Download master`s degree programme in atmosphere– biosphere studies

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MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMME IN ATMOSPHERE–
BIOSPHERE STUDIES
Department of Physics
Physicum (Kumpula Campus)
PO Box 64
FI–00014 University of Helsinki
Phone 1911 (switchboard), direct dialling
191 + extension number
Web pages: www.atm.helsinki.fi/ABS (Helsinki), www.nordic-abs.org (Nordic portal)
Professors in charge: Markku Kulmala, Timo Vesala
Coordinator: Antti Lauri
Atmosphere–Biosphere Studies:
Basics
The Master’s Degree Programme in Atmosphere–Biosphere Studies (ABS), started in 2006, is a joint activity of ten universities, all located in the Nordic and Baltic
countries. Examples of the topics in the
Programme are climate change and ecosystem–atmosphere interactions. The
Programme is based on long and strong
Nordic and Baltic co-operation and multidisciplinary training in environmental issues.
University of Helsinki, Department of Physics, Division of Atmospheric Sciences is
the coordinating unit of the Programme.
The ABS Programme includes two lines of
study: General Atmospheric Science and
Biogeochemical Cycles.
Atmospheric Sciences as a discipline
The ongoing global climate change, current
questions in air quality and the effects of air
pollutants different kinds of ecosystems are
just a few examples of issues whose existence we all know, but which are inadequately understood from the scientific point of
view. Today's society urgently needs experts
having a multidisciplinary education in environmental issues. Not only further research
has to be done, but also the industry and
commerce need environmental specialists:
new regulations and European Union directives have to be adopted in practise, requiring
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knowledge about the recent scientific results.
There is already a long tradition of environmental research and environmental protection in Nordic countries, where also many of the world's leading research groups
are located. The rapidly increasing research
is done on all levels, ranging from subatomic physical and chemical models through
measurements at field stations to global climate modelling. All the education in the
ABS Master's Degree Programme is based
on this high-quality research.
A special highlight of the Division of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of
Helsinki is the aerosol research. Aerosol
particles influence the quality of our life in
many different ways e.g. via their climatic
and health effects, visibility and acid rain.
Considering climate change, aerosol–cloud
interactions are one of the largest uncertainties. Both study lines in the ABS
Programme include courses on aerosol
science.
Employment of atmospheric
scientists
The employment situation in atmospheric
sciences is currently excellent. There exists
a global need for experts having multidisciplinary education in environmental issues. The governmental environmental
agencies need people who are able to interpret the new scientific results as a base
for future legislation. The industry, transport
and commerce need to adapt to the new,
stricter regulations.
The Masters of Science graduated from the
Programme will be competent in different
fields of the society and have a strong base
working with environmental issues. They have the ability to find innovative solutions to
complex problems in the field of environmental sciences and climate change. The
Master's degree obtained in the ABS Programme gives a good base for those who are
willing to proceed for doctoral level studies.
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master’s degree programme in atmosphere–biosphere studies
Organization and studies in the
Programme
The Master's Degree in Atmosphere–Biosphere Studies (ABS) is organized jointly by
ten Nordic and Baltic universities:
University of Helsinki, Finland (coordinating university)
Department of Physics
Department of Forest Ecology
Estonian University of Life Sciences
Institute of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences
Technical University of Denmark
Wind Energy Department
University of Aarhus, Denmark
Department of Atmospheric Environment
Department of Chemistry
University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Department of Chemistry
Institute of Geography
Niels Bohr Institute for Astronomy, Physics
and Geophysics
University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio
campus
Department of Physics and Mathematics
Department of Environmental Science
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Department of Chemistry, Atmospheric
Science
Department of Earth Sciences
Department of Plant and Environmental
Sciences
University of Lund, Sweden
Division of Nuclear Physics
Department of Physical Geography and
Ecosystems Analysis
University of Stockholm, Sweden
Department of Applied Environmental
Science
Department of Meteorology
University of Tartu, Estonia
Institute of Physics
The teaching is given by people working on
the cutting edge of atmospheric and environmental research. The research groups
involved in the Programme are members of
two Nordic Centres of Excellence, BACCI
(Biosphere–Aerosol–Cloud–Climate Interactions) and NECC (The Nordic Centre for
Studies of Ecosystem Carbon Exchange
and its Interactions with the Climate System). Furthermore, in Finland the universities of Helsinki and Kuopio are members of
the National Centre of Excellence (Physics,
Chemistry, Biology and Meteorology of Atmospheric Composition and Climate Change).
The Programme is very multidisciplinary, involving a versatile education on atmospheric sciences covering physical phenomena,
atmospheric chemistry, meteorology, physical geography and ecology. Part of the content of the Programme is related to the interactions between ecosystems and the atmosphere.
There are two lines of study in the Programme. Students on the General Atmospheric
Science line specialize in understanding the
atmospheric phenomena. On the Biogeochemical Cycles line the students specialize in interactions between the biosphere and the atmosphere.
All the courses given in the context of the
Programme are available also for students
who are not participating in the Programme. However, some field courses and summer/winter schools may have participant
quotas, and non-programme students' travel and lodging costs during a course given
by another university are not generally reimbursed by the Programme.
Studying in the ABS Master's Degree
Programme is currently free of charge.
Degrees
The basic degree in the Programme is the
Master of Science (MSc). The scope of the
degree is 120 credits, and requires a suitable Bachelor’s level degree as a prerequisite. In the University of Helsinki, the possible major subjects are Physics and Meteorology. The intended time to complete
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master’s degree programme in atmosphere–biosphere studies
the degree is two years. The detailed
structure of the MSc degree is described in
the section on degree requirements.
The Master’s Degree is given by the University of Helsinki for those who have been
selected as degree students in the University of Helsinki. The degree gives the eligibility for postgraduate studies at a university.
Obtaining the right to study
The right to study is obtained via a successful application. The calls for application for
the academic years 2011–2012 and
2011–2012 will be published in autumn
2010 and autumn 2011, respectively. Selection protocols, criteria and the schedule
will be published on the web pages of the
Master's Degree Programme in Atmosphere–Biosphere Studies (http://www.atm.helsinki.fi/ABS).
Student counselling and the personal
study plan
Students are required to make a personal
study plan (HOPS) as part of their MSc
degree, which is approved by the supervising professor. The personal study plan is
to be approved by the end of the first period
of the first year of study in the Programme.
The study plan is updated when needed as
the studies progress.
In the University of Helsinki, counselling for
students are given by the following people:
Professor Markku Kulmala
Professor Timo Vesala
Coordinator Antti Lauri
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Students who have obtained the right to
study in the Master's Degree Programme in
Atmosphere–Biosphere Studies at the University of Helsinki in 2010 or 2011 will follow
these requirements.
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE (120
CREDITS)
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1. Major subject studies (minimum of
75 credits)
530240 ADVANCED STUDIES
Both lines of study:
530188 Introduction to atmosphere–biosphere studies, 3 cr
530189 Statistical analysis of environmental field observations, 5 cr
53328 Physics and chemistry of air pollution and their effects, 5 cr
53192 Seminar in aerosol and environmental physics, 5 cr
50111
Master's thesis, 40 cr
50039 Maturity test
General atmospheric science line of study:
53051 Aerosol physics I, 5 cr
530008 Aerosol measurement technique,
5 cr
Biogeochemical cycles line of study:
53693 Forest–atmosphere interactions,
5 cr
530236 Introduction for methods to measure biosphere–atmosphere gas
exchange in ecosystem scale, 5 cr
Optional advanced courses in atmosphere–biosphere studies, minimum of 7 credits.
2. Minor subject studies (30 cr)
530241 MINOR SUBJECT STUDIES
The minor studies can include studies in
another ABS network university, in other
study lines, in other master’s degree
programmes, or in other departments and
faculties. For example the following courses are recommended:
Both lines of study:
53311
Environmental physics II, 5 cr
53626 Air chemistry, 5 cr
530007 Advanced course in air chemistry,
5 cr
53350 Atmospheric modelling, 5 cr
Aerosols, clouds and climate, 15
cr (University of Stockholm)
Simple climate models, 7.5 cr
(University of Copenhagen)
Global climate changes, 7.5 cr
(University of Copenhagen)
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master’s degree programme in atmosphere–biosphere studies
The climate system, 15 cr (University of Lund)
Transport phenomena, 5 cr (University of Kuopio)
General atmospheric science line of study:
530001 Aerosol physics II, 5 cr
530080 Intensive course on measurements of atmospheric aerosols:
aerosol physics, sampling and
measurement techniques, 3 cr
530068 Health effects of fine particles,
5 cr
530124 Classical nucleation theory, 5 cr
530181 Intensive course on formation and
growth of atmospheric aerosols, 5
cr
530191 Intensive course on arctic air pollution, 3 cr
530233 Satellite remote sensing of aerosol physical and optical properties, 5 cr
Environmental chemistry 1, 7.5 cr
(University of Copenhagen)
Atmospheric environmental chemistry, 7.5 cr (University of Copenhagen)
Cloud microphysics, 5 cr (University of Eastern Finland)
Air quality outdoors and indoors,
15 cr (University of Stockholm)
Numerical methods in atmospheric and oceanographic models,
7.5 cr (University of Copenhagen)
Biogeochemical cycles line of study:
53641 Field course in micrometeorology
and hydrology, 4 cr
530040 Theories of micrometeorological
flux measurement techniques, 5
cr
83676 Systems Analysis 2 (Department
of Forest Sciences), 3 cr
830064 Quantitative Plant Physiology
(Department of Forest Sciences),
5 cr
83664 Ecological models of growth and
yield dynamics (Department of
Forest Sciences), 4 cr
Climate changes – causes, effects, limitations and adaptation,
7.5 cr (University of Copenhagen)
Greenhouse gases and the car-
bon cycle, 15 cr (University of
Lund)
Climate change and its impact on
the environment, 15 cr (University
of Lund)
Ecological climatology & climate
change, 7.5 cr (University of Copenhagen)
Ecosystem modelling, 15 cr (University of Lund)
Global ecosystem dynamics, 15
cr (University of Lund)
Advanced biomass and CO2 modelling, 7.5 cr (University of Copenhagen)
Ecosystem analysis, 15 cr (University of Lund)
Water and energy in ecosystems,
15 cr (University of Lund)
Satellite remote sensing, 15 cr
(University of Lund)
Ecophysiology, 15 cr (University
of Gothenburg)
Biogeochemistry I, 6 cr (University
of Kuopio)
Biogeochemistry II, 5 cr (University of Kuopio)
Greenhouse gases and the carbon cycle, 15 cr (University of
Lund)
3. Other studies (minimum of 10 cr)
50034 MSC OTHER STUDIES
530150 Personal study plan (FM-HOPS),
1 cr
530107 Internship, 5–10 cr
993734 Academic Writing for Students in
English-Medium Master’s Degree
Programmes 1, 2 cr
993735 Academic Writing for Students in
English-Medium Master’s Degree
Programmes 2, 2 cr
Supplementary studies on the major or minor subject may be included in the other
studies.
General study instructions
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master’s degree programme in atmosphere–biosphere studies
Studies in the Master’s Degree
Programme
The studies in the ABS Programme consist
of various types of courses and project
work: lecture courses, seminars, laboratory
work, intensive courses and e-learning
courses. The following paragraphs give an
insight into the course types.
Lecture courses
A lecture course typically contains four
hours of lectures and two hours of exercises per week plus a written exam in the end
of the course. It is advisable to take 2–3
lecture courses during one teaching period.
Passing a lecture course usually requires
completion of a sufficient number of exercises, and passing the course exam. The first
year of studies in the ABS Programme consists mainly of lecture courses.
Seminars
The Seminar in aerosol and environmental
physics is an obligatory part of the Master’s
degree in the ABS Programme. A successful completion of the seminar course includes two seminar presentations (each 45 minutes including discussion) and an active
participation in the seminar series during at
least one semester, although it is recommended to participate the weekly, continuous seminar course all through the
Programme studies. It is advisable to give
the seminar presentations during the second year of Programme studies.
Internship
An internship, credited for 5–10 cr, is a
compulsory part of the Master’s Degree in
the ABS Programme. The internship typically comprises of 1–3 compact individual
projects, which may include laboratory
work, data analysis, or theoretical or model
studies. A short, written report has to be
prepared for each project. The internship
projects can be started already during the
first year, and they may take place at a research group in one of the ABS network
universities, in some other university, in a
research institute, or in a private company.
For each project, a supervisor is named.
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Intensive courses
Several summer and winter schools as well
as field courses are available for the
Programme students. In Finland many of
the courses take place at the Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station in Juupajoki, Southern
Finland. The intensive courses are typically
5–12 days long and include a concise daily
programme with lectures, exercises and
group work.
E-learning courses
The ABS Programme includes several courses that can be taken remotely using e-learning platforms. The most often used platform in the ABS Programme is Moodle
(http://moodle.org/). The e-learning courses
typically include either lectures webcast or
lecture notes with supporting material available online, exercises available and returned online, web quizzes, weekly chat sessions, forum discussions, and a home exam
or report written in a group in the end of the
course.
Registration for the courses
Students register for courses and examinations offered by the University of Helsinki
according to the registration practices in the
department organizing the course. Considering lecture and seminar courses, in the
University of Helsinki the registration usually takes place in the WebOodi system
(http://www.helsinki.fi/weboodi/). For intensive courses there is often a separate registration procedure.
Teaching periods
Teaching is given in four periods. In the
academic years 2010–2011 and 2011–2012
the periods are the following:
2010–2011
I
II
III
IV
6 September – 24 October
1 November – 19 December
17 January – 6 March
14 March – 22 May
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master’s degree programme in atmosphere–biosphere studies
2011–2012
5 September – 23 October
31 October – 18 December
16 January – 4 March
12 March – 20 May
Each period consists of seven weeks of
teaching.
Exchange periods
Students of the ABS Programme are recommended to participate in one full-term
or two half-term exchange periods in another ABS network university. The possible
exchange periods are agreed in the beginning of studies, connected to the personal
study plan (HOPS). The recommended
exchange periods are period IV of the first
year of studies and period I of the second
year of studies.
Grading
All courses are graded either on the sixstep scale 0–5 or the two-step scale
fail/pass. On the former scale, the lowest
passing grade is 1/5, for which the student
usually needs to get half the maximum
points. To get the highest grade 5/5, the student usually needs at least 5/6 of the maximum points.
Teaching language
The teaching language in the Programme is
English. It is possible to include courses given by the local languages of the ABS
network universities (i.e. Finnish, Swedish,
Danish or Estonian).
Master's thesis
The Master's thesis is the final thesis done
independently by the student for the MSc
degree. The aim of the thesis is to show
that the MSc graduated from the Programme is familiar with the scientific methodology, is capable to carry out a demanding project work, and knows the conventions of
written scientific presentation.
The extent of the thesis is 40 credits. In the
ABS Programme, the Master's thesis is
usually written during the second year of
studies. The topic of the thesis is agreed
upon with a professor of the Programme.
Usually the topic is related to research
problems of a research group.
Maturity test
The maturity test required for the Master's
degree is taken as a separate exam when
the Master's thesis has been submitted for
evaluation. A new test is required even if
the student has given the test at the Bachelor level.
Computer access
There are several computer classrooms in
the Kumpula campus freely available for
students. To access the computers, you
need a personal user account.
Study scheme
The typical temporal scheme of the studies
in the ABS Programme is presented below.
Year 1, I period
530150 Personal study plan (HOPS), 1 cr
530188 Introduction
to
atmohsphere–biosphere studies, 3 cr
530189 Statistical analysis of environmental field observations, 5 cr
53051 Aerosol physics I, 5 cr
53311
Environmental physics II, 5 cr
Year 1, II-III period
Other introductory courses depending on
the study line and personal study plan
Year 1, IV period
53328 Physics and chemistry of air pollution and their effects, 5 cr
Exchange period in another university
Year 2, I period
Exchange period in another university
Year 2, II period
Advanced courses depending on the study
line and personal study plan
Year 2, III-IV periods
Advanced courses depending on the study
line and personal study plan
53192 Seminar in aerosol and environmental physics, 5 cr
50111
Master's thesis, 40 cr
50039 Maturity test
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master’s degree programme in atmosphere–biosphere studies
Course descriptions
The descriptions of the courses given by
the University of Helsinki are available
through http://www.atm.helsinki.fi/ABS/. A
full list, including the courses given by the
other universities, is given in the Nordic portal of Atmosphere–Biosphere Studies
(http://www.nordic-abs.org).
POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
Post-graduate studies aiming for a Doctor
of Philosophy or Licenciate of Philosophy
degree are typically pursued in conjunction
with research groups. A list of such groups
can be found on the web pages of the
Master's Programme.
The Graduate School in Atmospheric
Composition and Climate Change:
From Molecular Processes to Global
Observations and Models
The national Graduate School started in the
beginning of 2010 with eleven partners:
University of Helsinki (coordinating institution)
Aalto University
University of Eastern Finland
Tampere University of Technology
Finnish Meteorological Institute
Finnish Geodetic Institute
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
Finland's Environmental Administration (SYKE)
Vaisala Oyj
Beneq Oy
Space Systems Finland Oy
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There are currently over 100 PhD students
in the Graduate School. The central research areas in the Graduate School include Aerosol-cloud-climate interactions;
Biosphere-atmosphere interactions; Global
climate modeling; Land use change quantification methods in relation to climate change and methods for early signalling to adaptation to climate change impacts; Development of aerosol, remote sensing, radar, and
environmental technology; Linking aerosol
and environmental technology to 3D city
models and built environment; Improved
positioning to improve in-situ measurements; Ubiquitous remote sensing; Snow
and ice studies: evolution of sea ice and
snow conditions; Carbon, water, nitrogen
and aerosol cycles and balances; and Air
quality.
The Graduate School involves training and
mobility on the national level, multidisciplinary studies and research topics, and collaboration with the industry.