Student Guide

Master's Programme in Life Science Technologies

Planning your studies

Personal study plan in the Sisu system

Planning your studies is key in ensuring that your studies progress smoothly. Your most important tool for it is a personal study plan (also known as HOPS). A personal study plan is a tool for planning the contents and timing of the studies towards your degree. Your study plan includes all the courses you are planning to take in each academic year and semester. Once your personal study plan has been approved, you can be sure that the courses you have selected meet the degree requirements.

Submitting the study plan does not mean it’s permanent. You can update it during your studies.

Sisu instructions main page illustration

Sisu instructions: front page

The front page of Sisu instructions for students

Applications, instructions and guidelines
Sisu instructions main illustration

Quick guide on how to create a personal study plan on Sisu

How to create a personal study plan (HOPS) on Sisu

Applications, instructions and guidelines

FAQ of personal study plan

Practical training

Practical training in the majors BIOINFO, BME, BIOSENS, CS, and NEURO
Practical training in the major Biosystems and Biomaterials Engineering

Career planning

Graduates of the Life Science Technologies programme have traditionally found a wide variety of careers both in the private sector, industry, and in the public sector ranging from research to consulting and management positions. Majors offered within the Life Science Technologies programme provide the graduates with cutting-edge scientific knowledge and skills enabling them to integrate into the international life science technologies job market or to pursue doctoral studies in specialist fields.

Career Design for Students

Changing majors in LifeTech programme

(Decision of the Degree Programme Committee of LifeTech on 18 June 2018)

Changing majors within the programme is possible for the following groups of students:

  • Students that have completed a BSc degree at Aalto and fulfil the requirements of the new major.
  • Students that have been admitted to the LifeTech programme in 2018 or later.

Applying for a study right extension

Normative duration of studies and applying for a study right extension

The normative duration of studies is three years for a bachelor's degree, and two years for a master’s degree. If you were admitted to a master’s degree, you have four years to complete the degree. If you were admitted to both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, you have a total of seven years to complete both degrees.

The duration of studies is counted from the time the you enrol as present (attending) at the university. Students have a right to certain absences that do not expend their duration of studies. Absence refers to time when the student has enrolled as non-attending.

If you have not completed your degree within this target schedule, but still want to complete it, you may apply for an extension to your right to study.

Before applying for an extension to your right to study, please familiarise yourself with:

  • Aalto University policy on extension to duration of studies
  • the general instructions for applying for an extension
  • the instructions of the School of Science for applying an extension.

Aalto University policy on extension to duration of studies

Aalto University policy on extension to duration of studies

Student Guide illustration, applications, instructions and guidelines

Application for extension to the right to study

Application for extension to the right to study

Student Guide illustration, applications, instructions and guidelines

Applying for extension to the right to study in the School of Science

If you have not completed your degree within the maximum duration of study, but wish to do so, you must apply for extension to your right to study. You receive a letter from the school approximately one year before your right to study expires. The letter gives instructions and the deadline for applying. The earliest time you can apply is the beginning of that term when the right to study expires.

Applications are dealt with twice a year. The application must be submitted

by 15.11. if the right to study expires 31.12.

by 15.5. if the right to study expires 31.7.

Please apply for an extension of study right only when you have the possibility and intention to study and finish your degree.

An extension of study right is not granted just in case. You should apply only when you are certain that you cannot finish your studies by the end of your study right (either by 31 July or 31 December).

Applying for extension to the right to study at the School of Chemical Engineering

Below you will find instructions on what to do both when your right to study is due to expire at the end of the current term, and when your right to study has already expired. Please also take a look at Aalto's joint instructions on the page Application for extension to the right to study.

Extensions are approved expressly for the purpose of completing a degree. This means that you should apply for an extension only if you have the intention and the possibility to complete your remaining studies as well as your thesis.

Applications for extension to the right to study are processed twice every year. Submit your application between 15.3.-15.5. if your study right ends on 31.7. or between 15.10.-15.11. if your study right ends 31.12. Applications submitted before are during the application period are processed within a month of the end of the application period. You will receive the decision in Sisu (application in Sisu) or by email (Sisu not available).

If you submit the application after the deadline, please let the student services know by emailing [email protected]​.

If your study right is currently valid, submit your application in Sisu. Also in Sisu, make sure your study plan is in order (if applicable, for both bachelor and master level) and set a timetable for your studies. You can get help in the Sisu instructions and from the CHEM student advisors.

If your study right is no longer valid and you have no access to Sisu, please contact student services at [email protected] for further instructions. In this case, the study plan and timetable can be free-form. Please make sure you list all the courses you plan to take along with the period and year during which you plan to take them.

If you wish to submit other attachments alongside your application, please follow Aalto's joint instructions.

Required attachments

  1. An explanation of the reasons why you have not completed your studies in time. In Sisu, this is part of the application form. Otherwise it needs to be part of your free-form attachments.
  2. A goal-oriented and feasible study plan for completing your studies. The approved personal study plan (HOPS) should specify which courses you have completed and which you still need to complete, and a detailed schedule (year and period) for taking the missing courses. In Sisu, you can do these on the tabs Structure of studies and Timeline, respectively. Outside Sisu, it needs to be part of your free-form attachments.
  3. If you’re working on your master’s thesis, include a statement from your supervisor. The statement should include information on how the thesis is progressing and the estimated time of completion. The supervisor may also send the statement directly to the planning officer of your major. Your application should also state when you have applied for the thesis topic and the name of your supervisor (in Sisu, on the application form; outside Sisu, as part of your free-form attachments).

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