This page deals mainly with the School of Engineering. For details on university-level organisation, please refer to the Management of education section of Aalto Handbook.
The organisation of education leading to a degree is the responsibility of the Aalto University schools. Degrees may include multidisciplinary studies and studies offered by another Aalto University school, and education leading to a degree may be organised in collaboration with other universities in Finland and/or abroad. Teaching leading to bachelor’s and master degrees is organised in the form of degree programmes, while doctoral education is organised in the form of doctoral programmes.
The departments organisecourses and teaching in the Bachelor's Programme in Engineering jointly. The Bachelor's Programme in Engineering is divided into major subjects, each one of which has a person in charge of developing and implementing its teaching.The school's vice dean for education acts as the director of the programme.
The departments are responsible for master's programmes and international joint programmes. According to the bylaws of the Aalto University School of Engineering, the dean of the school appoints the directors of the school’s degree programmes for three-year terms. Responsible persons of international joint master’s programmes are appointed indefinitely. The vice president for education appoints the programme directors for the master’s programmes that are organised in co-operation between Aalto schools.
The departments are jointly responsible for organising the Doctoral Programme in Engineering. The dean appoints the director of the doctoral programme to lead the doctoral programme and take charge of its planning, implementation, evaluation and development. The education leading to a doctoral degree is planned and organised by the doctoral programme on a research-field-specific basis. The school decides the doctoral research fields and designates the professors in charge of the research fields. The school also approves the research fields of students when granting rights to study.
Teaching is organised according to a programme's curriculum. The curriculum is a confirmed overall description of the learning outcomes of a degree programme, the goals and contents of the study modules, course selection and the organisation of teaching in a given period of time. Aalto University follows a two-year curriculum cycle.
The school holds programme reviews in connection with the University Dialogue process to cover the previous year's results, student feedback and development actions. Programme reviews are held separately for each department.
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Vice dean for education |
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| Academic Committee for Engineering |
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| School of Engineering Degree Programme Committee |
The administration of the Master's Programme in Advanced Energy Solutions is handled by a separate degree programme committee. |
| School of Engineering Doctoral Programme Committee |
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| School of Engineering Teaching Competence Assessment Committee |
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| School of Engineering Learning Services |
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Bachelor's Programme Steering Group Master's Programmes’ Steering Group |
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| Head of department |
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| Programme director |
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| Teacher in charge of major subject |
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Aalto University Learning Services provides services that enable the smooth progress of studies. The aim is for each student to get the support they need at the different stages of their studies and to graduate by the target time. Co-operation groups for coordination and development ensure the efficient preparation and management of operative and long-term matters related to teaching between the university and the school levels.
The school's departments name each bachelor’s or master’s degree student an academic advisor, who instructs them in their studies. As part of the study guidance process, each student pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree prepares a personal study plan (also known as HOPS, short for the Finnish henkilökohtainen opintosuunnitelma), confirmed by the school. Students prepare the HOPS as a tool for planning the contents, extent and duration of their studies. The HOPS is based on the curriculum. The purpose of study guidance and academic advising is to support students as they make choices regarding their studies, progress in their studies in the planned schedule and consider their future careers.
Rules for the delegation of responsibilities and the roles of the different actors or bodies described above can be found in the schools' bylaws.
The university's academic policies and regulations are designed to safeguard the uniform and equal treatment of all members of the academic community as well as their legal protections and to support implementation of university strategy in studies, teaching and the arrangement of education. The Aalto University General Rules on Teaching and Studying are supplemented by the degree regulations of the schools and further instructions given by the president, the provost and the vice president for education.
Learn more about how education is managed in Aalto University.
Continual development of the quality of teaching and learning is one of the university's key strategic objectives. Aalto University promotes a positive culture of learning. Special attention is paid to supporting the progress of studies and monitoring the study process to ensure learning outcomes.