EIT Digital Master School's information material about internship & Master's thesis is available in the EIT Digital Student Portal. EIT Digital Guidelines on choosing your Final Degree Project can also be found below as an attachment (you need to be logged in). Please read the guidelines carefully and note especially that according to the guidelines:

• Your internship shall be carried out at a non-university entity such as a company, research institute, incubator, or other non-university organisation.
• An internship cannot be carried out at a start-up company founded by yourself.
• The internship should be carried out within the European Union or in countries officially
  associated with the EU educational and research projects and with a European
  company/organization.
• The Internship duration is minimum 10 weeks full-time.
• EIT Digital collects The Proof of Internship from students, which is evaluated as part of the eligibility check for the Graduation Ceremony. It is also one of the criteria to be met in order to receive the EIT Label certificate.

Students need to be very proactive in searching for thesis positions. We try to help and support you, but in the end, it is student's own responsibility to find a thesis position. Here are some tips:

• Look for EIT Digital tips for securing your internship under the tab Internship and Masters Thesis in the online portal. EIT Digital also updates a list of open positions offered by EIT Digital partners.
• Sign up to JobTeaser for positions and career events.
• Attend all the upcoming Career fairs, Talent Expo, Summer Job Day etc.
• Check open positions also from workinfinland.com and duunitori.fi.
• Use LinkedIn to look for companies & open positions and contact interesting companies directly.
• Ask your mentors for advice and attend all the mentoring events.
• Read the Job search guide or book a job search advising session with coaches and get advice on your job search process. 
• Check the previous master’s theses done at Aalto in Aalto’s publication archive Aaltodoc.

It is necessary to draft a written contract for master's thesis, when an organization outside Aalto University is involved. 

• The contract helps you become familiar with the issues you should agree with the organization for which you write your master's thesis.
• The contract is signed by the student and the organization. The university is not involved, and you do not need to return the contract to Aalto University.
• The agreement about the master's thesis between the student and the university (supervisor) is the confirmation of master's thesis topic.

• The master’s thesis is a public document by law in Finland. All Aalto University graduates must publish their thesis in Aalto University archive. 
• Entry students must make sure that the thesis you submit to your exit university does not contain any confidential material, because the same exact thesis will later be published in the Aalto University archive. The material of the thesis must be chosen so that it does not include any information that could be classified as a business secret.
• A master’s thesis being a public document means that it is accessible through a closed Aalto campus network or can be sent out in electronic format upon request. The so-called metadata (i.e. name of author, title of thesis, name of thesis supervisor and advisor, keywords) of each thesis is published in the Aaltodoc database at https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi. In addition to this, all approved theses are archived in the Aaltodoc publication archives. Full versions of the electronically archived theses can be accessed on certain computers at the Learning Center.
• With the student's permission, the thesis abstract and/or full text can be published on the internet. We strongly recommend entry students not to give permission to publish them, but only the metadata. The options for different permissions are provided on the online application form for Evaluation and Approval of Master’s thesis. However, the student should keep in mind that the thesis is always a public document from the date of the committee meeting where it has been approved, and accessible soon after approval in the Learning Center as mentioned above. 
• A patent application claiming priority to any results reported in the thesis must be filed before the date of that committee meeting.
• The PDF/A file of the thesis cannot be corrected or changed after the approved thesis has arrived in Aaltodoc. Consultation with the legal counsel of the Aalto University has contributed to this practice. However, the metadata of the thesis will be corrected according to the author’s wishes also after it has arrived in Aaltodoc.

Codes of majors and Programme Coordinators / Head of Majors for ICT Innovation

The supervisor is a faculty representative who ensures that the thesis meets all goals and requirements set by the university, and eventually, evaluates your thesis. 

Aalto entry students have two supervisors:

1. The supervisor from Aalto University is your programme coordinator / head of major (= supervisor in MyStudies). They will not be involved in the actual instruction or evaluation, but ensures that the thesis meets Aalto's requirements, and translates the thesis grade following the grade scaling table of EIT Digital Master School cooperation agreement. Please note that the exit university is responsible for the supervision and evaluation of the thesis, even if the student is physically located in Finland. 
2. The exit university supervisor (=1st Advisor in MyStudies)will be responsible for the instruction and evaluation, according to the guidelines of your exit university. This person must be a professor at your exit university. At KTH this is the examiner and your KTH supervisor should be marked as the 2nd Advisor in MyStudies.

The thesis advisor(s) An advisoris usually from the company for which the thesis is written, and should hold at least a master’s degree. The advisor is an expert in the field of the thesis and can give advice on the content and writing of a thesis. This person does not have a role in the approval process at Aalto University. The supervisor for Aalto exit students can also be your advisor. 

Neither the supervisor nor the advisor may be a relative of the student or biased in any other way.

Aalto entry students follow the schedule and process of their exit university, but you must still follow the administrative steps of Aalto, as instructed below. The steps required at Aalto will take place after the equivalent step has been completed at the exit university.

1. Apply for topic confirmation in MyStudies after your exit university has approved your topic.
2. Ask your exit university to upload your transcript (incl. 30 ECTS) in the Master School portal.
3. Check that your personal study plan (HOPS) in Sisu is up-to-date and approved.
4. Give a thesis presentation at your exit university and ask your supervisor to notify us of passed presentation at [email protected].
5. Ask your exit university to upload your final transcript (incl. thesis grade) in the Master School portal after your thesis has been registered at the exit university. 
6. Submit your final thesis in MyStudies. 
7. Send the following documents to your Aalto supervisor and [email protected]:
   • exit transcript (incl. thesis grade)
   • evaluation statement or other additional documents on thesis.
8. Submit a request for graduation in Sisu. You can do this at the same time as you submit your thesis. See graduation instruction.

Good to know about the process

• The master’s thesis is a public document by law in Finland. All Aalto University graduates must publish their thesis in Aalto University archive. Make sure that the thesis you submit to your exit university does not contain any confidential material, because the same exact thesis will later be published in the Aalto University archive.
• The thesis is evaluated by the exit university. The grade proposal will then be taken to the Degree Programme Committee at Aalto University for approval (cohorts 2018 onwards), according to the lighter evaluation process. If your study right began in 2017 or earlier, please contact the planning officer of the programme.
• Grades are translated and transferred according to the scaling table (available here) agreed in EIT Digital Master School cooperation agreements. Note that you cannot graduate from Aalto before we have received your complete official transcript of your exit university.
• Approval and grading of thesis and graduation are two separate processes applied for in different systems, but application deadlines are the same.
• The academic year at Aalto University is 1 August – 31 July. If you aim to graduate in July, consider the holiday seasons of the universities (e.g. Finland and Sweden are "closed" in July, Italy and Spain in August).
• If you graduate from Aalto after 31 July, you will be transferred to Aalto University’s local tuition fee and scholarship scheme. Aalto has no tuition fees for EU/EEA nationals. All non-EU/EEA students are encouraged to apply for a tuition fee waiver for the 5th semester of studies.
• If you need to extend your Finnish residence permit, the topic confirmation form should be submitted at the latest by the time you apply for the tuition fee waiver for the 5th semester. The application is sufficient, the topic does not have to be approved yet.
• Article format thesis of approximately 10 pages is not accepted in Aalto University.
• School of Science students who finish 60 ECTS credits and complete their degree during the academic year (by 31 July) are eligible for the Dean’s incentive scholarship of 500 EUR (subject to annual decision).

The purpose of this step is to confirm that a professor at your exit university has agreed to be your supervisor, and your thesis topic has been approved according to the regular approval procedure of your exit university.

1. Follow the instructions of your exit university for finding a thesis topic, internship, and a supervising professor (sometimes called an examiner). 
2. Apply for thesis topic confirmation, supervisors, and advisor(s) at Aalto via MyStudies after your topic is registered at your exit university. Note the following: 
   • You must be enrolled as attending at Aalto when applying for topic confirmation.
   • Your personal study plan (HOPS) must be up-to-date and approved in Sisu.
3. The thesis topic should be word for word as it has been approved by your exit university. The final title of the thesis can differ from the approved topic if the subject matter is the same (i.e., you have not restarted your thesis from scratch with a different topic and data).
4. Name your supervisors and advisors on MyStudies form. Your programme coordinator will act as your Aalto supervisor. Please note that there might be diffences in terminology between universities. 
   1. The supervisor is a faculty representative who ensures that the thesis meets all goals and requirements set by the university, and eventually, evaluates your thesis. You will have two supervisors; one from your exit university, and co-supervisor from Aalto. They are named in MyStudies as following:
      • Supervisor = Aalto supervisor (Programme Coordinator / Head of Major, co-supervisor)
      • 1st Advisor = Exit supervisor (responsible for the instruction and evaluation of thesis, at KTH this is the examiner)
   2. The thesis advisor(s) =2nd Advisor on the MyStudies form. An advisor  is usually from the company for which the thesis is written, and should hold at least a master’s degree. The advisor is an expert in the field of the thesis and can give advice on the content and writing of a thesis. This person does not have a role in the approval process at Aalto University.
      • KTH students: KTH supervisor = 2nd Advisor
5. Additional information = In this field, please write "Aalto entry student".
6. Your Aalto supervisor approves your application within 4 weeks (note that holidays may extend the processing times). 
7. You need to reapply for topic confirmation, if you start a new thesis with a different topic or your supervisor changes. In both cases, contact [email protected]. 

1. You must be enrolled as attending at Aalto.
2. Your personal study plan (HOPS) shold be up-to-date and approved in Sisu.
3. Aalto students are required to give a presentation before submitting the thesis. 
   • If your exit university requires a thesis defense or presentation, Aalto can recognize this for the thesis presentation requirement. You do not have to give a separate presentation to your Aalto supervisor. If possible, you can invite your Aalto supervisor to follow the presentation. 
   • As proof of the given presentation, ask your supervisor at exit university to notify your Aalto supervisor and [email protected] by the deadline of your thesis submission. Have them include your name, the name of the exit university, and the date of presentation to the email.
   • If your exit university does not have a requirement for a presentation, please arrange a meeting to give a presentation to your Aalto supervisor. An online meeting is accepted. If possible, plan this well in advance. July is a holiday month in Finland, and you are unlikely to reach your supervisor or to give the presentation then.
4. Add the title page and abstract page that follow the templates of Aalto to your thesis. The templates are available in MyCourses in SCI Master's thesis: Templates. Check that you have the correct school: AUS & CNI: School of Electrical Engineering; DSC & HCID: School of Science. The rest of the uploaded version has to be final, and the content should be exactly identical to the version submitted to the exit university.
5. Save the thesis in PDF/A-format.The file name should be in the following format: master_lastname_firstname_year.pdf. Do not use any Scandinavian letters (e.g. ä and ö) or special characters. 
6. Remember that article format master's theses of appr. 10 pages are not accepted at Aalto.
7. Submit the electronic version of the thesis and apply for approval in MyStudies by the thesis submission deadline. Additionally, send the following documents to your Aalto supervisor:
   • evaluation statement of the thesis from your exit university (cc. [email protected])
   • transcript of records or final certificate which has the thesis grade (if applicable at the time).
8. Ask the administrative coordinator of your exit university to upload your transcript of records (ELTE students: Certification of average of the degree in addition to transcript of records) in EIT Digital Master School portal. If the registration of your thesis grade and credits, and the preparation of the final transcript takes long, you can send an unofficial transcript, or a separate statement (signed by your thesis examiner) about your thesis grade. The final transcript / final certificate is required before the thesis grade can be translated to Aalto University and before the degree can be awarded. 
9. After the thesis has been approved in the Degree Programme Committee, your grade will be registered in Sisu and the thesis will be transferred from MyStudies to Aaltodoc publication archive.

When you have submitted your thesis to Aalto, your Aalto supervisor prepares a lighter evaluation statement that confirms the exit university’s translated grade and will receive an official approval by the Degree Programme Committee. The lighter procedure for thesis approval means that the master’s thesis is not evaluated and graded at Aalto University, but rather confirming the exit school's evaluation.

• An entry student does not have to follow the thesis regulations of Aalto University, but only the ones of their exit university. 
• The grade of the master’s thesis is translated from the exit university grade following the grade scaling table of EIT Digital Master School cooperation agreement. No exceptions or individual interpretations of the grade are allowed. All entry students of the same cohort will follow this procedure, irrespective of their master’s thesis location.
• If the thesis is evaluated with grade that corresponds to grades 1 or 5 in Aalto University, your Aalto supervisor writes a short additional evaluation to confirm the grade (decision of the Academic Committee of School of Science on 29 May 2023).
• The credit transfer and transcript exchange in EIT Digital Master School is dealt by the administrative representatives of the universities. 
• An official transcript of records (and at ELTE a certification of average of the degree), including the thesis grade and credits, must be uploaded to EIT portal by the administrative contact of your exit university or sent by them to the corresponding person at Aalto University before your thesis can be registered, i.e. before the meeting of the Programme Committee. The grade will be translated based on the grade on the official transcript of records or on the certification of average of the degree (ELTE), even if it differs from the supervisor's statement at exit university.
• Aalto University reserves the right to reject the master’s thesis in case of plagiarism, whether it is detected at the exit university or at Aalto University.

ELTE students: At ELTE you will receive a Certification of average of the degree that includes separate grades for 1) final exam’s results, 2) grade of degree thesis and 3) result of degree thesis defence. Note that only the grade of degree thesis will be translated to Aalto, following the grade scaling table of EIT Digital Master School cooperation agreement. (updated 14.8.2024)

Appealing against a grade: We encourage entry students to primarily appeal against the grade at the exit university. Students dissatisfied with the grade of their thesis may appeal against the decision in writing to the Aalto University Academic Appeals Board (Aalto-yliopiston tutkintolautakunta) within 14 days of receiving notification of the decision. Address: Aalto University Academic Appeals Board, Registry, P.O. BOX 11000, FI-00076 AALTO. 

As your exit university, Aalto is responsible for supervising and evaluating your master's thesis. Contact your academic coordinator or professor of the major to agree upon the thesis topic, supervisor, and integrating the thesis with the internship. Keep the supervisor and the administrative coordinator informed about your progress. If there are any delays or problems in the process, it is important to discuss them frequently with your supervisor.

Overview of the process: 

Good to know about the process

• The master’s thesis is a public document by law in Finland. All Aalto University graduates must publish their thesis in Aalto University archive. 
• Grades are translated and transferred according to the scaling table (available here) agreed in EIT Digital Master School cooperation agreements. Note that you cannot graduate from Aalto before we have received your complete official transcript of your entry university.
• Approval and grading of thesis and graduation are two separate processes applied for in different systems, but application deadlines are the same.
• The academic year at Aalto University is 1 August – 31 July. If you aim to graduate in July, consider the holiday seasons of the universities (e.g. Finland and Sweden are "closed" in July, Italy and Spain in August).
• If you graduate from Aalto after 31 July, you will be transferred to Aalto University’s local tuition fee and scholarship scheme. Aalto has no tuition fees for EU/EEA nationals. All non-EU/EEA students are encouraged to apply for a tuition fee waiver for the 5th semester of studies. This is with a separate form in April. Students concerned will be contacted individually.
  • You must enrol as attending at Aalto for the autumn semester, if you do not graduate by 31 July of your exit year. 
  • If you graduate by the end of August, the student union fee can be refunded. Visit the Student Services or send an email ([email protected]) after graduation, and they will help you with the refund procedure. After the refund, you will lose the right to student benefits. You have a right to ask for refund only until the end of September.
  • More information about Annual enrolment.
• To be able to attend the EIT Graduation ceremony with your own cohort, you must graduate from Aalto by the September deadline. 
• If you need to extend your Finnish residence permit, the topic confirmation form should be submitted at the latest by the time you apply for the tuition fee waiver for the 5th semester. The application is sufficient, the topic does not have to be approved yet. 
• School of Science students who finish 60 ECTS credits and complete their degree during the academic year (by 31 July) are eligible for the Dean’s incentive scholarship of 500 EUR (subject to annual decision).

The purpose of this step is to confirm that a professor at Aalto has agreed to be your supervisor, and your thesis topic is approved.

1. Apply for thesis topic confirmation, supervisors, and advisor(s) at Aalto via MyStudies. Note the following: 
   • You must be enrolled as attending at Aalto when applying for topic confirmation.
   • Your personal study plan (HOPS) must be up-to-date and approved in Sisu. Make sure your entry university has uploaded your transcript to Master School portal.
2. The final title of the thesis can differ from the approved topic if the subject matter is the same (i.e., you have not restarted your thesis from scratch with a different topic and data).
3. Your Aalto supervisor approves your application within 4 weeks (note that holidays may extend the processing times). 
4. You need to reapply for topic confirmation, if you start a new thesis with a different topic or your supervisor changes. In both cases, contact [email protected]. 

1. You must be enrolled as attending at Aalto.
2. Your personal study plan (HOPS) shold be up-to-date and approved in Sisu.
3. Aalto students are required to give a presentation before submitting the thesis. 
4. Use the Aalto template for your thesis. The templates are available in MyCourses in SCI Master's thesis: Templates. Check that you have the correct school: AUS & CNI: School of Electrical Engineering; DSC & HCID: School of Science. 
5. Save the thesis in PDF/A-format.The file name should be in the following format: master_lastname_firstname_year.pdf. Do not use any Scandinavian letters (e.g. ä and ö) or special characters. 
6. Remember that article format master's theses of appr. 10 pages are not accepted at Aalto.
7. Submit the electronic version of the thesis and apply for approval in MyStudies by the thesis submission deadline. 
8. Submit a request for graduation in Sisu. You can do this at the same time as you submit your thesis. See graduation instructions.
9. After the thesis has been approved in the Degree Programme Committee, your grade will be registered in Sisu and the thesis will be transferred from MyStudies to Aaltodoc publication archive.

Requirements of EIT Digital Master School and entry university

• A key component in all EIT Digital Master School Programmes is the integrated combination of a Master's Thesis (30 ECTS) and an internship (included in the master's thesis credits). The industry-based master's thesis (typically integrated with the internship) is a core part of your education, crucial for awarding you the EIT Digital certificate. This combination forms the Final Degree Project.
• According to the EIT Digital Master School guidelines, the exit university should be the main responsible institute in the master’s thesis process. Most entry universities are not involved in the thesis process at all, and simply register the grade given at the exit university, but you may want to confirm this with your entry university.
• Read more about the EIT Digital requirements and industrial Master's thesis at Aalto under Guidelines for industrial thesis above.

Requirements at Aalto University

• As your exit university, Aalto is responsible for supervising and evaluating your master's thesis. Contact your Academic Coordinator or Head of Major in December to agree upon the thesis topic, supervisor, and integrating the thesis with the internship. Keep the supervisor and the administrative coordinator informed about your progress. If there are any delays or problems in the process, it is important to discuss them frequently with your supervisor.