Courses in Aerosol Physics Study Track

Information about aerosol physics courses.

The preliminary syllabus for the academic year 2025-2026 has been published in the Studies service and the final syllabus will be published in Sisu by the end of June. Please note, that some courses will not be lectured every academic year.

See recommended previous knowledge and skills for this study track in the end of the page.
Aerosol Physics, ad­vanced stud­ies (complete at least 95 cr)

Your degree will include minimum of 120 credits out of which at least 95 credits are of advanced courses. 

Compulsory studies for all study tracks (45 -50 credits): 

ATM301 Atmospheric and Earth Sciences Today (5 cr)
ATM345 Atmospheric science seminar for Master’s students (5 cr)
ATM350 Master's thesis (30 cr)
ATM399 Maturity test (0 cr)
Personal study plan (0 cr) (included in ATM301)

Select either ATM302 Climate.now (5 cr) or ATM386 Climate.now (2 cr).

Select either ATM303 Project course in atmospheric sciences (3 or 5 cr) or ATM384 Integrating art and science (5 cr) or ATM380 Solutions.now (5 cr).

Compulsory courses of the study track (min 10 cr)

ATM304 Aerosol physics II (5 cr)

Select at least one of the following courses:

ATM308 Statistical Tools for Climate and Atmospheric Science (5 cr)
ATM309 Analysis of atmosphere-surface interactions and feedbacks (5 cr)
ATM310 Time Series Analysis in Geosciences (5 cr)
DATA11001 Introduction to Data Science (5 cr)
DATA11002 Introduction to Machine Learning (5 cr)
ATM4171 Introduction to Machine Learning for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (5 cr)
DATA12001 Advanced Course in Machine Learning (5 cr)
LSI35002 Bayesian Data Analysis (5 cr)
DATA20046 Neural Networks and Deep Learning (5 cr)
 

Alternative courses of the study track (complete at least 20 cr)

ATM306 Basics of atmospheric chemistry (5 cr)
ATM307 Atmospheric and aerosol chemistry (5 cr)
ATM318 Aerosol measurement techniques (5 cr)
ATM311 Simulations of Formation of Molecular Clusters (5 cr)
ATM312 Aerosol Modelling (5 cr)
ATM313 Chemical transport modelling I I (5 cr)
ATM314 Chemical transport modelling II (5 cr)
ATM371 Laboratory course in Aerosol physics (5 cr)
ATM319 Atmospheric observations of aerosols, clouds and reactive trace gases (5 cr)
ATM320 Mass Spectrometry in Atmospheric Sciences and Environmental analysis (5 cr)
ATM325 Satellite remote sensing methods in aerosol science (5 cr)
ATM326 Health Effects of Fine Particles (5 cr)
ATM327 Fine particles in occupational environments (5 cr)
ATM368 Aerosol Optics (5 cr)
ATM381 Physical and chemical characterization of charged molecules and clusters at atmospheric pressure (5 cr) 
MATR305 Nanophysics and nanochemistry (5 cr)
ATM358 Atmospheric photochemistry and reaction kinetics (5 cr)
ATM357 Atmospheric Radiation (5 cr)
ATM354 Cloud Physics (5 cr)
ATM394 Advanced Aerosol Chemistry (5 cr)
ATM372 Atmosphere of planets from our solar system and beyond (5 cr)

Optional advanced courses for all study tracks (complete at most 30 cr)

ATM373 Leadership for Sustainable Change (5 cr)
ATM377 Introduction to Earth System Modelling (5 cr)
ATM378 Sustainable.now (5 cr)
ATM379 SystemsChange.now (5 cr)
ATM380 Solutions.now (5 cr)
ATM389 Living with changing climate (5 cr)
ATM397 Forests and Climate Change (2 cr)
ATM398 Climate University for Virtual Exchanges (CLUVEX) (1 cr)
ATM405 Una Europa Virtual Exchanges for Sustainability (1 cr)
ATM404 Environmental and Climate Regulation in the EU (5 cr)
ATM396 Application of AI/ML techniques in Atmospheric Science (3 cr)
ATM384 Integrating art and science (5 cr)
 

Your degree will include minimum of 120 credits out of which 95-120 credits are of advanced courses.

 
Other stud­ies

Take the compulsory prerequisite courses FYS2001, FYS2002 and FYS2071 if these courses or courses with the same contents are not included to your previous studies.

In addition to the compulsory prerequisite courses other studies can include study modules or courses from other programmes or courses from other study tracks. Also practical training and language studies can be included in other studies.
Recommended previous knowledge and skills

Generally, good knowledge of bachelor's degree level physics and mathematical methods are needed, as well as basic skills in scientific computing and statistics. In order to successfully pursue Master's studies in the aerosol physics study track it is recommended that you have the following knowledge and skills before entering to the programme: 

  • Physics: basics of physics and principles of mechanics and thermodynamics are particularly important. You should be familiar with at least the following:
    • Newton’s laws
    • Concept of work. Kinetic energy and potential energy
    • Laws of thermodynamics
    • Entropy and free energies as thermodynamic concepts
    • Concept of ideal gas and the ideal gas equation of state
    • Basics of statistical gas theory
    • Basics of electrodynamics and electromagnetism (e.g. electric field, charge, Coulomb’s law)
    • Basics of electromagnetic radiation: black body radiation, refractive index, electromagnetic spectrum
  • Mathematics
    • Basics of vectors and linear algebra
    • Complex numbers
    • Differentiation and integration of functions
    • First and second degree ordinary and partial differential equations 
    • Solving sets of linear equations using matrix algebra
  • Programming and statistics
    • some prior experience of programming and statistical analysis of observations 
    • basic statistical concepts 

In case you have not completed University of Helsinki's courses FYS2001/BSPH2001 Basics of Thermophysics (5 cr), FYS2002/BSPH2002 Thermodynamic Potentials (5 cr) and FYS2071 Aerosol Physics I (5 cr) or equivalent courses during your bachelor's degree, you need to complete them in the beginning of your Master's studies.