If you are planning on applying to Aalto and you wonder about graduation or if you are going to start writing your thesis soon, you might find this post helpful. One of the Aalto Squad members shares ways how to find a master’s thesis position.

1. Research group

You can write your thesis and conduct the research in one of the research groups at the university. The Functional Materials major has its own My Courses page that lists open positions. So do some other programs. Students can pick one of the topics and contact the professor. These are usually unpaid unless there is suitable funding in the research group. However, you can apply for funding. If you study at Aalto CHEM, you could send an application to, for example, TES or Fortum and Neste Foundation. You can also suggest your own idea to the professor. If you already work in a research group, it is much easier to just continue working there, but for joining a research group you might have to send an official e-mail with a request and attach your CV. In some programs like Design, this option is not popular.

2. Aalto Thesis

Aalto Thesis lists projects open for applications. The topics of the theses are proposed by companies and usually, the given challenge is solved in a team of 2-4 students from different backgrounds. This year, Valmet, a company working in the pulp, paper, and energy industries field, offered two topics. One of the projects is still looking for applicants!

3. Company

Many companies in Finland and abroad offer paid thesis positions. However, you have to keep in mind the intellectual property rights as you might not be allowed to publish all results from your experiments. This can complicate your graduation and the final grade of your work might be lower than it would be in other cases. You can also combine such a thesis position with work at the university in one of the research groups. It is also possible to conduct summer research in some companies and submit the thesis after 3 months only. One big advantage is that there is a possibility that you would be offered by the company a permanent job after graduation. To find a thesis position in a company in Finland, you can take a look at Aalto Job Teaser.

4. Another university

It is possible to contact a research group from another university. Aalto offers some financial support for students to cover transportation costs and some of the living expenses. The scholarship amounts usually to 1 500 Euros. You can also do your thesis within the Erasmus+ exchange or internship program.

Good luck with your thesis!

Katarzyna Wojdalska
Functional Materials
Aalto study options
Contact email: aaltosquad(at)aalto.fi