91ÇàÇà²Ý

Doctoral education

Steps toward graduation

Instructions for doctoral students on how to request for graduation. Information on official graduation dates and important issues to remember.
Ceremonial conferment, a doctor's hat is placed upon a Doctor's head

Approval of thesis and requesting graduation

After your defence date has been confirmed and your Sisu credit plan has been approved in Sisu, you may request for graduation in Sisu. Please update your contact information at Sisu at the same time, remember especially to update your personal email address. Starting from August 2025, the degree certificates will be delivered via email to both your personal and Aalto email addresses.

Sisu instructions for requesting graduation (aalto.fi)Once you have submitted the request for graduation, you will be able to graduate on the next official graduation date following the approval of your doctoral thesis. 

Your thesis will be approved in your School's Doctoral programme committee's next meeting following your defence, provided that the opponent has had time to submit their statement for the Committee. Opponents must give their statements within 14 days of the public defence. Your doctoral programme will send you the statement. You have the right to give your official written response regarding the statement to the Doctoral programme committee, for example in case you need to point out a grave error in the statement or some other issue that would affect the approval of the thesis.

  • Doctoral theses are graded either pass or fail.
  • Doctoral theses at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture are graded pass with distinction, pass or fail.

Your doctoral programme will inform you of the decision regarding the approval of your thesis.

Official graduation dates at Aalto University

Graduation days 2025
27.1.2025
24.2.2025
31.3.2025
28.4.2025
26.5.2025
30.6.2025
31.7.2025
25.8.2025
29.9.2025
27.10.2025
24.11.2025
31.12.2025

You are able to receive your degree certificate approximately one month after the official graduation date. Your doctoral programme will inform you by email when your degree certificate is ready. Please see more information under "Graduation ceremonies and receiving your diploma certificate" below. Note, the schedule for receiving the certificate will change in autumn 2025 when electronical certificates are taken into use.

Awarding and celebrating doctors

Ceremony Week

The Ceremony Week ends the academic year at Aalto University. Yearly ceremonies include the Graduation Party for masters and bachelors, the ceremonial conferments of doctoral degrees along with exhibitions and discussions.

Aalto University Graduation Party celebration in 2018. Photo by Aalto University / Heli Sorjonen

Conferments

Information, videos and photographs of Aalto University ceremonial conferments

tekniikan_promootio_2016_fi.jpg

Aalto doctoral thesis awards

Top ten percent of doctoral theses are awarded annually at Aalto University

School of Engineering Award

Incentive scholarships for doctoral students

A set of 500e and 2000e incentive scholarships are awarded by application for doctoral students who meet the conditions given.

Dipoli artwork on the wall by Inni Pärnänen / pho91ÇàÇà²Ý Unviersity, Mikko Raskinen

Ready for future challenges

Doctoral graduates of Aalto University in working life

Skills learned during doctoral education are valuable in working life

Tohtorinhatut promootiopäivänä

International doctoral graduates in the workforce – ready for future challenges!

Global competence, good networks, and a doctoral degree are highly valued in the labour markets when companies are looking for game-changers.

Doctors dressed in black celebrating their promotion as doctors

For alumni

As an alum, you are part of Aalto community. Let's stay connected and develop together!

Graduation Party 2022

Career Design for Alumni

The future of work calls for experimentation and lifewide learning for designing a meaningful career path.

Lifewide Learning
  • Updated:
  • Published:
Share
URL copied!