Postgraduate studies can be funded and undertaken in a variety of ways. You can pursue postgraduate studies, for example, while working as an assistant at the University or in a graduate school. You can also fund your studies with grants and scholarships.
International postgraduate students are strongly recommended to apply for scholarships, grants or other financial aid from sponsors in their home countries as well as from international foundations or other sources. International postgraduate students are usually required to be financially self-sufficient, as TUT is able to offer scholarships only in a very few cases.
Postgraduate students' employment at TUT
Assistant positions are sometimes available for international postgraduate students at TUT. In addition to teaching classes, assistants attend postgraduate courses and conduct scientific research. Assistant positions and positions in graduate schools are filled based on an open application procedure. In addition, TUT strives to employ postgraduate students in research projects carried out at the University. Postgraduate students can also work as researchers at TUT's departments and other institutes and units.
CIMO (Centre for International Mobility)
CIMO grants scholarships for young researchers (postgraduate students who have completed a master's level degree) to study at a Finnish university. There are two types of scholarships available:
1) Individual scholarships applied for by the researchers themselves
2) Host fellowships applied for by Finnish higher education institutions wishing to host researchers and postgraduates.
The CIMO Fellowships programme is open to young researchers (post-master's level but not post-doctorate) from all countries and from all academic fields. The scholarship periods vary from 3 to 12 months. The scholarship covers the living expenses in Finland for one person. Travel expenses to and from Finland are not covered by CIMO. In order to apply, the visiting researcher must have established a contact with a Finnish host university. The Finnish higher education institution wishing to host the visiting researcher applies for the grant from CIMO.
The Finnish Government Scholarship Pool offers 3- to 9-month scholarships for postgraduate studies to conduct research or teach at a higher education institution in Finland. The scholarships are based mainly on cultural agreements or similar arrangements between Finland and the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.
Applications to the Finnish Government Scholarship Pool are made to the appropriate authority in the applicant's home country. For more information, please see: http://finland.cimo.fi/scholarships/postgraduate_studies_and_research/
Scholarships and grants
External support is available for costs and lost income arising from postgraduate studies. Many foundations grant research scholarships every year. Funds that operate on a national level advertise their application deadlines and procedures in national newspapers. Information on locally operating funds can be found in regional newspapers.
Doctoral graduates receive a grant from TUT. The grant is intended to cover the costs of completing a dissertation.
Research funding from the Academy of Finland
Appropriations for research are allocated to the Academy of Finland from the state budget. Most of these appropriations are granted to high-quality research projects and the Finnish Centres of Excellence in Research.
Postgraduate students can personally apply for research funding from the Academy of Finland. In recent years, funding has primarily been granted to research groups. When funding decisions are made, the Academy considers the participation of postgraduate students in the research group to be an advantage.