The aim of the education leading to the degree of Master of Science (Technology) is to:

1. provide students with in-depth knowledge of the field of the major and give them the knowledge and skills needed to understand the challenges of the field from the points of view of users, technical and social systems, and the environment;
2. provide students with the knowledge and skills needed for operating as an expert and developer of the field;
3. provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to apply scientific knowledge and scientific methods independently;
4. provide students with the knowledge and skills needed for scientific postgraduate education and
5. provide students with the language and communication skills needed to follow the scientific development of the field and to engage in scholarly communication in the field of science and technology.

The education shall be based on scientific research and the professional practices of fields requiring expertise in science and technology.

The learning outcomes of the master's degree are based on the aims set for education leading to a Master of Science (Technology) as defined in the degree regulations of the School of Chemical Engineering. The learning outcomes of the degree are further specified in the major- and course-specific descriptions of learning outcomes.

The focus areas of the education are the sustainable use and processing of natural resources and new materials, including their technical applications. In the studies towards the major, students acquire advanced knowledge in a specific area of biotechnology, chemical technology or material science and technology. The education leading to a master’s degree is based on the professional practices of fields requiring expertise in science and technology and on scientific research generating new knowledge. Students may choose their minors or elective study modules so that their degree is a combination of technology, business, and art, typical of Aalto University.

Students will adopt a responsible, goal-oriented and systematic way of working, and develop skills to work as experts in their area of specialisation both independently and in cooperation with experts of different fields, also in an international working environment. They will be able to express themselves clearly and unambiguously both orally and in writing and to tailor their communication to the target audience.

The School of Chemical Engineering trains Masters of Science (Technology) who have the skills and knowledge to work as pacesetters of the fields of biotechnology, chemical technology and material science and technology in various managerial, planning and research duties serving industry or related stakeholders, the scientific community or public sector. The studies of the programme provide students with the knowledge and skills needed for applying scientific knowledge and scientific methods independently and for continuing to doctoral education.

Graduates of the programme will have achieved the key scientific and professional working methods of their area of specialisation and will be able to continuously deepen their knowledge by acquiring, evaluating and processing scientific, technical and professional information. They will gain the knowledge and skills to understand the challenges of the field from the point of view of users and technical and social systems, as well as from that of the environment and be able to use this knowledge in developing new solutions, also as members of multidisciplinary teams.

Code: CHEM3021
Credits: 60 + 4–5 ECTS cr
Professor in charge: Herbert Sixta

Biomass refining constitutes the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable products and energy. The key technological contents of the major is treatment of biomass with tailored mechanical, chemical, biochemical and thermochemical processes leading to selective and efficient fractionation of the biomass components into functional fractions, and further refining of the fractions to fibres, polymers, chemical compounds and fuels or their reactants. The focus point of the major is the physiological function and structure of plants as well as the reactivity of the chemical components of lignocellulosic biomass in the conversion processes. Great attention is paid to process integration modelling, taking into account recycling and waste management. This includes the development of an integrated, rational and transparent evaluation framework for sustainable assessments, such as Life Cycle Assessments (LCA).

The major Biomass Refining applies knowledge of the fields of biotechnology, chemistry, and process technology.

Learning outcomes

After graduating from the major, the students

• are able to describe the global availability of biomass feedstocks and can formulate scientifically justified arguments on the sustainable use of biomass.
• can give an overall description of biomass structure, from macro structural aspects to microscopic and molecular level, the emphasis being on the plant cell wall architecture and the structure and interactions of lignocellulosic components (cellulose, lignin, hemicelluloses, resins and inorganic compounds).
• can identify the principal cellular organisms relevant in biomass refining and describe and apply the principles and practices in (bio)catalysis and explain how biosynthesis of plant cell wall constituents and cellular metabolites proceeds.
• can model and simulate mass and energy phenomena in multiphase systems and are able to calculate material and energy balances of complex systems.
• have thorough knowledge of the separation methods used in biomass refining, and based on this knowledge can formulate suggestions for practical applications.
• can predict and describe chemical reactions of biomass components in different conditions and can design and perform experiments to test the hypotheses.
• can give detailed scientific and technical descriptions on the industrial-scale mechanical, thermo-chemical, chemical, and biochemical methods for biomass fractionation into platforms (carbohydrates, lignin, extractives).
• are able to suggest feasible and sustainable production schemes for value-added products from the platforms, including LCA analysis of the products.
• can perform biomass fractionation experiments in practice and can use the most relevant analytical methods and equipment for analysing and characterising the products.
• demonstrate an understanding of societal, economical, and environmental effects of engineering solutions.

Courses

Table 1. Common compulsory courses (4–5 cr)

Table 2. Compulsory courses (60 cr)

Code: CHEM3022
Credits: 60 + 4–5 ECTS cr
Professor in charge: Sandip Bankar

Graduates from the Biotechnology major have a strong multidisciplinary knowledge of biotechnology and engineering and the ability to apply this knowledge in a research and business environment. The major gives an in-depth understanding of molecular level biological phenomena, their modeling and application. At the core of the teaching are biotechnologically important organisms and enzymes, their properties, as well as their applications in products and processes. Students acquire practical skills and the ability to use key methods of biotechnology, including genetic engineering and synthetic biology, and learn to apply these tools to the development of biotechnological processes.

The major Biotechnology applies knowledge in the fields of biotechnology, chemistry and process engineering.

Learning outcomes

After graduating from the major Biotechnology, the students have the competencies to:

• Select methods for the molecular-level control, regulation and modeling of metabolic pathways and enzymatic reactions, to optimize the performance and physiology of pro- and eukaryotic cells and systems.
• Apply methods for experimentation and analysis of the structure and function of biological macromolecules, genetic modification of pro- and eukaryotic cells, randomization, screening, and selection approaches.
• Implement engineering approaches at the cellular level for protein modifications, secretion, signaling and control of biochemical pathways in industrially important producer organisms leading to generation of commercially interesting compounds.
• Use rationale design for biocatalyst development to plan and perform in practice operations with biocatalysts and subsequent separation steps with various proteins, organisms and product types.
• Quantify and model cellular, enzymatic, unit operation and bioreactor performance in a process and suggest research questions for process developments and in the R&D and production chain including estimates on capital and operation expenditure and profitability.
• Apply conceptual and mathematical modelling of physical, chemical and biological phenomena in bioreactors, downstream operations and product recovery including analytics and economic feasibility studies.
• Design and select equipment for unit operations, large scale and process operations for the refining of biological raw materials to new value added products, including valorization of sidestreams.
• Design product development processes in line regulatory demands nationally and internationally and contribute to handling IPR matters, marketing authorization, product launch, within a framework of ethical guidelines and professional standards promoting problem solving and innovation for advancement of science and technology for a sustainable future bioeconomy.

Courses

Table 1. Common compulsory courses (4–5 cr)

Table 2. Compulsory courses (45 cr)

Table 3. Specialisation courses (15 cr)

Code: CHEM3043
Credits: 60 + 4–5 ECTS cr
Professor in charge: Marjatta Louhi-Kultanen

The Chemical and Process Engineering major is based on a multi-scale perspective to underlying physical and chemical phenomena in chemical processes. It starts with molecular level origins of relevant phenomena, explains how processing unit level models and design practices emerge from them, and further considers integrated chemical plants and ultimately societal level effects. The emphasis is to educate engineers with a deep perspective on how natural sciences are applied with best engineering practices in Chemical Process Industries. The graduates of this major are capable of acting as chemical processing experts in various industries, are capable of evaluating designs and designing feasible and sustainable chemical processes with the help of modern tools.

Learning outcomes

Core scientific and engineering knowledge:

• Comprehensive knowledge of transport phenomena (heat, mass and momentum transfer) in single and multiphase systems, and general knowledge of their molecular origin. Knowledge of mutual interactions of the relevant transport phenomena in chemical processes, and how processes should be designed to meet desired production capacity requirements and to ensure sustainable, energy and cost efficient processes.
• Comprehensive knowledge of chemical kinetics and catalysis in various fields related to chemical process industries, such as in oil refining and petrochemicals, polymer reaction technology and biomaterial conversions. A general knowledge in the related fields, such as biocatalysis and metals production.
• Knowledge about applied thermodynamics, phase equilibrium and physical property calculations, and their relation to conversion and separation process design.
• Understand process dynamics, design process control, monitoring and automation systems and understand their connection to process design and integration.
• Understand societal, economical, and environmental effects of process and plant design decisions and responsibilities related to Chemical Engineering discipline.

Core scientific and engineering skills (the students should be able to apply knowledge in these):

• Study experimentally reactor and separation process performance, operate them safely and in a controlled manner, gather and analyze data and evaluate process unit performance. Understand connection between various processing steps from a chemical production point of view.
• Model, analyze, design, and optimize chemical processes with the help of modern tools.
• Act as a chemical engineering expert in multidisciplinary groups of experts designing economically feasible, safe and environmentally friendly chemical plants.

Courses

Table 1. Common compulsory courses (4–5 cr)

Table 2. Compulsory courses (35 cr)

Table 3. Specialisation courses (25 cr), choose five courses.

Recommended "blocks":

For the elective studies to accompany the major, it is highly recommended to take programming and computer science courses, especially for students specializing in process systems engineering.

Recommendations for minor

The following minors given in Aalto University are recommended:

• Biomass Refining
• Chemistry
• Sustainable Metals Processing

Code: CHEM3023
Credits: 60 + 4–5 ECTS cr
Professor in charge: Kari Laasonen

The Chemistry major has a strong scientific basis in chemistry. It begins with molecular and quantum mechanical level description of matter and chemical reactions. The organic and inorganic study paths provide good knowledge on synthesizing and analyzing organic or inorganic materials. The physical chemistry study path focuses on electrochemistry and computational chemistry. In addition to the natural science basis, the major provides good knowledge in chemical engineering practices, especially when complementing the major's courses with chemical engineering courses. The emphasis is on educating engineers capable of acting as chemistry experts in various branches of the industry and capable of solving chemistry related problems, such as planning reaction procedures and analyzing materials in detail.

Learning outcomes

Core scientific and engineering knowledge:

• Knowledge of organic and inorganic materials and chemical reaction mechanisms to synthesize these materials.
• Knowledge of chemical equilibria and kinetics in various chemical reactions and knowledge of quantum mechanics related to the chemical bond and spectroscopy.

Depending on the study path the major will offer comprehensive knowledge in:

• (organic chemistry) organic synthesis, asymmetric synthesis, organometallic chemistry and structural analysis. To support synthesis, the module offers studies in computer aided methods for molecular design, synthesis design, and data analysis.
• (inorganic and analytical chemistry) basics of materials chemistry: solid state chemistry phenomena and theories. Materials synthesis (polycrystalline, nanoparticles, single crystals, thin films), characterization techniques, and material functions (catalytic, conductive, magnetic, ferroelectric, thermoelectric, photonic). Modern analytical chemistry methods, especially miniaturized analytical systems.
• (physical chemistry) pure and applied electrochemistry and computational chemistry. The pure electrochemistry study path will offer comprehensive knowledge of electrochemical processes and measurements. The applied electrochemistry path focuses mainly on fuel cells and light weight batteries. The computational chemistry path will focus on molecular modelling.

We strongly encourage the students to complement their studies with chemical engineering or physics courses. For example, combining organic chemistry and polymer engineering will be very useful when working with polymer based industrial problems. Additional studies in chemical engineering will broaden the understanding in industrial processes. Physics studies will help to better understand physical chemistry problems.

Core scientific and engineering skills (the students should be able to apply knowledge in these):

• All graduates from the program have a broad expertise in designing complex chemical projects. They can analyze the progress of the process and its products.
• The graduates can utilize new scientific knowledge in the chemical industry.
• The graduate can act as a chemistry expert in multidisciplinary groups of experts in the chemical industry.
• Graduates in organic chemistry can design organic synthesis for future technological solutions and analyze the synthesis products. Such skills are very useful in pharmaceutical, organic materials, and polymer industry.
• Graduates in inorganic chemistry are experts in materials chemistry. They can design materials synthesis procedures and analyze synthesis products.
• Graduates in physical chemistry can plan, perform and interpret electrochemical measurements. They can participate in development of electrochemical processes and devices, and they can perform complex molecular simulations.

Courses

Table 1. Common compulsory courses (4–5 cr)

Table 2. Compulsory courses (30 cr)

Table 3. Specialisation courses (30 cr)

Code: CHEM3024
Credits: 60 + 4–5 ECTS cr
Professor in charge: Mark Hughes

Polymers abound in everyday life in applications ranging from medical to aerospace; fibres too are ubiquitous, finding use in areas as diverse as fashion textiles and construction composites. Both fibres and polymers can be derived from renewable as well as non-renewable resources. Current research is, for example, leading to new developments in plastics and resins derived from plants, whilst stiff and strong fibres are being ‘regenerated’ from cellulose. These bio-based polymers and fibres will become increasingly important in a sustainable future. In addition to the advances in bio-based materials, the use of fossil-based polymeric materials and fibres continues to evolve quickly in the face of the challenges of resource efficiency and sustainable development. 

This rapidly evolving area of science and technology requires professionals who can work at the interface between different disciplines to meet future global challenges. The Fibre and Polymer Engineering major is built on a solid fundamental understanding of polymers, their synthesis, structure, processing and properties, as well as the structure and properties of fibres and the materials and products manufactured from them. In line with the strategic focus areas of the School of Chemical Engineering, considerable focus is placed on fibres and polymers derived from bio-based feedstock – ‘biopolymers’ and ‘bio-fibres’. As part of this major, students have the opportunity to specialise, though course work, tailored projects and their final thesis, on topics that are of special interest to them. Specialisations include wood-based materials and their applications, web-structures and converted fibre products as well as polymer science and technology.

Students with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, materials science, pulp and paper technology or another suitable discipline are encouraged to apply.

Learning outcomes

After completing this major, students will:

• have a deep understanding of the fibre and polymer value chain, from raw material to customer-specific end products
• have a solid fundamental knowledge of polymers, their structure, processing and properties
• know how polymers are synthesised from bio-based as well as fossil-based  precursors
• Know how molecular structure controls the material properties of polymers derived therefrom
• Knows the main fibre types, their production, properties and applications
• know the principle routes to isolate fibre from biomass feedstock and possess expertise in natural fibres, their composition structure and behaviour
• have specialised knowledge in the manufacture, properties and application of materials and products manufactured from fossil- as well as bio-based fibres and polymers
• can apply knowledge of surface chemistry in composite technology

Courses

Table 1. Common compulsory courses (4–5 cr)

Table 2. Compulsory courses (50 cr)

Table 3. Specialisation courses (10 cr)

Code: CHEM3025
Credits: 60 + 4–5 ECTS cr
Professor in charge: Sami Franssila

The Functional Materials major is based on understanding of solid state physical and chemical principles and phenomena. It starts with atomic bonds, and proceeds to nanoscale phenomena and microstructure of matter and ends up in explaining the behavior of macroscopic materials. Based on physics and chemistry, functional materials major deals with real materials, balancing scientific principles with engineering practice and economic realities.

Functional materials majors will find their jobs in R&D in academia and industry, and in production, procurement and quality control of materials, and as experts in demanding analytical positions. Companies working on electronics, nanotechnology, sensors and actuators, medical devices, and other materials intensive fields will hire functional materials graduates. The major is an excellent stepping stone into doctoral studies.

Learning outcomes

Core scientific and engineering knowledge:

• Comprehensive knowledge of solid state structure and phenomena, including electrical, magnetic, optical, thermal behavior of metals, polymers, ceramics and composites.
• Understanding on amorphous, polycrystalline and single crystalline materials, and comprehensive knowledge of the role of defects, microstructures, interfaces and surfaces on materials properties. Characterization of solid materials by various physical and chemical means.
• Deep knowledge about transformation processes, phase equilibria, precipitation, diffusion and aggregation and the ways of synthesizing new materials.
• Ability to evaluate materials properties and to understand engineering possibilities and limitations of new materials. These include composites, hybrid, biomimetic and nanomaterials, and active, functional, responsive and smart materials for sensing, actuation and self-repair.
• Understanding materials research and development in academia and industry, with aptitude to grasp the economic and environmental effects of new materials.

Core scientific and engineering skills (the students should be able to apply knowledge in these):

• Deep understanding of designing, executing, analyzing and reporting experimental research.
• Mastery of conceptual, theoretical and experimental tools to predict, design and evaluate new materials.
• Strong analytical and critical faculties combined with solid scientific background to enable thorough evaluation of new materials and structures.
• The art of approximation and educated guesses.

Ability to act as a materials expert with excellent communication skills, entrepreneurial spirit and problem solving skills that enable effective multidisciplinary team work with other experts.

Courses

Table 1. Common compulsory courses (4–5 cr)

Table 2. Compulsory core courses (25 cr)

Table 3. Research and design projects (choose at least two of the following courses, total 10–25 cr)

Table 4. Specialisation courses (choose 10–25 cr)

Code: CHEM3026
Credits: 60 + 4–5 ECTS cr
Professor in charge: Michael Gasik

The major Sustainable Metals Processing is a specialist field that deals with the extraction of metals and mineral products from primary and secondary resources through the application of scientific principles. Considered is the bigger cycle of materials linking rigorously to product design, material science, energy recovery and bio-materials.

The (extractive metallurgy) major focuses in a multi-scale approach to the relevant physical and chemical phenomena in the processes. It covers atom-level basics of relevant phenomena, explains how unit process level models and design practices can be derived from them, and considers integrated metals extraction plants and their material flows. An important factor is sustainability of metals extraction and the system approach allowing the availability of metals over their life cycles. The aim is to educate engineers with a deep understanding on how sciences are applied with engineering skills in the metallurgical industries. They will act as metallurgical processing experts in various industries, are capable of evaluating equipment and process designs and designing feasible as well as sustainable metals extraction processes with the help of numeric simulation tools.

Learning outcomes

The core scientific and engineering knowledge to be obtained:

• Adequate knowledge of transport phenomena in homogeneous, heterogeneous and particulate systems, and a general knowledge of their atom-level origins; knowledge of their mutual interactions in extraction and refining operations and how their equipment and processes are designed.
• Adequate knowledge of chemical kinetics in various fields related to metallurgical processing industries.
• Knowledge about chemical thermodynamic, phase equilibrium and property calculations.
• Understanding on chemical equilibria, process dynamics, system engineering and their connections to process design, the best practices and flow-sheet integration.
• Understanding on societal, economic and environmental impacts to process designs and responsibilities related to metal making on the basis of system engineering.

Core scientific and engineering skills to be developed:

• System engineering and its connections to process design, the best practices and flow-sheet integration thus quantified sustainability linking product design and geology to metal production while also considering links to energy recovery as well as water recycling.
• Study experimentally metals extraction reactors and unit processes at low and high temperatures, gather data and evaluate process performance.
• Model, develop and optimize production equipment, processes and plants with the help of numerical tools.
• Act as metallurgical engineering expert in multidisciplinary groups developing feasible metals extraction processes, equipment and plants.

Content and structure

For the major (60 ECTS + 4-5 ECTS credits) the students have to take common and compulsory studies 4-5 cr + 40 cr. Additionally each student needs to select two blocks (10 cr each) of specialisation studies, total 20 cr.

Courses

Table 1. Common compulsory courses (4–5 cr)

Table 2. Compulsory core courses (40 cr)

Table 3. Specialisation courses (choose two 10 cr "blocks", total 20 cr)

The master’s thesis is a piece of applied research. The key goal of the master’s thesis is solving a problem relevant to the field of study based on existing scientific knowledge in compliance with the principles of responsible conduct of research. The goal is to produce a scientific thesis. The scientific nature of the master’s thesis should not, however, be underlined too much, since producing new scientific knowledge is not expected of a master’s thesis, but only of a doctoral dissertation. The solutions developed in the master’s thesis must be useful to the practice of the field.

The master's thesis shall be written on a topic related to the advanced studies of the degree programme, agreed upon between the student and a professor who is either in charge of the research field linked with the topic or sufficiently specialised in the topic of the thesis.

The goals of the master’s thesis are to:

• provide the skills needed to acquire scientific knowledge independently and to identify, distinguish and solve scientific and professional problems also under new circumstances and to apply scientific knowledge also otherwise
• provide in-depth knowledge of the theories and research methods, problem-solving and design methods essential to the studies
• provide in-depth knowledge of the issues studied

Students may apply for a topic for their master’s thesis when the bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 45 credits counted towards the master’s degree have been completed. The degree programme committee of the school approves the topic and the language of the master’s thesis, and appoints a thesis supervisor and one or two thesis advisors for it.

The master’s thesis must be completed in one year. Students who fail to submit the master’s thesis for examination by the deadline shall submit a new thesis topic application to the school.

The master’s thesis is a public document. It cannot be concealed.

The Master’s Thesis is worth of 30 credits. The thesis is written in Finnish, Swedish or in other language approved by the Degree Programme Committee (English is automatically approved). The actual guidelines for formatting the master’s thesis, including tips on the presentation style (font, line spacing, margins, referencing) are available on Into.

The master’s thesis is to be a concise, clearly written and finalised written presentation of a topic, with the maximum length of 70-80 pages with appendices. The appearance of the thesis must be neat, organised and elegant. Right alignment and use of headers and footers are optional, and the page number format may be chosen by the student. The left margin must be sufficiently wide to allow binding.

Students are recommended to illustrate the thesis with appropriate figures and tables. Tables are good for presenting exact values. Instructions on using figures and tables are given in various writing manuals.

University has a university-level electronic system which recognises similarities between written texts and thus helps in the detection of plagiarism.

The master’s thesis process also includes presentation of the finished thesis at a time agreed upon with the thesis supervisor. The presentation or similar event to showcase the thesis has to be held before the master’s thesis is approved and evaluated.

The master’s thesis author must write a maturity essay to demonstrate conversance with the field of the thesis and proficiency in the language s/he has been educated in. The maturity essay may be an essay written on a topic given by the thesis supervisor and written under supervision. Alternatively, the maturity essay may be part of the master’s thesis, in which case the method of completion is agreed upon with the supervising professor. The maturity essay must be written before the approval of the master’s thesis.

Finnish students write the maturity essay in the language they have been educated at primary and secondary levels (Finnish or Swedish). The requirement of a maturity essay also applies to international students, who usually write their maturity essays in English. Maturity essays written in other languages than Finnish or Swedish are only subjected to a review of the contents, not of the language.

The master’s thesis is graded on the same scale as the other study attainments. The thesis is graded by the supervising professor. The degree programme committee shall decide the final approval and grading of the thesis after examining the written statement by the thesis supervisor.

Students can apply for the master's degree, when all courses required for the master's degree have been completed and the master's thesis is done. Students can apply for the approval and evaluation of the master's thesis and for the master's degree graduation at the same time. Thesis will be approved by the degree programme committee and the graduation by the dean.

In the School of Chemical Engineering, the graduation ceremony is held four times a year; two ceremonies in the autumn term and two ceremonies in the spring term. The graduation dates as well as the graduation ceremony dates are available in the study administration schedule

The degree contains 25 credits of elective studies.

Language studies

Language studies are mandatory according to Aalto degree regulation. If you have taken equivalent language studies in your bachelor’s degree, you do not have to take them in your master’s degree. This means 3 ECTS credits including both oral and written part. You can select courses that have letters O (for oral) and W (for written) in their name. Also basic Finnish courses can be applied here.

Professonal training

Students can also include training in their studies. One of the training courses below can be included in elective studies.

• CHEM-E0130 Professional Training (3-5 cr.)
• CHEM-E0135 International Professional Training (3-5 cr.) 

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