Master's Degree Programme in Mechanical Engineering: Smart Systems

General Requirement

You are an eligible applicant for Master’s-level studies if

• you have a nationally recognized first cycle degree – normally a Bachelor’s degree – from an accredited institution of higher education,
• your degree corresponds to at least 180 ECTS (European credits) or to three years of full-time study,
• your degree is in a relevant field for the Master’s degree programme that you’re applying to. Please check the section on track-specific admission requirements for detailed degree requirements.

Language Requirements

Applicants must have excellent English language skills and a certificate that proves those skills. You can indicate your language skills by taking one of the internationally recognized English language tests. 

Applicants must reach the minimum required test results to be considered eligible to the University of Turku. No exceptions will be made. Read more about the language requirements here.

Before you start preparing your application, always read the full admission requirements on the application portal Studyinfo.fi

The applicant’s previous degree based on which s/he is seeking admission to the Master’s Degree Programme in Mechanical Engineering must be in a relevant field of study. Relevant fields for the Smart Systems specialisation track are

• mechanical engineering
• systems engineering
• industrial engineering
• automation engineering
• mechatronics
• robotics

You may not apply to more than one specialization track within the same Master’s Degree Programme at the University of Turku. Therefore, you should carefully consider that your educational background is suitable enough for the track that you are applying to.

The decision of admission will be based on

• the relevance of the applicant’s awarded degree(s)
• the amount, relevance, and grades of the courses in the degree(s)
• the language test result (see Language requirements)
• the motivation video (see full entry requirements for details)
• possible relevant work experience
• possible interview

In addition to the education diploma and language certificate, you should include testimonials of relevant work experience in your application. 

The academic evaluation is made only for complete applications that are received during the application period. Any preliminary assessment of suitability or chances for admission will not be given.

The Master’s Degree Programme in Mechanical Engineering: Smart Systems is a two-year programme of 120 ECTS credits.

• Joint mechanical engineering studies 20 ECTS
• Smart Systems studies 20 ECTS
• Thesis and project 40 ECTS
• Minor or Thematic Studies 20-25 ECTS
• Other studies 15-20 ECTS

Curriculum is published in the study guide.

The University of Turku fosters students' professional growth and global perspective by promoting internships and student exchanges. Every degree student can take advantage of these opportunities – all internships come with a guaranteed subsidy, and every exchange programme includes a grant.

Does this page answer your questions about the programme's content and academic matters? If not, contact infoscitech@utu.fi.

The Smart Systems track is closely connected to active research at the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. Research and teaching cover areas such as robotics and autonomous systems, intelligent and nonlinear control, machine learning for engineering systems, digital twins, mechatronics, condition monitoring, and systems engineering.
 Students have opportunities to work on topics linked to ongoing research projects and industrial collaboration, gaining experience in applying advanced methods to real engineering systems.

Our research team has extensive experience in both academic and industry environments.

For more information about our research and teaching activities, see https://sites.utu.fi/smartsystems/ and follow us on LinkedIn.

Students are able to choose thesis topics that are (i) related to a research project already underway in our department; (ii) commissioned by a company, which means that the student involved in this case could be supported by the related company. Some examples of master's thesis topics are listed below:

• Intelligent control of mechatronic systems using machine learning
• Digital twins for industrial applications and healthcare devices
• Control and decision-making in autonomous robotic systems
• Smart condition monitoring for predictive maintenance
• Reinforcement learning for scheduling factory production
• AI and computational intelligence for industrial modelling and control
• Smart sustainability: AI-based approaches to energy-efficient automation

Graduates of the Smart Systems track can work in a wide range of expert, development, research, and engineering roles related to intelligent machines and systems, robotics, control, digitalisation, and data-driven technologies.

Possible career paths can be found in sectors such as manufacturing, maritime technology, mobile machinery, transport systems, energy, healthcare technology, and other technology-intensive industries. The degree also provides eligibility for doctoral studies in mechanical engineering and related fields.
 

The employment percentage of those holding an M.Sc.(Tech.) degree is high in Finland. Moreover, since smart systems are becoming an intrinsic part of our daily lives, with applications ranging from simple smart home appliances to highly efficient and intelligent manufacturing systems, this specialisation track offers several career opportunities in a wide variety of jobs.

A Master's Degree (Technology) provides eligibility for scientific postgraduate degree studies. Postgraduate degrees are doctoral and licentiate degrees. Degrees can be completed at the University of Turku Graduate School.