Geoengineering, Master of Science (Technology)

Description

As one of the top-ranked programmes in its field, the Master’s programme in Geoengineering provides world-class education in the disciplines of geotechnics, rock mechanics and highway engineering. Programme graduates play a key role in urbanisation and circular economy, with their expertise helping to alleviate climate change and reduce the use of natural resources. Thanks to their highly appreciated knowledge and skills, as well as the programme’s close collaboration with the industry, graduates tend to find great job opportunities with ease.

As raw materials – used in construction materials, household items, energy, groundwater and basically all common goods – originate in the earth, experts in soils, rocks and their use are in high demand. Large construction projects, in particular, require engineers capable of designing the foundations, roads, excavations and tunnels, to name a few. Geoengineering Master's programme gives its students a great variety of relevant skills and knowledge. Geoengineering graduates have:
 

• Extensive expertise in one or more of the fields: geotechnical engineering, rock engineering or highway engineering, with courses chosen by the students to suit their needs and interests.
• Applied knowledge in the specialization area: Through the studies, the student develops into a professional in at least one of the three specialisations of the Master's programme. (The specializations Geotechnical Engineering, Rock Engineering and Highway Engineering are presented below.)
• Numerical modelling skills. Graduates can choose a study path giving them world-class skills in advanced computational modelling.
• Deep understanding of tools and software. Graduates know the underlying logic and basic functions of the most frequently used tools and computer programmes within the industry.
• Co-operational and communications skills. Graduates are active team players and skilled team leaders who cope well with pressure in even the fastest-paced environments.
• Experience from the field. Graduates have hands-on experience related to real-world construction and testing.
   

Upon graduation from the Geoengineering Master's programme, graduates possess a comprehensive view of the lifespan of geotechnical structures, from the initial investigations, to design, construction, maintenance, and recycling.

Language of instruction

The language of instruction is English. More information and guidelines on the languages of the degree and instruction available in the university's website here.

Tuition fees and scholarships

The tuition fee for this programme is 17 000 euros per academic year. Citizens of European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland do not pay tuition fees. Citizens of other countries must pay tuition fees.

Aalto University offers a small number of scholarships in the form of tuition fee waivers to fee-paying students. Scholarships can be awarded to the highest-achieving applicants based on the programme's evaluation criteria. Applicants are ranked according to the criteria outlined on the programme's webpage.

More information on tuition fees and scholarships at Aalto University is available at the Scholarships and Tuition Fees webpage.

Structure of studies

The Master’s Programme in Geoengineering is organised by the School of Engineering and comprises a total of 120 ECTS credits. The two-year programme consists of:
 

• Major studies (60 ECTS)
• Master’s thesis (30 ECTS)
• Elective studies (30 ECTS)
   

The major studies are comprised of compulsory first-year common studies (30 ECTS) and elective advanced studies (30 ECTS). This allows students to flexibly choose a more theoretically advanced path, a more applied and practical approach, or a combination of both.

Personal Study Plan (PSP)
At the beginning of their studies, students define their Personal Study Plans (PSP) together with an academic advisor. The primary purpose of the PSP is to ensure that the studies support the student’s interests and are completed in a logical order.

The Personal Study Plan (PSP) is a practical tool to define a student’s own study path, i.e. compiling an optimal selection of courses, aligned with the student's interests and programme requirements. The PSP is also a useful tool for keeping up with studies as it shows the stage at which students are with their studies and sets concrete milestones for them to follow.

For more information on the courses, please visit the programme's section on Student guide.

The master’s thesis (30 credits) is a piece of applied research conducted independently by the student. Its key goal is to solve a problem relevant to the field of study, based on existing scientific knowledge and in compliance with the principles of responsible conduct of research. Master’s theses are written on topics related to the advanced studies of the programme, agreed upon between the student and the supervising professor. A master’s thesis may be, for example, a research and development project carried out for an industrial partner outside the university, or it can be connected with an ongoing research project of the department. Completing a master’s thesis usually takes six months of full-time work.

Most of the final project topics are acquired from construction and consultancy companies and authorities in different fields of geoengineering, thus giving also valuable contacts for any student planning a career in the industry. For students with academic career prospects, completing the final project within a research group in Aalto University or in another research organisation is also a viable option. In Geoengineering, the great majority of master’s thesis subjects are sponsored by the industry, governmental organisations or research projects with gratification paid to the student undertaking the work.

Specialisations

The teachers in Master's programme in Geoengineering are well recognised in Finland and abroad for both their scientific and applied expertise. Many of them have been involved in challenging engineering designs and projects and they are maintaining strong industry links. It guarantees that students are provided with up-to-date courses and knowledge close to the needs of the companies. As the programme professors actively pursue research, they don’t hesitate to introduce new knowledge in their teaching, keeping geoengineering graduates at the cutting edge of development. Furthermore, the daily studies include multiple learning methods like flipped classroom teaching, experiments in the above-standard laboratory facilities, field investigations (usually with machinery from industry, sometimes even with explosives), hands-on projects for the industry, visits to construction sites, and even certain projects carried out in tunnels under the campus or through virtual reality.

Working with foundations and ground improvement requires knowledge of soil types, mines and tunnels call for expertise in rock, and the construction of transportation routes needs highway engineers. Thus, in Geoengineering Master's programme, students may choose to specialise in:

Geotechnical Engineering
Sound geotechnical knowledge is the foundation of all construction. The main topics of interest in geotechnical engineering are the mechanical, hydraulic and thermal properties of soil and how they affect designs. In particular, students learn to select the foundation type, design foundations and other geotechnical structures, take into account soil-structure interaction and decide on ground improvement. The programme also introduces knowledge related to offshore engineering and the influence of cyclic loading on soil behaviour, mainly due to the growing interest in wind energy.

An essential feature of geotechnical expertise is the knowledge of mineral-based materials and their sustainable use. The integral part of the skills of geotechnical engineering graduates is the familiarity with modern design methods, including design based on numerical methods and reliability, built upon an in-depth knowledge of soil behaviour and computer methods.

Highway Engineering
Airports, ports, highways, streets, low-volume roads, rails, subways and other high traffic areas form a crucial part of societal infrastructure. As such, they have a profound impact on everyday life and the functioning of the entire society. Highway engineering education focuses on the structural and geometric design of roads and pavements and the material science of bituminous materials. This provides students with the understanding of how to select paving material and design structures for each application based on solid engineering criteria and sustainability. Students will also learn the methods to maintain and rehabilitate structures to prolong their service life.

Rock Engineering

Rock engineering involves using the bedrock as an underground space and as a mineral and energy source. The core fields of rock engineering are rock mechanics, excavation techniques, construction and geosciences. These are the tools required for designing optimal structures in the rock and carrying out plans in a safe and economical way without endangering the environment. Rock engineers are involved with tunnelling projects in the planning phase by designing the layout and reinforcement of the rock structures. In the construction phase, they materialise the plans for challenging rock excavation projects.

The content of studies depends largely on the choice of specialisation. However, here are some examples from the wide course selection to give an overview of how extensively the programme educates its students:

• Advanced Soil Mechanics (5 ECTS)
• Numerical Methods in Geotechnics (5 ECTS)
• Structural design of roads (5 ECTS)
• Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation (5 ECTS)
• Foundation Engineering and Ground Improvement (5 ECTS)
• Rock Excavation (5 ECTS)
• Rock Mechanics (5 ECTS)
   

More information on the programme content and curriculum can be found in the Student guide.

Internationalisation

Geoengineering students are actively encouraged to spend a semester abroad, studying at one of the top-tier international partner universities of Aalto University. Another typical internationalisation path goes through the several multinational companies that are partners of the Geoengineering Master's programme.

Aalto University is international by nature, welcoming thousands of degree and exchange students from abroad each year. These students join the diverse Aalto community not only through studies, but also multiple free time events, activities and celebrations around the campus. Programme administrators, active student tutors and student support services work rigorously to help international students integrate into the Nordic culture and welcome them at home in Finland.

Further study opportunities

Master's programme in Geoengineering qualifies for doctoral studies. Typically, 1–3 students start their postgraduate studies in geoengineering in Aalto University every year. The selection is competitive and an MSc degree with good grades in a relevant field is a prerequisite for applicants.

Career opportunities

Thanks to the programme’s outstanding links with the industry, geoengineering graduates work closely with industry companies and experts already during their studies. The boundary between the industry and geoengineering studies is kept low to best serve the learning experiences of students as well as the future careers of graduates. For example, in 2017-2018 around 90% of the MSc theses were sponsored by the industry and virtually all the graduates were able to find a job related to their expertise. Overall, the companies are extremely active in attracting geoengineering graduates as they represent a scarce and unique talent, highly sought after in Finland and Estonia, as well as in Europe and around the world.

Geoengineers hold key positions in areas related to construction engineering, design and consulting to management, teaching and research, and usually find themselves working as:
 

• Designers and other professionals at consultancy and industry-leading companies
• Founders or experts at industry-challenging startups
• Experts in governmental organisations
• Researchers in research institutions
• Academics and teachers
   

Aalto University has well-established career services through which you can get employed in Finland and abroad. Aalto students tend to find good positions with ease upon graduation. An active entrepreneurship community is also present at Aalto, which can help as a springboard for founding your company. Finally, if an academic career is of interest, the Master’s programme in Geoengineering is a great foundation for doctoral studies.

Research focus

https://www.aalto.fi/en/department-of-civil-engineering

Co-operation with other parties

For their elective studies, students can freely choose among courses offered by any of the schools of Aalto University. Some of the most favoured multidisciplinary options are combining structural engineering or traffic management with a geoengineering degree. There are also some collaboration opportunities between the programme and other universities around themes like circular economy and sustainability.

Aalto University is well-known for bridging disciplines of business, arts, technology and science. The lively campus and freedom to choose elective courses across the university bring students from different fields under one roof. This spontaneous multidisciplinary environment sparks new ideas, gathers enthusiasts around them and gives birth to friendships, networks, and every so often, startups.

Contact information

Wojciech Solowski

Professor, Programme director

wojciech.solowski (at) aalto.fi

Minna Marin

Planning officer (content and studies of the programme)

minna.marin (at) aalto.fi

Aalto University, Admission Services

For enquiries regarding the application process, obligatory application documents or English language proficiency, please contact Admission Services at

[email protected]