Aalto University Hydrogen and Electric Systems Master’s Thesis Guide, 2026–2028

Aalto University’s Master’s Programme in Hydrogen and Electric Systems is a 120 ECTS Master of Science (Technology) programme organised by the School of Electrical Engineering. The current programme has two majors: Electric Energy and Hydrogen Systems and Electric Components of Hydrogen Technology.

The technical emphasis differs between the majors, but the thesis regime is the same. Under the current 2026–2028 curriculum, each major is 65 ECTS, the Master’s thesis is 30 ECTS ELEC.thes, elective studies are 25 ECTS, and the maturity test is 0 ECTS ELEC.matr. Both majors also include the separate compulsory 2 ECTS ELEC-E0210 Master's Thesis Process course.

This guide is based on current official Aalto material verified on 29 August 2026. It applies across both majors without importing thesis rules from other Aalto programmes.

Current degree and thesis structure

The 120 ECTS degree consists of:

• 65 ECTS major studies;
• 30 ECTS Master’s thesis, ELEC.thes;
• 25 ECTS elective studies;
• 0 ECTS maturity test, ELEC.matr.

The separate ELEC-E0210 Master's Thesis Process, 2 ECTS, is compulsory in both current majors. It is not part of the 30 thesis credits. Do not describe the thesis itself as 32 ECTS.

The two majors share one thesis regime

The Electric Energy and Hydrogen Systems major concentrates more strongly on integrated energy systems, hydrogen-economy interactions, energy markets, system planning and operation, optimisation and the role of hydrogen in the wider electricity, heat, gas and transport system.

The Electric Components of Hydrogen Technology major concentrates more strongly on technologies and components across hydrogen production, conversion, transport, storage and utilisation, with links to power electronics, electromechanics, control and interaction with the power and energy sector.

Those differences influence thesis topics and methods, but they do not create separate thesis procedures. Both majors use the same current ELEC thesis architecture and the same programme thesis page.

What Aalto expects from the thesis

Aalto describes the Master’s thesis as an individual research project related to the student’s advanced studies and documented as a written report. It should be based on existing scientific knowledge and conducted according to scientific research principles, good engineering and scientific practice, ethical guidelines and responsible research conduct.

A thesis in this programme may involve, for example:

• integrated hydrogen and power-system modelling;
• energy-system optimisation;
• hydrogen production, storage or conversion technologies;
• power electronics and converter systems;
• electrochemical or electrical components;
• market or techno-economic analysis;
• control of hydrogen-related energy systems;
• scenario analysis under uncertainty;
• grid integration and system operation;
• experimental, simulation or data-driven engineering work.

These are examples, not compulsory methods. Aalto does not require every HES thesis to use optimisation, electrochemistry, simulation, market modelling, experiments or a hardware prototype. The method must fit the research question.

Six months and approximately 810 hours

The current programme thesis page sets a clear workload model:

• target duration: six months full-time;
• average workload: approximately 810 hours for the 30 ECTS thesis.

If a different duration is justified, it must be agreed with the supervisor. The current page also warns that exceeding the agreed target duration may affect grading.

The thesis clock starts from the actual project start agreed between student and supervisor, not from the later administrative approval date in MyStudies. This makes scope control important. A modelling project with expanding scenarios, a hardware project delayed by component availability, or an industry thesis waiting for data can quickly exceed the intended scale unless milestones are controlled early.

When to do the thesis

Aalto’s two-year model places the thesis mainly in the spring semester of the second study year, but explicitly states that there is no restriction on when the thesis may be written.

The programme model encourages early preparation. Topic searching can take months, especially where the project depends on a research group, company, laboratory, power-system dataset, simulation environment, hydrogen infrastructure, specialised equipment or external collaborator.

Before beginning

To begin the Master’s thesis, current ELEC instructions require at least:

• completion of the Bachelor’s degree; and
• an approved study plan in Sisu.

Students are also encouraged to create a preliminary thesis plan in MyStudies before the final topic is fixed. The preliminary record can include the degree programme, tentative topic and language, supervisor/advisor information if known, planned start and end dates, and possible commissioner information.

Keep the record updated while the plan develops. Do not send the formal topic and supervision approval request before you have actually agreed on the final topic area and supervision.

Finding a topic and supervisor

Students are mainly responsible for finding a suitable topic. Possible routes include:

• Aalto research groups;
• companies and public-sector organisations;
• topics discussed directly with professors;
• independently proposed topics agreed with a supervisor;
• thesis projects abroad.

If you have difficulty identifying an appropriate supervisor or topic within a reasonable time, the current programme page directs you to contact ELEC study services. Do not assume that any topic is automatically acceptable merely because it concerns hydrogen or energy. It must connect to your advanced studies and have suitable academic supervision.

Supervisor and advisor rules

The current HES thesis page states that the supervisor must be:

• an Aalto University professor;
• an Aalto University university lecturer; or
• an Aalto staff or senior scientist, where the staff/senior scientist works in ELEC.

The thesis must also have one or two advisors. An advisor must hold at least a Master’s degree. Advisors often provide day-to-day technical guidance, particularly in company or research-project theses. The supervisor can also act as an advisor.

Company and international theses

A thesis may be carried out for a company, research institute, public organisation or university, including abroad. A thesis completed abroad still needs an Aalto supervisor and follows the same core process.

This programme is particularly likely to involve industry, infrastructure and energy-system data. Plan confidentiality from the beginning. Aalto states that an approved Master’s thesis is a public document and cannot contain confidential sections. If confidential background material exists, the final evaluated thesis must still form a coherent public whole without concealed parts.

Formal approval in MyStudies

After agreeing on the topic and supervision, apply in MyStudies for approval of:

• thesis topic;
• supervisor;
• advisor or advisors.

Applications are processed continuously and may take up to one month. Topic, supervisor and advisor approval must be complete before the final thesis can be submitted for evaluation. Aalto therefore recommends submitting the approval request at least one month before the intended final submission.

The final thesis title may evolve during the project, but it must remain within the field of the approved topic.

Initial meeting and ELEC-E0210

At the beginning of the thesis process, the student and supervisor, and where relevant the advisor or advisors, should hold an initial Master’s thesis meeting.

Use that meeting to agree on:

• research problem and boundaries;
• six-month target;
• supervision and feedback practices;
• data, simulation, experiment or hardware requirements;
• confidentiality and research-integrity constraints;
• milestones and intended committee deadline;
• seminar presentation planning.

Both HES majors include the compulsory 2 ECTS ELEC-E0210 Master's Thesis Process. Register after the topic has been agreed with the supervisor and follow the live Sisu/MyCourses implementation. The course supports thesis initiation and research-plan preparation.

Research plan

Students taking ELEC-E0210 should follow the current course instructions. The public thesis page also publishes a useful fallback research-plan structure of 2–3 pages, containing:

1. research problem and research questions;
2. state of the art;
3. methodology;
4. milestones and a monthly schedule;
5. preliminary references.

For hydrogen and electric systems, the research plan should expose assumptions early. In system studies, state modelling boundaries, scenarios and input data. In experimental or component work, identify equipment, operating conditions and validation strategy. In techno-economic work, document price assumptions, market boundaries and uncertainty. The plan should show how the proposed evidence can answer the actual research question.

Writing and templates

Aalto provides Master’s thesis templates in LaTeX and Microsoft Word. The current ELEC page recommends LaTeX while supporting Word.

The programme does not publish one universal thesis page count, word count, citation style or chapter sequence. A power-system optimisation thesis, an electrochemical component study and a market-model thesis may require different structures. Use the official template, disciplinary conventions and supervisor guidance.

Turnitin and originality

Aalto recommends obtaining a Turnitin similarity report for the thesis and abstract before final submission so citation and similarity issues can be corrected while the document is still editable.

When the final thesis is submitted in MyStudies, the system automatically generates:

• a similarity report visible to student and supervisor; and
• an AI report visible to the supervisor.

The final thesis cannot be edited after the submission deadline. Treat the final upload as the definitive archival version.

AI use

The current programme thesis page emphasises transparency about AI use and instructs students to ensure their supervisor knows how AI was used. Aalto’s university-wide rules make the student responsible for submitted content and do not allow unmodified AI-generated text to be presented as the student’s own work.

AI may support permitted learning or writing tasks, but it cannot replace verification of technical assumptions, equations, simulations, market data, laboratory results or source material. Do not place confidential company, infrastructure or unpublished research information in an unauthorised AI service.

There is a strict boundary for the maturity component: Aalto prohibits AI in maturity examinations.

Public thesis and confidentiality

Once approved, the Master’s thesis is public. Confidential sections are not allowed.

This is especially important for company-sponsored hydrogen and energy projects. Commercial modelling inputs, grid data, proprietary component details or sensitive project information may need to remain outside the final thesis. Plan the public version from the beginning so that the research question, methodology, evidence and conclusions remain academically coherent without hidden sections.

Compulsory seminar presentation

A seminar presentation on the thesis topic is a compulsory part of the HES/ELEC thesis process. Agree the schedule and arrangements with the supervisor.

When applying for final thesis approval in MyStudies, indicate whether the presentation has already been held or provide the planned date. The presentation must be completed no later than the relevant deadline for submitting the thesis and graduation application. The supervisor records completion in MyStudies during evaluation.

The public HES page does not establish one universal presentation duration or slide count, so follow the current supervisor/programme arrangement rather than borrowing another programme’s format.

Maturity essay

The current HES thesis page states that the thesis abstract serves as the maturity essay. When the abstract follows the Master’s thesis template instructions, no separate maturity essay needs to be arranged with the supervisor.

The maturity test is registered as ELEC.matr, 0 ECTS. Complete the assessed maturity component independently under Aalto’s current prohibition on AI in maturity exams.

Evaluation and final submission

The Master’s thesis is evaluated by the Degree Programme Committee under the School of Electrical Engineering common Master’s thesis evaluation guideline.

Before final submission, topic, supervisor and advisor(s) must already be approved in MyStudies. Current final-submission requirements include:

• convert the thesis to PDF/A;
• keep the file below 100 MB;
• complete the required MyStudies thesis information;
• upload the final PDF/A;
• accept the Turnitin conditions.

After final submission, the supervisor writes the evaluation statement and grade proposal, the Degree Programme Committee makes the evaluation decision, and Aalto archives the submitted thesis as the official copy.

Current 2027 thesis-evaluation dates

The current programme thesis page publishes the following 2027 cycle:

Always recheck the live programme page before committing to a final deadline.

Graduation connection

Graduation is requested through Sisu. The personal study plan must be valid and approved, and the student must be registered as attending.

When all other required studies are complete and registered, the thesis and maturity requirement may be submitted for evaluation at the same time as the graduation request.

The graduation page also states that the thesis code must correspond to the supervisor’s school or department. ELEC.thes is the common code for ELEC supervisors. If the supervisor belongs elsewhere, confirm the correct thesis code with the supervisor or ELEC study services.

Practical six-month workflow

Before Month 1

• verify the current 2026–2028 study plan;
• identify a realistic topic area;
• create/update the preliminary MyStudies thesis record;
• contact potential supervisors;
• identify data, modelling, laboratory, hardware or company dependencies;
• decide whether public-thesis constraints affect the proposed project.

Month 1

• agree topic and supervision;
• hold the initial thesis meeting;
• register for ELEC-E0210;
• prepare the research plan;
• apply for topic/supervisor/advisor approval in MyStudies;
• fix a realistic six-month milestone plan.

Months 2–4

• perform the main modelling, analysis, simulation, experiment, component or market work;
• write continuously;
• document assumptions, datasets and model versions;
• use supervisor/advisor feedback;
• revise scope if evidence or time makes the original plan unrealistic.

Month 5

• consolidate results;
• complete interpretation and limitations;
• run Turnitin on thesis and abstract;
• start final supervisor review;
• arrange the compulsory seminar presentation.

Month 6

• complete final corrections;
• give the seminar presentation;
• prepare the maturity abstract without AI;
• convert the thesis to PDF/A under 100 MB;
• confirm all MyStudies approvals;
• submit before the intended committee deadline;
• submit the Sisu graduation request when appropriate.

Final checklist

Before submitting, confirm that:

• you are following the current 2026–2028 curriculum;
• the thesis is 30 ECTS ELEC.thes and separate from compulsory 2 ECTS ELEC-E0210;
• Bachelor’s degree and approved Sisu-plan prerequisites are satisfied;
• topic, supervisor and advisor(s) are approved in MyStudies;
• the scope fits the agreed six-month / approximately 810-hour target;
• the chosen method follows the research question rather than a programme-wide assumption;
• confidential material is excluded from the public final thesis;
• Turnitin has been reviewed before final submission;
• AI use follows current integrity, disclosure and privacy rules;
• the maturity abstract is completed without AI;
• the compulsory seminar presentation is complete by the required deadline;
• the final thesis is PDF/A, below 100 MB and genuinely final;
• the committee date and graduation timing have been rechecked on current Aalto pages.

Official-source boundary

This guide is based only on current official Aalto University material verified on 29 August 2026. Before final submission, recheck the live HES curriculum, thesis and graduation pages, current ELEC-E0210 MyCourses instructions, MyStudies, Sisu and Aalto’s AI guidance.