Aalto University Creative Sustainability Master’s Thesis Guide for CHEM Students: 2026–2028 Curriculum

Aalto University’s Master’s Programme in Creative Sustainability is deliberately multidisciplinary, but its thesis administration is not identical across the three participating schools. Students entering through the School of Chemical Engineering graduate with a Master of Science (Technology), and their current 2026–2028 curriculum and thesis process must be read through the CHEM route rather than through the ARTS or School of Business routes.

This distinction is important. The current Creative Sustainability curriculum gives ARTS students a separate 4 ECTS Thesis Seminar and Business students a separate 2 ECTS Master’s Thesis Seminar. For Creative Sustainability CHEM students, the curriculum instead lists a 30 ECTS Master’s thesis and a 0 ECTS maturity test, with no separate thesis-seminar credit line. School of Chemical Engineering instructions explain that the 30 ECTS thesis project itself includes the thesis report, maturity test and a seminar or presentation related to the project.

This guide therefore applies only to Creative Sustainability students whose degree is administered by the School of Chemical Engineering.

Where the thesis fits in the current Creative Sustainability CHEM degree

The Creative Sustainability CHEM study option is a two-year, 120 ECTS Master of Science (Technology) programme taught in English. Its academic identity combines multidisciplinary sustainability studies with materials and chemical engineering.

The current CHEM route includes joint Creative Sustainability studies such as systems thinking, sustainability in business, design approaches to sustainability, materials for a world in transition, capstone work and creativity for sustainability. School-specific studies include materials engineering for a circular future, recycling technologies and a selection of engineering and sustainability courses.

At the end of the degree, the current curriculum lists:

• Master’s Thesis: 30 ECTS;
• Maturity Test: 0 ECTS;
• thesis placement in the second year.

There is no separate current CS-CHEM thesis-seminar ECTS line. Do not import the ARTS 4 ECTS seminar or Business 2 ECTS seminar into this route.

What the 30 ECTS CHEM thesis project includes

Current School of Chemical Engineering thesis guidance defines the Master’s thesis as a 30-credit project undertaken near the end of the degree. It consists of the thesis report together with the maturity test and a seminar or presentation connected to the project.

That distinction matters when planning credits. The presentation is a real completion requirement, but it is not evidence of a separate additional-credit seminar for Creative Sustainability CHEM students.

The project should solve a problem related to the student’s field and advanced studies. For a Creative Sustainability CHEM student, a viable topic may connect sustainability with materials, bioproducts, circular economy, recycling, life-cycle questions, industrial processes, resource efficiency or another area of chemical/materials engineering that fits the student’s advanced studies and supervision environment.

These examples do not create one compulsory method. A sustainability-focused technology thesis might use laboratory work, modelling, process analysis, life-cycle methods, techno-economic analysis, material characterization, qualitative evidence, systems analysis or a combination. The correct design depends on the research question and must be academically approved.

Start by finding a suitable supervisor and topic

The CHEM process begins with a suitable topic and an eligible thesis supervisor. Aalto advises students to contact relevant professors and research groups early, because potential thesis projects may come from university research, companies, collaborative projects or the student’s own proposal.

A company may commission or support the work, and a thesis may also be completed at Aalto, abroad or without external funding. In every case, the School’s academic requirements remain controlling. A company cannot define the academic scope independently of the Aalto supervisor.

Before confirming a company project, clarify:

• whether the topic is academically suitable for a 30 ECTS Master’s thesis;
• what research question will be answered;
• what data, laboratory resources, software or external access will be available;
• who will supervise the thesis at Aalto;
• who will act as advisor or advisors;
• how publication, intellectual property and potentially sensitive material will be handled;
• what timetable is realistic.

Supervisor and advisor structure

A CHEM thesis is completed with a supervisor and one or two advisors.

The current School of Chemical Engineering rules allow several eligible Aalto academic staff categories to supervise Master’s theses, not only full professors. The detailed eligibility decision belongs to the current School process. If supervision crosses school boundaries, the programme and School must confirm that the topic belongs to the student’s advanced studies and that the supervision arrangement is acceptable.

The thesis advisor is an expert in the topic and must hold at least a Master’s degree. An advisor may represent a company or other cooperating organisation, or may be an Aalto researcher or doctoral researcher with relevant expertise.

The supervisor safeguards the academic standard and ultimately proposes the thesis grade. Advisors normally provide more continuous practical and subject-specific guidance. At the start, the student, supervisor and advisor or advisors should agree who comments on the research plan, how often progress will be reviewed, who comments on drafts and how decisions will be documented.

MyStudies: formalising the start

Once the topic and supervision arrangement are ready, the starting information is submitted through the Thesis tab in MyStudies.

The current CHEM process requires information including the thesis topic, language, supervisor and advisor or advisors. The supervisor approves the topic and language and appoints the advisor or advisors, while the programme-level approval process confirms the supervisor.

Students should not leave this administrative step until the end of the project. The formal thesis record should match the actual academic project and supervision arrangement.

Before starting, CHEM guidance also expects the relevant study prerequisites and personal study plan to be in order. If the thesis supervisor is outside the School of Chemical Engineering, additional programme confirmation may be needed to ensure that the topic belongs to the student’s advanced studies.

Build a research proposal before full execution

Current CHEM guidance places strong emphasis on a research proposal. The proposal should clarify matters such as:

• background and theoretical framework;
• research problem and research questions;
• main objective and intermediate objectives;
• research methods;
• timetable and possible budget;
• analysis, synthesis and expected conclusions.

For Creative Sustainability CHEM, this is especially useful because sustainability problems can easily become too broad. A topic such as “circular economy” or “sustainable materials” is not yet a thesis question. The proposal should narrow the system boundary, object of analysis, evidence and intended contribution.

The proposal can be refined as the research develops, but the project should remain a realistic 30 ECTS academic assignment.

Workload and realistic timetable

The current School of Chemical Engineering baseline for a 30 ECTS thesis is about 800 hours, usually around five months of work.

This is a planning baseline rather than a promise that every experimental or externally commissioned project will move at exactly the same speed. Special circumstances, concurrent studies or the nature of the research may justify an extended execution period if agreed with the supervisor and advisors.

CHEM guidance nevertheless keeps the academic workload tied to the 30 ECTS scope. Extending the calendar should not silently turn the thesis into a much larger research project.

The thesis deadline should be agreed between the student and supervisor and should be no later than one year from the starting date. A sensible project therefore needs both a working schedule and a scope-control mechanism.

Writing and evidence

Creative Sustainability CHEM covers diverse engineering and sustainability questions, so there is no one universal public chapter template or mandatory research method for every thesis.

A technically oriented thesis will usually need to make the research problem, relevant literature, method, evidence, results, limitations and conclusions clear. The precise structure should follow the current CHEM writing guidance, disciplinary conventions and supervisor instructions.

Do not impose an unsupported universal word count, page count or citation style. The quality of the thesis depends on whether the report presents a coherent and adequately evidenced research project at Master’s level, not whether it matches a generic internet template.

Presentation requirement

The finished Master’s thesis requires a seminar or presentation related to the project before final approval and evaluation.

Students should agree the presentation timing and format with the supervisor as the project approaches completion. The current School guidance does not make this a separate Creative Sustainability CHEM credit line, so the presentation should be planned as part of the 30 ECTS thesis process.

The presentation is also useful as a final quality-control point: it requires the student to explain the problem, method, main results, limitations and contribution clearly to an academic or professional audience.

Maturity test

The current Creative Sustainability CHEM curriculum lists the maturity test as 0 ECTS.

Under current School of Chemical Engineering practice, the thesis abstract functions as the Master’s-level maturity test. The supervisor approves its content. Language requirements can vary depending on the student’s language of education and whether language proficiency has previously been demonstrated, so students should check the current CHEM instructions for their own case.

Aalto’s current AI guidance is particularly important here: AI use is prohibited in maturity exams. Because the thesis abstract serves as the maturity test in the current CHEM process, students should treat that assessed maturity component according to the current prohibition.

For other thesis work, Aalto permits AI to support learning unless a teacher or assessment rule restricts it, but the student remains responsible for the content submitted and must follow current disclosure and academic-integrity requirements.

Public thesis and confidential project material

The Master’s thesis is a public academic document.

This is crucial for company projects and sustainability research involving proprietary industrial information. Confidential source material, trade secrets or commercially sensitive details cannot simply turn the approved academic thesis into a confidential document.

Students should identify publication constraints at the start and design the public report accordingly. If sensitive information is needed for the underlying project, discuss with the supervisor and external partner what may be kept outside the public thesis and how the academic argument can still be evaluated.

Electronic archiving and optional online publication settings should not be confused with confidentiality. The academic thesis itself remains public under the School framework.

Final submission, PDF/A and evaluation

When the supervisor considers the final version ready, the student receives permission to submit the thesis for evaluation through MyStudies.

The current CHEM process uses electronic archiving in PDF/A. The final submission and thesis record must therefore be prepared carefully before the approval deadline.

The supervisor evaluates the thesis and submits the evaluation statement, and the CHEM Degree Programme Committee approves and evaluates the thesis according to the School schedule.

Students should build the committee calendar into their planning rather than assuming that submission automatically produces immediate approval.

Graduation planning for Creative Sustainability CHEM students

Aalto maintains a specific graduation page for Creative Sustainability Chemical Engineering students.

When applying for graduation:

• all other degree courses except the Master’s thesis should be completed and registered in Sisu;
• the sections of the primary study plan should be valid and approved;
• the student should be enrolled as attending on the graduation date;
• the graduation request is submitted through the primary study plan in Sisu.

Aalto allows the student to apply for thesis approval and graduation by the same application deadline when the other conditions are met.

The School of Chemical Engineering publishes committee dates for thesis approval and also separate graduation-only dates. A graduation-only date cannot be used for a new thesis approval because no CHEM Degree Programme Committee meeting is attached to it. Always recheck the live schedule before committing to a submission date.

A realistic CS-CHEM workflow

1. Define the engineering-sustainability problem

Start from a problem that belongs to your advanced studies and can be answered within a 30 ECTS project. Avoid topics that are only broad sustainability themes without a researchable technical or analytical question.

2. Secure supervision and project conditions

Find the Aalto supervisor and one or two advisors. If a company is involved, clarify resources, access, publication boundaries, intellectual property, timetable and responsibilities before the work expands.

3. Formalise the start in MyStudies

Submit the required topic, language, supervisor and advisor information through the Thesis tab and complete the current approval process.

4. Write and agree the research proposal

Define the theoretical framework, research question, objectives, methods, schedule and analysis plan. Use this document to prevent uncontrolled project expansion.

5. Execute the research within the 30 ECTS scope

Use the method that genuinely answers the research question. Keep a record of assumptions, data processing, experimental decisions, modelling choices and limitations. Write throughout the project rather than delaying the report until the end.

6. Prepare the final academic package

Complete the thesis report, abstract/maturity test and required presentation. Resolve supervisor and advisor comments and confirm the submission/evaluation schedule.

7. Submit and align with the committee calendar

After supervisor permission, submit the final PDF/A through MyStudies. Confirm the relevant CHEM Degree Programme Committee deadline and, if graduating simultaneously, ensure the Sisu study plan and other credits are ready.

Final checklist

Before submitting, confirm that:

• you are following the Creative Sustainability CHEM route, not ARTS or Business;
• the thesis is 30 ECTS;
• no separate thesis-seminar ECTS has been invented;
• the maturity test is handled under the current CHEM rules;
• the topic belongs to your advanced studies and has an eligible supervisor;
• one or two qualified advisors are in place;
• the starting information is correctly recorded in MyStudies;
• the research proposal defines a realistic question, method, scope and timetable;
• the project remains consistent with the approximately 800-hour 30 ECTS workload;
• any extended calendar is agreed and the final deadline remains compliant;
• the required presentation has been completed or scheduled correctly;
• the abstract/maturity test follows the current language and AI rules;
• confidential project material has not been placed improperly into the public thesis;
• the final file meets the current PDF/A and submission requirements;
• the live CHEM committee/graduation schedule has been rechecked;
• the primary study plan and remaining degree requirements are ready if you are applying for graduation.

Final planning principle

For Creative Sustainability CHEM students, the secure current framework is: 30 ECTS thesis, 0 ECTS maturity test, no separate thesis-seminar credit, School of Chemical Engineering supervision and MyStudies workflow, roughly 800 hours / usually five months, research proposal, required presentation, abstract-based maturity test, public thesis, PDF/A submission and CHEM committee approval.

The multidisciplinary identity of Creative Sustainability should shape the research question, but it does not replace the School of Chemical Engineering thesis rules that govern the MSc (Technology) route.