Communications and Data Science, Master of Science (Technology)

You are eligible to apply in master's admissions if you have a bachelor’s degree. The bachelor's degree must be equivalent to 180 ECTS credits or three years of full-time study. The degree must give eligibility to apply for master’s degree studies at university in the awarding country. The awarding higher education institution has to be a recognised part of the official national education system of the country. It has to be accredited as a degree-granting higher education institution by the country where it is located or by a relevant international organisation (such as UNESCO).

You cannot apply to a master’s programme on the basis of a previous master's degree. Only bachelor’s degrees give eligibility for master’s programmes. Exceptions to this are ‘long-cycle’ master's degrees that have been granted without a bachelor’s degree, for instance, degrees awarded in Finland prior to the adoption of the two-cycle degree system in 2008 or licentiate of medicine degrees.

You can apply to the programme with an incomplete bachelor’s degree, provided that you will graduate by 31 July 2023. If you are accepted to the university, you must deliver a certified copy of your degree certificate by 18 August 2023 at 15.00 (3 pm, GMT +3). In case you are not able to graduate or fail to deliver your degree certificate by the deadline, your conditionally granted study right will be cancelled.

If you apply with an incomplete degree, note that it may not be possible to graduate during the summer months. You should look into the graduation schedules and requirements of your own faculty or school in advance.

Only studies included in an official transcript of records submitted with the online application form by the deadline (28 February 2023, 3 pm) can be taken into consideration in the evaluation. Updated transcripts or any studies completed after the deadline cannot be taken into consideration.

At Aalto University, a student may have only one valid study right towards a given degree. If the student accepts a new study right in a master's programme leading to the same degree (for example, Master of Science in Technology) at Aalto, the old study right will be cancelled.

The application form and link to it are available only during the application period. One applicant can have only one application form, do not fill in several forms.

• Application form (Studyinfo.fi)

Once you have submitted your online application form, you will receive an automatic confirmation email with a request to submit the required application documents. Your application is incomplete until the required documents have been uploaded to the application system.

The deadline for the application documents is 28 February 2023 at 15.00 (GMT +2). All documents have to be uploaded to the online application form before the deadline. Documents received after the deadline are not considered. If an obligatory application document is not submitted as required by the deadline, the application will be rejected as incomplete. We recommend uploading all the documents as early as possible.

Obligatory documents to be uploaded to the application form (in PDF format)

1. Scanned colour copy of the original Bachelor’s degree certificate (This document requirement does not apply to applicants with an incomplete degree. If your degree is unfinished at the application phase, leave the upload attachment section for degree certificate blank. The degree must be completed by 31 July 2023.)
2. Scanned colour copy of the original official transcript of study records.
3. If your degree certificate and the official transcript of records are not in Finnish, Swedish or English, scanned colour copies of authorised translations.
4. Copy of a valid passport or an official government-issued identification card with photo and information on citizenship. Upload a copy of the personal information page of the passport only (not all pages).
5. Proof of English language proficiency. See the accepted language tests, other accepted methods of demonstrating English language skills and document instructions below.
6. If you are exempted from the tuition fee based on your residence permit, submit copies of both the front and back sides of your residence permit card in Finland. See the residence permit types that exempt from tuition fees at Scholarships and Tuition Fees page. The fee-exempting residence permit must be valid at the beginning of the academic year i.e., 1 August 2023.

In addition to the compulsory application documents, you are requested to provide the following documents:

• motivation letter
  • The motivation letter should be written in English. The maximum length of the motivation letter is about 4000 characters. The motivation letter should describe why you are applying to the study-option and why you would be a good candidate for the study option. The motivation letter should also include which partner university you wish to continue for the second year of studies.
• curriculum vitae

The lack of motivation letter and/or curriculum vitae will not lead to rejection of the application, but it will adversely affect the evaluation of the application as the admission is competitive.

In addition, the student may provide the following documents to add value on their application:

• at least one original recommendation letter (preferably academic)
  • Recommendation letters written by work supervisors are accepted
    as well in case some time has passed since graduation.
• work certificates and certificates of other relevant achievements
• copies of any publications
• course descriptions of relevant courses taken
  • You can either copy the course descriptions from the university website or study guide or summarize them yourself. A list of most important topics covered will suffice.
• the official transcript of records for other university studies which are not included in the mandatory part of the application

The documents must be in Finnish, Swedish or English. If the original degree certificate or transcript of records was written in some other language, you must submit an official translation of the document.

The translation is official if it has been done by the higher education institution that awarded the degree or by a certified translator (authorised translator). The translations must have the certified translator’s stamp and signature.

The Finnish National Agency for Education (www.oph.fi/en) maintains a register of authorised translators who are based in Finland.

A Diploma Supplement issued in English can be accepted as a translation of a degree certificate (issued in a language other than Finnish, Swedish or English), if it contains all the same information as the degree certificate (at least the name of the degree, the name of the institution awarding the degree, the date of awarding the degree, and the name of the student.)

A copy of a valid passport or an official government-issued identification card with photo and information on citizenship is an obligatory application document.

Driver’s license does not have information on citizenship and is therefore not accepted.

If passport or identification card has expired

If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code, a valid passport or an official government-issued identification card is required.

If you have a Finnish personal identity code, but do not have a valid passport/ID card, you can upload a copy of an expired passport/ID card or driver’s license to the application form. Your information can be checked from the Finnish Population Register with your Finnish personal ID number.

If name details are different in study documents and passport

If your name has changed after your studies and your name in the passport does not match your study documents, an official proof of name change is required. Submit a copy of an official document of your name change issued by a governing body. This can be, for example, a marriage certificate if your family name has changed in marriage.

If you have a Finnish personal identity code, it is sufficient to have the same code on the study documents and your passport. If your personal identity code has changed or it does not show for example on your transcript of study records, you need to submit a copy of an official document of your name change issued by a governing body.

If official identification card is issued in a language other than English, Finnish or Swedish

If your official identification card is issued in a language other than English, Finnish or Swedish, you must submit a translation of the document. You can translate the document yourself. The translation must be accurate.

Admitted applicants must submit certified (attested) hard copies of the bachelor’s degree certificate, transcript of study records and official translations of these documents (if applicable)by the given deadline. Please note that only admitted applicants need to submit the certified hard copied documents after the admission results have been published.

Please find detailed instructions here.

Copies of study certificates (Bachelor’s degree certificate and transcripts of records) must be certified to be true copies of the original documents by the issuing university or a notary public. Each page must have the certifying official’s original signature, printed name, ink stamp and date. Copies of officially certified copies are not accepted, the certifying official’s ink stamps and signatures must be original. A multiple-page certified copy must be certified on the front side of every page.

The deadline for the officially certified study certificates is 18 August 2022 at 15.00 (GMT +3).

We strongly recommend using a courier service (e.g. DHL, UPS, TNT, FedEx) for shipments from outside the European Union (EU) instead of regular mail. We recommend using a courier service also within the EU to be able to track your shipment.

If you send documents from outside the EU:

• Send the consignment of documents as a letter. Do not send it as a parcel.
• Do not determine a value for the letter when sending it to avoid customs clearance.
  If the country of dispatch requires the consignor to determine a value for the consignment of documents, mark the value as zero (euros or other currency).
• The goods description for the consignment should be, for example, documents.

If you send the documents by courier service, use the street address:

Aalto University, School of Electrical Engineering
Student Services, room 1151
Maarintie 8
FI-02150 ESPOO
Finland
tel. +358 50 473 6696

Write “Codas Master’s Programme Admission” on the envelope.

If you send the documents by regular mail (not courier service), send them to the postal address:

Aalto University, School of Electrical Engineering
Student Services, room 1151
P.O. Box 15500
FI-00076 AALTO
Finland

You can also deliver the documents in person in a closed envelope to the Student Service Point of School of Electrical Engineering to the above-mentioned address during the opening hours.

Admission is conditional until the certified hard copy documents have been received. Conditionally granted study right will be cancelled if the certified documents; or documents according to the country-specific document requirements; are not received in the required manner by the deadline.

The certified documents will be compared to the electronic documents uploaded to the application system.

Minimum score requirements:

• IELTS Academic: overall score 6.5, and writing score 5.5.

Aalto University accepts also IELTS Indicator (Academic) test and IELTS Online (Academic) test.
Only IELTS Academic tests are accepted. General-level tests are not accepted.

If you have taken several tests, the best official score that is still valid and received by Aalto University by the deadline will be considered in the admissions. You cannot combine scores from different test dates.

IELTS test results are valid for two years from the date of the test. For 2023 admissions, test results are valid if the test was taken on or after 1 February 2021.

Submitting the IELTS scores

The official language test scores must arrive at Aalto University Admission Services by 28 February 2023 15.00 (GMT +2).

1. Upload a PDF copy of your IELTS test report to your application form, if you have received the report already.
2. Mark your Test Report Form (TRF) number carefully to your application form. Make sure to type the number correctly. Your TRF number is required for verifying the scores.
3. If you have taken the IELTS Indicator test, mark your IELTS Indicator Score ID to the application form.
4. Send your electronic test report to Aalto University in the test administrator's service.
   - When booking the test, you can choose Aalto University as the Recognising Organisation to make your score available to Aalto University. The department is "Admission Services".
   - If you have already taken the test, contact your test centre and request the test administrator to send your electronic test report to Aalto University. See the instructions for sending IELTS results to nominated organisations (electronically) on the test administrator website.

The results are verified electronically.

Minimum score requirements:

• TOEFL iBT (Internet-based Test): 92, and 22 for Writing or
• TOEFL PDT (Paper-delivered Test): Reading 22, Listening 22, and Writing 24

Aalto University accepts also TOEFL iBT® Home Edition test.
Only TOEFL iBT or PDT tests are accepted, for example TOEFL Essentials or TOEFL ITP tests are not accepted.

If you have taken several tests, the best official score that is still valid and received by Aalto University by the deadline will be considered in the admissions. You cannot combine scores from different test dates, e.g. TOEFL MyBest scores is not accepted.

TOEFL test results are valid for two years from the date of the test.
For 2023 admissions, test results are valid if the test was taken on or after 1 February 2021. Note that the test administrator ETS does not send TOEFL results after they have expired.

Submitting the TOEFL scores

The official language test scores must arrive at Aalto University Admission Services by 28 February 2023 15.00 (GMT +2) directly from the test administrator. Only official test scores sent by the test administrator are accepted.

1. Request your official score report to be sent from the test administrator to Aalto University reporting code 7364 (Score Report Recipient).
   A department code is not required (or you can choose any department). Aalto University will receive all results sent with the reporting code 7364. Make the reporting request early enough.
2. Type your TOEFL iBT Appointment number to your application form (to "Language proficiency" section of the form). The number has 16 digits (e.g. 0000 0000 xxxx xxxx).
   Note that this is not sufficient for submitting the score, you must request the official score report to be sent with the Aalto University reporting code well in advance of the deadline.

The scores must be received electronically directly from the test administrator by the deadline. Unofficial score reports sent by applicants will not be accepted. The scores are usually available within 1 to 2 weeks of sending the score report request. Contact the test administrator if you have questions about score delivery times.

Aalto University receives the scores via ETS® Data Manager service.

Minimum score requirements:

• Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE A): 62, and 54 for Writing

PTE test results are valid for two years from the date of the test.
For 2023 admissions, these test results are valid if the test was taken on or after 1 February 2021.

If you have taken several tests, the best official score that is still valid and received by Aalto University by the deadline will be considered in the admissions. You cannot combine scores from different test dates.

Submitting the PTE scores

The official language test scores must arrive at Aalto University Admission Services by 28 February 2023 15.00 (GMT +2).

PTE test scores must be sent via the test administrator’s electronic service.

1. Log in to your PTE account and send your results to Aalto University in the test administrator’s service.
2. Mark your Score Report Code to your application form (to "Language proficiency" section of the form). 
   The Score Report Code contains 10 characters that are letters and numbers. The code can be found at the top of the report under your name.

Minimum score requirements:

• C1 Advanced (formerly known as Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, CAE): A,B or C
• C2 Proficiency (formerly known as Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English, CPE): A,B,C or Level C1

No other Cambridge language tests than C1 Advanced (or CAE) and C2 Proficiency (or CPE) are accepted.

For C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency tests, electronically verifiable tests taken after 2005 are accepted.

Submitting the C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency scores

The official language test scores must arrive at Aalto University Admission Services by 28 February 2023 15.00 (GMT +2).

1. Upload a PDF copy of your C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency results report to your application form ("Language proficiency" section on the application form).
2. Mark your test taker's ID number (e.g. ABC1234567), Reference number (e.g. 173YU0034522) and Statement of results number to your application form.
3. Log into the language test administrator's service and share your test results to Aalto University.

The results are verified electronically.

An English language test is not required if you have earned a higher education degree taught in Finnish, Swedish or English at a university or university of applied sciences in Finland.

A minimum of one half of the degree must be completed in Finland. 
Make sure to note this requirement if your degree includes many transfer credits or if it is an international double or joint degree.

Upload to the application form:

1. Scanned copy of the original degree certificate
2. Scanned copy of the original official transcript of study records

The documents must be uploaded to the online application form by 28 February 2023 15.00 (GMT +2)

If your degree is still incomplete at the application phase, the degree must be completed and you must graduate by 31 July 2023. A copy of the degree certificate must be submitted according to the instructions by 18 August 2023 at 15.00 (3 pm, GMT +3).

English proficiency can be demonstrated with a higher education degree in an English-medium programme completed at a university or university of applied sciences in:

an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the United States while residing in that country while studying.

A minimum of one half of the degree must be completed in a country and higher education institution that meets the requirements for exempting the student from taking an English language test. Note this requirement if your degree includes many transfer credits or you have an international double or joint degree.

The language of the degree must be stated unambiguously in the degree certificate or its appendix, or in the transcript of records or other official document issued by the awarding institution.
If there are several instruction languages, the document must clearly indicate the amount of studies taken in English. It is not sufficient, if the document states, for example, that the language of instruction is English and French.

Note the requirement of residing in the country while studying. A degree completed at an offshore campus outside the listed countries is not sufficient for proving your language skills even in case the degree is awarded in one of the listed countries.

Upload to the application form:

1. Scanned copy of the original degree certificate
2. Scanned copy of the original official transcript of study records
3. If the language of the degree is not stated unambiguously in the degree certificate or transcript of records, an official document of the language of instruction issued by the awarding institution.

The documents must be uploaded to the online application form by 28 February 2023 15.00 (GMT +2).

If your degree is still incomplete at the application phase, the degree must be completed and you must graduate by 31 July 2023. A copy of the degree certificate must be submitted according to the instructions by 17 August 2023 at 15.00 (3 pm, GMT +3).

After the publication of admission results, the admitted applicants must submit certified (attested) hard copy documents by the given deadline.

English proficiency can be demonstrated with primary and secondary education in English in:
an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the United States while residing in that country.

A minimum of one half of the degree must have been completed in English in a country listed above to be exempted from taking an English language test.

Upload to the application form:

1. Scanned copy of your school leaving certificate / secondary-school final certificate
2. English as the language of instruction must be stated unambiguously on the certificate. If the language of instruction is not indicated on the certificate, upload another official document issued by the institution stating the language of instruction.

The documents must be uploaded to the application form by 28 February 2023 15.00 (GMT +2).

After the publication of admission results, the admitted applicants must submit certified (attested) hard copy documents by the given deadline.

If you demonstrate your English proficiency with exchange studies at Aalto University, upload to the application form:

1. a copy of Aalto University transcript of records or certificate of student status

The program must be an official student exchange program of Aalto University.

The document must be uploaded to the application form by 28 February 2023 15.00 (GMT +2).

It is possible to submit a written request to rectify the admission decision within 14 days of the publication of the results. The purpose of the written rectification request procedure is to allow applicants to appeal against the admission decision on the grounds of a possible error in the decision-making, and thereby have an erroneous decision corrected. An admission decision may only be rectified if Aalto University has made an error in the admission procedure and the error in question entitles the applicant to have the admission decision rectified. The procedure is not for requesting feedback or additional information on the admissions results.

Your request for rectification has to contain the following information:

• the study option that the rectification request concerns
• the decision you wish to have rectified
• a description of how you want the university to rectify its decision
• the grounds for your rectification request
• your contact information (full name, email address)
• written authorisation to your representative (if you use a representative)

Decisions on scholarships are final and cannot be appealed against.

All requests for rectification of admission decisions must be delivered to the University Registry before 15.00 (GMT +3) on 28 April 2023, either to the Registry’s email address [email protected] or by post to its postal address: Aalto University, Registry, P.O. Box 11000, 00076 Aalto, Finland.

According to the ‘one student place per term in higher education’ policy, applicants who are offered admission to more than one degree programme beginning in the same academic term at a Finnish university or university of applied sciences may only accept one offer of admission. The policy applies to all degree-granting higher education programmes, whether applying through: joint application procedures, separate admissions procedures, or applying to doctoral education (to earn a licentiate or doctoral degree).

If you are offered admission to more than one degree programme in different admissions for studies starting in autumn 2023, you can only accept one of them. It is not possible to switch to another study place. The acceptance of a study place is binding.