Mechanical Engineering, Master of Science (Technology)

Description

Today's society relies on mechanical engineering for effective, sustainable and safe solutions everywhere. The field covers a wide range of activities and technology sectors, from energy and transportation to medical devices and environmental protection. There is no shortage of tasks, challenges, and opportunities where mechanical engineers create innovative solutions. Mechanical engineering applies to everything from the smallest components to the largest assemblies, resulting in a persistent demand for mechanical engineering expertise.

Through high quality teaching the programme combines hands-on study methods with theory, in order to educate graduates with a variety of skills that correspond to the challenges of future society. As an Aalto University Mechanical Engineering graduate, you will have:

• Own specialization in the field. We have teaching in seven different topic groups: Arctic Technology, Engineering Materials, Marine Technology, Mechatronics, Product Development, Production Engineering and Solid Mechanics. The programme is flexible, offering many possibilities for specialization and allows a wide selection of elective courses in making your personal study path.
• Relevant technical, mathematical, computational and analytical knowledge and skills. When completing the programme, you will understand the principles and methods of mechanics in engineering, and their practical applications. You will know how to solve engineering problems in your chosen area of specialization, and you can correctly apply a combination of creativity, systematic analysis, computational tools, and critical judgement to such tasks.
• Good interpersonal skills. As a student in an international environment, you will learn to justify your choices and methods, communicate clearly and collaborate effectively.
• Understanding of the societal context. By solving practical real-world cases with the relevant industries, you will also learn the broader societal impact of the field. You will learn to apply mechanical engineering for effective, sustainable and safe solutions, which benefit society in different levels, which our specialization fields reflect.
• Experience from industry. We have close ties to industry, which allows our students to learn in co-operation and to work with the relevant companies and public institutions already during their studies.

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

Aalto University’s tuition fee for master’s programmes taught in English is 15 000 euros per academic year. Tuition fees apply to citizens of countries other than those of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

Aalto University has a scholarship programme to support non-EU/EEA citizens who study in a fee-charging degree programme. The scholarship may cover 100% or 50% of the tuition fee.

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

Structure of studies

Aalto University's Master's Programme in Mechanical Engineering builds upon a thorough understanding of core mechanics subjects, which is complemented through advanced studies. Studies provide a solid engineering basis for working in an international, competitive and highly innovative environment. 

The programme begins with common studies and specialisation is offered through advanced studies within seven topic groups, or majors:

• Arctic Technology
• Engineering Materials
• Marine Technology
• Mechatronics
• Product Development
• Production Engineering
• Solid Mechanics

The common studies and advanced studies form together half of the degree, 60 credits. In addition, the program includes 30 credits of elective studies. These can be chosen from within or beyond mechanical engineering. A research based master's thesis completes the programme.

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

Specialisations

Arctic Technology

The demand for engineers with specific Arctic competence is rising as marine traffic and industrial activities in ice-covered seas increase. The Arctic environment, including the Baltic Sea, is very fragile and it imposes strict requirements for the safety and sustainability of all operations. You will gain a deep understanding of different engineering issues related to cold marine environments, including the design of ships for the harsh Arctic environment and the behaviour of sea ice. Courses deal with winter navigation, ice loads on ships and structures, design of structures, hydrodynamics, ice mechanics and applied mechanics in general.

Aalto University is one of the leading institutions in research related to Arctic Technology. The studies will give you the opportunity to participate in model-scale experiments in a unique test facility, Aalto Ice and Wave Tank, and learn the state-of-the-art in analytical and numerical methods. For example, you might choose the arctic marine technology study path or arctic offshore and ice engineering. Graduates of Arctic Technology typically find work in consulting and design companies, classification societies, governmental bodies, shipyards, or in research institutes and universities.

Engineering Materials

Materials are "the stuff that stuff is made of". Advances in the science and technology of the materials we can use are key enablers of technological progress. Mechanical engineers specialised in the science of our most important engineering materials keep these advances coming and understand which advances to focus on from a user's as well as a producer's perspective.

You can complement this specialisation with, for example, application-specific courses for a particular industry, or with design and modelling skills, or with materials-related courses from other programmes and schools.

Graduates with an engineering materials focus are typically find work in large and small companies, start-ups, research institutes, universities and government agencies in roles like product development, research, analysis, and management.

Marine Technology

Courses in the Marine Technology topic group give you an in-depth understanding of maritime engineering. Teaching provides principles for ship construction and design, including hydrodynamics, loads, structural analyses, stability, risk of marine traffic and winter navigation. Experimental work complements theory studies and computer simulations are used to convey concepts.

You can modify and focus your studies based on your interests through specialisation courses from other topic groups or other master's programmes. Marine Technology studies provide you with the capabilities required to perform design and research work in the marine industry. The majority of graduates work in design and research positions at shipyards, research institutes, design offices, shipping companies and regulatory institutions.

Mechatronics

Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field that integrates mechanical, electrical, telecommunications, control and computer engineering. By choosing the advanced studies of this topic group and the recommended courses for elective studies, you will develop a strong conceptual and theoretical background as well as practical expertise in the different technology areas of the subject: machine design, electronics, fluid power, automation, control engineering, programming, modelling and simulation.

Your studies will involve solving multidisciplinary problems creatively through various methods; critically evaluating the adaptability of alternative technologies; analysing system characteristics, operation and quality with measurements and simulations; and designing and building energy-efficient and requirements-compliant mechatronic systems, apparatuses and machines.

Following graduation, your typical career options include working as an expert, e.g., as system designer, product developer or research engineer in the service of a component manufacturer, an engineering office or a research institute. With accumulated work experience, graduates typically move over to more challenging design, research, teaching or management duties in the service of industry or academia.

Product development

A good product developer has expertise and competence in at least one additional field, such as machine design, engineering materials, manufacturing, structural engineering, electronics, mechatronics, industrial design or business development. Product development courses focus on three main areas. First, the theoretical foundation in the methods and tools of product development. Second, more practical approaches for communicating, prototyping, and testing ideas and solutions. Third, the capstone course takes you through a complete experience, from an idea to a prototype, in partnership with an industrial partner and based on a real-world challenge.

Product development courses are aimed at those who adapt well to team settings and who are interested in the processes of developing investment and consumer goods from planning to completion. Matters of management and leadership, as well as working in an interdisciplinary team, are components of the capstone course.

If you are interested in product development, you will typically find yourself in a position of team leader soon after graduation. Further career paths may lead to development manager positions, technical expert roles or product manager positions with more business responsibilities.

Production engineering

A production engineer has a wide set of skills for managing production at factories. The Production Engineering topic group focuses primarily on manufacturing in the metal industry.

Courses in the topic group cover the following general subjects: manufacturing and machine tool technology, additive manufacturing, quality management and metrology, production systems, modelling and optimisation in production technology. Studying production engineering is often practical, involving hands-on laboratory exercises, projects and individual assignments. Close co-operation with the industry is common.

The focus areas of research include modelling and optimisation of production systems, material removal processes and additive manufacturing technology. As a student, you may also use the shared research facility ADD – the Aalto University Digital Design Laboratory – which provides 3D printing, laser cutting and robotics services to the university.

Solid Mechanics

Experts in the field of solid mechanics are needed in the design of structures and machinery to ensure their safety and efficiency. The studies provide a comprehensive framework of the theoretical and numerical aspects of applied mechanics. As a future expert in this field, you will not only learn the fundamental theories related to the behaviour of structures and materials under loads, but you are also able to apply these theories – together with numerical tools – to effectively and reliably solve practical hands-on tasks. Complementary studies in materials science, machine design, product development, and production engineering may also prove useful.

Our courses in Solid Mechanics provide students with the capability to perform structural design and research related to the mechanics of structures. Graduates will find work in companies designing and manufacturing products or structures, in consulting and design companies or in governmental bodies. Research institutes and universities are typical working environments as well. Recent graduates in solid mechanics from Aalto University have specialised, for example, in lifts, vehicles, marine propellers, and steel structures in civil engineering.

Internationalisation

Mechanical Engineering students are actively encouraged to spend a semester abroad, studying at one of the top-tier international partner universities of Aalto University.

Further study opportunities

Master’s programme in Mechanical Engineering is considered a great foundation for doctoral studies and post-doc positions.

Career opportunities

The finished degree opens doors to a multitude of career paths in consulting, design, product development, research and management, or to a postgraduate position within Aalto University or elsewhere. Graduates of Mechanical Engineering Master’s programme can work as:

• Systems engineers  ​understanding and designing complex systems of different scales, from atomic to global. ​
• Entrepreneurial engineers  ​creating innovative design necessary to develop products, processes and services that are competitive in a global economy.​
• Engineering scientists  ​conducting basic research, which is necessary to address compelling global challenges such as energy sustainability. ​
• Engineering managers​ leading global projects and businesses.

These are just some examples, as the number of career paths available for graduates are nearly endless. Our students work closely with industry already during their studies, which enables them to start their careers before graduation.

Research focus

Our Mechanical Engineering M.Sc. programme brings together teaching mainly from five research groups in the Department of Mechanical Engineering: Advanced Manufacturing and Materials, Marine Technology, Mechatronics, Product Development, and Solid Mechanics. Broadly, we all work on the design, production, and operation of sustainable systems, mostly involving one or more of the 4 M’s of Mechanics, Materials, Marine, and Manufacturing. We typically make use of digitalization for innovation, optimization, and control; for example at Aalto Industrial Internet Campus for Mechatronics or ADDlab for additive manufacturing. Design Factory and Aalto Ice and Wave Tank are world-class facilities for research in product development and in ice mechanics or marine technology, respectively. More information can be found on our website at https://mecheng.aalto.fi/.

Co-operation with other parties

In teaching as well as in research, we often collaborate with industry and other research institutes for our projects. The majority of master’s theses in our programme are carried out in industry, and annual events to showcase the outcomes of student projects, such as the Mechatronics Circus, the Product Development Gala, and the Marine Technology Gala are well attended by people from industry and academia alike. Within our programme, students collaborate in project courses and case studies, and often choose to develop a multidisciplinary professional profile by taking minors or elective studies in other fields.

Contact information

Jukka Tuhkuri

Professor, Programme director

[email protected]

Katri Koistinen

Planning officer (content and studies of the programme)

[email protected]

Aalto University, Admission Services

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

[email protected]