Courses in Physics of the Hydrosphere Study Track

Information about physics of the hydrosphere study track courses. The preliminary syllabus for the next academic year will be published in the Studies service in the end of March 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.

Structure of the study track:
Compulsory studies common to all study tracks 40 cr
Compulsory courses of the study track 20 cr
Alternative advanced studies of the study track, min 25 cr (15 cr from the same course package) br> Optional advanced studies, 0-10 cr
= minimum of 95 cr of advanced studies, maximum 120 cr 
+ 0-25 cr of other studies (you can include prerequisite courses here)
= 120 cr in total  (max 135 cr)

What skills and knowledge I need for Physics of the hydrosphere study track?

 

Courses in the 2026 -2030 curriculum period

Compulsory courses common to all study tracks (40 cr)

Atmospheric and Earth Sciences Today (5 cr)
Atmospheric science seminar for Master’s students (5 cr)
Master's thesis (30 cr)
Maturity test (0 cr) (A maturity test is abstract of your thesis which demonstrates your familiarity with the field of your thesis.)

Compulsory courses in the Physics of the Hydrosphere study track (20 cr)

 5 cr
 5 cr or  5 cr
 5 cr
 5 cr
 

Alternative advanced studies in the Physics of the Hydrosphere study track (min 25 cr)

 Choose at least 25 cr of which at least 15 cr of one package.

Physical Oceanography course package

 5 cr
5 cr
 5 cr
 5 cr
 5 cr
 

Cryology course package

 5 cr
 5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
 

Hydrology course package

5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
 

Other optional studies of the study track 

 5 cr OR 
 5 cr
5 cr
Occasionally offered course:  (‘Aranda’ course), 5 cr
 

Optional advanced courses- common to all study tracks (min 0 cr)

5 cr (lecture course) OR  2 cr (MOOC)
3–5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
5 cr
2 cr
5 cr

Thematic courses with varying contents in the Master’s programme in Meteorology, Atmospheric Sciences and Climate-System Sciences
5 cr 
 5 cr  

Optional data science and machine learning courses for all study tracks  

5 cr 
 5 cr 
5 cr 
5 cr 
5 cr 
DATA11009 Practical Machine Learning 5 cr 
DATA11010 Machine Learning 1 5 cr
DATA11011 Machine Learning 2 5 cr
5 cr 
5 cr 
 

 

Other stud­ies

Take the compulsory prerequisite courses FYS2075 and FYS2076 if these courses or courses with the same contents are not included to your previous studies.

  • Basic Course in Oceanography (5 cr)
  • Basic Course in Hydrology (5 cr)

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.

Model timetable for students starting in the autumn 2026 or 2028

General notes:

ATM345 Atmospheric science seminar for Master’s students (5 cr) is not added to the model timetable. It is recommended to participate in the seminar from the start of your studies. Courses that have physical oceanography, hydrology or cryology in the parenthesis after the course are alternative advanced studies of your study track and you must complete 25 cr of them and 15 cr need to be from one course package. 

First year, period 1 (15 cr) 

Compulsory studies: Study both courses:                                
ATM301 Atmospheric and Earth Sciences Today (5 cr)
ATM334 Measurement Methods in Hydrospheric Geophysics (5cr) 

Advanced studies: Select 0-1 of these courses based on your background/interests  
ATM321 Field Course in Micrometeorology and Hydrology (5 cr)  (August intensive period – check required prerequisites) 
ATM360 First steps in Biosphere-Atmosphere Modelling (5 cr)  (August intensive period – check required prerequisites) 
ATM5001 Statistical Analysis of Environmental Field Measurements (5 cr) 

Other studies: Select 0-2 of these courses based on your background 
FYS2075 Basic course in oceanography (5 cr) (compulsory prerequisite) 
FYS2073 Fluid Phenomena (5 cr) (recommended prerequisite) 
 

First year, period 2  (12,5 - 17,5 cr) 

Compulsory studies: ATM310 Times series analysis, first part (2,5 cr) 

Advanced studies: Select courses based on your plan/interests:  
ATM339 Oceanography of the Baltic Sea (5 cr) (physical oceanography) 
GEOM2034 Quantitative hydrogeology and flow modeling (5 cr) (hydrology) 
ME-203 Geoinformatiikka 1 (5 cr) (or self-study course ME-204 in English) 
 

First year 1, period 3 (12,5 – 17,5 cr) 

Compulsory studies: ATM310 Times series analysis, second part (2,5 cr) 
ATM335 Geophysics of Snow and Ice (5 cr)  
ATM333 Turbulence Theory (5 cr) (or study ATM347 in period IV) 

Advanced studies: Select a course based on your interests, e.g.: 
ATM373 Leadership for Sustainable Change (5 cr), ATM379 SystemsChange.now (5 cr), ATM382 ClimateComms.now (5 cr), ATM317 Hands-on weather and climate modelling (first part, 2,5 cr) 

First year, period 4 (15 cr) 

Compulsory studies: ATM347 Boundary Layer Physics I (5 cr) (or study ATM333 in period III) 

Advanced studies: Select 1-2 courses based on your plan/interests: 
ATM341 Polar Oceans and Ice (5 cr) (cryology) 
ATM343 Glaciology (5 cr) (cryology) 
ECGS-011 Advanced aquatic and sediment biogeochemistry (5 cr) 
ATM380 Solutions.now (5 cr)   ATM317 Hands-on weather and climate modelling (second part, 2,5 cr)  
 

Other studies:  FYS2076 Basic course in Hydrology (5 cr) (compulsory prerequisite  course) 

Second year, period 1 (15 cr) 

Compulsory studies:   -  

Advanced studies:  Select 2-3 courses based on your plan/interests: 
ATM396 Application of AI/ML techniques in Atmospheric Science (5 cr) (August intensive period) 
ATM342 Frozen Ground (5 cr) (cryology) 
ATM5001 Statistical Analysis of Environmental Field Measurements (5 cr) 
ATM378 Sustainable.now (5 cr) 
Start of thesis work  

Second year, period 2 (15 cr) 

Compulsory studies:   -   

Advanced studies:  Select 2-3 courses based on your plan/interests: 
ATM337 Descriptive Oceanography (5 cr) (physical oceanography) 
ATM338 Surface Water Waves (5 cr) (physical oceanography) 
GEOG-360 Remote sensing of cryosphere (5 cr) (cryology) 
ME-203 Geoinformatiikka 1 (5 cr) (or self-study course ME-204 in English) 
Thesis work   

Second year, period 3 (15 cr) 

Compulsory studies:   -  

Advanced studies: Select 0-2 courses based on your plan/interests: 
ATM336 Dynamic Oceanography (5 cr) (physical oceanography) 
ATM344 Global Hydrology (5 cr) (hydrology)  
Thesis work 

Second year, period 4 (10-15 cr) 

Compulsory studies:   -  

Advanced studies: Select 0-2 courses based on your plan/interests:  
ATM340 Coastal Oceanography (5 cr) (physical oceanography) 
ATM346 Physics of lakes and rivers (5 cr) (hydrology)  
Finalizing thesis work