Study at Aalto

Student life at Aalto

How does the life of an Aaltonian look both inside and outside of the classroom, and after graduation? Discover stories about studies, student life, and career.

Learn, create, impact

Aalto's cross-disciplinary studies and self-motivated students are often talked about, but what does that actually look like? Discover students' inspiring coursework and projects that have allowed them to make an impact even during their studies.

Course work for Smart Wearables

Smart Wearables courses teach students both design and engineering skills

Smart Wearables courses allow students to work on projects in multidisciplinary teams, generating incredibly creative projects and enabling them to learn from each other

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Helsinki public transport system mobile app on a phone

Designing a better bus experience in Helsinki

Katarina Blind, a student of product design, has designed a better bus experience for the public transport system in Helsinki and pitched it to the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority HSL

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Aallon opiskelijoita ICT-Electronics laboratoriossa.

Aalto University students combine an open microprocessor with an AI accelerator

In the recent past, Aalto students implemented a simple processor. Now, they have further refined its structure and combined it with an AI accelerator.

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Research on carbon dioxide capture and storage

‘I wanted to add the business dimension to chemical engineering and to understand how innovations are created’

Emilia Tognetty, who is working on her master's thesis, is investigating how industrial carbon dioxide can be commercially utilised.

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Irene Purasachit

Irene Purasachit saw the floral industry’s waste problem firsthand – now she makes material for handbags from discarded blooms

Nearly half of cut flowers end up in the trash, never making their way to dinner tables or first dates

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Man in sunny winter cityscape

Aarni Kapanen illustrates Dudes & Feelings podcasts

Fighting toxic masculinity with a podcast and the help of Visual Communication Design.

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A portrait of Madhawa Basnayaka wearing a red sweater.

Towards a sustainable packaging industry – Madhawa Basnayaka develops ecological and intelligent packaging

Basnayaka’s doctoral research conducted at Aalto University’s Bioinnovation Center aims to find intelligent packaging solutions, in which biomaterial replaces electronics parts made of plastic.

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Otaniemi beyond the classroom

Finnish universities are known for their vibrant student life and strong sense of community, and Aalto University is no exception. Overalls, guilds, exchange, and fun celebrations! Being a student in Otaniemi is a holistic experience since it’s possible to live, study, work and spend your free time all in the same treasure trove.

Student playing basketball next to Helsinki central library Oodi

Vojtěch Zajíček believes that being the captain of a basketball team taught him important skills in leadership

Working together and relying on each other in order to succeed is something that is also emphasized in the Global Management programme

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Five students posing in a mini podcast studio at Aalto University

Aalto Squadcast podcasters help young people to make informed decisions about their future

Aalto Squadcast podcasters share their stories, personal struggles and what helps them to cope in tough times.

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An Cong

Information Networks student An Cong encourages women to choose tech: 'Come to Aalto campus and see for yourself why this is a wonderful place to study'

When Cong was still in high school, she contemplated becoming a doctor or getting a business degree. During her senior year she made up her mind to study technology at Aalto University. She confirms that it was a marvellous decision.

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Anna Huttunen

Master's student Anna Huttunen: ‘Listening to others can help you listen to yourself’

Anna Huttunen, a multi-year student tutor and current wellbeing ambassador, shares her thoughts on student wellbeing and how it could be improved.

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Photo by Dimitrios Gkoutzounis.

Dimitrios Gkoutzounis: After the first month I decided I don’t wanna leave

'I was very unfamiliar with something like the orientation week and all the activities and lectures, where they told us useful things, like how the university works. It made me feel like I’m not on my own to figure everything out.'

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Muodostelmaluistelujoukkue Team Unique'n aaltolaiset luistelijat

Five Aalto students belong to the Finnish Championship winning synchronised skating team Team Unique

The skaters studying at different Aalto schools are Aalto’s Urhea athletes

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From campus to career

Have you ever wondered what career paths Aalto opens up to its students? Whether you choose to start your own business or offer your knowledge to someone else, being a student at Aalto guarantees exciting job opportunities. Read and watch stories about building a career as an Aalto graduate below.

The picture shows Master's student Yijuan Wei outdoors in the Finnish nature in Otaniemi in the autumn.

International student's journey of securing jobs in Finland

International Master's student Yijuan Wei shares her story of landing exciting jobs in Finland. With the help of Career Services and persistence in job seeking, she secured an internship in marketing and a summer job in service design.

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Iita Kejonen kuvattuna Aalto-yliopiston tiloissa.

Iita Kejonen is involved in recycling battery metals from electric cars: ‘By working in industry, I can influence the development of the entire field’

Studies in materials science and engineering at the School of Chemical Engineering led to work with battery metals and minerals. As a Technology Manager, Iita can influence the development of responsibility in the entire automotive sector.

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Gabriele Del Brenna

Gabriele Del Brenna uses the skills learned at Aalto in his work as an Acoustic Designer

'Finland is a unique place, and great for student life,' says Gabriele Del Brenna. In this interview, he talks about his experiences in acoustics and audio technology studies and gives his tips for international experts to find employment after graduation.

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Selena Kaponge talking to fellow students

From an emergency room to HR, Selena Kabonge has always wanted to work in a field where she could help others

Studying People Management and Organizational Development perfectly combines her three passions: leadership, people and helping others

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A man in a soundproof studio waving an object to create sound

Creating sounds and raising the bar - an interview with Film Sound Designer Iivo Korhonen

Mundane sounds support the characters' personality and Iivo Korhonen is the one recording them. He encourages everyone to dream big, because sometimes that may become your reality.

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Mariina Tikka hymyilee kameralle, taustalla vihreä seinä.

From a cabin crew member to a chemical engineer

Mariina Tikka, who is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering, started her studies in autumn 2020. For her major, Mariina chose bioproducts (biotuotteet in Finnish), which is one of the three options in the School of Chemical Engineering Finnish Bachelor's programme. Interested in natural sciences, especially biology, Mariina feels that she has found her place in the field of chemical engineering.

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Kuvassa Markus Puhakka seisoo puutarhamyymälässä, ja ympärillä näkyy viherkasveja.

Various career paths: Markus Puhakka develops a family-run horticultural business and enjoys gardening in the spring

Puhakka, who also considered the profession of a wilderness guide, studied marketing and international business management at the School of Business. Now he combines his business expertise with garden work in a Finnish family business specialising in horticulture.

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Tiina Lindh-Knuutila

Language technology combines alumna Tiina Lindh-Knuutila's interests

According to Tiina Lindh-Knuutila, language technology and machine learning offer enormous opportunities for many kinds of people.

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Maria Lehto graduation photo

Alum Maria Lehto: My hobbies have had a big influence in my career and through them I have had my first leadership experiences

Maria Lehto has had an exciting career path to her current position as an Engagement Specialist at School of Business Premium Partner company, Konecranes. Even though the path didn’t always feel so straightforward, all experiences have played a part in her professional development. She would like to encourage young students to follow their own areas of interest and trust that it will lead them to the right direction in the end.

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Stay connected with us!

four students sitting outside infront of the Väre building in Otaniemi

Fairs and events for applicants

This page gives information on upcoming events, fairs and webinars for applicants. Join Aalto students for a virtual coffee every Friday or come meet Aalto University students and staff in Finland and abroad!

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Are you wondering what it is like to study at Aalto? Come chat with our students about all things Aalto on Unibuddy chat platform.

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The picture shows the School of Business building, the adjacent Kide building, as well as flagpoles and a tree branch on a clear autumn day.
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New graduates enjoy working at the office, but expect flexibility in working hours from employers

A recent report also reveals that young professionals who have graduated from the international CEMS Master in Management (MiM) program expect their work to provide a sense of community, challenges, and opportunities for development.
Emma Kemppainen at Aalto campus
Cooperation, Studies Published:

Emma Kemppinen: Semiconductor industry offers a lot of opportunities both in industry and academia

Emma got her summer job in a research group thanks to donations from companies in the semiconductor industry. The summer job confirmed her interest in the field.
Summer School students at a welcome event in Helsinki.
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Aalto University Summer School 2024 Wrap-Up: Inspiring new learnings and opportunities for students from all over the world

Summer 2024 was one for the books – with 250 students from 70 different nationalities, each summer course was a whirlwind of new meetings, learnings and connections at the Aalto University campus.
Premiere at Kino Tapiola. Left: Markus Toivonen, right: Matias Ikola. Photo: Paavo Hietala.
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What makes an alum and a freshman produce a full-length guild documentary together?

Markus Toivonen, a Bioinformation Technology alum, started his studies in Aalto University in 2015. The idea for the documentary about Inkubio, the guild of bioinformation technology, was born in 2019, when the guild celebrated its 15th anniversary.
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