Training (higher university degree)
Training (Master's Programmes)
Welcome to the School of Science's practical training home pages!
Here you can find the practical training (1-10 cr) instructions for the following Master's Programmes:
- Computer, Communication and Information Sciences (SCI majors)
- Engineering Physics
- Industrial Engineering and Management
- Information Networks
- Life Science Technologies (SCI and ELEC majors)
- Mathematics and Operations Research
- SECCLO Erasmus Mundus (2-5 cr)
The purpose of getting work experience is to develop and deepen the knowledge and skills gained during studies. Having work experience also helps in discerning the job opportunities after graduation and creating connections to working life.
Getting work experience from abroad (SCI.itra) is a way of familiarizing oneself with the field of technology in an international environment, getting to know the local culture, and networking within the working community. Working in a country outside Finland will teach you to work in a foreign culture and improve your language skills. Working in a multicultural environment and living abroad will develop your preparedness for working life in a way that working in Finland does not.
From work experience that relates to your field of study, you can get 1 –
10 ECTS, which can be included in your elective studies. Practical
training is not mandatory but very much recommended. You are responsible
for acquiring an internship or a job yourself. Career Services
maintains the Aalto CareerWeb page, which contains information e.g. on jobs
and internships. More information: Other Internship Opportunities (log in as Aalto User).
As a rule, duties performed in the student’s home university, or while holding a position of trust, or student’s own projects are not accepted as practical training.
A suitable time for work experience is when you have started your major studies. However, work experience obtained earlier can be accepted in the following cases:
- Students who are completing their BSc degree: Work experience can be accepted if it has been obtained after you have completed 150 credits towards the BSc degree and the work experience is suitable for the MSc degree.
- Students who completed their BSc degree elsewhere and are undertaking their MSc degree at Aalto: Work experience obtained after 1 August of the year of your admission can be accepted if it is related to your master’s programme. However, in order to reflect your learning experience in the report you have to study at least one course of your programme.
Before starting the job you need to make sure the work place has an instructor who is familiar with your duties and knows what is expected of your position.
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Submitting the application:
Please submit your application with the appendices in the folder below as one pdf document by following the instuctions below.
How are the credits counted?
- Two weeks of working full-time equals one ECTS.
- Part-time job: one ECTS equals 80 hours of work.
- Half credits are not granted.
- It is not possible to combine separate periods of employment: they are all handled separately. Each new employment requires a separate application.
To get credits from your work experience, fill in the form and submit all the required documents to the folder below. The credits will be registered within one month from receiving the application.
- Practical training application (pdf)
- Report on your work experience
- A certificate from your employer. The certificate must state the duration of the employment period, if it was a part- or full-time position, and a list of your duties. In the case of a part-time job, the weekly hours must be specified.
The purpose of the report is to tie your work experience into your studies. The report can be free-form, but it needs to reflect on the following:
- What skills did your duties require?
- How did you benefit from the knowledge and skills gained during your studies?
- What new skills did you acquire?
- What development areas you now find in your skills based on your work experience (e.g. skills related to the substance of your field, communication skills, language skills)?
- How are you planning to develop these areas during your studies?
- How was the work experience relevant to your plans for the future (which direction you want to develop professionally, what do you want to achieve in your career, what kinds of matters and duties you find interesting)?
- What ideas for development do you have concerning your work duties in light of the things you have studied so far?
The report can be 1-2 pages (A4). Feedback on the report is utilized also in the degree programme’s feedback process.
Exceptions for SECCLO Erasmus Mundus students
- Please inform SECCLO study coordinator Laura Mursu about your internship position by filling an online form to which link will be sent to you by email. If you plan to take a position outside EU, please contact the study coordinator in advance.
- Minimum number of credits for the internship is 2 ECTS and maximum 5 ECTS.
- The students keep an online learning diary of their internship (preferably Google docs) and share it with Professor Tuomas Aura and study coordinator.
- When applying for the internship credits, submit the online diary in pdf form as the work experience report.
- You can find the learning goals of SECCLO internship at https://secclo.eu/programme/internship/
Questions?
Please contact:
Computer, Communication and Information Sciences: Paula Nyman (paula.nyman@aalto.fi, 050 401 2490) and Mila Laitinen (mila.laitinen@aalto.fi)
Engineering Physics: Johanna Bovellán (johanna.bovellan@aalto.fi, 050 511 3169)
Industrial Engineering and Management: Anne Johansson (anne.johansson@aalto.fi, 050 560 9502)
Information Networks: Anne Johansson (anne.johansson@aalto.fi, 050 560 9502)
Life Science Technologies: Päivi Koivunen (paivi.koivunen@aalto.fi, 050 590 2456)
Mathematics and Operations Research: Johanna Bovellán (johanna.bovellan@aalto.fi, 050 511 3169)
SECCLO Erasmus Mundus: Laura Mursu (laura.mursu@aalto.fi, +358 50 5122 694)
Computer Science building, 1st floor, Konemiehentie 2, 02150 Espoo
Rooms: B152–B162
Note that you need to enrol for the course in WebOodi before you can submit your application. Submit your application preferably as one pdf-file.