Applications will be evaluated by academic departments based on previous academic performance, research potential, motivation, performance in standardized tests and references. Candidates must be available for a potential interview.
The Dean decides on admissions based on departmental assessments.
If an applicant applies to more than one major, each of them must be an independent document with complete appendices, and the applicant must indicate their order of preference.
For further information, please contact the faculty of your desired major.
Application form 2021
Register for the application system, download and fill out the electronic application form. Instructions are below.
It is possible to save the unfinished application and continue later for submitting it but please make sure to submit it by the deadline January 15 2021 at 12.01 PM (EET). After submission and the due date, your application is final.
Scan and save all enclosures, except for official GMAT/GRE test reports and referee letters, as attachments to the electronic application. The office of the doctoral programme obtains the official GMAT and GRE reports from the test organizer's database. Referees should send their recommendations directly to the office of the doctoral programme.
To avoid a last-minute rush on the lines, it is recommendable to submit your application before the day of the deadline. It is also recommendable to have the required attachments at hand when you start drafting the application.
If your master's degree is not completed by the application deadline, the degree certificate can be sent to the office of the Doctoral Programme by 27 November, 2021, preferably sooner. Otherwise, your application is conditional.
Applicant’s guide to the online application system
The application system normally functions best with the Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers. If you use another browser and headlines on the form seem to overlap, you can try to diminish the view to 75%.
Registration as a user
When applying to the University, start by creating a user account for the system.
- Choose the language on the upper part of the screen.
- Register as a user: Create a local user account.
- Give an email address that is exclusively in your personal use.
- The learning services of the Doctoral Programme may contact the applicants by email during and after the selection process. It is very important that you give an email address that is valid throughout the entire selection process. If your contact information changes after submitting your application, please inform us as soon as possible at [email protected]
- Do not write anything else in the fields except what has been asked. The information you give will be printed on the letter of acceptance exactly the way you write it on the registration form.
- Please make sure that you write nothing but your address in the address field. Provide your name using capital initials, as Firstname Lastname. Do not use CAPS LOCK or any letters other than those in Latin script (for example, do not use русский or中国).
Aalto University's internal users
If you have an Aalto University WebLogin account, log in and enter your contact information in the User details view of the application system (System > User details). Otherwise your contact information will not show on your application form. You can move on to ‘Filling in the application form’.
- After completing the registration form, you will receive a confirmation email at the email address you indicated on the form. Activate the user account that the system offers to you by clicking the link in the message. The email address you have been given on the registration form will become your user name.
Filling in the application form
- Log in to the Applicant’s guide on the online application system. Fill in the online application form and follow the instructions to submit it.
- Follow the instructions on the application form. By clicking the symbol, you will get more information about a specific question.
- Your session will expire in 120 minutes if you don’t keep it active. Unsaved data will be lost.
- You can save your application form if it is incomplete; that makes it possible to return to modify the application and submit it later.
- After you have completed the application form, click the Save button.
Adding appendices
Adding appendices to the application:
- Scan the appendices, each to a different file, and save them on your computer.
- Go to the application form and fill it in
- Click the title of the tab in which you intend to save the appendix (see picture below)
- You will see a green cross and a link ‘Add file’. Click the link.
- Browse the intended file and save it
- Repeat the same with the other appendices
- When you are ready to submit the application form, click the Submit button on the Case details page. The application must be submitted in the system before the application deadline.
- After you have submitted your application, you can save and print a copy of the application for yourself. Download the application as a PDF file (see picture below) and print it. You can only print the form after it has been submitted!
- In certain internet browsers, you must first save the downloaded PDF file on your computer (right click PDF icon → Save as) and open it there before printing.
If your contact information changes during the process
If your contact information changes during the application period or the selection process, you are responsible for updating it in the online application system. Log into the application system and select User details from the navigation tree on the left. You must confirm the changes with your password. Please note that your username will remain the same despite any changes made to your email address (i.e. the email address you used in your original registration).
Please make sure to keep your contact information updated during the whole process, even after the end of the application period. The Student Services of the Doctoral Programme in Business, Economics and Finance sends email updates to the address given on the registration form. An official letter of the results of the student selection is sent to the address shown in the User details.