The Master’s Programme in Electronics and Nanotechnology covers a broad range of technical fields and students will focus in one of the four majors.The student has an option to choose additional study entities from the wide selection of science, arts and business study portfolios offered at Aalto University.

The student forms an overview of professional practices within the major’s study field. Having completed the master studies, the student is able to perform industrial research and development tasks or to develop further competencies through to doctoral studies and lifelong learning. Major-specific learning targets are described in the following.

Code: ELEC3036
Credits: 65 ECTS
Responsible Professors: Jussi Ryynänen

Pääaine suomeksi: Mikro- ja nanoelektroniikkasuunnittelu
Huvudämne på svenska: Mikro- och nanoelektronikdesign

Integrated circuits are the enablers of the complex functionality embedded in all present day electronic devices. Combining logic, processors, memory, analog and digital signal processing and radio frequency communications electronics have provided miniaturiased implementations of functions that decades ago could not be even dreamed of. In future, it is envisioned that number of integrated circuits per person will continue to increase rapidly simply because the emerging ubiquitous intelligence in all areas of life can not be implemented without them. There is no application that could run without electronic hardware platform.

To be able to design integrated circuits for in embedded devices, the designers needs to handle not only the the theory of electronics,  but also the design flow principles, tools, and understand the various abstraction layers of the design presentations. For example, designing he analog front-end amplifier that directly connects to brain sensor, or the RF front-end connecting to antenna, requires understanding of transistor and transmission line models for analog custom circuit and layout design. On the other hand,  implementing digital digital circuits, such as processors, DSP accelerators and high speed digital interconnects necessitate the knowledge on hardware efficient implementation methods of signal processing algorithms and good coding practices for hardware description languages, added with capability of efficient and highly automated usage of implementation and verification tool chains.

After completing the major the student knows the most common technologies used in the integrated circuit design. He understand the operation and theory of common circuits used in the circuit design. He knows the design tools used in the design flow and can utilize the functionalities of these programs. He understand the analog, RF and digital circuits. The optional courses in the major will complement student knowledge in the chosen field. The student is able to design integrated circuit blocks from specifications to producible layout.

You can view your degree structure and information on courses and study modules in Sisu (sisu.aalto.fi) once you’ve made a HOPS study plan (Sisu Help).  
 
Your study plan automatically shows the courses and study modules that are compulsory, i.e. those you are required to complete in order to graduate. For your elective (optional) studies module, you can find courses by using the search function either in Sisu’s ‘selection assistant’ or on the Search page (click Search on the upper banner). 

Compulsory courses, common for the Programme; 25 ECTS

Compulsory courses for this Major; 30 ECTS 

Optional courses; choose 10 ECTS according to the instructions below 

 ^{*Year = The year students are expected to study the course}

You will find recommended study schedules under Recommended timetable tab.

Code: ELEC3051
Credits: 65 ECTS
Responsible Professors: Jari Holopainen

Pääaine suomeksi: Radiotiede ja -tekniikka
Huvudämne på svenska: Radiovetenskap och –teknik

Microwave engineering is the basis of everything that transmits, receives or manipulates radio waves, such as wireless communications devices, radars, or wireless sensors. This major provides you with the ability to design, analyze and characterize microwave components and systems using the state-of-the-art computer-aided design tools and equipment. The major offers a solid basis for deepening your knowledge through doctoral studies.

In this major, you will learn fundamentals of electromagnetic fields and analysis and design of electronic circuits, as well as practical tools to solving mathematical problems. You will further learn to design and analyze passive and active microwave components and systems both using analytical models and state-of-the-art circuit and electromagnetic simulation and design tools. You will learn the basics of antennas and you will learn to perform microwave measurements using common laboratory equipment. Elective studies allows you to further specialize in many additional topics including radiowave scattering and propagation, electromagnetic fields or circuits, computational electromagnetics, terahertz techniques, antennas, and metamaterials and nanophotonics.

Compulsory courses, common for the Programme ; 25 ECTS

Compulsory courses for this Major; 25 ECTS 

^{*Year = The year students are expected to study the course} 

Optional courses; 15 ECTS

^{*Year = The year students are expected to study the course} 

You will find recommended study schedules under Recommended timetable tab.

Code: ELEC3052
Credits: 65 ECTS
Responsible professors: Markku Sopanen

Pääaine suomeksi: Fotoniikka ja nanoteknologia
Huvudämne på svenska:  Fotonik och nanoteknologi
 

Objectives and learning outcomes

The main goal of this major is to give the student sufficient theoretical and practical skills in physics, electromagnetic radiation, modeling, optics, and in materials-related topics to master the general physical phenomena that can be applied from nanosciences up to space physics. The curriculum can be personalized according to the student’s particular field of interest.

Several course packages are offered to help the students to choose the courses: Micro- and Nanotechnology, Photonics, Advanced Materials and Quantum Technologies. Micro- and Nanotechnology focuses on operational principles and fabrication techniques of devices, e.g., LEDs, diode lasers, solar cells and nanoelectronic devices. Photonics focuses on production, guiding, modulation and detection of light. Advanced Materials focuses especially on nanoscale semiconductors, functional materials , emerging new materials, like graphene and other 2D materials, and their applications. Quantum Technologies gives background for future technologies like quantum computing and cryptography.

The student is expected to gain such a good knowledge in natural sciences that it enables understanding the basic physical and natural processes behind modern high-technology devices and materials. The student can also apply these principles to design and invent novel applications utilizing, e.g., nanotechnology. This major gives also an excellent starting point for doctoral studies by offering a deeper understanding of theory and applications. These skills are also seen important in many leadership positions.Content of the major

You can view your degree structure and information on courses and study modules in Sisu (sisu.aalto.fi) once you’ve made a HOPS study plan (Sisu Help).  
 
Your study plan automatically shows the courses and study modules that are compulsory, i.e. those you are required to complete in order to graduate. For your elective (optional) studies module, you can find courses by using the search function either in Sisu’s ‘selection assistant’ or on the Search page (click Search on the upper banner). 

Compulsory courses common for the Programme ; 25 ECTS 

Optional courses for this Major ; 40 ECTS 

Alternatively, you can choose a study track to follow. You will find study tracks and recommended study schedules under Recommended timetable tab.

Code: ELEC3039
Credits: 65 ECTS
Responsible Professors: Anne Lähteenmäki

Pääaine suomeksi: Avaruustiede- ja tekniikka
Huvudämne på svenska: Rymdfysik och -teknik

In the only space science and technology major in Finland you can engage yourself in research challenges ranging from the birth of our universe to the physics of solar system dynamics, or in a rapidly growing number of services such as weather forecasts, navigation and telecommunication services, and environmental monitoring. Nanosatellite technologies have skyrocketing prospects to gain access to space at low cost and short time. Here you can join in high-profile space and science projects, get international experience, and learn team work and project management skills.    

We have four focus areas: space technology, Earth observation, space physics and radio astronomy. These include, for example, building of satellite systems and space instruments, microwave instruments and techniques on airborne and spaceborne platforms for Earth observation, space weather satellite observations and numerical simulations of the Earth and other solar system objects, and r adio astronomical techniques, and the study of active galactic nuclei and galactic objects. The student can choose the study field(s) according to her/his academic or career interests. 

Upon completion of the space science and technology major the student will be prepared for graduate education in one of the focus areas or for work in large space organizations, or for work in the industry or the public sector. The student will be familiar with space as environment for instruments and science, and people and the society, and what are the basic physical principles governing the processes in Earth observation, space physics, and radio astronomy. Furthermore, the student will be able to design and build functional space systems and carry out space research and instrumentation projects, and do science with the results.

Compulsory courses, common for the Programme; 25 ECTS

Compulsory courses for this Major; 25 ECTS 

Optional courses; choose 15 ECTS

You will find recommended study schedules under Recommended timetable tab.

Students choose 25/30 credits of elective studies. As elective studies, students can complete a minor and/or take individual courses. Students can freely choose a minor or individual courses of their interest to complement the content of their major or to expand knowledge beyond one’s main field of study. Interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial courses are encouraged. 

Minor is selected from the list of available minors in the academic catalogue. 

Individual courses may include 

• courses from any field offered in Aalto 
• Studies form other Finnish Universities 
• Studies completed during exchange studies abroad 
• Practical training credits (max 5 cr) 

Read more under “planning your studies” 

Studies in the master’s programme should provide students with new knowledge. Studies that overlap or have similar content with studies that are included in student’s bachelor’s degree primarily cannot be included in master’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.

Students who have received their 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. Alternatively, these students can choose 3 ECTS of Finnish courses, hence not covering the requirement of oral/written proficiency but meeting the language requirement of the degree.

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

Students are required to complete a Master's Thesis, which is an individual research assignment with a workload corresponding to 30 credits. The thesis is written on a topic related to the student's advanced studies and is agreed upon between the student and a supervisor who specializes in the topic area of the thesis. Master’s Thesis work includes a seminar presentation or equivalent presentation. The Master’s Thesis is a public document and cannot be concealed. 

Read more under “Thesis tab”.