Courses in Climate and Sustainability Study Track

Climate and Sustainability study track offers a blend of distance and on-campus courses, with opportunity to complete the studies mostly online. While there are several compulsory courses designed to provide foundational knowledge, students have the flexibility to personalize their studies by selecting from a diverse range of elective courses.

The preliminary syllabus for the next academic year will be published in the in the end of March and the final syllabus will be published in Sisu student information system by the end of June.  Please note, that some courses will not be lectured every academic year. Scroll down for example study plans.
Structure of the study track
  • Compulsory studies common to all study tracks 40 cr
  • Compulsory courses of the study track 30-35 cr
  • Alternative advanced studies of the study track min 20-25 cr = minimum of 95 cr of advanced studies  
  • + 0-25 cr of other studies
  • = Minimum of 120 cr
Advanced courses in Climate and Sustainability study track

2026 -2030 curriculum period (min 95 cr)

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 a abstract text of your thesis which demonstrates your familiarity with the field of your thesis.)

Compulsory courses in the Climate and sustainability study track (30 -35 cr)

5 cr 
5 cr 
5 cr 
2 cr  
5 cr OR  3 cr 
5 cr (recommended option) OR 2 cr (MOOC)
5 cr OR  (5 cr)    
5 cr OR  3 or 5 cr 

Alternative advanced studies in the study track (min 20-25 cr)


Select a minimum of 20-25 credits of the following courses until you have min. 95 credits of advanced level studies in total

Climate University courses:  
5 cr 
2 cr 
5 cr 
(2 cr)  
(3 cr)  
(MOOC) (2 cr) 
(3 cr)  
 

Atmospheric science courses:  
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  
1 cr 
5 cr 
 

Environmental science courses:  
5 cr 
5 cr 
5 cr 
5 cr 
5 cr 
5 cr 
5 cr 
5 cr 
5 cr  
5 cr  
5 cr  
  
Optional data science and machine learning courses for all study tracks (min 0 cr)

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 (0-25 cr)

You can select any university courses here, for example: 

ATM401 Practical Training (MSc) 5 cr
SUO-010 Suomi 1, 3 cr
SUO-020 Suomi 2, 3 cr
2 cr
2 cr
ML-HAL-OPJT01 Administrative Duties Within the University and Activities in Student Organizations 1-5 cr
BSCS1001 Introduction to Programming
BSCS1002 Advanced course in Programming
ME-007 Vastuullisuus metsäsektorilla 5 cr
ME-104 Ekosysteemipalveluiden taloudellinen arvottaminen
YMTA-104 Ympäristötaloustieteen johdantokurssi 5 cr
AGERE-E15 Climate and energy policy 5 cr
 

Artificial Intelligence courses:  DATA20041 AI in Society: Introduction (1,5 cr)
DATA20042 AI in Society: AI and Discrimination (0,5 cr) 
TKT21031 Ethics of AI (2 cr) 
 

Elective entrepreneurship studies
EIS-001 Introduction to Innovation and Entrepreneurship 2 cr
EIS-002 From Idea to Innovation – The Product Development Journey 2 cr
EIS-003 Basics of Entrepreneurship - How to Start and Run a Company 2 cr
EIS-004 IP 360°: Exploring the Full Sphere of Intellectual Property 2 cr
EIS-005 Business Model Canvas - Design your Company 2 cr
 

Courses from Aalto University or Hanken School of Economics, via Climate Change Network
Example study plans within the study track

N.B: More example study plans are published soon.

Example study plan for an environmentally oriented student (start on 2026)

-Seminar course 5 cr and portfolio course 2 cr studied in parallel with other courses.

First year

Autumn: 

  • ATM301 Atmospheric and Earth Sciences Today 5 cr (1 st period) (contact teaching) - compulsory course
  • ATM378 Sustainable.now 5 cr (1 st period) (distance teaching - time-bound) - compulsory course
  • FAF-101a Biodiversity.now 2 cr (distance teaching -  not time-bound)  - alternative course
  • ATM397 Forests and Climate Change 2 cr (distance teaching -  not time-bound)  - alternative course
  • ATM389 Living with changing climate 5 cr (2nd period) (distance teaching - time-bound) - compulsory course
  • ATM302 Climate.now 5 cr (2nd period) (distance teaching - time-bound) - compulsory course
  • ATM388 Sustainability and the Arts  1 cr (distance teaching -  not time-bound)  - alternative course
  • ECGS-052 Arctic climate change in terrestrial ecosystems 5 cr (2nd period) (contact teaching?) - alternative course
    In total: 30 cr

Spring: 
 

  • ATM382 ClimateComms.now 5 cr (3 rd period) (distance teaching - time-bound) - compulsory course
  • ATM379 SystemsChange.now 5 cr (3 rd period) (distance teaching - time-bound) - compulsory course
  • YMT-3511 Environmental history 5 cr (3 rd period) (contact teaching) or a course of your choice - other studies
  • ATM380 Solutions.now 5 cr (period 4) or ATM303 Project course in atmospheric sciences
  • AGERE-E11 5 cr Solving environmental problems with data (3 rd period) (contact teaching) or a course of your choice - other studies
  • AGRI224 Life Cycle Assessment in the Context of Agriculture and Forestry 5 cr (3 rd period) (contact teaching) – alternative studies
    In total: 30 cr

Second year

  • Autumn: 
  • ECH303 Statistical Analysis of Environmental Field Measurements 5 cr (2nd period) (distance teaching - time-bound) or ATM5001 Statistical Analysis of Environmental Field Measurements 5 cr (1st period) (contact teaching) - compulsory course
  • ME-104 Ekosysteemipalveluiden taloudellinen arvottaminen 5 cr (1-2nd period) (distance teaching - time-bound) - or any course of your choice - other studies
  • Start of thesis work
    In total: 10 cr courses + thesis work  

Spring: 

  • Thesis work
  • If time: ATM328 Global biogeochemical cycles 5 cr (3rd period) (contact teaching) (requires physics background) – alternative course
  • If time: ATM404 Environmental and Climate Regulation in the EU 5 cr (period 4) (contact teaching)  - alternative course
  • If time: FOR-217 Forests and peatlands as modifiers of atmospheric composition (5 cr) (period 4) (contact teaching)  - alternative course

Example study plan for an atmospheric sciences-oriented student with a focus of forests (start on 2026)

-Seminar course 5 cr and portfolio course 2 cr studied in parallel with other courses.

First year

Autumn: 

  • ATM301 Atmospheric and Earth Sciences Today 5 cr (1 st period) (contact teaching) - compulsory course
  • ATM378 Sustainable.now 5 cr (1 st period) (distance teaching - time-bound) - compulsory course
  • ATM397 Forests and Climate Change 2 cr (distance teaching -  not time-bound)  - alternative course
  • ATM389 Living with changing climate 5 cr (2nd period) (distance teaching - time-bound) - compulsory course
  • ATM302 Climate.now 5 cr (2nd period) (distance teaching - time-bound) - compulsory course
  • ATM306 Basics of atmospheric chemistry 5 cr (contact teaching) - alternative course
  • YMTA-104 Ympäristötaloustieteen johdantokurssi 5 cr (contact teaching) - alternative course – or other course of your choice
  • In total: 27 cr

Spring:  

  • ATM382 ClimateComms.now 5 cr (3 rd period) (distance teaching - time-bound) - compulsory course
  • ATM379 SystemsChange.now 5 cr (3 rd period) (distance teaching - time-bound) - compulsory course
  • ME-007 Vastuullisuus metsäsektorilla 5 cr (3 rd period) (contact teaching) or a course of your choice - other studies
  • ATM380 Solutions.now 5 cr (period 4) or ATM303 Project course in atmospheric sciences
  • AGERE-E15 Climate and energy 5 cr (3 rd period) (contact teaching) or a course of your choice - other studies
  • A course of your choice 5 cr 
    In total: 30 cr

Second year

Autumn: 

  • ECH303 Statistical Analysis of Environmental Field Measurements 5 cr (2nd period) (distance teaching - time-bound) or ATM5001 Statistical Analysis of Environmental Field Measurements 5 cr (1st period) (contact teaching) - compulsory course
  • ATM309 Analysis of atmosphere-surface interactions and feedbacks  - other studies
  • Start of thesis work
    In total: 10 cr courses and 20 cr thesis work  

Spring: 

  • Thesis work
  • If time: ATM328 Global biogeochemical cycles 5 cr (3rd period) (contact teaching) (requires physics background) – alternative course
  • If time: ATM404 Environmental and Climate Regulation in the EU 5 cr (period 4) (contact teaching)  - alternative course
  • If time: FOR-217 Forests and peatlands as modifiers of atmospheric composition (5 cr) (period 4) (contact teaching)  - alternative course

in total 30 cr