Aalto Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering

The doctoral education prepares the doctoral student for an academic career as a highly qualified researcher or, increasingly also for diversity of career pathways outside of academia for example in the most demanding expert positions in the private or the public sector or as entrepreneurs or creative practitioners.

The education is carried out in a multidisciplinary international scientific community through both field-specific and multidisciplinary research work. High quality education and transferable skills training together with network-building ensure the development of the doctoral student’s competences.

The Doctor of Science (Technology) degree consists of

1. an approved doctoral thesis
2. research field studies (10-25 ECTS)
3. general research studies (5-20 ECTS)

The most important part of the education is the research work, which is conducted in a robust and dynamic research milieu. The research work is done in one of the 13 research fields offered by the departments and when suitable, in multi-disciplinary co-operation across Aalto University.

The curriculum of the programme is flexible, allowing each doctoral student to compile her/his own combination of courses according to her/his own research interests. To complete a doctoral degree, the student must complete the course work and produce and publish a doctoral thesis as well as defend it at a public examination.

Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering

You can choose to do your doctoral studies as either full-time or part-time student. The aim of a full-time doctoral student is to complete the studies in 4 years and the aim of part-time doctoral students is to complete the studies in 4-8 years. 

Full-time or part-time studies

The language of instruction at Aalto doctoral programmes is, in principle, English but the doctoral thesis can also be completed in Finnish or in Swedish. Normally, the language of your degree is the language in which you write your thesis (English, Finnish or Swedish).

Language of the degree

Funding

The most common ways to fund doctoral studies are

• working in a salaried doctoral researcher position
• personal grant(s) or scholarship(s) from foundations or funding agencies

Most Aalto doctoral students combine different funding sources during their studies. 

How to find and apply for funding for doctoral studies and research?

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

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

Fees and costs

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.

International joint supervision of doctoral studies

Mobility, networks and international courses

The School of Electrical Engineering has committed to participate in the following Doctoral Education Networks:

1. DELTA - Doctoral training network in Electronics, Telecommunications and Automation
2. HICT - Helsinki doctoral education network in information and communications technology
3. NEE - Doctoral Education Network for Electrical Energy Engineering

Quick links to useful information:

Each application will be processed in the next possible Doctoral Programme Committee meeting, if all the required application documents have been received by the deadline given. 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. 

If the Doctoral Programme Committee recommends to the Dean that the application be accepted and study right granted, the decision will be taken to the Dean to decide within a few days. After that the applicant will be informed on the decision. The right to pursue a degree will be not be valid before the applicant has accepted the offer of admission*. The applicant has two weeks time to accept the offer and cannot postpone the start of the right to pursue a degree. After acceptance, the study right will be registered to university study register within a couple of days.

*The policy of one student place

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, licentiate, 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 section 37 of the Universities Act (558/2009) and in the Aalto University Admissions Criteria for 2024. Eligible applicants for studies leading to an academic licentiate or doctoral degree in the Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering will have completed:

• a relevant master’s degree awarded by a Finnish university;
• a relevant master’s degree awarded by a Finnish university of applied sciences; or
• a relevant study programme abroad which in the awarding country confers eligibility for the corresponding level of higher education.

Policy on the recognition of degrees completed outside Finland

Applicants holding a degree earned abroad are eligible for doctoral studies provided that their degree gives them eligibility for corresponding higher education in the awarding country. As a rule, degrees earned abroad are recognized at Aalto University provided that they have required studies of at least four years, including a thesis similar to the master’s thesis, and that such studies in the view of the school equip the applicant with the skills and knowledge needed to pursue doctoral studies at the school. The precondition for the recognition of European degrees is that the degree is a university degree combination earned in accordance with the Bologna Process principles (3+2 years).

If the degree or education differs from the description above, but makes the applicant eligible for doctoral studies in the country that awarded the degree or gave the education, the applicant must provide a document confirming his/her eligibility for doctoral studies in the country where the education was given. These applications will always be processed case-by-case.

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 or foreign 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 persue the doctoral/licentiate studies.

Assessing the applicant’s potential and defining supplementary studies for an applicant with a master’s degree from a university of applied sciences

The need for supplementary studies as well as their extent will be assessed individually for each applicant based on their prior studies and knowhow. The doctoral programme will ask the supervising professor to provide a statement of the applicant’s potential for doctoral studies, and a proposal of the supplementary studies.

When assessing the applicants’ potential for doctoral studies, the School shall acknowledge that the extent of the master’s degree from a university of applied sciences in Finland is 60-90 ECTS, whereas the extent of a university master’s degree is 120 ECTS. 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.

The supplementary studies will provide the applicant with the prerequisite knowledge for the doctoral studies, but they are not included in the doctoral/licentiate degree. The supervising professor shall ensure that the knowledge and skills required for pursuing the doctoral studies are gained.

The academic evaluation of the applicant is performed by the professor (i.e. supervising professor) responsible for the research field to which the applicant is applying to. The Doctoral Programme Committee will also evaluate the applicant.

The evaluation of the applicant takes into account the following criteria:

The content of the previous degree(s):

1. Adequate knowledge in the research field applied for, gained through, for example, courses in the major or courses in the advanced studies within the master’s degree
   • When necessary, the School will set supplementary studies for admission to the doctoral programme that may be gained, for instance, by taking master-level courses.
2. Sufficient basic knowledge that supports the applicant’s ability to carry out the research work and the writing of the doctoral thesis.

Academic performance (on the scale 1 - 5)

1. The applicant completed the master’s thesis with the minimum grade of 3/5, if a numeric grade has been given.
2. The applicant completed the master’s degree courses (excluding the master’s thesis), with an average (weighted average) grade of at least 3.0/5.

• OR the applicant completed the courses of the major of the degree (excluding the master’s thesis), with an weighted average grade of at least 3.0/5, if the master’s degree was earned in accordance with the degree regulations of 1995 or earlier (when the bachelor’s and master’s degrees were not separated)

If the grade criteria are not met, but the applicant is otherwise suitable for doctoral studies, the applicant may raise his/her grades or the school may set supplementary studies, as described above regarding the master’s degrees from universities of applied sciences.

Other evaluation criteria

1. the quality and international regard of the applicant's degree and university
2. the applicant’s potential as a researcher; previous research experience, work experience in the research sector, conference papers, journal articles etc.
3. relevance of the research topic: research orientation with respect to the Department's focus areas so that proficient guidance and the supervising professor's genuine scientific interest is met
4. research plan: theoretical and practical relevance and novelty of the topic, and feasibility of the plan (quality, realism, methodology etc.)
5. time management and resources for doctoral studies: realistic time and resources available to complete the studies in 4 years
6. the supervising resources of the university in the research field
7. other reasons for admission presented by the applicant and the supervising professor

A successful applicant must have excellent skills in Finnish, Swedish or English. The applicant will choose in which of the before mentioned languages s/he will demonstrate her/his language proficiency.

Proficiency in a national language of Finland is demonstrated according to Appendix 1, ‘Demonstrating proficiency in a national language of Finland’, of the Aalto University Student Admissions Criteria for 2024. 

Proficiency in English may be demonstrated in one of the following ways:

1. The applicant has earned a degree taught in Finnish, Swedish or English in a higher education institution in Finland;
2. The applicant has earned an English-medium higher education degree in an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the United States while residing in the respective country;
3. The applicant has received his or her primary and secondary education in English in an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the United States while residing in the respective country;
4. The applicant has completed the Aalto Executive Education MBA, EMBA or DBA degree; or
5. The applicant has completed the CEMS Master in International Management entity
6. Applicants submit their English-language test results in accordance with the information below.
7. The applicant has been accepted to another Finnish university within 4 years from the meeting where the applicant’s application is being processed. In addition, the applicant has to have a recommending letter from the supervising professor regarding sufficient proficiency in English.

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 indicate the amount of studies that were completed in English.

In points 1 – 2 of the above list, a higher education degree showing language proficiency must be at least a three years' bachelor’s degree, or at least a one year's master’s degree or a doctoral degree. 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 organization (e.g., UNESCO). The university must be recognised in the country of point 1 or 2.

Accepted language tests in English and their minimum score requirements for admission to doctoral studies are (Aalto University Admissions Criteria 2024):

1. IELTS
   1. Academic: 6.5 and for writing 5.5
   2. Indicator (Academic) online test: 6.5 and for writing 5.5
2. TOEFL
   1. IBT (Internet-based Test): 92 and for the writing section 22 or
   2. iBT® Home Edition: 92 and for the writing section 22
   3. PDT (Paper-delivered Test): reading 22, listening 22 ja writing 24
3. C1 Advanced (prev. Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)): A,B or C
4. C2 Proficiency (prev. Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)): A,B,C or Level C1
5. Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE A): 62 and for writing 54

No other English proficiency tests are accepted. If an applicant has taken several language tests, the best official score that is still valid and received by the doctoral programme by the deadline, will be considered. The applicant cannot combine scores from different test dates (e.g. TOEFL MyBest scores is not accepted).

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. The IELTS, TOEFL and PTE results are valid for two years, starting from the test date. C1 Advanced and C2 proficiency test results done after 2005 and which can be electronically verified are accepted.

Submitting the language test

See instructions

More information on the language tests can be found on the pages of the test providers:

• IELTS (ielts.org)
• TOEFL (ets.org)
• PTE Academic (pearsonpte.com)
• C1 Advanced (cambridgeesol.org)
• C2 Proficiency (cambridgeesol.org)

1. Read the application instructions carefully and prepare all the needed appendices (listed and explained in more detail below). Remember signatures of yourself, your supervising professor and thesis advisor for all necessary documents. By signing these documents, the professor confirms to be your supervising professor.
2. Apply on the online application system (Studyinfo.fi, current link below). In the beginning of the application form, please choose the Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering as your study programme ("Add study programme"). 
3. For choosing the mode of study, see the definition of full-time and part-time doctoral students.
4. Language of the degree: Choose English unless you wish to write your doctoral thesis in Finnish or Swedish.
5. Fill in the application carefully. The required appendices depend on your choices.
6. Attach all the required documents as pdf documents. There are some documents required for every applicant and others required only for those whose Master's degree is from elsewhere than Aalto University. Please see the details below.
7. Submit the application by the deadline.
8. Send certified hard copies / verified documents of the required degree documents if your M.Sc. degree is from elsewhere than Aalto University or one of its preceders (explained in more detail below). Remember that these are needed by the application deadline.

Include a list of publications and proof of other scientific activity. Template for a researcher's CV.

Credit plan template for 30 ECTS courses to be completed. You and your supervising professor have to sign this document.

• Courses for the credit plan and the Curriculum of Electrical Engineering
• Search for courses. Doctoral courses are marked with a D in the end of the course name

Prepare you research plan with an implementation schedule. You can use Research plan template

• Plan total study time for 3-4 years for full-time studies or 4-8 years for part-time studies, and include 3-5 publications in the plan. Note that the time from pre-examination to graduation can take 6 months. You can read more about the current doctoral thesis requirements at the School of Electrical Engineering.
• A suitable length is around 2 pages, but it can be more as well in our programme (unlike instructed in the general form of Studyinfo.fi).
• You and your supervising professor have to sign this document.

The financing plan is a free format document including the following information:

• Secured funding

1. The source of funding
2. The amount of funding
3. Start and end dates of secured funding*

*Full-time students are required to have funding allocated for the doctoral studies for at least the first 6 months of the dotoral study right (e.g. project funding, a personal grant or funding from an employer). Full-time students working outside of Aalto University must also provide a document of their employers' approval for full-time doctoral studies (min. 80%).

• Plans of securing funding until the end of your studies

1. Where from do you plan to apply for more?
2. How much is needed?
3. For how long do you need more funding?

• You and your supervising professor have to sign this document.

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.

• You can have  1–3 thesis advisor(s). Theses advisors need to have a doctoral degree (remember to check this especially in case of advisors who work outside Aalto University). The supervising professor can be one of the thesis advisors. In case you don't have separate advisor(s), supervising professor will be nominated to both roles.
• You, your supervising professor and thesis advisor(s) have to sign this document.

Copy of the identity page of thepassport or other official identification that indicates the citizenship of the applicant.

• Master's degree certificate
• Official transcripts of records of all the courses included in the master’s degree
• All the appendices of the degree documents (typically the Diploma Supplement in European Higher Education Area). 
• Official translations of the degree certificate and the transcript of records, if the originals are not in Finnish, Swedish, or English.
• The (translated) documents should clearly indicate the thesis grade, evaluation and the grading scale used.

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 by the application deadline. 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.

• A copy of the official IELTS score report (PDF-copy) is uploaded in the application system. The test result will be verified by Aalto University from the test provided.
• TOEFL test results must be sent to Aalto University by the test administrator directly. Request your official score report to be sent from the test administrator to Aalto University reporting code 7364. Unofficial score reports sent by applicants will not be accepted. Test scores submitted with the Aalto University reporting code are checked for authenticity in the test administrator’s verification database. The scores are available within 1 to 2 weeks of sending the score report request.
• PTE scores are submitted through the electronic result service. The applicant need to sign in to his/her own PTE-account and send the test result through the electronic certification service to Aalto University. The test provider will inform by e-mail, when the test score has been submitted to the University.
• A copy of the C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency language test score report (PDF-copy) is uploaded in the application system. The ID-number (e.g. ABC123456) and the reference number (e.g. 173YU0034522) need to be mentioned on the application form. The applicant also need to sign in to the language test system and share the scores with Aalto University. The scores will be verified electronically.

If requested by the doctoral programme during the application process, the supervising professor must, in addition, provide a statement of the applicant’s potential for doctoral studies, and a proposal of the supplementary studies (see section Eligibility).

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.

1. Please submit the certified hard copies / verified degree documents to the doctoral programme by the application deadline. Please note that certified hard copies will not be returned to you.
2. Please note that you need to submit the required degree documents including official translations (listed above) according to the country-specific document requirements, if your Master’s degree is completed 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. Read the requirements on Country-specific requirements*.
3. If your Master´s degree is completed in a country that is not in the list of the country-specific requirements, you may, instead of sending certified paper copies, come and show the original above-mentioned degree documents to Antti Susiluoto. 
4. Send the documents to the doctoral programme in one of the following ways:

*Please DO NOT send the documents to the Admission Services as instructed in the country specific requirements webpage. 

1. If you have completed a degree in Finland after 1 January 2003 and you have a Finnish personal identification code, Aalto University will verify your degree electronically using a national database and no hard copies are required.
2. If your degree was completed before 1 January 2003, or you do not have a Finnish personal identification code, send certified hard copies of the required degree documents (listed above) to our office (Antti Susiluoto, Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering, PO BOX 15500, 00076 AALTO).

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.

• Send the consignment of documents as a letter. Do not send it as a parcel.
• Do not determine a value for the letter, when sending it. Do not indicate even the amount paid for a possible insurance for the consignment.  
• If the country of dispatch requires the sender to determine a value for the consignment of documents, the value is zero (euros or other currency).
• The goods description for the consignment should be, for example, documents.