Corporate collaboration

Commission a Master's thesis

By commissioning a Master's thesis, your organisation will have access to the latest research in the field, an additional resource for work that is not yet done, and possibly a new talent for a longer-term employment relationship. This page will help you to find out how to recruit a Master's thesis worker from Aalto University, understand the different ways to commission a thesis, and get practical advice on how to carry out the project.
Opiskelija työskentelemässä tietokoneen ääressä
Photo: Aleksi Poutanen

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A Master's thesis is public academic paper in which a student uses the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their studies to solve a specific problem. One possible source for thesis topics is design, development or research projects that companies have.

The thesis can be done either as a purely academic study or in collaboration with a company, research institute or other external organisation, in which case the research topic is related to the business or research areas of that organisation. A large proportion of Aalto Master's students work on their thesis in cooperation with an external organisation.

Please note that the thesis guidelines for students can be found in the Student Guide under the website of the degree programme: choose the programme -> During studies -> Thesis.

Why commission a thesis

When commissioning a Master's thesis, your organisation will benefit in many ways:

  • You get access to the latest research in the field and get to apply theoretical knowledge to a practical problem.
  • You get an employee resource to a research project or other project.
  • You get to know a student who, after the thesis project, will be well equipped to continue working in your company as a longer-term employee.

Where to find a thesis worker

If your company has an open thesis position or a suitable research topic for a Master's student, you can publish a thesis advertisement free of charge on Aalto JobTeaser. Students search thesis positions at different times of the year. They are particularly active in late autumn and the beginning of the year, which is something to take into account when posting your thesis advertisement.

Aalto-yliopisto/Aino Huovio

Aalto JobTeaser- Recruit a student

We help employers recruit Aalto University students by publishing work and internship adverts as well as thesis and project assignments in Aalto JobTeaser.

Services

Recruitment events

You can also find students looking for thesis positions at the Aalto Talent Expo in November and the Summer Job Dayin January. We also encourage companies to offer a thesis placement to an international student – you can reach our international students who are looking for thesis positions at the free Aalto Thesis Dayevent in the autumn.

Students meeting companies in a networking event.

Aalto Thesis Day 2024

Meet Aalto's international Master’s students and find a thesis worker for your company's research or development project.

Events
Text Talent Expo - Aalto University's largest recruitment event in black backround

Talent Expo

Aalto University’s contact and recruitment event brings together students and employers of arts, business, design and technology.

People networking at a career event inside a lobby area.

The first Aalto Thesis Fair brought together 13 companies and over 200 international students

The aim of the first Thesis Fair was to help international students find master’s thesis positions and open doors to the Finnish labour market.

News
The Aalto-EIT Matchmaking kicks-off after introductory presentations.

Aalto-EIT Masters Matchmaking Event 2023

“Aalto-EIT Masters Matchmaking” event was organized to support international top talents find industrial thesis positions in Finland.

News

Topic for the Master's thesis

A Master's thesis can cover design, development or research topics, and it usually takes about 6 months for the student to complete. Although there is a wide range of possible topics for a thesis, it must always be related to the student's field of studies. Previous theses can be viewed on the Aaltodoc website.

The company may propose a thesis topic, but the student must always approve the topic according to the process of their degree programme and agree on the academic supervisor/advisor for the thesis. The official supervisor/advisor of the thesis must be an Aalto University professor or other suitable academic person. The research topic and its scope must always meet the requirements of an academic thesis, which may sometimes conflict with the expectations of the company. It is therefore important that the company leaves some flexibility in the research topic and negotiates possible details with the supervising professor of the thesis.

Different ways for thesis assignment

There are several different ways for a company to commission a thesis. These differ in terms of who is the contract party: the student, the university or a support foundation. This also affects how much of a role the company plays in supervising the student.

Research projects

A Master's thesis is often part of a larger research project, or the thesis topic might require sparring with academic staff. Aalto University's Corporate Relations team can help you find the right contact person for this.

Contact us at Aalto Corporate Relations
Research on carbon dioxide capture and storage

‘I wanted to add the business dimension to chemical engineering and to understand how innovations are created’

Emilia Tognetty, who is working on her master's thesis, is investigating how industrial carbon dioxide can be commercially utilised.

News
Kuvassa miehiä ja naisia pöydän ympärillä tietokoneitten kanssa keskustelemassa.

A master's thesis is a bridge to the world of work: cooperation between Aalto and Nokia breeds future ICT experts

Many Aalto University ICT students complete their master's thesis in Nokia's product development teams. These projects generate new ideas for business.

Corporate collaboration

Costs of thesis work

If your company recruits a student as a thesis worker, it's regarded as a paid employment relationship. The amount of the salary is up to the company, but it should at least meet the work requirement of Kela (€1399 per month in 2024). There are also sector-specific salary recommendations for thesis work, which you can read more about via the links below.

TEK: Salary recommendation for Master's thesis in the field of technology

Suomen Ekonomit: Salary recommendation for Master's thesis in the field of business

Ornamo: Salary recommendations in the field of design

If your company commissions the thesis (i.e. the student is not recruited as an employee in the company), a fee or a compensation is paid for the thesis project, the amount of which is agreed with the student.

If the company makes a donation for a support foundation, it will make a deed of gift to the foundation specifying the amount of the donation. The general donation amount to fund a Master's thesis is €15,000, of which 80 % is directed to the student, tax-free, to carry out the thesis. The donation is also tax deductible for the company.

When the thesis is carried out as part of a contract research project at Aalto University, a project agreement is negotiated with the university department concerned. The project agreement defines the price of the work, IPR rights, time schedule and other relevant issues. The university then recruits a student to carry out the thesis work under a contract with the university.

What to consider when recruiting a thesis worker

When you are planning to recruit a thesis worker from Aalto University, it is good to understand the thesis process also from the student's and the university's point of view.

Kaksi naista tekemässä kankaisia rintamerkkejä. Kuva: Marko Oikarinen / Aalto-yliopisto

Corporate collaboration

Research collaboration strengthens expertise and future business development. New product and service ideas are created in study projects. Our campus offers an inspiring operating and networking environment. At Aalto's recruitment events, companies meet the top talents of the future.

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