan that all our doctoral students develop with their supervising professor.
Resources and services offered by Aalto University include:
- Career coaching and career counselling
- Career courses
- Job search portal and job fair
- Research-based tips and tools for career exploration
- Mentoring
Doctoral graduates of Aalto University in working life
Skills learned during doctoral education are valuable in working life
Career Design Lab
Shaping sustainable and meaningful careers
Design a Meaningful Career (external link)
In this self-paced online course you will learn how to shape your career as you go in the radically changing world of work.
Finland Works open online course (external link)
In this course, we will look at how to navigate Finnish working life and how to build a career. We explore working life in Finland from societal, organisational and individual perspectives.
Starting Up (external link)
Learn to think like an entrepreneur and to solve real-world problems by creating something new.
How to apply for doctoral studies?
Find out what is required of applicants and what can our doctoral studies offer!
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