Before applying, please check the basic requirements for eligibility to doctoral studies. Contact the School of Chemical Engineering professor responsible for your field of research at an early stage of the application process.
Fill in the Aalto University application form for doctoral studies during the application period. All the attachments must be submitted as PDF files.
Application form
- Fill in the application form (the link will be available during the application period) and attach the required appendices (see below).
Detailed instructions for the application form:
- Definition of full-time and part-time doctoral candidates.
- Language of the degree: Choose English unless you wish to write your dissertation in Finnish or Swedish.
- Position funding: Choose the length of secured funding. Choose "no funding" if you do not have any secured funding
- If you want to apply for School of Chemical Engineering funding please make sure to check the deadline for the school's funding. Funding application is a separate application form and funding cannot be applied with the study-right application form
- Last name and all first names: the spelling of names must match your valid passport.
- Contact Information: Your e-mail address will be used to send all information concerning your application and its position in the decision process
- If you have not completed your master's degree by the application deadline, verify the graduation schedule with your home university and the date for obtaining your official degree certificate. Only applicants who acquire their master's degree certificate within three months of the application deadline can apply for conditional admission. The conditional right to study will expire if the candidate does not fulfil all requirements of the School of Chemical Engineering for doctoral students within the time limit stated in the official decision.
- Please attach the required appendices (see below) as PDF files to the application form. All appendices are placed under the heading 'Appendices'.
Appendices to the application
- Curriculum vitae (CV), max. two (2) pages in English, including detailed information of your scientific activity (publications in print, submitted publications, conference presentations (talks and posters) and patents). For more information on how to write an academic CV, please refer to the curriculum vitae instructions and template for Finnish research organisations.
- Research plan with funding plan, written by the applicant under the supervision of the professor. In English, no more than two pages (including references/bibliography).
- Research plan with funding plan is written by applicant under supervision of professor. Before applying, the doctoral student candidate must make direct contact with a professor in his/her field of study and present preliminary research plan and study plan to professor for discussion and modifications.
- Schedule of the research work and planned publications: time span of 3-4 years for full-time students and 4-8 years for part-time students; the schedule for the publications and completion of doctoral degree
- Implementation of the scientific plan
- Funding plan for the research work made by applicant. Funding plan in one section or as figure - state the start and ending of secured funding time and also suggest from where the missing funding will be acquired (scholarships, projects etc.). State clearly for which months the funding has been secured (example: May 2018- June 2021), and also uncertain funding seasons. Include also a list of all funding applications during the last six months. A minimum of one year funding is required to start the doctoral research project.
- The Supervising professor must confirm his/her commitment to supervise the thesis according to the schedule and resources of research plan.
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Study plan for theoretical studies. Attach the copy as an appendix to the application form. Read the instructions regarding the content of the study plan (40 ECTS). All applicants must include in their study plan the course 'CHEM-L1000, Toolkit for Doctoral Studies' (5 ECTS), which is offered every autumn term. Browse the School of Chemical Engineering pages as well as Sisu for suitable doctoral level courses. Please remember to include the abbreviation D for doctoral level courses provided by Aalto University.
- Supervision plan. Fill in and print out the supervision plan, obtain all signatures, scan and save as a PDF file and attach the file as an appendix to your application. Carefully read the guidelines, approved by the university’s Academic Affairs Committee, which give detailed information about the mutual duties and responsibilities of the supervising professor and doctoral candidate. Every doctoral candidate at the School of Chemical Engineering has 1–3 thesis advisor(s). The supervising professor can be one of the thesis advisors.
- Your motivation letter in English, one page long. Include it as a file attachment to your application form (not only as text in the application form’s text box under the motivation question).
- A description of your previous research work, such as a master's dissertation. Please describe your research experience in your own words. One page long, in English.
- A letter from your supervising professor at the School of Chemical Engineering. The professor will submit the letter directly to the Doctoral Programme Committee. With this letter, the professor in question has an opportunity to highlight your special skills and potential.
- Any other supporting documents, such as a letter of recommendation, in which case it should include an explanation of the connection between the applicant and the person giving the recommendation. Max. two letters.
- Official English abstract of your master's dissertation.
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Copy of the identity page of your passport or ID- card.
Applicants with a master's degree earned at a university other than Aalto University (or than Helsinki University of Technology) should also provide:
a) Certified copies* of degree diplomas and a transcript of completed courses, together with a translation of these if the original documents are not in Finnish, Swedish or English. Transcripts of study records for B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in English, Finnish or Swedish.
- Note: Applicants granted the right to study at the doctoral level at the School of Chemical Engineering must present their original degree documents no later than their arrival at Aalto University.
b) Proof of proficiency in Finnish, Swedish or English if the applicant is not exempted from the language test requirement. Please check the English language requirements.
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Degrees awarded by a higher education institution outside Finland:
You are asked to present your original degree certificate (including all the appendices and the Diploma Supplement in European countries) and official transcript of records, or certified copiesof all these* before a right to study can be granted. You are asked also to present official translations* of these, if the originals are not in Finnish, Swedish or English.
Degrees awarded by a higher education institution in Finland:
If you have completed a degree in Finland after 1 January 2003 and you have a Finnish personal identification code, Aalto University will verify your degree electronically using a national database.
If your degree was completed before 1 January 2003, or you do not have a Finnish personal identification code, you are asked to present your original degree certificate (including all the appendices and the Diploma Supplement in European countries) and official transcript of records or certified copies of all these* before a right to study can be granted.
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*Certified copies and translations
Copies of degree certificates and a transcript of records must be certified by the awarding university or by a notary public. 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, the certifying official’s ink stamps and signatures must be original. A note declaring official copy status (such as a “True copy” stamp) is insufficient.
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.
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Giving misleading information during the application process is not in line with good scientific practice. Aalto University is strongly committed to the guidelines of the TENK (https://tenk.fi/en/research-misconduct/responsible-conduct-research-rcr). The actions of applicant which fall under the points 3, 6-8 of these guidelines https://tenk.fi/en/advice-and-materials/RCR-Guidelines-2012 will lead to negative study right decision, even if the applicant is otherwise eligible for the degree programme. Any violation of TENK guidelines will seriously endanger your career prospects at Aalto University.