Toolkit for Doctoral Studies –
the 15th of September 2016
Aalto CHEM
Sirje Liukko
https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Homepage
Sirje Liukko
Agenda
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General information of doctoral studies
Practical issues
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Registration, student status, annual enrollment (weboodi)
Study plan
Studies at other Finnish universities
Joo study right for course organised by another university
Advisory board https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Advisory+board
Annual study survey
Aalto CHEM funded positions for doctoral students
Incentive scholarships at Aalto
https://into.aalto.fi/download/attachments/1016727/Aallon_jatkostipendit_eng_C
HEM_November_2012.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1352970444000
Valid until end of 2017
Steps towards your doctoral dissertation and graduation
– Requirements for the doctoral degree
– Future plans
Doctoral education at Aalto University School
of Chemical Technology (CHEM)
• Aalto CHEM consists of four departments.
• 180 active doctoral students
• The annual doctoral graduation figures
D.Sc. and
CHEM
CHEM
D.Ph. degrees
degrees
2011
2011
2012
2012
2013
2013
2014
2015
2014
22
23
22
23
25
Aalto Aalto University
166
192
25 35
229
35 40
219
166
192
229
219
Doctoral studies
• A total of 6 schools – of which 5 can grant D.Sc.
(Tech.) degrees
• Each school selects their students independently
• Intake of new doc.students at CHEM on year 2015
was 47 (incl. 8 part-time students)
• Registration after granting study right
• Enrollment each year from May-early Sep.; if late, pay
re-enrolment fee
• Aalto level general rules and regulations and at school
level detailed instructions
• Always check first
https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Homepage
for more information
Theoretical Studies for the Doctoral Degree
Theoretical studies: total 40 cr. (ECTS)
https://into.aalto.fi/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=8426517
Find doctoral level courses at
https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralcourses/Homepage
Doctoral level courses at CHEM https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Courses
Research field studies 20-35 cr.
• Doctoral level studies (doctoral level courses are typically organised by
universities and national graduate schools)
• Literature exams, literature work and other individual studies.
– Appr. 70-100 pages -> 1 cr.
– 27-28 hours of work gives 1 study credit
Scientific practices and principles 5-20 cr.
• Incl. various topics and fields, also pedagogic studies designed for university
teaching, instruction of thesis, patenting course etc.
Requirements for the doctoral degree
1) Accepted doctoral dissertation
The main emphasis of doctoral studies is on research work
2) Theoretical studies: total of 40 study credits (ECTS)
– Research field studies 20-35 cr.
– Scientific practices and principles 5-20 cr.
https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Theoretical+stu
dies+40+cr.
• If theoretical studies are completed in conjunction with
the licentiate degree (Lic.Sc.(Tech.)), the doctoral
dissertation is the only further requirement
Joo-study right for another Finnish
university
How to proceed if you want to accomplish a doctoral level
course at another Finnish university
– Is similar course available at Aalto University?
– Ask study secretary or Leena or Sirje to return the previous study
plan (electronic eAge)
– Update your study plan and ask professor’s acceptance for it
– Submit the updated study plan at eAge system
– Fill-in the electronic Joo-application
https://haku.joopas.fi/litu/disp/en/kirjaudu/tab/tab/sea?page=0&men
uid=1
-> Based on your official study plan, Sirje accepts Joo and your
request will be send to the host university
– After the course and exam are done, ask for study transcript from
the host university and submit the original document to study
secretary
Advisory group
• Supervising professor, 1-3 Thesis instructors, 1-2 outside
members (no direct link to the doc. thesis research),
administrative member. Doc. Programme Committee
members have right to attend the board meetings.
• Each student’s achievements and targets must be considered
separately. Active support and feedback.
• Aalto CHEM’s instructions for advisory group
https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Advisory+group
Advisory group meetings
- 1st meeting (10-12 months) presentation of plans
- 2nd meeting (17-19 months) evaluation of progress and
update of a finalizing plan
- 3rd meeting (25-30 months) revision of the finalizing plan,
plans for pre-examination, career planning, etc.
- 4th meeting (36-40 months)
Aalto University – rules for doctoral
studies
• Aalto University: academic research ethics and handling of
violations https://into.aalto.fi/display/enregulations/Homepage
• Degree regulations
• Aalto’s quality requirements for doctoral dissertations
https://into.aalto.fi/download/attachments/1016722/decision_
AAK_2015_12_01_dissertation.docx?version=3&modification
Date=1453983819801&api=v2
• Electronic doctoral dissertations are published at
https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/51
Aalto CHEM’s quality requirements for
doctoral dissertations
General quality requirements for doctoral thesis manuscripts
Your evaluation of this
thesis:
Top 20% (i.e. Excellent)
Pass
Fail
1. A dissertation must contain new scientific findings in its
area of research
2. Methods, experimental setups, measurements, and the data
presented in a dissertation should withstand the scrutiny
appropriate for scientific research
3. The doctoral candidate presents his/her achievements and
assertions clearly and scientifically
Compared to other recent dissertations accepted by preexaminer’s own university or research field, this manuscript
is in my opinion
Incentive scholarships for the doctoral
students (applicable until end of 2017)
• 500 euro scholarship
for the first scientific article, in which the doctoral
candidate is one of the main authors, published on
a publication forum specified by the Aalto school*
• 500 euro scholarship
for doctoral candidate who has, within one year and 6
months of the date of admission to pursue doctoral studies,
completed the theoretical studies (40 credits) in
accordance with his/her individual study plan approved for
the postgraduate degree.
Student Services for Doctoral Students
• NN (Study Secretary) tel.+358 50 5222 381
Sirje Liukko (Planning Officer) tel.+358 50 577 3736
Leena Hauhio (Planning Officer) tel.+358 50 911 7145
• Kemistintie 1, rooms C222 and C202b
• Opening hours: Thu. 10-16 and Fri 10-16.
• E-mail [email protected]
• https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Homepage
Co-supervision and co-tutelle agreements
Co-supervision
• Supervising professor from Aalto CHEM and from partner university
• 1-3 Thesis instructors – doctoral degree, no other requirements
No more than one instructor from each institution
• Each student case must be considered separately
• Aalto’s instructions and supervision plan
https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Supervision%2C+duties
+and+responsibilities+at+the+doctoral+education
Co-tutelle agreements
• Produced with university lawyers
• Agreement between two universities, and for each doctoral student
Instructions for the article-based and
monograph dissertation at School of
Chemical Technology (Aalto CHEM)
dissertations
• See link
https://into.aalto.fi/download/attachments/1016722/A%2
0memo%20Instructions_dissertation%20jan20_2016_M
L.doc?version=1&modificationDate=1453979883526&a
pi=v2
Aalto CHEM dissertations – article based
thesis
If the dissertation consists of several articles, they shall deal
with the same scientific question or set of questions. The
summary shall contain an explanation of the research subject,
the most important results achieved by the candidate, and a list
of the articles mentioned above; if necessary it should elucidate
the articles further.
• Original publications
• All publications must be published in refereed, international
scientific series; a literature review can not be included
• At the early stage of pre-examination, the manuscript may
include one or two submitted manuscripts that have not yet
been accepted for publication
Aalto CHEM dissertations – monograph
A monograph must include previously unpublished results of
independent research.
• The author must play a distinct, major role in forming the research
problem, carrying out the research, in writing the dissertation and
formulating the results.
• A monograph must meet scholarly criteria equivalent to an article
dissertation
• A monograph does not contain a separate list of the candidate's
publications; all references to such publications, however relevant
they are to the dissertation, are included in the list of references.
• Doctoral students are always strongly encouraged to publish peer
reviewed articles since the knowledge of publication process as a
whole is highly important to a researcher.
GET TOGETHER
Members of Doctoral Programme
Committee at Aalto CHEM
Prof. Markus Linder (BK) - chair
Prof. Sirkka-Liisa Jämsä-Jounela (BK) – deputy chair
Prof. Mark Hughes (P)
Prof. Pekka Taskinen (MT)
Prof. Monika Österberg (P)
Prof. Jan Deska (KE) – deputy member
Prof. Mauri Kostiainen (BK) – deputy member
Secretary Sirje Liukko
Instructions for the pre-examination
How to choose pre-examiners
https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Preliminary+examination+of+m
anuscript
Instructions for pre-examination see link
https://into.aalto.fi/download/attachments/3225406/guidelines+for+pre_ex
amination_CHEM_AALTO_version_2012.doc?version=1&modificationDat
e=1327336019000
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1. A dissertation must contain new scientific findings in its area of
research.
2. Methods, experimental setups, measurements, and the data
presented in a dissertation should withstand the scrutiny appropriate
for scientific research.
3. The author is to present his/her achievements and assertions clearly
and scientifically.
An example of the average preexamination process
For an average case (i.e. only minor corrections) a total of 3 Doctoral
Progr. Committee meetings and 1 decision by Committee’s chairman are
needed before the defence
• 1st meeting for the acceptance of the two pre-examiners (this starts the
pre-examination process)
The next 7-8 weeks are reserved for the pre-examination
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2nd meeting for evaluation of the pre-examination statements.
Decision: how much revision of manuscript is needed.
3rd meeting for the evaluation of the response report (corrections and
comments). Decision: permission to publish the dissertation (the end of
the pre-examination process).
Chairman’s decision of defence (date, opponent(s), custos and
language) – No fixed schedule for this decision
– At latest 5-6 weeks before the defence day
Schedule for the Committee’s meetings
https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Doctoral+Programme+in+
Chemical+Technology
Preparations for the defence
• Printed dissertations are published usually at Aalto’s publication
series
https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Publishing+your+doctoral+thesis
https://inside.aalto.fi/display/AboutAalto/Aalto+publication+series
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Also electronic version of the dissertation
Opponent, custos, date and place for the defence
Defence release, other material for the media use
Lectio Praecursoria
Instructions for the defence
https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Instructions+for+oppone
nt
• Meeting with the opponent(s)
• Post-doctoral party
Steps for the graduation
After the defence, one Doctoral Progr. Committee meeting is needed
before the graduation
• At Doctoral Progr. Committee meeting: the acceptance of the
doctoral dissertation and grading (pass or pass with distinction).
• Dean’s decision for graduation. Graduation day appr. once per
month
• Total time needed for graduation after defence is typically 1-4 weeks
• The Dean of the School presents the diploma (degree certificate) at
a ceremonious graduation ceremony.
Schedule for the Committee’s meetings and graduation
https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralchem/Doctoral+Programme+in+
Chemical+Technology
Ceremonial Conferment of Doctoral
Degrees
Ceremonial Conferment of Doctoral Degrees
The Aalto University schools of technology celebrate their 25th
ceremonial conferment of doctoral degrees on 2018 – if you
graduate June 2018 latest!
School of Chemical Technology
16.9.2016
23
Academic appeals
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Section 35 Grade appeals
Students dissatisfied with the grade of their doctoral dissertation, licentiate thesis or
master’s thesis may appeal against the grade to the Degree Committee within 14 days of
receiving notification of the decision.
Students dissatisfied with the grading of a study attainment other than those mentioned in
subsection 1, may appeal against it either orally or in writing to the teacher in charge of the
evaluation. The appeal against a grade of a study attainment shall be filed within 14 days
of the date on which the student has been offered the opportunity to see the results and
the evaluation criteria applied to their study attainment.
The teacher in charge of the evaluation must give the decision regarding the appeal in
writing. Students who are dissatisfied with the decision of the teacher regarding the appeal
may appeal the matter to the Degree Committee within 14 days of receiving notification of
the decision.
The Aalto University Academic Affairs Committee will issue orders the regarding the
procedures followed by the Degree Committee.
MASTER’S THESIS, LICENTIATE THESIS, DOCTORAL THESIS
A student dissatisfied with the grading of a thesis may apply for a rectification of the
decision in written from Aalto University Degree Committee (Aalto-yliopiston
tutkintolautakunta) within 14 days of receiving the notification of the decision. The appeal
letter must be received by the Aalto University Registry.