Aalto Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering

The most talented students may receive funding from their department, or they may fund their studies through projects or grants. Students should discuss funding primarily with their supervising professor. The School of Electrical Engineeing also offers funded positions for doctoral candidates; the call for applications is twice a year. However, the funded positions are not considered as a primary funding source when applying to the Doctoral programme.

Funding for research often consists of a variety of sources and requires continuous writing of applications and proposals, or at least vigorous planning for doing so. Research is based on projects and their funding is of a different sort. There are some foundations and various grants and scholarships administrated by Aalto University that support research and research-related activities.

Internationality is an integral part of the doctoral education in both recruiting and educating doctoral candidates. The school of Electrical Engineering has close contacts to many top universities and research institutes in its field.

Aalto University encourages every doctoral candidate to spend at least a six-months period abroad during their studies.  The doctoral candidate's international mobility is chiefly aimed at the development of research and at international networking. Mobility may be relevant not only for future employment prospects but also for developing international career opportunities.

Aalto University strongly supports doctoral degrees that are jointly supervised with an international partner. These agreements, referred to as ‘Cotutelle Agreements’, are for joint supervision of the doctoral studies and research work of a single doctoral candidate. Such doctoral candidates are awarded degrees and the associated certificates from both universities.

Cotutelle agreement – joint supervision

The aim of the research and education of Aalto University is high international quality, and international cooperation is an integral part of the doctoral education at Aalto. The joint supervision of doctoral thesis is one way of collaborating with international universities. Based on joint supervision agreements, i.e. Cotutelle-agreements, the doctoral candidate may take courses at the partner university and the doctoral thesis will have a supervising professor also at the partner university. The joint supervision has to be based on genuine scientific cooperation, bringing added value to the doctoral thesis and enhancing the quality of the research.

Doctoral candidates are advised to contact their supervising professor and/or advisor to find out which university would be most useful in terms of their education. Professors usually have personal contacts to universities and research institutes abroad and can help to select the most suitable one for each student’s research work. Visiting a foreign university or research institute often means sharing knowledge and know-how, creating new ideas, expanding international networks, and developing one’s professional skills.

Principles for joint supervision of doctoral candidates at Aalto University

The joint supervision of a doctoral candidate may be agreed on with a university, which has similar qualifications of the doctoral education as Aalto University. The partner university has to be officially acknowledged or accredited by authorities of its own country or higher education system. Cotutelle agreements should be made at the beginning of the studies, and written agreements are always made. It is highly recommended to use the cotutelle template of Aalto, which can be modified if needed. Before starting to draft the cotutelle agreement, please discuss this with the Dean of the school, a representative of the doctoral programme and the Head of Department. It is highly recommended to compare the doctoral education processes of both universities, so that the differences are know already at the planning stage and the degree requirements can be reconsolidated in the agreement. The pre-examination process has to be agreed on in detail.

Doctoral education networks offer universities a framework for educational collaboration. The networks organize joint seminars, courses, summer schools and events as well as promote networking and increase peer support among students. Most of the networks are based on former graduate schools (1995-2015), but some new networks have also been established.

The School of Electrical Engineering has committed to participate in the following Doctoral Education Networks in 2018-2021:

1. DELTA - Doctoral training network in Electronics, Telecommunications and Automation
2. HICT - Helsinki doctoral education network in information and communications technology
3. NEE - Doctoral Education Network for Electrical Energy Engineering

Application times 2021

Processing the applications

Each application is processed in the next possible meeting of the Doctoral Programme Committee when all the required materials have been received. Only applications with all the required materials will be processed. Incomplete applications will be rejected, unless the missing materials are sent by the deadline given. The right to pursue a degree will be valid only after the dean has granted the right and the applicant has accepted the offer of admission. The applicant has one month to accept the offer and cannot postpone the start of the right to pursue a degree.*

*Please note:

From 1 August 2016 onwards applicants who have been given an offer of admission may accept only one student place leading to a higher education degree in Finland during one academic term (Universities Act 558/2009). Higher education degrees include bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees awarded by universities as well as degrees from universities of applied sciences.

The academic terms run from 1 August to 31 December and from 1 January to 31 July. The acceptance of a student place is binding and cannot be cancelled. Even if the accepted applicants postpone the commencement of studies or give up their right to study, they cannot accept another study place leading to a higher education degree starting the same academic term.

The general eligibility criteria for higher education are defined in section 37 of the Universities Act (558/2009) and in the Aalto University Admissions Criteria for 2021. Eligible applicants for studies leading to an academic licentiate or doctoral degree in the Doctoral Programme in Science will have completed:

• a relevant master’s degree awarded by a Finnish university;
• a relevant master’s degree awarded by a Finnish university of applied sciences; or
• a relevant study programme abroad which in the awarding country confers eligibility for the corresponding level of higher education.

Policy on the recognition of degrees completed outside Finland

Applicants holding a degree earned abroad are eligible for doctoral studies provided that their degree gives them eligibility for corresponding higher education in the awarding country. As a rule, degrees earned abroad are recognized at Aalto University provided that they have required studies of at least four years, including a thesis similar to the master’s thesis, and that such studies in the view of the school equip the applicant with the skills and knowledge needed to pursue doctoral studies at the school. The precondition for the recognition of European degrees is that the degree is a university degree combination earned in accordance with the Bologna Process principles (3+2 years).

If the degree or education differs from the description above, but makes the applicant eligible for doctoral studies in the country that awarded the degree or gave the education, the applicant must provide a document confirming his/her eligibility for doctoral studies in the country where the education was given.

Policy on the recognition of master’s degrees from Finnish universities of applied sciences

Applicants with a master’s degree in a relevant field earned at a Finnish university of applied sciences are reviewed on a case-by case basis for their aptitude to pursue doctoral studies.

 If the school deems the applicant with a relevant master's degree from a university of applied sciences as having the potential to complete the doctoral degree, the applicant will be assigned sufficient supplementary studies to allow him or her to begin the doctoral/licentiate studies. The scope of the supplementary studies may not, however, exceed 60 ECTS credits. If the scope of the supplementary studies exceeds this maximum, the applicant is advised to complete a master's degree at the university level before applying for a right to pursue the doctoral degree.When assessing the applicants’ potential for doctoral studies, the School shall acknowledge that the extent of the master’s degree from a university of applied sciences in Finland is 60-90 ECTS, whereas the extent of a university master’s degree is 120 ECTS.

Applicants with a degree earned abroad but corresponding to a Finnish master’s degree from a university of applied sciences are subject to the same rules as those with a Finnish degree.

The academic evaluation of the applicant is performed by the professor (i.e. supervising professor) responsible for the research field to which the applicant is applying to. The Doctoral Programme Committee will also evaluate the applicant.

The evaluation of the applicant takes into account the following criteria:

The content of the previous degree(s):

1. Adequate knowledge in the research field applied for, gained through, for example, courses in the major or courses in the advanced studies within the master’s degree
   • When necessary, the School will set prerequisites for admission to the doctoral programme that may be gained, for instance, by taking master-level courses.
2. Sufficient basic knowledge that supports the applicant’s ability to carry out the research work and the writing of the doctoral thesis.

Academic performance (on the scale 1 - 5)

1. The applicant completed the master’s thesis with the minimum grade of 3/5.
2. The applicant completed the master’s degree courses (excluding the master’s thesis), with an average (weighted average) grade of at least 3.0/5.

• OR the applicant completed the courses of the major of the degree (excluding the master’s thesis), with an weighted average grade of at least 3.0/5, if the master’s degree was earned in accordance with the degree regulations of 1995 or earlier (when the bachelor’s and master’s degrees were not separated)

If the grade criteria are not met, but the applicant is otherwise suitable for doctoral studies, the applicant may raise his/her grades or the school set prerequisites for entry. Study attainments completed in other schools may be accepted as prerequisites, on the grounds of the supervising professor’s written statement.

Other evaluation criteria

1. the quality and international regard of the applicant's degree and university
2. the applicant’s potential as a researcher; previous research experience, work experience in the research sector, conference papers, journal articles etc.
3. relevance of the research topic: research orientation with respect to the Department's focus areas so that proficient guidance and the supervising professor's genuine scientific interest is met
4. research plan: theoretical and practical relevance and novelty of the topic, and feasibility of the plan (quality, realism, methodology etc.)
5. time management and resources for doctoral studies: realistic time and resources available to complete the studies in 4 years
6. the supervising resources of the university in the research field
7. other reasons for admission presented by the applicant

Successful applicants must have excellent skills in Finnish, Swedish or English.

Finnish and Swedish proficiency are demonstrated according to ‘Demonstrating proficiency in a national language of Finland’, of the Aalto University Student Admissions Criteria for 2021. English proficiency is demonstrated by a language test, unless the applicant is exempted from the language test, please see below.

Accepted language tests in English and their minimum score requirements for admission to doctoral studies are (Aalto University Admissions Criteria 2021):

1. IELTS
   1. Academic: 6.5 and for writing 5.5
   2. Indicator (Academic): 6.5 and for writing 5.5
2. TOEFL
   1. IBT (Internet-based Test): 92 and for the writing section 22 or
   2. iBT® Special Home Edition: 92 and for the writing section 22
   3. PDT (Paper-delivered Test): reading 22, listening 22 ja writing 24
3. C1 Advanced (prev. Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)): A,B or C
4. C2 Proficiency (prev. Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)): A,B,C or Level C1
5. Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE A): 62 and for writing 54

No other English proficiency tests are accepted. If an applicant has taken several language tests, the best official score that is still valid and received by the doctoral programme by the deadline, will be considered. The applicant cannot combine scores from different test dates (e.g. TOEFL MyBest scores is not accepted).

Submitting the language test

Only official reports of the language test are acceptable as proof of proficiency.

• A copy of the official IELTS score report (PDF-copy) is uploaded in the application system. The test result will be verified by Aalto University from the test provided.
• TOEFL test results must be sent to Aalto University by the test administrator directly. Request your official score report to be sent from the test administrator to Aalto University reporting code 7364. Unofficial score reports sent by applicants will not be accepted. Test scores submitted with the Aalto University reporting code are checked for authenticity in the test administrator’s verification database. The scores are available within 1 to 2 weeks of sending the score report request.
• PTE scores are submitted through the electronic result service. The applicant need to sign in to his/her own PTE-account and send the test result through the electronic certification service to Aalto University. The test provider will inform by e-mail, when the test score has been submitted to the University.
• A copy of the C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency language test score report (PDF-copy) is uploaded in the application system. The ID-number (e.g. ABC123456) and the reference number (e.g. 173YU0034522) need to be mentioned on the application form. The applicant also need to sign in to the language test system and share the scores with Aalto University. The scores will be verified electronically.

Validity of the language test

The language test result has to be valid at least on the day of the Doctoral Programme Committee meeting where the applicant's application is processed.

More information on the language tests can be found on the pages of the test providers:

• IELTS (ielts.org)
• TOEFL (ets.org)
• PTE Academic (pearsonpte.com)
• C1 Advanced (cambridgeesol.org)
• C2 Proficiency (cambridgeesol.org)

An English language test is not required in doctoral admissions of applicants who  (Aalto University Admissions Criteria 2021):

1. earned a degree taught in Finnish, Swedish or English in a higher education institution in Finland.
2. earned a degree in an English-medium programme at a higher education institution in an EU/EEA country. The language of the degree must be stated unambiguously in the degree certificate or its appendix, or in the transcript of records or other official document issued by the awarding higher education institution.
3. earned an English-medium higher education degree in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the United States while residing in that country.
4. received his or her primary and secondary education in English in an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the United States.

A minimum of one half of the degree must be completed in a country and higher education institution that meets the requirements for exempting the student from taking an English test

Only the above-mentioned groups are exempted from the language test requirement; for all other applicants the official English language test result is an obligatory application document and applications without the adequate test result will not be accepted.

1. Before submitting the application the applicant must contact a professor (supervising professor) in charge of the intended research field to discuss starting doctoral studies
2. Read the application instructions carefully and prepare all the needed appendices
3. Register in the online application system (Studyinfo.fi), fill in the application, attach all the required documents and send it.

Application form and its appendices

Application form (Studyinfo.fi)

In the beginning of the application form, please choose the Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering as your study programme ("Add study programme").

Required appendices for all applicants (scanned in pdf form)

1. Curriculum vitae (CV)
   • including a list of publications and proof of other scientific activity. Template for a researcher's CV.
2. Study plan for 40 ECTS courses to be completed.
   • Structure of the doctoral degree
   • Check courses suitable for the Research field module
     • Search for courses. Doctoral courses are marked with a D in the end of the course name
   • Check courses suitable for the Scientific practices and principles module
3. Research plan with an implementation schedule and funding plan. 

4. Funding plan, if the funding plan is not part of the research plan

5. Supervision plan

6. Copy of the identity page of the passport or other official identification that indicates the citizenship of the applicant

The study plan, research plan and supervision plan must be approved and signed by the applicant and the supervising professor. By signing these documents, the professor confirms to be the supervising professor of the applicant.

Applicants with a master’s degree or education earned elsewhere than at Aalto University (or at one of its predecessors) must also provide:

1. Certified copies of the Master’s degree certificate and official transcript
   • Master's degree certificate, including all the appendices and the Diploma Supplement in European countries
   • Official transcripts of records of all the courses included in the master’s degree
   • Official translations of these, if the originals are not in Finnish, Swedish, or English.
   • Please upload these as scanned copies to the electronic application form in Studyinfo. Please submit also the certified hard copies according to the instructions below*. The certified hard copies need to be submitted to the doctoral programme before admission. Please note that certified hard copies will not be returned to the applicant.
2. Abstract of master's thesis in English
3. Proof of proficiency in Finnish, Swedish or English.
4. A document confirming eligibility for doctoral studies, if needed (please see the Eligibility section earlier on this page) with an official translation, if the original document is not in Finnish, Swedish or English

*Degrees awarded by a higher education institution outside Finland:

1. Send certified hard copies of the required degree documents including official translations (listed above) to our office (Suvi Katajamäki, Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering, PO BOX 15500, 00076 AALTO)
2. Please note that the required degree documents including official translations need to be submitted according to the country-specific document requirements, if the Master’s degree is completed in: Australia, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Canada, China, Eritrea, Ethiopia, 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, and send the documents to the doctoral programme by mail (Suvi Katajamäki, Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering, PO BOX 15500, 00076 AALTO) or by e-mail ([email protected]), if the documents need to be submitted electronically. Please DO NOT send the documents to the Admission Services as instructed in the country specific requirements webpage.

*Degrees awarded by a higher education institution in Finland:

1. 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.
2. If your degree was completed before 1 January 2003, or you do not have a Finnish personal identification code, send certified hard copies of the required degree documents (listed above) to our office (Suvi Katajamäki, Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering, PO BOX 15500, 00076 AALTO).

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.