Programme director: Marko Keskinen

Water and environmental engineering is essentially about making the world work: 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. The emphasis in the programme is on water-related aspects, including their relation to the environment.

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 and 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 particularly relevant in our programme include desire for problem-solving, comprehensive and critical thinking, multidisciplinary and -sectoral view, interaction and team work skills as well as promotion of sustainable and functioning society.

Degree structure

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 courses are organized according to three study tracks: water resources management and environmental hydraulics; water and wastewater engineering; and water and development. You can focus on some of the tracks or choose courses even from all three tracks.

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 or other Aalto 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.

Common studies (compulsory course)

Advanced studies (select 45 cr from courses below)   

WAT course descriptionsfor the academic years 2022-2024 (pdf)

The master’s thesis is written on a topic related to the advanced studies of the degree programme.

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 Completing master's thesis. 

For your free elective studies (30 cr) 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.
   
The structure of your 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 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 note that the total number of credits for a master's degree (major studies, elective studies and master's thesis) may not exceed 125 cr. 

You can complete a minor subject and include it in elective studies. Please note that if you want to have a minor it needs to be master level minor. Please see the list of all minors offered by Aalto University under Minors .  

You can also include max 5 credits of practical training in your elective studies. Please see more information: Practical training.  

Language studies (min 3 cr) are a compulsory part of the Master’s degree if they have not been completed as part of the Bachelor’s degree (see instructions below).
For international students, Finnish and Swedish language courses are highly recommended for elective studies.

Examples for elective studies from Aalto (WAT programme)

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 (http://sal.aalto.fi/en/teaching), sustainability-focused Creative Sustainability courses (http://acs.aalto.fi) as well as entrepreneurship-focused Aalto Ventures Program courses (https://avp.aalto.fi/avp-courses/). 

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. If you plan to take some of the elective courses outside Aalto, we strongly recommend you to contact our study coordinator beforehand to ensure that the courses can be included in your degree.

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 Exchange studies for Aalto students.

According to Government Decree on University Degrees (794/2004), 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.

Other students

Students who have received their education in a language other than Finnish or Swedish, or received their education abroad, are required to complete 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.
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 (basic level) courses instead, 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).

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

Academic year 2022-2023, 2023-2024

Academic year 2020-2021, 2021-2022

Academic year 2019-2020

Academic year 2018-2019

Academic year 2017-2018 

Academic year 2016-2017