Master's Programme in Automation and Electrical Engineering

The Control, Robotics and Autonomous Systems major provides a strong basis in control engineering and automation, allowing students to specialise in a particular area of interest such as factory automation, robotics, autonomous smart systems, or industrial software systems. Central topics for all students include modelling, estimation and control of dynamic systems, as well as embedded systems and software for modern automation systems. Upon completion of the Major, the student is able to:

• Understand the need for automation

• Design models and controllers for dynamic systems

• Analyse properties and dynamics of systems

• Design industrial software applications

• Understand one of the focus areas in-depth:

  • robotics and autonomous systems

  • smart systems

  • control engineering

  • automation software

  • factory automation

The Electrical Power and Energy Engineering major offers a firm base for engineers working in the field of electrical power and energy engineering. The field includes power transmission, distribution, smart grid, and sustainable generation and utilisation of electrical power, as well as power-conversion devices such as motors, generators, and power electronic converters and their control. Upon completion of the Major, students are able to:

• Identify fundamental aspects and considerations for electrical energy systems

• Develop applications for energy efficiency, integration of renewables, and distributed generation

• Analyse and evaluate existing and future challenges in the field of electrical power and energy engineering

• Design and analyse power systems or energy conversion devices

• Understand one of the focus areas in-depth:

  • electromechanics

  • power electronic systems

  • power systems

  • sustainable electrical energy

Translational engineering is a multidisciplinary major dealing with ubiquitous electronics and microsystems from health care and medical technology to workplace and home environment. The major provides the student interdisciplinary knowledge from microtechnologies, new materials, and ICT. Translational engineering also emphasises the process of transferring results from fundamental studies into innovations and functional products. Upon completion of the Major, students are able to:

• translate the application needs into technical requirements

• understand the design and fabrication principles of electronic devices and systems

• command the tools needed in the development of product innovations

• design new devices in the fields of bioelectronics and smart systems

• understand one of the focus areas in-depth:

  • health and wellbeing

  • smart system integration

  • smart living environment

  • measurement science and technology

Required prior knowledge

Applicants to the programme must first meet the general eligibility criteria and language requirements common to all Master’s programmes in Aalto University.

The following background knowledge is required. This knowledge is typically obtained by studying a Bachelor degree at a research university with Electrical Engineering, Automation, Control Engineering or Materials Science as a major subject.

 The required background subjects are:

• mathematics (linear algebra, calculus, probability theory and statistics)
• programming skills
• physics and/or chemistry
• project and team work
• technical writing

For applicants whose previous degree is in a subject other than Electrical Engineering, Automation, Control Engineering or Materials Science, it is critical to demonstrate the knowledge in the above areas and the specific major requirements (as described below) in the application.

Students chosen to the programme may be required to complement their earlier degree studies with complementary studies. The admission letter will provide information on any such requirements. The complementary studies cannot be included in the Master's degree but will be required for graduation.

In addition to the general background requirements, each major has specific requirements. The major is selected at the beginning of the studies, and at that point the background requirements listed below are considered. The applicants are asked to indicate in the motivation letter which major they wish to follow.

The majors offered have the following specific requirements:

Control, Robotics and Autonomous Systems

      Required knowledge:

• basics of control engineering

     Knowledge in the following areas is considered an advantage:

• robotics
• industrial automation
• basics of electronics
• good programming skills

Electrical Power and Energy Engineering

     Required knowledge:

• circuit theory (including three-phase systems)

• electricity and magnetism

• basics of electronics and electronic components

     Knowledge in the following areas is considered an advantage:

• basics of control engineering

Translational Engineering

     Knowledge in the following areas is considered an advantage:

• good knowledge of physics and/or chemistry

• basics of electronics

In addition to the mandatory application documents, applicants to the Automation and Electrical Engineering programme are requested to provide the following additional documents:

• curriculum vitae*
• motivation letter*
  • The motivation letter should be written in English. The maximum length of the motivation letter is about 4000 characters. There are no specific instructions for the content of the motivation letter except for the general advise that you should write a separate motivation letter for each study option you apply to.

* the lack of these two application documents will adversely affect the evaluation of your application

• at least one original recommendation letter (preferably academic)
• work certificates and certificates of other relevant achievements
• copies of any publications
• the official transcript of records for other university studies which are not included in the mandatory part of the application

The application should fully explain the educational history of the applicant. If the applicant has started or completed other studies in addition to the Bachelor's degree mentioned above, he or she should also provide the respective official transcripts and other possible (degree) certificates. If the applicant has work experience or other activities or achievements to support their application, certificates or other proof should be included in the application. If the applicant has publications, copies or permanent web links to the publications should be provided. The CV and the motivation letter should be used to provide a summary of one's personal history, achievements, objectives and other points that one considers important for the application.

General instructions on study-option-specific documents

All additional application documents described above should preferably be submitted in English. If some other language than English, Finnish or Swedish is used in them, the applicant must provide precise, word-for-word translations of them.

Upload the documents to your online application form in pdf-format. Name the file(s) according to format: Name of the document-Lastname-Firstname (e.g. CV-Lastname-Firstname.pdf). Maximum file size is 1.0 GB.

The study-option-specific documents must be uploaded for each study option separately, even if you use the same document (e.g. CV). Please check carefully the study-option-specific document requirements for each study option you apply to.

The deadline for the study-option-specific application documents to be uploaded to your application form is 10 January 2020 at 15:00 (GMT +2).

Applicants to the programme must meet the general eligibility criteria and language requirements at Aalto University.

The application process is competitive. First, the applicant’s suitability for the programme is evaluated. The applicants are then ranked, and the best applicants are granted admission to the programme.

The evaluation of the applicants is based on the following criteria:

Content of the previous degree

The applicant should have a Bachelor’s degree (minimum 180 ECTS credits or equivalent) in Electrical Engineering, Automation, Control Engineering or Materials Science. Excellent candidates with degrees in other fields such as Computer Science, Engineering, Natural Sciences or Mathematics will be considered. 

Applicants who already have a Master’s degree of comparable quality and content in Electrical Engineering, Automation, Control Engineering or Materials Science or related field, or who intend to complete one, or who have a valid study right in this application target will not be accepted to the programme except for special reasons, which the applicant must explain in the application. The Master’s programme should provide genuinely new knowledge and further the career of the applicant.

Recognition and quality of the home university

The applicant’s previous degree will be evaluated based on the international reputation and academic quality of the university and the programme.

Study success

The degree programme is looking for applicants with excellent success in their previous studies. This will be evaluated on the basis of the Grade Point Average (GPA) and results in key courses. The grades will be evaluated in relation to how demanding the studies have been. The time spent on the previous studies will also be taken into account.

All the applicant’s previous university studies, including incomplete degrees and non-degree studies, will be taken into consideration when evaluating study success. Applicants who have previously studied at Aalto University, e.g. as exchange students, are also evaluated according to the grades, the number of credits obtained, as well as on the time spent on these studies.

Motivation and commitment

The applicant should be motivated to study the chosen subject and committed to full-time studies with a plan to complete the Master’s degree in two years.

Other relevant achievements

The applicant’s other relevant achievements may be considered if documented in the application. These may include, for example:

• experience in demanding work where the Master’s degree would be necessary

• participation in scientific research leading to publications

• special achievements in one's previous career or as an entrepreneur, prizes in competitions, or published writings

Recommendations

At least one recommendation letter should be attached to the application. It should preferably be from a university professor, lecturer or a thesis instructor who has supervised the applicant’s studies at the university. The recommendation should comment on the applicant’s suitability to the specific Master’s programme and major.

Language proficiency

The applicant must meet the mandatory language requirements. In addition to this, it is critically important to be able to use English as a working language. The studies are conducted fully in English.

The minimum GPA for applicants from Finnish universities of applied science is 3.8. Applicants with a GPA below the 3.8 limit will not be admitted unless they have other exceptional merits. Meeting the minimum GPA does not guarantee admission to the programme.

Previously, all admitted students whose previous degree was from a Finnish university of applied science were required to take a selection of complementary studies. This is no longer required, and complementary studies are assigned only in individual cases. Therefore, it is important to demonstrate the depth of the required prior knowledge in the application. This can be achieved, for example, with excellent grades in the relevant Bachelor courses and by completing a small number of demanding courses in the areas of required knowledge. A limited number of seats for non-degree students are available in the Bachelor-level courses in Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Programming at Aalto University, and similar courses may be available through the Open University.