Aalto Doctoral Programme in Science
Key dates
For applicants
For doctoral students
Teaching and evaluation periods, academic years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 Graduation dates
Doctoral programme committee (meeting schedule and application deadlines)
Application dates and graduation timeline for SCI doctoral students:
Year 2025
| Deadline for doctoral study right applications and other applications (see pre-examination below Table 2) | Doctoral Programme Committee meeting date, date of the Chair's decisions | New doctoral students accepted by the Dean and incentive scholarships granted | Degrees are awarded | Degree diploma ready earliest | Graduation ceremony, at 4 pm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Common at Aalto) | (Common at Aalto) | |||||
| January | Thu 9.1. | Tue 21.1. | Thu 23.1. | Mon 27.1. | approx. 3 weeks after the graduation date | Wed 12.3. |
| February | Tue 30.1. | Tue 11.2. | Thu 13.2. | Mon 24.2. | approx. 3 weeks after the graduation date | Wed 12.3. |
| March | Thu 6.3. | Tue 18.3. | Thu 20.3. | Mon 31.3. | approx. 3 weeks after the graduation date | Wed 11.6. |
| April | Thu 3.4. | Tue 22.4. | Thu 24.4. | Mon 28.4. | approx. 3 weeks after the graduation date | Wed 11.6. |
| May | Tue 8.5. | Tue 20.5. | Thu 22.5. | Mon 26.5. | approx. 3 weeks after the graduation date | Wed 11.6. |
| June | Tue 3.6. | Tue 10.6. | Thu 19.6. | Mon 30.6. | latest mid-August | Wed 8.10. |
| July | N/A | N/A | N/A | Thu 31.7. | approx. 3 weeks after the graduation date | Wed 8.10. |
| August | Thu 14.8. | Tue 26.8. | Thu 28.8. | Mon 25.8. | approx. 3 weeks after the graduation date | Wed 8.10. |
| September | Thu 11.9. | Tue 23.9. | Thu 25.9. | Mon 29.9. | approx. 3 weeks after the graduation date | Wed 8.10. |
| October | Thu 2.10. | Tue 21.10. | Thu 23.10. | Mon 27.10. | approx. 3 weeks after the graduation date | 2026 |
| November | Thu 6.11. | Tue 18.11. | Thu 20.11. | Mon 24.11. | approx. 3 weeks after the graduation date | 2026 |
| December | Tue 2.12. | Tue 16.12. | Thu 18.12. | Wed 31.12. | approx. 3 weeks after the graduation date | 2026 |
Table 1
Pre-examination dates for the Doctoral Programme in Science:
Year 2025
Christmas brake: the DPC does not make decisions between Fri 20.12.2024 - Mon 6.1.2025
Summer holiday: the DPC does not make decisions between Thu 19.6.2025 - Sun 3.8.2025
| Deadline for pre-examination applications | Deadline for sending the doctoral thesis manuscript to the Doctoral Programme | Doctoral Programme Committee meeting | Deadline for the pre-examination statements (examination time 4 weeks) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Tue 7.1. | Tue 14.1. | Tue 21.1. | week 8 |
| February | Tue 28.1. | Tue 4.2. | Tue 11.2. | week 11 |
| March | Tue 4.3. | Tue 11.3. | Tue 18.3. | week 16 |
| April | Tue 8.4. | Tue 15.4. | Tue 22.4. | week 21 |
| May | Tue 6.5. | Tue 13.5. | Tue 20.5. | week 25 |
| June | Tue 3.6. | Tue 10.6. | Tue 17.6. | week 32, 7 weeks |
| July | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| August | Tue 12.8. | Tue 19.8. | Tue 26.8. | week 39 |
| September | Tue 9.9. | Tue 16.9. | Tue 23.9. | week 43 |
| October | Tue 7.10. | Tue 14.10. | Tue 21.10. | week 47 |
| November | Tue 4.11. | Tue 11.11. | Tue 18.11. | week 51 |
| December | Tue 2.12. | Tue 9.12. | Tue 16.12. | week 3 (2026) |
Table 2
Applications from doctoral students regarding the following matters are handled according to the schedules above:
- applications for doctoral studies (table 1)
- The Doctoral Programme in Science invites applications for doctoral studies once a month (except for July) on common Aalto deadlines for the applications.
- Each application is processed in the next possible meeting of the Doctoral Programme Committee when all the required materials have been received. 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.
- Industrial Engineering and Management
- Applications are invited from full-time applicants to the research field of Industrial Engineering and Management once a month (except for July). The deadlines for the applications are identical with those of other research fields in the programme.
- Applicants to part-time doctoral studies in the field of Industrial Engineering and Management may apply twice a year. The applications are processed in the Doctoral Programme Committee meetings of April-May and October-November. Application periods in 2025 are: 10.3.–3.4.2025 and 18.8.–11.9.2025.
- application for graduation (before the DPC meeting where the thesis will be approved)
- pre-examination of the doctoral thesis and examination of the licentiate thesis (table 2)
These applications do not have any specific deadline:
- confirming your study plan
- change of supervising professor, thesis advisor, research field or status (see the decision dates in table 1)
- incentive scholarships (see the decision dates in table 1)
The applications and attachments shall be submitted to Student Services of the Doctoral Programme. Only complete applications will be processed. Supplementing the application may have an effect on its processing date.