Doctoral education pilot
We are hiring 178 new doctoral researchers - get your doctorate from Aalto
We are hiring 178 new doctoral researchers - get your doctorate from Aalto
As a doctoral student, you are part of an international academic community. The doctoral research and studies develop you into an expert of your research topic and build your professional capacity.
Our research focuses on seven key areas combining four core competences in the fields of ICT, materials, arts, design and business together with three grand challenges related to energy, living environment, and health.
Each doctoral programme has their own processes, schedules, requirements and instructions for their applicants.
Aalto Doctoral Programme in Arts, Design and Architecture (ARTS)
Aalto Doctoral Programme in Business, Economics and Finance (BIZ)
Aalto Doctoral Programme in Chemical Engineering (CHEM)
Aalto Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering (ELEC)
Aalto Doctoral Programme in Engineering (ENG)
Aalto Doctoral Programme in Science (SCI)
After reading the application instructions you may contact the Doctoral education services of the Doctoral programme you are interested in for more information.
Doctoral programmes | Application periods | Admission decision and start of studies |
---|---|---|
Aalto Doctoral Programme in Arts, Design and Architecture (ARTS) | Feb-March annually, 2nd phase in April-May | Admission results in June, start of studies in Aug/Sep |
Aalto Doctoral Programme in Business, Economics and Finance (BIZ) | Dec-Jan annually | Admission results in Feb, start of studies in Aug/Sep |
Aalto Doctoral Programme in Chemical Engineering (CHEM) | 4 times a year in 2024: Jan, June, Sep, Dec |
within two months |
Aalto Doctoral Programme in Elecrical Engineering (ELEC) | continuous | within a month (excluding July) |
Aalto Doctoral Programme in Engineering (ENG) | Twice a year In 2024 four times a year: March, June, Sep, Dec |
within two months |
Aalto Doctoral Programme in Science (SCI) | continuous | within a month (excluding July) |
Schools can decide about additional application periods if necessary.
Salaried doctoral researcher positions are applied for separately from the admission process to the doctoral programme. If you get accepted to a salaried position first, do note that you will need to separately apply for the study right in a doctoral programme to be able to complete the doctoral degree.
When salaried doctoral researcher positions are open, they are advertised at Aalto University Open positions. Any questions regarding the advertised salaried positions should be directed to the professors and HR personnel only, not to admission services or Doctoral education services.
Graduate survey 2022Aalto has a great community and infrastructure to conduct research.
The general eligibility criteria are fulfilled if the application includes
Application fulfilling the general eligibility criteria are evaluated based on the academic evaluation criteria of the doctoral programme.
To be eligible to apply in doctoral admissions, you must have a relevant Master’s degree or equivalent.
Generally an acceptable master’s degree has been carried out in accordance with the principles of the Bologna Process (3+2 years). As a rule, a higher education degree (or degree combination) earned abroad in a country that does not follow the Bologna Process should include a minimum of 4 years of studies and a master’s thesis.
The degree as a basis for doctoral studies needs to provide the student with an adequate knowledge and skills needed for doctoral studies in the programme chosen. The university may require a student admitted to complete the necessary supplementary studies in order to meet this requirement.
Read more about eligibility in the application instructions of the doctoral programme you are interested in.
The academic evaluation of the applicant is based on school-specific scientific considerations, the schools’ strategic focus areas, and the applicant’s individual educational potential. Examples of evaluation criteria include: earlier academic performance, capacity to conduct research, the applicant’s possibility to complete studies within the target time, the relevancy of the research, the applicant’s possibility to receive supervision, and the applicant’s study motivation.
Aalto University's doctoral programme are taught in English, Finnish and Swedish (Doctoral programme in Business, Economics and Finance is taught in English and in some majors in Finnish).
To be eligible to apply, applicants are required to be proficient in one of the languages of the programme, and demonstrate their proficiency by passing a language test, when necessary. The language test scores must meet the minimum requirements set by Aalto University.
You must demonstrate your proficiency with an official language test, unless you are exempt from the language test requirement.
Aalto University accepts also TOEFL iBT® Home Edition test and IELTS Indicator (Academic) tests.
No language tests other than those mentioned above are accepted.
Please see more detailed instructions in the application instructions of the doctoral programme you are interested in.
An English language test is not required if:
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 language test. Make sure to note this requirement if your degree includes many transfer credits or if it is a double or joint degree.
Please see more detailed instructions in the application instructions of the doctoral programme you are interested in.
Some of our doctoral programmes allow other exemptions to the list of examptions, please see the application instructions of Doctoral programme in Engineering and Doctoral programme in Science for more information.
In the admission 2024 you can prove your proficiency in Finnish or Swedish in the following ways:
You can demonstrate proficiency in Finnish or Swedish with a higher education degree or studies, if you have completed one of the following:
You can demonstrate Finnish/Swedish proficiency with basic education or upper secondary school education, if you have one of the following:
You can demonstrate language proficiency with any of the following studies (without having completed the whole matriculation examination):
You can demonstrate your Finnish/Swedish skills without having completed the whole matriculation examination, if you have one of the following:
International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma with one of the following:
European Baccalaureate (EB) diploma with one of the following:
Reifeprüfung (RP) or Deutsche Internationale Abitur (DIA) diploma with one of the following:
You can demonstrate Finnish/Swedish proficiency with one of the following language tests:
Please see more detailed instructions in the application instructions of the doctoral programme you are interested in.
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, read more below.
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. Read more about the membership for doctoral students.
If you need a residence permit for research in Finland, please see more information about income requirement at the Finnish Immigration Services.
Aalto University awards Finland Fellowships to doctoral students as part of a national scholarship programme funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The programme runs from 2022 to 2024. Applicants from Africa, Central or South America can apply for the fellowship.
Finland Fellowship is awarded to those applicants from Africa, Central or South America who rank best according to academic criteria in the admissions process at Aalto. Applicants for Finland Fellowships must be citizens of a country in Africa, Central America or South America. Applicants with dual citizenship in Finland and one of the target nations may receive a Finland Fellowship only if their domicile is not Finland.
Some of the terms of the fellowships to be granted have been changed. The amount of the fellowship per person is €2800/month for 12 months in addition to a €2000 arrival grant for moving expenses. Aalto scheme covers altogether 10 doctoral students annually. Each School has a quota (ARTS 1 student, BIZ 1 student, CHEM 1 student, ELEC 2 students, ENG 2 students and SCI 3 students), but in case there are not enough eligible applicants in some school, the funds will be used for applicants from other schools, if possible.
Finland Fellowships are paid in accordance with Aalto University Human Resources processes to Finnish bank accounts. Students who are absent for reasons permissible by law during the first year, who are prevented from beginning studies in Finland due to force majeure circumstances, or who already have funding for the next two years, may postpone their Finland Fellowship for a maximum of two academic years.
Students apply for Finland Fellowships when applying for doctoral studies at Aalto. Finland Fellowships are awarded only by application. Decisions on Finland Fellowships are made only for those students who have applied for them. The dean decides on the recipients of the fellowship. During 2024, fellowship decisions can be made throughout the year, on first come, first served -basis.
By signing the employment contract, students confirm their acceptance of a Finland Fellowship with its monthly pay and its arrival grant. Students may also choose to decline a Finland Fellowship. This situation may arise for students who have funding from an external sponsor, for example. In such cases, the student declares to Doctoral Education Services in writing that he/she is declining the Finland Fellowship.
If you don't know which doctoral progamme is relevant for your, read more about discovering your research topic and finding a professor.
If you have questions about applying for the study right in one of your doctoral programmes, please contact our Doctoral education services staff. Before contacting us, please read through the instructions for applicants.
We support doctoral students, supervising professors, thesis advisors and doctoral programme directors in matters related to doctoral studies.