Master of Science (Technology) in Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Engineering
Tampere, Finland
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 12,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* per academic year for non-EU/EEA students
Introduction
Collaborating to plan and design efficient solutions for a resilient and sustainable future.
Graduates of the Master's Programme in Civil Engineering make a lasting impact on the world as they launch careers in which they design and apply innovative solutions that foster safe, operative, and sustainable buildings and transport systems.
Studies
Every building and infrastructure is built in a unique location. Therefore, finding sustainable and economic solutions for the execution of foundations of different types of structures is a huge but interesting challenge that calls for expertise in geology, site investigation methods, soil material properties, ground water, and geotechnical analysis methods. Deepening your knowledge in all these areas is offered in the program of Geotechnical Engineering.
In addition to the construction of normal houses and infrastructures, innovative geotechnical engineering solutions are increasingly needed in the implementation of green transition for instance when wind farms and solar panel fields are built, as well as when recycling of construction materials in infrastructure construction is being advanced.
Gallery
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Tampere University tuition fee scholarships
Tampere University tuition fee scholarships awarded at admission cover 100% of the tuition fees for the program duration. The program duration is
- three years for Bachelor’s degrees
- two years for Master’s degrees
- five years if the study right is granted for both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree.
Finland Scholarship
Finland scholarships awarded by Tampere University are part of the national Finland Scholarship program. Applicants to Master's programs are eligible to apply. Finland scholarships are awarded at Tampere University to the most merited applicant in each Master's program.
Finland scholarships cover the program tuition fee for the first year of studies and include a 5000 € relocation grant, paid to the student's Finnish bank account after the student has arrived in Tampere and started studies at Tampere University.
In addition, Tampere University awards a Tampere University tuition fee scholarship for the second year of studies to all recipients of the Finland scholarship. The scholarship covers 100 % of tuition fees in the second year of studies.
Early bird offer
In addition to scholarships, an early bird offer is available at admission to all fee-paying students, excluding students who have been awarded a Tampere University tuition fee scholarship or a Finland scholarship at admission. The early bird offer gives a 50 % reduction on the program tuition fee during the first year of studies.
Students may take advantage of the early bird offer by accepting the offered study place and paying 50% of the first-year tuition fee within two weeks after receiving information on admission.
This offer is valid only for the first year of studies. During consecutive years of study, all fee-paying students are eligible to apply for Tampere University Scholarships awarded during studies.
Curriculum
Study contents
During your studies, you will be interacting with staff and students, discussing paradigms and theoretical viewpoints, implementing your knowledge, and planning principles in small student teams on real-life case assignments, and reflecting on your development of expertise in individual and group exercises, learning diaries, and exams.
The studies provide students with in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Finnish soil conditions, methods, and tools for solving geotechnical engineering problems, as well as designing life-cycle efficient and sustainable traffic infrastructures. Research Centre Terra, which is responsible for most of the education and training given in geotechnical engineering majors, has excellent connections with local consultant companies and contractors operating in the field of infrastructure construction and maintenance, as well as with the most important infrastructure owners, Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, and city authorities. These contacts help us to keep our education up-to-date and open doors for training positions and employment opportunities after graduation.
Structure of studies
Master’s programme 120 ECTS
- Joint Studies 30 ECTS
- Advances Studies 60 ECTS
- Free Choice Studies 30 ECTS
Detailed information on the content and structure of the studies is included in the curriculum. The curriculum for the academic year 2024-2025 will be published in March 2024.
Program Outcome
After completing the Master’s Programme in Civil Engineering, students will be able to collect, understand and critically evaluate information. Students will also be able to solve complicated and unpredictable problems by applying scientific methods, organizational practices, and technological innovations in various expert, development, and leadership roles. Students can identify and assess the impacts of the built environment and develop ecologically, socially, and economically efficient and sustainable solutions through participation in public discussion and cooperation in multidisciplinary teams of experts.
By majoring in Geotechnical Engineering, the graduates will be able to:
- Understand and apply scientific methods and geotechnical engineering principles to analyze, design, and assess geotechnical structures in a local context using up-to-date tools to ensure they are stable, efficient, and sustainable.
- Distinguish the central actors, questions, challenges, and solutions in the field of resilient and sustainable infrastructure construction.
- Develop and apply new innovative technologies, methods and material alternatives in the construction and maintenance of infrastructures.
- Apply leadership, collaboration, management, and engineering skills in multidisciplinary teams to engineer solutions for safe and sustainable infrastructures.
- Conduct independent and collaborative academic research and communicate it to researchers, professional audiences, and the general public.
After completing the degree, the student is equipped to drive sustainable change, and has abilities for lifelong learning and the conditions for scientific doctoral studies.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
After completing the Master of Science in Geotechnical Engineering, you will be equipped with specialist technical and computational skills to analyze, design, and assess geotechnical structures to ensure they are stable, efficient, and sustainable. Key employers of our graduates are engineering and design offices, construction companies, material industry, public authorities as well as universities and research institutes. Most typically a working career starts in a consultant company designing foundation engineering structures and/or different types of infrastructures, after which working opportunities expand to construction companies and public sector infrastructure owners. Tasks may typically include designing geotechnical structures, renovation, and maintenance of existing infrastructures, as well as coordination and management of design projects and product development.
Co-operation with other parties
In addition to studies in one’s program, students may take full advantage of the teaching offered by the Tampere higher education community ranging from technical to vocational studies in various fields.
Internationalisation
The studies included in the English-taught degree programs at Tampere University are international by nature, as the student groups consist of students from all over the world. Tampere University also offers plenty of other opportunities for internationalization, such as international student tutoring, student exchange, and/or internships abroad. International collaboration can also happen virtually, for example through virtual exchange and challenge-based learning courses provided by the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU), a network of 13 universities across Europe.
Further study opportunities
The Master’s in Civil Engineering confers eligibility to apply for admission to doctoral studies. MSc (Tech) graduates may seek admission to the Doctoral Programme in the Built Environment that leads to the degree of Doctor of Science in Technology.
Program Admission Requirements
Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.