STUDENT´S GUIDE FOR MASTER STUDENTS AT THE DEGREE PROGRAM IN AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY
1. WELCOME TO MASTER LEVEL STUDIES AT NOVIA ... 2
2. CONTACT INFORMATION ... 3
3. INFORMATION CHANNELS ... 4
4. ABOUT THE DEGREE PROGRAMME ... 4
4.1 REALIZATION OF THE STUDIES ... 4
5. THE TEORETHICAL COURSES ... 5
6. MASTER THESIS (AT17MT) ... 8
7. TIME SCHEDULE 2017 - 2018 ... 9
1. WELCOME TO MASTER LEVEL STUDIES AT NOVIA
Dear student,
I have the great pleasure of welcoming you to Novia University of Applied Sciences.
At Novia we focus on student-centered learning. Every student is actively involved in the learning process together with the teachers. Through your studies, you will develop good professional knowledge and skills, based on working life requirements.
For those of you who are Master students, I hope that the education will contribute to improving your opportunities in working life and that the education will be of use at your work place.
The head of the degree programme is the primary contact person for you. He will guide you in matters concerning the education and your learning progress. The staff in the student affairs office will help you in many practical matters.
You are cordially welcome to Novia University of Applied Sciences!
Örjan Andersson, D.Sc. President
2. CONTACT INFORMATION
Address
Novia University of Applied Sciences Campus Vasa, Wolffskavägen
PB 6, 65 201, Vasa
Visiting address: Wolffskavägen 33, 65200 Vasa
Head of Degree Program
Dr. Jonas Waller Phone 050 374 2477
E-mail: jonas.waller@novia.fi
Study planner
PM Petra Autio Phone 044 780 5506 E-mail: petra.autio@novia.fi
3. INFORMATION CHANNELS
The students at the Master Degree Program in Automation Technology are continuously informed about the content in the program and practicalities surrounding the education during the studies, partly in conjunction with the course of instruction and partly via the virtual bulletin board. The virtual bulletin board is available on Moodle (https://moodle.novia.fi/).
You can find information regarding student services, rights/responsibilities and Novia´s degree regulations at our web pages (https://intra.novia.fi/studies/degree- regulations/).
Questions concerning the study program, administrative procedures and study plans are answered by our study planner Petra Autio.
Questions in relation to course contents are answered by the responsible course coordinator or by the Head of Degree Program Jonas Waller.
4. ABOUT THE DEGREE PROGRAMME
A Master´s Degree from a University of Applied Sciences is a form of degree that has arisen from working life's growing need for expertise and lifelong learning. A Master Degree is a Higher University Degree in accordance with the Polytechnics Act (L 932/2014).
The Degree Program in Automation Technology consists of 60 credits (1 ECTS ≈ an average of 27 hours of work for the student).
The degree program is divided into two parts; 30 credits of advanced professional theoretical courses and 30 credits work with the master thesis. As a student, you may choose to complete the degree program as a full-time student during one year or as a part-time student during two years.
The theoretical courses are always carried out during the first year of study. Full-time students write their master thesis in parallel with their work on the theoretical courses. Part-time students write their master thesis during the second academic year.
4.1 REALIZATION OF THE STUDIES
The studies are multidisciplinary and the courses are conducted with varying teaching methods. Contact studies are held in Vasa on Thursdays and Fridays approximately once a month. The studies may also include some travel to partner
universities. This is announced well in advance in connection with the contact study days.
The language of instruction is English. Depending on the student´s mother tongue the tutorial may be held in other languages than the language of instruction.
Students are expected to participate in the contact study days as far as possible.
During the contact periods the theoretical basis that function as the fundament in the courses are presented. During the contact studies you will also be presented with the work you are expected to do on your own in between the contact study periods and in connection with the separate courses.
As a student you are expected to work individually with the course contents in between the contact study periods. There are also project work and group assignments in which students work together in smaller study groups with tasks in relation to different course contents.
The examination forms vary and you are expected to deliver written reports, take part in traditional exams and do oral presentations of different tasks that you have completed on your own or as a part of a study group.
The studies begin on Thursday, 14.9.2017 at 13.00 and ends in May 2018 for full- time students and in May 2019 for part-time students.
5. THE TEORETHICAL COURSES
Dynamic Systems (AT17CS01)
Scope 5ECTS
Prerequisites
B.Sc. in relevant field, English, 1st year, Master program in automation technology.
Contents
Reading and comprehending reliable, scientifically and technically high-level written articles and documentation is a necessary prerequisite for successful work in technologically developing fields. The course introduces the students to the methodology of writing scientific technical documentation and articles. Systems thinking is the holistic approach to a field of science as a whole, where cause and effect are entangled in a feedback network. The field of control systems relies heavily on systems thinking in the way it examines the feedback system and
dynamics in general. Ways of describing these dynamics are presented as modeling and identification.
The course aims at introducing the above to the students in order to achieve a common platform of knowledge for further studies.
The parts of the course are; scientific articles and writing, systems thinking, dynamic systems, modeling, identification, optimization and feedback control.
Methods
Lectures, discussions and demonstrations. Independent work with scientific articles and writing technical material.
Development of Control Systems (AT17AS01)
Scope 5 ECTS
Prerequisites
B.Sc. in relevant field, English, 1st year, Master program in automation technology.
Contents
The development of control systems involves understanding a chain of events.
Proper understanding of research plans, specifications, project work and managements plus product development is an important fundament for the development of control systems. This course treats these topics by studying fundamental automation topics. These are specifically supervision and data acquisition in a modern, connected, network. In such networks communication methods and protocols are essential. Automated decision making and control is based on this platform.
The course aims to introduce the above to the students in order to achieve a common platform of knowledge for further studies.
The course consists of the following parts; research methodology, product development, project work and management, supervision, data acquisition, communication and control.
Methods
Lectures, discussions and demonstrations. Project work regarding modern supervision systems, data acquisition, communication methods or decisions and control.
Linear and Nonlinear System Identification (AT17CS02)
Scope 5 ECTS
Prerequisites
TKV17AT01, TKV17AT02
English, 1st or 2nd year, Master program in automation technology.
Contents
Process understanding is the key to successful automation and control. This understanding must necessarily include the understanding of the dynamics governing the behavior of the system. The availability of big amounts of data for various systems makes it possible to identify both linear and non-linear models to fit the data. The course treats system identification with starting point in linear, time- invariant systems and moves on to time-varying, nonlinear large-scale systems. The aim is to understand the benefits of small-scale simple models, e.g. for control purposes, while at the same time have the capacity to derive large-scale models when such are deemed necessary.
Methods
Lectures, discussions and laboratory-based project work.
Multivariable Control (AT17CS03)
Scope 5 ECTS
Prerequisites
B.Sc. in relevant field TKV17AT01, TKV17AT02 and TKV17AT 03 English, 1st or 2nd year, Master program in automation technology.
Contents
In all automation systems the task of decision-making and control is the most challenging part and the part where human interaction as operators are most common. However, as optimization, more difficult control challenges and higher expectations evolve, also control and decision-making needs to be automated.
Systems with multiple inputs and multiple outputs interacting dynamically need to be controlled. For such control tasks, the system description is usually based on the identification procedures. The course studies various approaches to structuring the problem through control structures. A special emphasis is put on understanding, designing and implementing model-predictive control. In that context, both linear models and especially non-linear models and processes are studied. The course
also aims at giving a fundament to continued work on these topics on an applied research level.
Methods
Lectures, discussions and laboratory-based project work. Fundaments for research projects.
Supervisory Systems (AT17AS02)
Scope 10 ECTS
Prerequisites
TKV17AT01, TKV17AT02
English, 1st or 2nd year, Master program in automation technology.
Contents
The course focuses on modern supervisory systems in a network with both wire- based and wireless connections. In this context, communication and data-security increases in importance. Collecting data and being able to automatically detect missing data, faults and malfunctions is valuable. In such a system, a difficult challenge is data visualization and presentation as well as the usability and the design of the interface system. A special focus is put on applications in energy management including energy storage. The contents include data-driven and model-driven fault detection, interface design, usability, data security and decision making in supervisory systems.
Methods
Lectures, discussions and project-work. Identifying and preparing for research projects.
6. MASTER THESIS (AT17MT)
Scope 30 ECTS
Prerequisites
English, 1st or 2nd year, Master program in automation technology.
Contents The student:
- is able to apply relevant methodology in order to produce new and applicable research findings
- is able to evaluate and apply research findings in a critical manner
- knows how to realize a working life related research and development project and communicate the results in a professional manner
- is able to use instructions individually and in a group in order to develop an innovative and multidisciplinary way of working
7. TIME SCHEDULE 2017 - 2018
Week 37 14-15.9.2017 14.9.2017:
Introduction and Kick-off event 15.9.2017:
Start up for Dynamic Systems, 5 ECTS (AT17CS01)
Start up for Development of Control Systems, 5 ECTS (AT17AS01)
Week 38 21-22.9.2017
Assignments from project work within Dynamic Systems, 5 ECTS (AT17CS01)
Assignments from project work within Development of Control Systems, 5 ECTS (AT17AS01)
Week 43 26-27.10.2017
Course finish for Dynamic Systems, 5 ECTS (AT17CS01)
Course finish for Development of Control Systems, 5 ECTS (AT17AS01) Start up for Linear and Nonlinear System Identification, 5 ECTS (AT17CS02) Start for thesis work for full-time students
Week 46 16-18.11.2017
Start up for Supervisory Systems, 10 ECTS (AT17AS02), one theme from course content will be discussed
Intensive focus on Linear and Nonlinear System Identification, 5 ECTS (AT17CS02)
Week 50 14-15.12.2017
Focus on 1-2 modules from course content within Supervisory Systems, 10 ECTS (AT17AS02)
Thesis follow up
Week 3 18-20.1.2018
Focus on 1-2 modules from course content within Supervisory Systems, 10 ECTS (AT17AS02). This occasion may take place in Amberg, Germany
Week 6 8-9.2.2018
Start up for Multivariable control, 5 ECTS (AT17CS03).
Course finish for Linear and Nonlinear System Identification, 5 ECTS (AT17CS02) Week 11
15-16.3.2018
Multivariable Control, 5 ECTS (AT17CS03) Supervisory Systems, 10 ECTS (AT17AS02)
Week 14 5-6.4.2018
Course finish for Multivariable Control, 5 ECTS (AT17CS03) Course finish for Supervisory Systems, 10 ECTS (AT17AS02)
Week 16 19-20.4.2018
Final presentation of thesis for full-time students
