Doctoral education pilot
We are hiring 178 new doctoral researchers - get your doctorate from Aalto
The research at our school focuses on advanced energy solutions, condensed matter and materials physics; creation and transformation of technology based business; data science and artificial intelligence; health technology; neuroscience; and software engineering.
Through our internationally-acclaimed high-level research we aim to make a significant impact on society.
We are hiring 178 new doctoral researchers - get your doctorate from Aalto
Dr. Cichonska has received two awards for her dissertation and now she helps develop preventive medicine using data science
Overconfident AI systems can be dangerous, so researchers are teaching them humility
Note: Before applying for the salaried positions and/or contacting the potential supervising professor(s), please check below the requirements and qualifications needed for applying for the study right in our doctoral programme.
Research activities at the departments are arranged under research groups. If your research interest aligns with one of the research groups, it will be easier to find a doctoral study place.
Find research groups under our Department pagesResearch fields and supervising professors in the School of ScienceIn addition to the departments' and research groups' pages, you can use Aalto University's research portal for finding the professors who are researching the area in which you want to do your doctoral research. Before applying for doctoral studies you should be aware of the research done and researchers working in the field of your interest.
Aalto University's research portal for finding our researchers and research projects
More information on discovering your research topic and finding a professor
Doctoral students will be equipped with the professional skills and knowledge required for demanding academic research and teaching positions. They will be trained for management, research and development, and other specialist positions of the information society.
The departments, which are in charge of the doctoral programme’s education and research at the School of Science, offer research fields that are based on strong research traditions and research at the highest international level. The School of Science is also very active in various national and international doctoral education networks.
Doctoral education at the School of Science is based on vigorous basic research, forming a strong basis for teaching as well as development and innovation activities. The most important part of the education is the research work, which is conducted in a robust and dynamic research environment. The theoretical studies that support the research work are tailored individually to suit the different needs of each doctoral student. The theses of the School of Science are of very high quality and often contain articles published in international peer-review journals. Full-time doctoral students can complete the doctoral degree in four years.
The Doctor of Science (Technology) degree consists of
All doctoral students are defined as either full-time or part-time students. Doctoral students may not change their study mode by themselves, but it can be changed by application if necessary.
Full-time doctoral students plan their studies with the view to allowing the doctorate to be earned within four years of the right to pursue a doctoral degree being granted. Those applying for a full-time right to pursue a doctoral degree must have funding secured for at least 6 months (e.g. from the employer, or through project funding or a grant). Students employed outside Aalto University must append in their application a certificate issued by the employer proving their possibility to pursue full-time studies (i.e. a minimum of 80% of working hours may be used towards doctoral studies).
Those who do not meet the above criteria for full-time doctoral students are regarded as part-time doctoral students. This category includes, for instance, doctoral students who have a main occupation elsewhere than at the School of Science. Part-time doctoral students plan their studies so as to allow the doctoral degree to be completed in a maximum of eight years.
It is advisable to have a discussion with the part-time students on whether their research is closely connected to their work, and how their employer can support intensive doctoral studies alongside work.
The language of instruction is, in principle, English, but the doctoral thesis can also be completed in Finnish or Swedish.
The applicants will define in their application in which language they will pursue the degree. The possible languages are Finnish, Swedish, or English. If doctoral students want to write their doctoral thesis in Finnish or in Swedish, the language of the degree will be Finnish or Swedish. If the doctoral thesis is written in English, doctoral students can choose English as the language of the degree that must be approved by the doctoral programme committee. The language of degree can, on reasonable grounds, be changed at a later stage if the language of the doctoral thesis changes.
The most common ways to fund doctoral studies are
Most Aalto doctoral students combine different funding sources during their studies.
How to find and apply for funding for doctoral studies and research?Generally Aalto University does not offer scholarships for doctoral studies. However, there is an on-going scholarship scheme until 2024 for students from African and South American countries: Finland Fellowship.
During the academic year 2024-2025, the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture is funding 178 new doctoral researcher positions at Aalto University through a doctoral education pilot.
Doctoral education pilot: 178 doctoral researchers' salaried positions
Aalto University doctoral studies are free of tuition fees. Aalto University does not charge fees for enrollment to the University. Doctoral students are welcome to join the Aalto University Student Union. The membership of the Student Union is subject to an annual fee.
If you need a residence permit for research in Finland, please see more information about income requirement at the Finnish Immigration Services.
Internationality is an integral part of the school’s doctoral education in both recruiting and educating doctoral students. The School of Science is well connected to a number of top-level international universities and research institutes in its field.
Aalto University encourages its doctoral students to spend at least six months of their study time abroad, as international mobility enhances doctoral students’ career opportunities . 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.
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 student 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 student 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.
The doctoral education networks collaborate through seminars, courses, summer schools and events as well as promoting networking, and increasing peer support among doctoral students.
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
Career opportunities and employability for Aalto doctoral students
Stages of doctoral studies | Corresponding information |
---|---|
Start (1st year doctoral student) | |
During (1st-3rd year doctoral student) | |
End (4th year doctoral student) |
The Doctoral Programme in Science invites applications continuously (applications will not be processed in July). The more exact application times can be found below.
Before submitting the application, each applicant must contact a supervising professor who is responsible in their intended research field to doctoral studies and the supervision of the studies. Applicants are urged to ensure that their expertise and research interests are commensurate with the research group (and those of the supervising professor of their studies) that they apply to.
Applies to all applicants, with the exception of applicants for part-time doctoral studies in the research field of Industrial Engineering and Management.
2024
Deadline for applications | Admission decisions are made |
---|---|
11.1.2024 | 25.1.2024 |
30.1.2024 | 15.2.2024 |
7.3.2024 | 21.3.2024 |
11.4.2024 | 25.4.2024 |
7.5.2024 | 23.5.2024 |
4.6.2024 | 20.6.2024 |
8.8.2024 | 22.8.2024 |
12.9.2024 | 26.9.2024 |
3.10.2024 | 24.10.2024 |
29.10.2024 | 14.11.2024 |
5.12.2024 | 19.12.2024 |
Applicants to the research field of Industrial Engineering and Management
Application periods 2024: part-time applicants, Industrial Engineering and Management
Application period | Admission decisions are made |
---|---|
18.3.–11.4.2024 | 23.5.2024 |
21.8.–12.9.2024 | 24.10.2024 |
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 two weeks 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 the Universities Act (558/2009, section 37) and in the Aalto University Student Admissions Criteria for 2023.
Eligible applicants for studies leading to a doctoral degree from the Doctoral Programme in Science will have completed:
The university may require a student admitted to study towards an academic or artistic licentiate or doctoral degree to complete supplementary studies in order to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for the study programme.
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 general rule, the grounds for Aalto’s recognition of degrees earned abroad is that the normative time to attaining them is at least four years, which includes a master’s thesis or the equivalent, and that such studies in the view of the school equip the student with the skills and knowledge needed to pursue doctoral studies at the school. The general policy on the recognition of a European degree as the basis for doctoral degree studies is that it be a higher-education degree combination (3+2 years) earned in accordance with the Bologna Process principles.
Eligibility on the grounds of higher-education degrees with a structure differing from the abovementioned are considered on a case-by-case basis. In such cases, attention will focus particularly on how well the degree has prepared the applicant to pursue doctoral studies.
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 students’ potential for successful doctoral studies and determining their need for supplementary studies, the school will consider the scope of master’s degrees at the student’s university of applied sciences (in Finland, such degrees are of 60–90 cr, less than the 120-credit scope of master’s degrees at Finnish universities such as Aalto).
Applicants with a prior degree earned abroad and corresponding to a relevant Finnish master’s degree from a university of applied sciences are treated equally to those with master’s degree from a Finnish university of applied sciences.
The academic evaluation of the applicant is performed by the supervising professor in charge of the research field sought by the applicant. The Doctoral Programme Committee also evaluates the applicants. In addition, all applicants to the field of industrial engineering and management are evaluated by the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management.
The evaluation of applicants takes into account the following criteria:
Contents of the previous degree(s):
The School of Science may set prerequisite studies for the applicant to complete by e.g. taking master’s level courses.
Academic performance:
Exceptions to the grade limits mentioned above may be made only for special reasons set forth in a well-founded written statement by the supervising professor. In such cases, the Doctoral Programme will request a statement from the supervising professor.
Other evaluation criteria:
Applicant evaluations for the research field of industrial engineering and management:
The Department of Industrial Engineering and Management and the supervising professor are responsible for evaluating applicants to the research field of industrial engineering and management. The Doctoral Programme will request an evaluation statement from the department. Preference will be given to applicants who have shown outstanding academic performance and are otherwise strongly qualified for doctoral studies in the department.
Successful applicants will have excellent skills in Finnish, Swedish, or English. The applicant chooses the language(s) of instruction that he/she will use for demonstrating proficiency.
Proficiency in a national language of Finland is demonstrated in accordance with the ‘General recommendations for admissions criteria for Finnish universities’.
Proficiency in English may be demonstrated in one of the following ways:
In points 1–3 of the above list, a minimum of one half of the aforementioned degree must be completed in a country and higher education institution that meets the requirements for exempting the student from taking an English test. 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 institution. If the degree was completed in more than one language, the appendix must clearly indicate the amount of studies that were completed in English.
In points 1 – 2 of the above list, a university degree showing language proficiency must be at least three years' lower university degree, at least one year's higher university degree or doctorate. The university must be a recognised part of the country's official national education system. The university must be found on the country's official list of recognised universities with a right to degree-granting or on a list of recognised universities maintained by an international organisation (e.g., UNESCO).
The university must be recognised in the country of point 1 or 2.
The recognized English language tests and their minimum scores required for admission to doctoral studies are (Aalto University Admissions Criteria 2022):
In addition, at the School of Science, an English language test is not required in doctoral admissions of applicants who have:
Submission of English test result:
Only official reports of the language test are acceptable as proof of proficiency.
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:
Please submit the following appendices in Studyinfo.fi when using the Electronic application form.
In the application form, please choose Doctoral Programme in Science as a study programme ("Add study programme").
The study plan, research plan, supervision plan and funding plan must all be approved and signed by both the applicant and the supervising professor. Upon his or her signature of the documents, the professor in charge of the research field agrees to act as the supervising professor of the applicant.
After reading the instructions and getting all the documents ready, fill in the application, attach all the required documents (and the additional appendices required for those with master's degree elsewhere than at Aalto University) and send it.
Include a list of publications and proof of other scientific activity. Template for a researcher's CV.
A preliminary Study plan (credit plan) for the theoretical studies of the degree, 30 ECTS. You and your supervising professor have to sign this document.
See the Curriculum of the Doctoral Programme in Science for instructions.
Research plan with an implementation schedule.
Funding plan is a free format document including the following information:
The source, the amount and the start and end dates of secured funding, More information on funding your doctoral studies (aalto.fi)
Carefully read the guidelines, which give detailed information about the mutual duties and responsibilities of the supervising professor, thesis advisors and doctoral student, before filling in the responsibilities to the Supervision plan template.
At SCI a deputy supervising professor has to be assigned always. The deputy professor has to be a tenure-track professor of the school.
Copy of the identity page of the passport or other official identification that indicates the citizenship of the applicant.
Note, if your degree is from Aalto University, you can submit only the official transcript of records.
Please upload these as scanned copies to the electronic application form in Studyinfo. Depending on the situation and your choices in the form, you may need to upload these documents twice. This is because of the structure of the form.
Please submit also the certified hard copies /verified degree documents according to the instructions described below. Submit the certified copies/verification documents to the doctoral programme before admission. Please note that certified hard copies will not be returned to you. In case your master's degree is from Aalto University (or any of its preceders), or from another University in Finland (degree completed after 2003) and you have a Finnish personal identification code, the certified copies are not required.
In the application form, you choose how you demonstrate the language proficiency. Depending on your master's degree origin, you demonstrate the language proficiency either by your master's degree certificate and transcripts, or by an English-language test. See the details about different options in Language proficiency section above.
Pay attention that the degree language is mentioned in your degree documents (in options 2-3 of demonstrating the language proficiency). Please contact [email protected], if you have questions regarding your language proficiency.
Submitting the English-language test result (in option 6)
Only official reports of the language test are acceptable as proof of proficiency.
In addition, at the School of Science, an English language test is not required in doctoral admissions of applicants who have:
Applicants with a master’s degree or education earned elsewhere than at Aalto University (or at one of its predecessors) must also provide the following documents:
Please submit the abstract of your master’s thesis in English, so that we know what your master’s thesis was about.
If needed, submit a document confirming eligibility for doctoral studies in the country that awarded the the degree or gave the education (see section Eligibility) and a certified translation of it, if the original document is not in Finnish, Swedish or English. You can attach the document in Studyinfo or send it via email to [email protected].
You may also need to submit a certificate from the university proving the degree language, if the information is not available in other official degree documents. In this case, please use the same procedure as described above.
Please, send the certified hard copies / verified degree documents of the required degree documents including official translations (listed above) also by postal mail to our office (Antti Susiluoto, Doctoral Programme in Science, P O BOX 15500, 00076 AALTO) by the application deadline. Please note that certified hard copies will not be returned to you.
Country specific instructions:
Applicants who have completed their master's degree 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:
Please note that the required degree documents including official translations need to be submitted according to the country-specific document requirements. Read the requirements on Country-specific requirements, and send the documents to the doctoral programme as required in the "Country specific requirements". If the documents need to be sent by postal mail, the address is: Antti Susiluoto, Doctoral Programme in Science, P O BOX 15500, 00076 AALTO. If you use courier services, please send the documents to this address: Antti Susiluoto, Doctoral Programme in Science, Maarintie 8, 02150 Espoo, Finland. If the documents can be submitted electronically (they can be verified in an electronic system), send them by e-mail to [email protected]. You can also visit our office at Maarintie 8:
Please DO NOT send the documents to the Admission Services as instructed in the country specific requirements webpage.
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, thecertifying 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.
If you have any questions about admissions and application instructions, you can contact [email protected]
In case of programme-specific questions and inquiries, you may also contact the Learning Services of the Doctoral Programme in Science.
Our main research areas are algebra and discrete mathematics, analysis, applied mathematics and mechanics, stochastics and statistics, and systems analysis and operations research.
We are an internationally-oriented community and home to world-class research in modern computer science.
We conduct world-class research and education focusing on the creation and transformation of technology-based business.
We study system-level dynamic functions of the human brain, mind and body.
The Department of Applied Physics pursues vigorous research in physical sciences and creates important industrial applications.