Aalto Doctoral Programme in Science

The School of Science operates in the following doctoral education networks:

Brain & Mind
CMMP- Network in Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Doctoral Education Network in Systems Analysis, Decision Making and Risk Management
ENNUSTE - Doctoral Education Network in Nuclear Science and Technology
FDNSS - Finnish Doctoral Education Network in Stochastics and Statistics
HICT - Helsinki doctoral education network in information and communications technology
Nordic IoT Hub - Nordic collaboration in Industrial IoT

The Aalto University encourages doctoral degrees that are jointly supervised with an international partner. These agreements are referred to as Cotutelle Agreements. Arrangements for joint supervision are made in terms of the studies and supervision of a single doctoral candidate that will be awarded degrees and the associated certificates from both universities.

Cotutelle agreements are part of the university's aim to achieve and maintain high quality of international standards in research and education. International cooperation is an integral part of the doctoral education of Aalto University, and one method for such cooperation is arrangements for the joint supervision of doctoral degrees. A doctoral candidate may earn a double degree under a joint supervision arrangement between two universities provided that the joint supervision is based on genuine scientific cooperation, bringing added value to the doctoral thesis and enhancing the quality of the research.

Cotutelle agreements should be made at the beginning of the studies but it requires a right to study at the Aalto University before any agreement can be made.

Full-time doctoral studies

Full-time doctoral candidates plan their studies with the aim of completing a doctoral degree within four years of the admission to the doctoral programme. Full-time doctoral students need to have funding allocated to doctoral studies (e.g. project funding, personal grant or funding from employer). Those working outside Aalto University who wish to be full-time doctoral students must provide a document indicating the employers' approval for full-time doctoral studies (working students must be able to dedicate up to 80 % of their working hours).

Application periods 2020

Application periods 2021

Applies also to applicants applying for part-time doctoral studies, with the exception of applicants for part-time doctoral studies in the research field of Industrial Engineering and Management.

Part-time doctoral studies

Part-time doctoral students are those who do not meet the above-mentioned requirements for full-time doctoral students. Their studies are planned in such a way that the time spent on doctoral studies is eight years or less. A part-time doctoral student typically has a main occupation outside the School of Science which occupation does not include scientific research for the doctoral thesis.

Applicants for part-time doctoral studies should discuss whether the research is closely connected with their own work and what opportunities the employer may have for supporting intensive postgraduate studying e.g. alongside work.

Application periods 2020

Applicants applying for a right to pursue part-time doctoral studies in the Doctoral Programme in Science can apply twice a year only, in March and in September. Application period in September has ended on 21 September 2020, and decisions are made in November.

Application periods 2021

Applicants applying for a right to pursue part-time doctoral studies in the Doctoral Programme in Science can apply once a month (please see the application periods above), with the exception of applicants for part-time doctoral studies in the research field of Industrial Engineering and Management.

Applicants to the research field of Industrial Engineering and Management

Applications are invited from full-time applicants to the research field of Industrial Engineering and Management once a month. The application deadlines are identical with those of other research fields in the programme, please see deadlines above.

Application periods 2020: part-time applicants, Industrial Engineering and Management

Applicants applying for a right to pursue part-time doctoral studies in the research field of Industrial Engineering and Management can apply twice a year only, in March and in September. Application period in September has ended on 21 September 2020, and decisions are made in November.

Application periods 2021: part-time applicants, Industrial Engineering and Management

Processing the applications

Only complete applications will be processed. Supplementing the application may have an effect on its processing date. The right to study starts on the day when the admission decisions are made, but the study place is not established until the applicant has accepted the study place offered. The applicant will have 4 weeks time to accept the study place.*

*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 2020. 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 awarded outside Finland

Applicants holding a degree earned abroad are eligible for doctoral studies provided their degree gives them eligibility for corresponding higher education in the awarding country. As a rule, a degree earned abroad is recognized at Aalto University if it includes at least four years of studies, including a dissertation similar to the master’s dissertation, 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 of Science. A precondition for the recognition of European degrees is that the degree be a university degree combination earned in accordance with the Bologna Process principles (3+2 years).

If the applicant’s degree or education differs from the description above, but makes the applicant eligible for doctoral studies in the country that awarded the degree or the institute that provided 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

The potential for successful doctoral studies of applicants with an applicable Finnish master ’s degree awarded by a university of applied sciences will be assessed by the school case by case. If the school deems the applicant with a master's degree in an applicable field as having potential for completing the doctoral degree, the applicant will be assigned a sufficient amount of supplementary studies to allow him or her to start the doctoral studies. The extent of supplementary studies may not, however, exceed 60 ECTS. If the extent of necessary supplementary studies exceeds this maximum, the applicant will be advised to first pursue the master's degree in the university before applying for a right to pursue doctoral studies. When assessing the applicants’ potential for doctoral studies, the School shall take into account that the extent of the master’s degree awarded by a university of applied sciences is 60-90 ECTS, whereas the extent of a university master’s degree is 120 ECTS.

International applicants with a degree corresponding to a Finnish master’s degree awarded by a university of applied sciences are subject to the same rules as those with a Finnish degree.

The professor (i.e. supervising professor) who is in charge of the research field the applicant is applying to is responsible for the academic evaluation of the applicant. The Doctoral Programme Committee will also evaluate the applicant. The doctoral programme may ask the department to evaluate the applicant.

The following is required of the applicant:

1. Adequate knowledge in the research field applied for, gained through, for example, courses in the major or advanced studies within master’s studies.
   • When necessary, the school will set prerequisites for admission to the doctoral programme that may be obtained, for instance, by taking master's -level courses.
2. Sufficient basic knowledge that supports the thesis work and the writing of the thesis.
3. An excellent command of Finnish, Swedish or English. For further details, please see below.

Grade criteria

1. Master’s thesis completed with the minimum grade of 4  /5.
2. Master’s degree (excluding the master’s dissertation, i.e. the weighted average grade of the courses) that is the basis for the doctoral studies completed with an average grade of 3.5 / 5 or higher.
   • Major of the degree that is the basis for the doctoral studies completed with an average grade of 3.0 / 5 or higher, if the master’s degree was earned in accordance with the degree regulations of 1995 or before (when the bachelor’s and master’s degrees were not separated).

The above-mentioned admission criteria may be departed from on the grounds of a well-founded written statement by the supervising professor.

A successful applicant must have an excellent command of Finnish, Swedish, or English. All international applicants applying for doctoral studies must demonstrate their proficiency in English. Applicants are required to include an official language test report to their application.

Accepted language tests in English and their minimum score requirements are (Aalto University Admissions Criteria 2020):

1. IELTS (Academic): 6.5, and 5.5 for Writing;
2. TOEFL:
   • IBT (Internet-based Test): 92, and 22 for the Writing section or
   • PDT (Paper-Delivered Test): Reading 22, Listening 22, and Writing 24
3. C1 Advanced, prev. Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English: A,B or C
4. C2 Proficiency, prev. Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English: A,B,C or Level C1
5. Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE A): 62, and 54 for writing

An English language test is not required in doctoral admissions of applicants who have earned (Aalto University Admissions Criteria 2020):

• a degree taught in Finnish, Swedish or English in a higher education institution in Finland;
• 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;
• an English-medium higher education degree requiring a physical on-site presence at a higher education institution in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States; or,
• have been educated in English (primary and secondary education) in an EU/EEA country or in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, 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 applicant from taking the English test in Finland.

In addition, an English language test is not required in doctoral admissions of applicants to Doctoral Programme in Science who:

• are full-time applicants or applicants already working at the department, and whose supervising professor writes a statement of the applicant´s sufficient language skills in English.

Other selection criteria (academic evaluation):

• contents of the previous degree(s)
• previous study achievements
• the quality and international regard of the applicant’s degree and university
• research potential, previous research experience: work experience in the research sector, conference papers, articles etc.
• appropriateness of the research topic: research orientation on department's focus areas so that the availability of resources for guidance and the supervising professor's genuine scientific interest is met
• research plan: theoretical and practical relevance and novelty of the topic, and feasibility of the plan (quality, methodology etc.)
• effort and resources for doctoral studies: feasibility of the study plan, realistic time available for studying and research during the forthcoming four years
• the university’s resources for guidance in the research area
• other reasons presented by the applicant

If these conditions are not met, but the applicant is otherwise suitable for doctoral studies, the applicant may, if necessary, raise his/her grades or, alternatively, the School of Science may set other prerequisites for entry. The school may accept equivalent attainments completed in other schools as prerequisites on the grounds of a written statement by the supervising professor.

Before submitting the application, each applicant must contact the supervising professor who is responsible for the doctoral studies in the intended research field and is in charge of the supervision of the studies. Applicants should ensure that their expertise and research interests are commensurate with those of the research group that they apply for (and with those of the supervising professor of their studies).

Before the discussion with the professor, it is beneficial to prepare a CV (along with a possible list of publications) and a preliminary research plan. At this point, the applicant’s eligibility and prerequisites for doctoral studies will be verified by the professor. The possible prerequisites for entry will also be discussed.

In addition to the research plan, a study plan, a funding plan and a supervision plan will be discussed with the professor. Please see further information below. Once the application is signed, both the applicant and the supervising professor commit to the arrangements indicated in the application. More information about the rights and responsibilities of the doctoral candidate and the supervising professor.

Application form and its appendices

Only complete applications will be processed. Supplementing the application may delay the processing date.

Electronic application form (Studyinfo.fi)

After reading the instructions and getting all the documents ready, register on the online application system, fill in the application, attach all the required documents and send it.

Required appendices (scanned in pdf form)

1. Curriculum vitae (CV) including a list of publications and an account of other scientific activity (example). Remember to update your CV so that the information included does not conflict with your funding source!
2. Supervision plan
3. Study plan
4. Research plan. The applicant can also make a free-form research plan; note that it must be signed by the applicant and the supervising professor. A research plan includes:

• a preliminary research plan
• a schedule for the research
• possibilities for funding the research work (full-time applicants must have acquired funding for at least six months when applying; plans to apply for funding is not sufficient for a full-time status)
• the aim and impact of the research
• methods and implementation of the scientific plan
• researcher mobility during and after doctoral studies
• a publication plan

The study plan, research plan and supervision plan need to be approved by the applicant and the supervising professor. By signing these documents, the professor responsible for the research field confirms his or her commitment to be the supervising professor of the applicant.

In addition to the appendices above, applicants to the research field of Industrial Engineering and Management are required to obtain:

1. A statement of recommendation from the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management. The Doctoral Programme will ask for the statement on behalf of the applicant. The statement must be a recommendation in order for the applicant to be approved to the programme.

Applicants with a master´s degree or education earned at an institution other than Aalto University (or the forerunners of Aalto University) shall also provide the following documents:

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.
2. Abstract of master's thesis in English
3. Proof of proficiency in Finnish, Swedish or English
   • A successful applicant must have an excellent command of Finnish, Swedish, or English.
   • Please see Required language proficiency
   • If the applicant is working at the department or if the applicant applies for full-time doctoral studies, the supervising professor may write a statement of recommendation that the applicant has sufficient language skills. If the professor writes a statement of recommendation, no language test is required
4. Copy of the identity page of your passport
5. A document confirming eligibility for doctoral studies, if needed (please see Eligibility for doctoral studies) 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 (Päivi Koivunen, Doctoral Programme in Science, 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 (Päivi Koivunen, Doctoral Programme in Science, 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 (Päivi Koivunen, Doctoral Programme in Science, 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.