On 11 June 2024 Aalto University Academic Affairs Committee, AAC, decided to reduce the number of credits required for a doctoral degree from 40 to 30 ECTS.

If you decide to transfer to the new 30 ECTS degree structure, please note the following about:

Compulsory courses 

You will need to complete the compulsory courses according to the new curriculum. The revised curricula 2024-2026 will be published in the Student Guide pages of the doctoral programmes as soon as possible. 

Doctoral curriculaThe course LC-L1000 Research Ethics for Doctoral Students is obligatory for doctoral students in the new 30 ECTS structure. It can be substituted with the previous course LC-L1010 Research Ethics for Doctoral Students. Instructions for substituting the course in your credit plan in Sisu.

Research field

You might have to change your research field when you transfer to the 30 ECTS structure. The older research fields are not necessarily available for the new structure (this applies to CHEM, ELEC, ENG and SCI). In that case, apply for the change of research field as well as for the transfer. 

You can see your current research field in Sisu under “MyProfile”. The research fields available for the 30 ECTS structure can be checked from the list of supervising professors and research fields, and you will also find them in the credit plan under Research field studies, once you begin to draft a 30 ECTS version (choose curriculum period 2024-2025, available at the latest during September 2024).

If you have any questions regarding the change of research field, please contact the Doctoral education services of your doctoral programme.

How to transfer?

(instructions updated on 23.8.2024)

1. Prepare a new credit plan according to the 30 ECTS degree structure
   A) In Sisu: Create a new study plan. Choose "All educations" and search for the 30 ECTS version of your doctoral programme. Choose the curriculum period 2024-2025 for your new plan (Full Sisu-instructions for doctoral students) OR
   B) PDF form: In some cases you might not be able to include all your completed courses in your new study plan in Sisu before you have been transferred. In that case you can use this PDF form for your application. Please remember to make a new study plan in Sisu after your transfer has been confirmed by your Doctoral programme.
   
   See above for more information on choosing the right research field under Research field studies. Note that you might have to prepare an application to change your research field as well. If that is the case, please prepare the credit plan according to your new research field. 
2. Ask your supervising professor to confirm your credit plan (screen shot from Sisu / PDF) and if needed, your application to change your research field (confirmation by email is enough).
3. Send the confirmed credit plan (and the change of research field form, if relevant) by email to the Doctoral education services (DES) of your doctoral programmefor the confirmation process of your transfer. Please cc your supervising professor. If you are close to pre-examination phase, please mention that in your email. You will be informed of the decision and DES will make the necessary changes to your study right in Sisu.
4. In addition, follow the normal confirmation process for the Doctoral personal study plan (DPSP). (In CHEM, follow the schedule of your advisory group).

If you have any questions regarding the transfer to the 30 ECTS degree structure, please contact the Doctoral education services of your doctoral programme.