Doctoral education pilot
We are hiring 178 new doctoral researchers - get your doctorate from Aalto
Our purpose is to drive sustainable chemical engineering for bio- and circular economy.
The research at our school focuses on forest products technologies, chemical engineering, industrial biotechnology, materials science and nanotechnology, metals and minerals processing and energy technology.
We are hiring 178 new doctoral researchers - get your doctorate from Aalto
Circular Materials Bioeconomy Network: From bio-based resources to advanced materials (CIMANET).
Today’s outdoor clothing mainly relies on oil-based fibres and chemicals that are harmful for the environment. In her doctoral research, Helena Sederholm develops environmentally friendly water-repellent textiles. She follows the example of nature.
In his doctoral research conducted at Aalto University’s Bioinnovation Center, Iannacchero uses machine learning to develop ecologically sustainable electronic yarns. This is an opportunity to come up with something completely new.
The doctoral research conducted by Sahar Babaeipour, a doctoral researcher at Aalto University’s Bioinnovation Center, aims at a more sustainable packaging industry.
Note: Before applying for the salaried positions and/or contacting the potential supervising professor(s), please check below the eligibility requirements and qualifications needed for applying for the study right in our doctoral programme.
Research activities at the departments are arranged under research groups. Your research interest must match with one of the research groups and the focus of the department.
In addition to the departments' and research groups' pages, you can use Aalto University's research portal for finding the professors who are researching the area in which you want to do your doctoral research. Before applying for doctoral studies you should be aware of the research done and researchers working in the field of your interest.
Aalto University's research portal for finding our researchers and research projects
More information on discovering your research topic and finding a professor
Doctoral theses published in the School of Chemical Engineering
Doctoral students graduating from our programme will be equipped with the professional skills and knowledge required for demanding academic research and teaching positions. They will be trained for the expert, development and management positions of the information society. High-level research is a prerequisite for doctoral studies and research training.
The aim of doctoral studies is for students
The Doctor of Science (Technology) degree consists of
The completion of the doctoral degree equals four years of full-time studies.
The main focus of doctoral studies is on research work, the evaluation of one's research results and being published in peer-reviewed journals. In a nutshell, doctoral studies seek to provide doctoral candidates with the capacity to conduct research that produces new knowledge and to gain professional experience as a qualified researcher.
This learning process culminates in a doctoral dissertation and its public defence under the supervision of examiners who are experts in the field of the research. The latest Aalto University doctoral theses in the field of technology are available online. The webpages for the Doctoral Programme in Chemical Engineering can be found at Into.aalto.fi pages.
Doctoral education at School of Chemical Engineering resembles an apprenticeship in that students conduct their research work in close collaboration with their thesis advisor(s) and supervising professor. As a doctoral candidate, you will spend three to four years working intensively on a specific research topic and completing the written component of your intellectual piece of work, i.e. doctoral thesis. Along the way, you will participate in theory courses, seminars, research collaboration and other departmental activities as well as potentially teach undergraduates.
Full-time doctoral students
Full-timedoctoral students plan their studies with the aim of completing a doctoral degree within four years of the admission to the doctoral programme. Full-time doctoral students need to have funding allocated for the doctoral studies (e.g. project funding, a personal grant or funding from an employer). Students working outside of Aalto University who wish to be full-time doctoral students must provide a document of the employers' approval for full-time doctoral studies (working students must be able to dedicate up to 80% of their working hours).
Part-time doctoral students
Part-time doctoral students are those who do not meet the above-mentioned requirements for full-time doctoral students. Their studies are planned in such a way that the time spent on doctoral studies is eight years or less. A part-time doctoral student typically has a main occupation outside the School of Chemical Engineering which occupation does not include scientific research for the doctoral thesis.
Applicants for part-time doctoral studies should discuss:
The language of instruction is, in principle, English, but the doctoral thesis can also be completed in Finnish or Swedish.
The applicants will define in their application in which language they will pursue the degree. The possible languages are Finnish, Swedish, or English. If doctoral students want to write their doctoral thesis in Finnish or in Swedish, the language of the degree will be Finnish or Swedish. If the doctoral thesis is written in English, doctoral students can choose English as the language of the degree that must be approved by the doctoral programme committee. The language of degree can, on reasonable grounds, be changed at a later stage if the language of the doctoral thesis changes.
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?
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.
If you have a scholarship from a non-Finnish funding agency, e.g. non-Finnish governmental funding, please note the need for health insurance.
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.
Internationalisation is an integral part of the school’s doctoral education in both recruiting and educating doctoral candidates. The School of Chemical Engineering is well connected to several top-level universities, research institutes and industrial operators in the field.
Aalto University encourages its doctoral candidates to spend at least six months of their study time abroad as international mobility enhances doctoral candidates’ career opportunities. Visiting a foreign university or research institute often means sharing knowledge and know-how, creating new ideas, expanding international networks, and developing one’s professional proficiency.
Application processing cycle for doctoral study right is organized four times a year. The first call in the autumn 2024 closes on 12 September 2024 at 23:59 (UTC+3) and the second call closes on 5 December 2024 at 23:59 (UTC+2). Please see the application deadlines in the table given below. All given times are in Finnish time.
Only applications with all the required application documents will be processed. Complete applications are processed within the next two months for the doctoral committee meeting, after the application period has ended. Incomplete applications will be rejected, unless the missing materials are sent by the deadline given.
Tuesday 30 January 2024 at 23:59 |
Friday 7 June 2024 at 23:59 |
Thursday 12 September 2024 at 23:59 |
Thursday 5 December 2024 at 23:59 |
Applicant must submit the electronic application and all required attachments within the deadline. Only complete applications will be processed. The spring season 2025 application period ends on 8 May 2025 at 23:59 in Finnish time.
The right to pursue a degree will be valid only after the Dean has granted the right and 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.
Please note that from 1 August 2016 onwards students may accept only one study 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, 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 1 January to 31 July. The acceptance of a study place is binding and cannot be canceled. Even if the student postpones the commencement of studies or gives up her/his right to study, the student cannot accept another study place leading to a higher education degree starting the same academic term.
To be eligible for doctoral studies at the School of Chemical Engineering, doctoral candidates must:
The knowledge base and skills required for doctoral studies shall be demonstrated by a master’s degree or by a degree earned abroad that qualifies the students for equivalent doctoral studies in the country where the degree was earned.
In principle, an acceptable master’s degree is one carried out in accordance with the principles of the Bologna Process (3+2 years). A degree earned abroad in a country that does not follow the Bologna Process must include a minimum of 4 years of studies and a master’s thesis, and be deemed by the School of Chemical Engineering as providing the student with an adequate knowledge base for doctoral studies in the school.
An applicant with a relevant master's degree from a Finnish university of applied sciences is assessed by the school for his/her potential to complete doctoral studies successfully at Aalto University. Granting the right to study requires that the school determine the applicant’s need for supplementary studies. The extent of supplementary studies may not, however, exceed 60 ECTS. If the extent of necessary supplementary studies exceeds this maximum, the applicant will be advised to first pursue a master's degree before applying for a right to pursue a doctorate. International applicants with a previous technical degree corresponding to a Finnish degree from a university of applied sciences are subject to the same rules as applicants with the corresponding Finnish degree.
Students holding a master’s degree earned abroad are eligible for doctoral studies at the School of Chemical Engineering, provided the degree qualifies them for equivalent doctoral studies in the country where the degree was earned.
Prerequisites
The following is required for an applicant to be approved for doctoral studies:
Required grades in the master´s degree (on the scale 1 - 5)
Students who fail to meet these criteria but are otherwise suitable for doctoral studies may improve their grades by taking additional courses or, alternatively, the school may set prerequisites for doctoral studies. In addition to courses taken at the School of Chemical Engineering, the school may, based on a proposal of the supervising professor of the research field, accept courses taken at other universities.
Successful applicants must have an excellent command of Finnish, Swedish or English. (Aalto University Admission Criteria 2022)
All international students applying for doctoral studies must demonstrate their proficiency in English. Applicants are required to attach an official language test report to their application. See recognised language tests and minimum scores below.
The following groups are exempted from the language test requirement:
Applicants who have completed a higher education degree:
If the degree includes studies from some other institution, the studies must also have been taken in English in a country and institution where the completed studies exempt the student from taking an English language test. However, this does not apply to degree studies completed during a student exchange.
Applicants who:
Only the above-mentioned groups are exempted from the language test requirement, for all other applicants the official language test result is an obligatory application document and applications without the test result will not be processed.
Recognised language tests and minimum score requirements (Aalto University Admission Criteria 2022):
Aalto University accepts also TOEFL iBT® Home Edition and IELTS Indicator (Academic) tests.
IELTS, TOEFL and PTE results are valid for two years starting from the test date. C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency results do not have an expiration date; however, only tests that can be verified online, i.e. tests taken after 2005, are accepted.
Submission of English language test results:
Only official reports of the language test are acceptable as proof of proficiency.
Before applying, please check the basic requirements for eligibility to doctoral studies. Contact the School of Chemical Engineering professor responsible for your field of research before starting the application process.
List of supervising professors and their research fields
Fill in the Aalto University application form for doctoral studies during the application period. All the attachments must be submitted as PDF files.
Application form
Detailed instructions for the application form:
Appendices to the application
Applicants with a master's degree earned at a university other than Aalto University (or than Helsinki University of Technology) should also provide:
a) Certified copies* of degree diplomas and a transcript of completed courses, together with a translation of these if the original documents are not in Finnish, Swedish or English. Transcripts of study records for B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in English, Finnish or Swedish.
b) Proof of proficiency in Finnish, Swedish or English if the applicant is not exempted from the language test requirement. Please check the English language requirements under the headline "Required language proficiency".
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Degrees awarded by a higher education institution outside Finland:
You are asked to present your original degree certificate (including all the appendices and the Diploma Supplement in European countries) and official transcript of records, or certified copiesof all these* before a right to study can be granted. You are asked also to present official translations* of these, if the originals are not in Finnish, Swedish or English.
Degrees awarded by a higher education institution in Finland:
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.
If your degree was completed before 1 January 2003, or you do not have a Finnish personal identification code, you are asked to present your original degree certificate (including all the appendices and the Diploma Supplement in European countries) and official transcript of records or certified copies of all these* before a right to study can be granted.
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*Certified copies and translations
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.
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Giving misleading information during the application process is not in line with good scientific practice. Aalto University is strongly committed to the guidelines of the TENK. The actions of applicant which fall under the points 3, 6-8 of these guidelines will lead to negative study right decision, even if the applicant is otherwise eligible for the degree programme. Any violation of TENK guidelines will seriously endanger your career prospects at Aalto University.
If these conditions are not met, but the applicant is otherwise suitable for doctoral studies, the applicant may raise his/her grades or the school may set prerequisites for entry. Admission criteria may be departed from on the grounds of the supervising professor’s written statement.
In addition to the above mentioned criteria also the resources of Department to supervise and fund doctoral students will be noticed. A minimum of one year funding is required to start the doctoral research project. However there are no exact admission quotas.
If you have any programme-specific inquiries or questions about admissions and application instructions, please contact [email protected]
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