A public research institute, Alto University ranks easily among the top universities in Western Europe, with 6 different schools and departments: School of Arts, Design and Architecture, School of Engineering, School of Business, School of Chemical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering and School of Science. Located in Espoo, Aalto university was formed in 2010 when 3 of Finland’s finest universities (The Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics and the University of Art and Design) merged. Aalto University is Finland’s second largest university, holding around 17,500 students and 4,000 employees.
Why Aalto University?
For international students, deciding on a university in a foreign country will require them to consider some common but important factors. These are location, institution, recognition of the institution, affordability of study and post-graduate opportunities. Aalto University adheres to all these factors in an impressive fashion. Being ranked as a top European university, Aalto possesses various accreditations that allow students to stand out in the crowd. With over 13 programmes taught in English, international candidates have the option to choose from fields of Art, Design, Business, Economics, Science, Engineering and Technology. With the main campus located in Helsinki’s metropolitan area, the university provides an optimum experience for studying, living and even leisure.
Finland is the hottest study destination as of today. With government policies concerned with international students being reformed in April, Finland allows their international students many benefits that other competing nations fail to provide. These may be in terms of visa, working hours or post-study opportunities. Even without mentioning these, Finland is still an attractive destination just because of the amazing experiences it offers. Located in the north of Europe, Finland is a land filled with natural beauty and one of the most meticulous and friendly communities. Although the thought of adjusting to long winters of snow might seem like a discomforting practice, it is an experience that shapes a person to lead a hardworking and diligent lifestyle.
Available Programmes and Courses at Aalto University
Aalto University offers various programmes in English both at Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. Below is a list of all these study options:
Aalto University Ranking
Aalto University is held in high regards by some of the most prestigious ranking systems of the world. Times Higher Education (THE) has placed Aalto in the 40th position for being an international university, while QS Ranking has placed the School or Arts, Design and Architecture on the 6th position. For Technology, it has secured the 100s positions from THE, QS, NTU and US News Rankins. For Business, it has been placed in the top 70s globally and top 40s in Europe by THE, NTU, US News and several other rankings; and for ICT field, it has been consistently placed in the top 100s globally and top 20s in Europe.
Educational Requirement for Aalto University
There is no specific level of education requirements for admission into Aalto University. For example, high CGPAs or high grades.
However, students must complete high school education to be eligible for undergraduate programmes and complete Bachelor’s to be eligible for graduate programmes.
English Proficiency Requirements for Aalto University
For Master’s level of study, students must have one of the following accepted language proficiency certifications.
IELTS Academic: Overall score must be 6.5 and writing score cannot be less than 5.5.
TOEFL: Score of 92 with the writing division not being less than 22.
PTE A: Score of 62 with the writing division not being less than 54.
There are other forms of English proficiency that the university accepts, but the above-mentioned ones are the most common.
How to Apply to Study at Aalto University
As all universities in Finland are public education institutions, they are governed by the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI). They oversee all the international student traffic via their online portal called Studyinfo. Therefore, for Aalto University, the application procedure is the same as other Finnish universities, through the portal. However, before applying there are other crucial preparations that need to be had.
Students need to properly research their desired career paths and select a programme that aligns with their field of profession.
After the selection of the programme, they need to make sure to note the application dates (opening and closing of the application gate) and start preparing all the required documents. These might include secondary and higher secondary (or equivalent) certificates and transcripts. For graduate programmes, Bachelor’s certificates and transcripts are definitely required. Applicants should make sure to check the English Proficiency requirements for the desired programme and have a valid passport ready.
After preparing everything, applicants are then ready to apply. They need to visit the website (studyinfo.fi) and carefully read all the instructions to submit the application. Next, they should find the programme they decided on through their search bar and submit all the required documents to the portal. In a couple of weeks, applicants should be notified of their results and be sent an offer letter. If conditional offer letter is received, prepare all the due documents before the deadline specified and apply for the unconditional offer letter. Once that is received, students should accept the offer and he/she is now enrolled.
Scholarship Opportunities by Aalto University
Scholarships in Finland are only attainable by candidates who are liable to pay tuition fees, such as citizens outside of EEA/EU or Switzerland. Aalto University offers several scholarship programs for international students. To apply for a scholarship, there are no separate forms to fill out. It is a part of the application form of admission and an assessment is made based on the academic evaluation of the applicant. The decision of scholarship is given at the same time as the decision for admission.
There is a limited number of scholarships available for each of the study programmes.
Aalto University Scholarship Programme
This is a merit-based scholarship programme and the funds are allocated to applicants on a competitive basis. These grants are tuition fee waivers, covering either 50% or 100% of the university study cost.
Aalto University Incentive Scholarship Programme
This is an incentive-based scholarship programme awarded to students who are performing well in their studies in the programme. The condition is to complete 60 ECTS credits in the academic year. The grant is EUR 1,500 and is given in the following academic year.
Finland Scholarship for Master Students
This is a merit-based scholarship programme and the funds are allocated to applicants on a competitive basis. These grants are tuition fee waivers, covering 100% of the university study cost, with an additional EUR 5000 for student’s first year expenses. The extra is paid only during the first academic year.
