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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 in Sisu at the same time. Remember especially to update your personal email address. Starting from August 2025, the links to degree certificate documents 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 2026
26.1.2026
16.2.2026
30.3.2026
27.4.2026
25.5.2026
29.6.2026
31.7.2026
31.8.2026
28.9.2026
26.10.2026
23.11.2026
31.12.2026

You are able to receive your degree certificate approximately two weeks after the official graduation date. Please see more information under "Receiving your diploma certificate" below. 

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