Environmental Informatics

Last intake of students to the Environmental Informatics study track is in September 2015. There will be no admission to the study track after this date. 

Environmental Informatics is the study of information and development of information processing tools for the understanding and sustainable management of human impacts on the environment, and for addressing environmental challenges with engineering. The study track focuses on models of data and information, on models of processes in the environment, and on the combination of the two for problem solving.

The rapid development of IT has created the need to understand and efficiently manage the flow of data from their origin in environmental sensors to databases. Similarly, the need to understand, initiate and manage change both in the environment and in natural and built systems, for the combined good of man and the environment, is increasing. Skills in modelling, implementation of models in software, geospatial analysis, and information system development are required for engineers specializing in environmental informatics. Additionally, it is important that these engineers have the ability to collaborate with and understand the needs of environmental scientists as well as those people that use the information systems they create.

An MSc in Environmental Engineering with specialist skills in informatics can:

  • Analyze environmental systems as a member of a team developing information systems for environmental management
  • Explain the pros and cons of various information system architectures, including mobile technologies
  • Use and develop models for environmental and geospatial data
  • Identify, evaluate, and work with appropriate technologies (such as communication protocols, simulation models, and web-based tools) tackling specific problems in information-based management of environment
  • Explain the principles of information ethics, intellectual property, and software licensing
  • Select and apply generic, environmental, and geospatial modelling techniques and algorithms
  • Select and use software tools from common categories (including spreadsheets, database management systems, GIS, CAD, mathematical software) for environmental planning and management
  • Design and create tools for specific tasks including simulation models using a selected programming languages, software toolkits, and development tools
  • Carry out environmental data or information mining, modeling and integrated assessment projects

Two options are available for this study track, depending on where you begin your degree:

Start at Aalto, thesis at DTU

Semester 1

Semester 2

Summer School

Semester 3

Semester 4

Aalto

Aalto

 

DTU

DTU

Yhd-102.3350 Environmental Modeling and Decision Support
(5 ECTS)

Maa-123.1310 Geoinformatics (7 ECTS)
OR
Maa-123.1320 Geoinformatics (5 ECTS)
OR
Maa-123.2340 Spatial Data Algorithms (6 ECTS)

 

02409 Multivariate Statistics (5 ECTS)
OR
02585 Computations on Geometric Data
(5 ECTS)

Thesis

Yhd-102.3325 Environmental Information Systems (5 ECTS)

Yhd-73.3510 Environmental Engineering
(6 ECTS)

 

15 ECTS chosen from list of DTU techn. specialization courses or general competence courses**

T-61.3050 Machine learning: Basic Principles
(5 ECTS)

31C01300 Energy  and Environmental Economics (5 ECTS)

 

Electives
(10 ECTS)***

T-61.3040 Statistical Signal Modeling (5 ECTS)

T-76.3601 Introduction to Software Engineering 
(5 ECTS)*

 

 

T-75.1110 XML Based Description Languages
(3 ECTS)
   

T-106.1004 IT Services on Aalto Otaniemi campus
(2 cr) (tentative)

Electives
(10-15 ECTS)
     

Elective OR
Maa-123.3510 GIS Analysis and Modelling P (5 cr)  OR 
Maa-123.3420 Advanced Computational Methods in GIS P (4 cr) (if requirements ok)

 

 

 

*Electives at Aalto:
Yhd-12.3210 Watershed  Engineering (5 ECTS)
Yhd-73.3216 Natural Resources and Environmental Impacts (7 ECTS)

**List of technological specialization courses can be found  here.

***Recommended electives for study line:
30540 Mapping from Aerial and Satellite Images (5 ECTS)
02457 Nonlinear Signal Processing (10 ECTS)

Start at DTU, thesis at Aalto

Semester 1

Semester 2

Summer School

Semester 3

Semester 4

DTU

DTU

 

Aalto

Aalto

12104 Modelling of Environmental Processes and Technologies 
(10 ECTS)

30530 Geographic Information Systems
(5 ECTS)

 

Yhd-102.3310 Environmental Modeling and Decision Support  
(5 ECTS)

Thesis

42631 Environmental Economics 
(5 ECTS)

 

 

Yhd-102.3321 Environmental Planning and Management Information Systems (5 ECTS)

02409 Multivariate Statistics
(5 ECTS)

 

02291 System Integration
(5 ECTS)

 

T-61.5140 Machine Learning: Advanced Probabilistic Methods
(5 ECTS) OR
T-61.5130 Machine Learning and Neural Networks (5 ECTS)

5 ECTS chosen from the list of DTU techn. specialization courses or general competence courses*

20 ECTS chosen from the list of DTU techn. specialization courses or general competence courses*

  T-61.3040 Statistical Signal Modeling
(5 ECTS)

   

Maa-123.3510 GIS Analysis and Modelling
(5 ECTS) OR
Maa-123.3420 Advanced Computational Methods in GIS (4 ECTS)

 

 

Elective
(5 ECTS)**
 

*List of technological specialization courses can be found here.

Note:
DTU General competence course requirement reduced to 25 ECTS, with 02409 and 02585 being considered to be General Competence courses (they are general competence courses in the Geomatics study line in the MSc in Math and Computing
For this study line, 02457 can be considered to be a technological specialization course, so that DTUs requirement for 30 ECTS Technological Specialisation courses can be fulfilled.

**Suggested Elective at Aalto:
Mat-1.3621 Statistical Inference (5 ECTS)