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Programme director: Marko Keskinen

Faced with limited natural resources and an increasing demand for water, food and energy, we look for practical ways of developing our society in a sustainable manner. The Master's Programme in Water and Environmental Engineering combines a strong technical basis with a sound understanding of the broader societal context to educate game changers who are able to achieve this ambitious goal.

Programme is student-centered, making use of our students’ varied backgrounds. Our field is diverse and you have several possibilities to pursue your career. To ensure that you will study things that you are thrilled about, you can design your own study path. Our personal portfolio process helps you to recognise your strengths and interests together with your mentor and peers.

Master’s Programme in Water and Environmental Engineering is based at the Aalto University School of Engineering, and it focuses on what engineers do: applying theory to practice to solve critical challenges of our society. Programme provides you with competences in three complementary fields: Knowledge, Skills and Professional Identity. Our Knowledge competences include e.g. sustainability, hydrological cycle, water and environmental services as well as resource use and management systems, while Skills competences relate e.g. to technical methods, data analysis and measurement, analysis and impact assessment as well as project work skills. Professional Identity competences include comprehensive and critical thinking, multidisciplinary view, desire for problem-solving, enthusiasm and ethics, interaction and group work skills, international orientation and, finally, promotion of sustainable and functioning society.

The master’s degree consists of

• Major studies 60 cr
• Master's thesis 30 cr
• Elective studies 30 cr

The studies in the Master's Programme in Water and Environmental Engineering are divided into four components: common studies, advanced studies, elective studies, and the Master's thesis.

The structure of the programme is designed so that you are able to complete your common and advanced studies during the first year. This leaves your second year for elective courses and the master’s thesis. It also makes it easy for you to go for student exchange during the second year. Alternatively, you can further build your expertise by taking more of our advanced courses as elective courses.

The final component, the Master's thesis, is written during the spring term of the 2nd year of studies. However, students are encouraged to start planning their thesis and its topic starting from the beginning of their studies.

Code: ENG29
Extent: 60 cr
Programme director: Marko Keskinen

Common studies (compulsory courses, 15 cr)

 Advanced studies (select 45 cr from courses below)

Course descriptions for the academic year 2019-2020 (pdf)

For free elective studies you can study courses offered by Aalto University or by other universities as it is possible by Aalto internal and inter institutional agreements and procedures and course specific prerequisites. Kindly note that your elective studies do not have to form a minor, but can include different types of courses totaling 30 credits.

The structure of our Master’s Programme is designed so that you are able to study your major studies i.e. common and advanced courses during the first year. This leaves the second year for elective courses and Master’s thesis. It also makes it easy for you to go for student exchange during the second year. Alternatively, you can deepen your expertise by taking more of our advanced courses as elective courses, or broaden your expertise by choosing courses from Aalto’s other programmes or from different universities. The choice for elective studies is thus entirely yours: the most important thing is that your elective studies complement your major studies, and provide you with expertise that you personally feel important and inspiring for your career.

Please find Aalto University study offers from .

Programme has been planned so that it enables you to leave for exchange studies during your second year. You can find more information about exchange studies (incl. application deadlines) from here  for Aalto students.

Please note language requirements

Foreign language studies (minimum 3 cr in the same language) are required for the completion of the MSc (Tech) degree in some cases. Please see more information about language requirements for the master's degree students:

Language requirements 

According to , student shall demonstrate proficiency in Finnish and Swedish language that is required of central government staff in bilingual public organisations under subsection 1 of section 6 of the Act on the Knowledge of Languages Required of Personnel in Public Bodies (424/2003) andt hat is necessary for their own field; and proficiency in at least one foreign language that enablesstudents to monitor progress in their own field and operate in an international setting.

Students with Finnish Bachelor's degree

Compulsory language studies are included as part of the Finnish Bachelor’s degree for students who have studied in Finland and whose language of education is Finnish or Swedish. If the language studies have not been completed in the student’s Bachelor’s degree, the student must take 2 ECTS in the second national language and 3 ECTS in one foreign language, including both oral and written proficiency.

All other students

Students who have received their pre-university education in a language other than Finnish or Swedish, or received their education abroad, are required to complete only 3 ECTS in one foreign language, including both oral and written proficiency. Relevant courses (marked with ‘o’ and ‘w’) are offered by the Aalto University Language Center. There students who have received their education abroad and  who already have excellent command of English (e.g. English as their first language) may choose 3 credits of Finnish or Swedish courses instead, hence not covering the requirement of oral/written proficiency but meeting the language requirement of the degree. If this applies to you, please contact your school’s Learning Services for further advice, as different schools have different procedures for validating this exemption.

Language studies are included in students’ elective studies and are agreed in the personal study plan (HOPS).

Please find more information about language courses and information about learning languages from the  of Aalto University.

Examples for elective studies from Aalto

There are many types of courses that suite well our field also here in Aalto. For examples, it is worth checking the courses from following AaltoENG’s Master’s Programmes:

•     Building Technology:
•     Geoengineering:
•    
•     Real Estate Economics (incl. law):
•     Spatial Planning and Transportation Engineering:

Similarly relevant to our field are more methodologically-orientated courses available at Aalto’s Systems Analysis Laboratory (), sustainability-focused Creative Sustainability courses () as well as entrepreneurship-focused Aalto Ventures Program courses (). Or do you want to enhance your design thinking and artistic expression? Then check out Aalto's University-Wide Arts Studies (UWAS):   

The main prerequisite is that the Elective Studies’ courses are make sense i.e. that they are meaningful for your personal study path (that you have envisioned in your Personal Learning Portfolio), and thus complement your other courses. The elective courses should be at Master’s level (with some exceptions), and they will be accepted by Programme Director.

Why to stay at Aalto? Apply for Exchange studies!

Our Master's Programme has been planned so that it enables you to leave easily for exchange studies during your second year. We strongly encourage you to make use of this opportunity, and select your exchange study place so that it complements the expertise you have gained during your studies at Aalto.

You can find more information about exchange studies (incl. application deadlines) from here for Aalto students.

Kindly also note that you can also apply for small assistance for your exchange studies from so-called Koura funding at WAT Research Group: more information about this from Teemu Kokkonen.

The master’s thesis is written on a topic related to the advanced studies of the degree programme.
Students may apply for a topic for their master’s thesis when a minimum of 60 credits counted towards the master’s degree have been completed.

The topic and the language of the master’s thesis are approved by the school upon application by the student; the school also appoints a thesis supervisor and one or two thesis advisors for it. The master’s thesis supervisor shall be one of the professors of Aalto University. 
The topic of the master’s thesis remains valid for one year.

The master's thesis includes a presentation and maturity test. Further instructions on the master’s thesis and the related process from .   

Faced with limited natural resources and an increasing demand for water, food and energy, we look for practical ways of developing our society in a sustainable manner. The Master's Programme in Water and Environmental Engineering combines a strong technical basis with a sound understanding of the broader societal context to educate game changers who are able to achieve this ambitious goal.

Programme is student-centered, making use of our students’ varied backgrounds. Our field is diverse and you have several possibilities to pursue your career. To ensure that you will study things that you are thrilled about, you can design your own study path. Our personal portfolio process helps you to recognise your strengths and interests together with your mentor and peers.

Master’s Programme in Water and Environmental Engineering is based at the Aalto University School of Engineering, and it focuses on what engineers do: applying theory to practice to solve critical challenges of our society. Programme provides you with competences in three complementary fields: Knowledge, Skills and Professional Identity. Our Knowledge competences include e.g. sustainability, hydrological cycle, water and environmental services as well as resource use and management systems, while Skills competences relate e.g. to technical methods, data analysis and measurement, analysis and impact assessment as well as project work skills. Professional Identity competences include comprehensive and critical thinking, multidisciplinary view, desire for problem-solving, enthusiasm and ethics, interaction and group work skills, international orientation and, finally, promotion of sustainable and functioning society.

The master’s degree consists of

• Major studies 60 cr
• Master's thesis 30 cr
• Elective studies 30 cr

The studies in the Master's Programme in Water and Environmental Engineering are divided into four components: common studies, advanced studies, elective studies, and the Master's thesis.

The structure of the programme is designed so that you are able to complete your common and advanced studies during the first year. This leaves your second year for elective courses and the master’s thesis. It also makes it easy for you to go for student exchange during the second year. Alternatively, you can further build your expertise by taking more of our advanced courses as elective courses.

The final component, the Master's thesis, is written during the spring term of the 2nd year of studies. However, students are encouraged to start planning their thesis and its topic starting from the beginning of their studies.

Code: ENG29
Credits: 60 cr
Programme director professor: Riku Vahala

The structure of the programme is designed so that you are able to complete your common and advanced studies during the first year. This leaves your second year for elective courses and the master’s thesis. It also makes it easy for you to go for student exchange during the second year. Alternatively, you can further build your expertise by taking more of our advanced courses as elective courses.

The four main themes of the programme correspond to the four research themes of the Water and Environmental Engineering Research Group: Water Resources, Water & Development, Water & Wastewater and Environmental Engineering. All these themes have a their own thematic and methodological focuses and you can freely mix courses from different themes. However, we recommend you take multiple courses within at least one theme to ensure that you gain enough in-depth expertise.

Major studies (60 cr)

Common studies (15 cr)

Advanced studies (select 45 cr courses from courses below) 

For free elective studies you can study courses offered by Aalto University or by other universities as it is possible by Aalto internal and inter institutional agreements and procedures and course specific prerequisites. Kindly note that your elective studies do not have to form a minor, but can include different types of courses totaling 30 credits.

The structure of our Master’s Programme is designed so that you are able to study your major studies i.e. common and advanced courses during the first year. This leaves the second year for elective courses and Master’s thesis. It also makes it easy for you to go for student exchange during the second year. Alternatively, you can deepen your expertise by taking more of our advanced courses as elective courses, or broaden your expertise by choosing courses from Aalto’s other Master’s Programmes or from different universities (see examples below). The choice for elective studies is thus entirely yours: the most important thing is that your elective studies complement your major studies, and provide you with expertise that you personally feel important and inspiring for your career. And don’t worry if this seems to provide too many good options: our portfolio process helps you to decide also on your elective studies!

Foreign language studies (minimum 3 cr in the same language) are required for the completion of the MSc (Tech) degree in some cases. Please see more information about language requirements for the master's degree students:

 Language requirements

Please find language courses and other information about learning languages from here:

Examples for elective studies from Aalto

There are many types of courses that suite well our field also here in Aalto. For examples, it is worth checking the courses from following AaltoENG’s Master’s Programmes:

•     Building Technology:
•     Geoengineering:
•     Geoinformatics:
•     Real Estate Economics (incl. law):
•     Spatial Planning and Transportation Engineering:

Similarly relevant to our field are more methodologically-orientated courses available at Aalto’s Systems Analysis Laboratory (), sustainability-focused Creative Sustainability courses () as well as entrepreneurship-focused Aalto Ventures Program courses (). Or do you want to enhance your design thinking and artistic expression? Then check out Aalto's University-Wide Arts Studies (UWAS):   

The main prerequisite is that the Elective Studies’ courses are make sense i.e. that they are meaningful for your personal study path (that you have envisioned in your Personal Learning Portfolio), and thus complement your other courses. The elective courses should be at Master’s level (with some exceptions), and they will be accepted by Programme Director.

Why to stay at Aalto? Apply for Exchange studies!

Our Master's Programme has been planned so that it enables you to leave easily for exchange studies during your second year. We strongly encourage you to make use of this opportunity, and select your exchange study place so that it complements the expertise you have gained during your studies at Aalto.

You can find more information about exchange studies (incl. application deadlines) from here for Aalto students.

Kindly also note that you can also apply for small assistance for your exchange studies from so-called Koura funding at WAT Research Group: more information about this from Teemu Kokkonen.

The master’s thesis is written on a topic related to the advanced studies of the degree programme.
Students may apply for a topic for their master’s thesis when a minimum of 60 credits counted towards the master’s degree have been completed.
The topic and the language of the master’s thesis are approved by the school upon application by the student; the school also appoints a thesis supervisor and one or two thesis advisors for it.

The topic of the master’s thesis remains valid for one year. The master's thesis includes a seminar presentation or an equivalent presentation.
The master’s thesis is a public document.

Further instructions on the master’s thesis and the related process from . 

Water and environmental engineering is essentially about making the world work. With limited natural resources and an increasing demand for water, food, energy and shelter, we look at practical ways to develop our society in a sustainable manner. We combine a strong technical basis with a sound understanding of a broader societal context. The ultimate aim of our programme is to ensure a sustainable and functioning society.

Our Master’s Programme is multidisciplinary, providing a broad view of the field and combining theory with practice. We collaborate with other Master’s Programmes in Aalto, and encourage you to go for student exchange to diversify your views and skills. Our programme is student-centered and makes use of our students’ varied backgrounds. Our field is diverse and you have several possibilities to pursue your career. To ensure that you will study things that you are thrilled about, you can design your own study path. Our personal portfolio process helps you to recognise your strengths and interests together with your mentor and peers.

Our Master’s Programme is based at the Aalto University School of Engineering, and it focuses on what engineers do: applying theory to practice to solve critical challenges of our society. Our programme provides you with competences in three complementary fields: Knowledge, Skills and Professional Identity. Our Knowledge competences include e.g. sustainability, hydrological cycle, water and environmental services as well as resource use and management systems, while Skills competences relate e.g. to technical methods, data analysis and measurement, analysis and impact assessment as well as project work skills. Professional Identity competences include comprehensive and critical thinking, multidisciplinary view, desire for problem-solving, enthusiasm and ethics, interaction and group work skills, international orientation and, finally, promotion of sustainable and functioning society.

Code: ENG29
Credits: 60 ECTS cr
Programme director: Riku Vahala

Common studies (15 cr)

Advanced studies (select 45 cr courses from courses below) 

Master's thesis (30 cr)

Elective studies (30 cr)