Certified hard copy documents after admission results
In the application phase, scanned colour copies of the application documents are uploaded to the online application system.
After the publication of admission results, the admitted applicants must submit certified (attested) hard copy documents by the given deadline.
Admission is conditional until the certified hard copy documents have been received.
Conditionally granted study right will be cancelled if the certified documents; or documents according to the country-specific document requirements; are not received in the required manner by the deadline. The certified documents will be compared to the electronic documents uploaded to the application system.
The documents need to be submitted according to the country-specific document requirements, if the degree is completed in:
Australia, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Canada, China, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Sudan, the United Kingdom or the United States.
Read the requirements on Country-specific requirements page.
Note that there is a country-specific requirement also for degrees completed in Finland. As a rule, certified copies of educational documents are not required for studies completed in Finland. However, read the instructions carefully for exceptions.
Document instructions
- Certified copy of a Bachelor's degree certificate* if degree is completed.
Degree must be completed by 31 July 2023.
Provisional degree certificate:
Provisional degree certificate can also be accepted. In some countries, there can be a delay before the final degree certificate is issued to graduates. In such cases, a provisional (or temporary) degree certificate can be issued to a student who has successfully completed all the studies included in the degree and has graduated. The provisional degree certificate must include the name of the degree, the name of the institution awarding the degree, the date of awarding the degree, and the name of the student. A statement of completion of the studies is insufficient.
*Regular, uncertified copy of a degree certificate is not accepted.See below the instructions for certified copies. Any country-specific requirements will override these instructions. -
Original official transcript of study records with original stamps and signatures or a certified copy of it* (of the degree granting eligibility to apply).
*Regular, uncertified copy of a transcript of records is not accepted.See below the instructions for certified copies. Any country-specific requirements will override these instructions.
- Authorised translations if the degree certificate and the official transcript of records are not in Finnish, Swedish or English. Read carefully the instructions for authorised translations below.
- If you demonstrate your English language proficiency with another higher education degree, a certified copy of the degree certificate and transcript of records*. Degree must be completed by 31 July 2023.
*Regular, uncertified copies of a degree certificate or transcript of records are not accepted.See below the instructions for certified copies. Any country-specific requirements will override these instructions. - If you demonstrate your English language proficiency with primary and secondary education, a certified copyof your secondary-school final certificate. If your education was completed in the EU/EEA, the language of instruction must be stated unambiguously on the certificate or other official document issued by the institution.
- If you apply to a study option in Finnish/Swedish and prove your Finnish/Swedish proficiency with the National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) or Civil service language proficiency certificate (VKT) or TISUS test, a certified hard copy of the test result. In contrast to the other documents, the National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI), the civil service certificate (VKT)or TISUS test must be received by 17 August 2023 15.00 (GMT +3).
English language test results have been verified from an online service. Do not submit hard copies of IELTS, TOEFL, PTE A or Cambridge language test score reports.
Copies of study certificates (a degree certificate and a transcript of records, if the transcript is not original) must be certified by the awarding university or by a notary public.
The certified copies must be delivered as hard copies either by mail, courier service or delivered in person.
The copies must be taken from the original, official documents. A multiple-page certified copy must be certified on the front side of every page. Each page must have the certifying official’s original signature, printed name, ink stamp and date. Copies of officially certified copies are not accepted, thecertifying official’s ink stamps and signatures must be original. A note declaring official copy status (such as a “True copy” stamp) is insufficient.
The documents must always be submitted according to country-specific requirements if the degree is awarded in:
- Australia, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Canada, China, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Sudan, the United Kingdom or the United States.
Aalto University Admission Services does not take copies of documents nor certify them.
Application documents will not be returned, do not send your original degree certificate.
The documents must be in Finnish, Swedish or English. If the original document was issued in some other language, an official translation of the document must be submitted.
The translation is official if it has been done by the higher education institution that awarded the degree or by a certified translator (authorised translator). The translations must have the certified translator’s original ink stamp and signature.
The official translations must be either original or certified paper copies of the original documents. Unofficial copies of the translations are insufficient. The official translations must be accompanied by certified paper copies of the original documents in the original language.Translations by themselves are insufficient.
In Finland, the Finnish National Agency for Education (www.oph.fi/en) maintains a register of authorised translators who are based in Finland.
- The deadline for the officially certified study certificates of applicants admitted in March is 26 May 2023 (at 15.00, GMT +3).
- For applicants admitted off the waiting list in April, May or June, the deadline is 17 August 2023 (at 15.00, GMT +3).
Conditionally granted study right will be cancelled if certified documents; or documents required according to the country-specific document requirements; are not received in the required manner by the deadline.
The deadlines are the same to all applicants and cannot be extended.
Applicants with an incomplete degree
If you applied with an incomplete degree, there are two different deadlines for the certified documents:
- 26 May 2023 (at 15:00, GMT +3) for the certified copy of transcript of study records (and its official translation, if it is not in English, Finnish or Swedish) and
- 17 August 2023 (at 15:00, GMT +3) for the certified copy of degree certificate (and its authorised translation, if applicable).
The graduation date must be by 31 July 2023.
In case the required documents are not received by the deadline, or if you are not able to graduate by the deadline, the conditionally granted study right will be cancelled.
Sending documents by courier service
We strongly recommend using a courier service (e.g. DHL, UPS, TNT, FedEx) for shipments from outside the European Union (EU) instead of regular mail. We recommend using a courier service also within the EU to be able to track your shipment.
If you send documents from outside the EU:
- Send the consignment of documents as a letter. Do not send it as a parcel.
- Do not determine a value for the letter when sending it to avoid customs clearance.
If the country of dispatch requires the consignor to determine a value for the consignment of documents, mark the value as zero (euros or other currency). - The goods description for the consignment should be, for example, documents.
If you send the documents by courier service, use the street address:
Aalto University Admission Services
Otakaari 1
FI-02150 ESPOO
Finland
tel. +358 2944 29290
Write “Master's admissions” on the envelope.
Sending documents by regular mail (not recommended from outside the EU)
If you send the documents by regular mail (not courier service), send them to the postal address:
Aalto University Admission Services
P.O. BOX 11110
FI-00076 AALTO
Finland
Write “Master's admissions” on the envelope.
Delivering documents in person
If you are in Finland and want to deliver the documents in person, you can bring them in a closed envelope to the mailbox of Admission Services. The white mailbox of Admission Services is located at Otakaari 1, Floor 1, in the corridor in front of Room Y198. The mailbox is labelled with the name "Admission Services". The closed envelope can be submitted during the building's opening hours. Do not leave the documents anywhere else. The Admission Services mailbox is the only place to leave the documents in the campus area.
Submit your documents in the required manner and so that they arrive by the deadline
All documents must arrive at Aalto University Admission Services by the given deadline. (See "deadline" above).
Conditionally granted study right will be cancelled if the documents arrive late. Belated documents cannot be considered even if the delay took place irrespective of the applicant. Applicants are responsible for submitting the documents in the required manner and meeting the deadline. This also applies when the documents are sent via a third party, such as a postal service. The documents must arrive by the deadline; the postmark date is irrelevant.
Aalto University is not responsible for services provided by post or courier services or any delays or damage caused by them.
Other useful information
Country-specific document requirements
There are country-specific document requirements for educational documents awarded in certain countries (after admission).
If the country-specific requirement concerns one document only (e.g. transcript of records), the rest of the educational documents must be submitted according to the general document instructions.
Applying to master’s programmes
The admissions to the two-year master’s programmes at Aalto University are organised once a year.
The application period for studies beginning in the autumn of 2023 runs from 1 December 2022 to 2 January 2023.
Contact Information for Aalto University Admission Services
Contact Aalto University Admission Services
