Student Niki Aarnio: The Communications Engineering study option combines commercial and technical expertise
Niki Aarnio has especially liked the internationality and concrete nature of his studies
Communications Engineering - Computer, Communication and Information Sciences, Master of Science (Technology)
Our world is digitally revolutionised, highlighting the increasing importance of internet technologies, wireless communication and communications ecosystems. The Master's Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences – Communications Engineering covers both theoretical fundamentals and the hottest hands-on applications of communications technology, including topics like 5G, IoT, machine learning, and cybersecurity. The study option consists of a hard technological core surrounded by human-centred behavioural economics and sciences.
Degree:
Master of Science (Technology)
Application period:
1 Dec 2022 – 2 Jan 2023
Language of instruction:
English
Duration:
2 years,
full-time
Eligibility:
Relevant Bachelor's degree
Field of study:
Technology and Engineering
Credits:
120 ECTS
Organising school:
School of Electrical Engineering
Tuition fees:
For non-EU/EEA citizens, €15000/y (Master’s studies)
Applying to master’s programmes
Description
The world comprises networks that connect people and devices that are a prerequisite for all other technologies to work successfully. As new technologies need better networks, building, maintaining and developing them is crucial for our future. The Communications Engineering study option prepares students to answer the needs of this rapidly evolving field. Communications Engineering graduates have:
- Excellent knowledge of technology fundamentals. Graduates are experts in the fields of internet technologies, wireless communications and communications ecosystems.
- Solid understanding of behavioural economics and sciences. Graduates know what makes communications technology usable and economically feasible.
- Solid understanding of business dynamics. Graduates know the laws of business and can navigate accordingly.
- In-depth programming skills. Graduates have exceptional skills in programming, including readiness for demanding fields like machine learning and network protocols.
- Practical experience in the field. Graduates have worked closely within the industry already during the studies and have good connections to leading companies.
- World-shaping power in their hands. Graduates possess the knowledge and tools to have great impact on technological advancements and the future.
Upon graduation from the Computer, Communication and Information Sciences – Communications Engineering programme, graduates possess excellent knowledge and skills in the field of communications technology as well as a lot of relevant hands-on experience from the industry.
Language of instruction
In the Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences – Communications Engineering, the language of instruction is English.
Tuition fees and scholarships
Aalto University’s tuition fee for master’s programmes taught in English is 15 000 euros per academic year. Tuition fees apply to citizens of countries other than those of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
Aalto University has a scholarship programme to support non-EU/EEA citizens who study in a fee-charging degree programme. The scholarship may cover 100% or 50% of the tuition fee.
More information on tuition fees and scholarships at Aalto University is available at the Scholarships and Tuition Fees webpage.
Structure of studies
The Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences – Communications Engineering is organised by the School of Electrical Engineering and comprises a total of 120 ECTS credits. The two-year programme consists of:
- Major studies (60 ECTS)
- Master’s Thesis (30 ECTS)
- Elective studies (30 ECTS)
Communications Engineering is one of the ten study options in the Master's Programme in Computer, Communications and Information Sciences. New students are admitted directly to this study option and there is no additional process for choosing a study option after the admission.
At the beginning of their studies, students define their Personal Study Plans (PSP) together with an academic advisor. The primary purpose of PSP is to ensure that the studies support the student’s interests and are completed in a logical order. More information on the programme content and curriculum can be found in the Student guide.
Studying in the Communications Engineering study option consists of lectures, individual assignments, collaborative projects and hands-on experiments. Students enjoy strong peer support and face-to-face help from professors as the group of Communications Engineering students is relatively small.
Aalto's students' project work utilises LEDs and smartphones for indoor navigation
Project supervisor Alexis Dowhuszko thinks that the project covered all the phases needed to create a start-up
Specialisations
The Communications Engineering study option has a technological core that is supported by more human-centred behavioural economics and sciences. It focuses on communications and networking technology, networking business, and human-centric communications. Students can follow their interests and choose their specification area out of the following options:
1. Advanced networking & cloud technologies for mobile systems
Students learn to design data networks, cloud systems, and services for the use of large enterprises and operators (fixed and mobile) taking into account efficiency, scalability, security and reliability. They also learn how networks can be virtualized and run on cloud systems for lowering operational expenses and easing remote management.
Our courses give an excellent basis to understand and develop advanced networking technologies and cloud technologies for beyond 5G networks, data centers, and e-commerce; impacting both private and public sectors. The main objective of our courses is to educate youth and instill in them the capacity to empower the society with innovative mobile services, and help Finland retain the competitive edge in the field of mobile communication systems.
2. Communications Ecosystems
Students learn about network economics, to conduct techno-economic analyses of communications systems and services, to design value networks, and to understand the end-user needs and behaviour.
3. Human-centric communications
Students interested in human aspects of communications can take courses on user research, human factors engineering, user interfaces, and AI-based methods for interaction.
4. Mobile computing and ambient intelligence
Students learn the key information technologies and operation strategies needed for humans to access data ubiquitously while being mobile as well as how various sensor technologies and artificial intelligence techniques can be utilized to make the everyday environment sensitive to the user needs. Our courses give an excellent basis to understand and develop new services and applications in the 5G era.
5. Wireless Communications
Students learn about the modern wireless communication system architectures, fundamentals of the underlaying communications theory and signal processing methods, resource control methods and the related spectrum management issues. Our courses give an excellent basis to understand and develop new technologies for beyond 5G radio access networks.
Internationalisation
The study environment in the programme is strongly international, and studies are conducted in multicultural groups. The School of Electrical Engineering offers diverse possibilities for student exchange all over the world. Exchange studies can be easily included in the degree e.g. as an international minor. Communications Engineering students have also the opportunity to take the second-year studies at EURECOM in Sophia Antipolis, France, and complete a double degree graduating from both Aalto University and EURECOM.
Other possibilities for developing one’s global competence are e.g. conducting practical training abroad, taking a summer course abroad or acting as a tutor for first-year students.
Further study opportunities
The programme qualifies for doctoral studies (Doctor of Science or Doctor of Philosophy in an applicable field).
Some of our graduates continue their education towards a doctoral degree either in Finland or abroad. Our PhD alumni are appreciated in top universities around the globe, as well as in the industry seeking senior R&D personnel.
Communications engineering students with excellent study progress are able to tailor their study plan towards a research career during their master studies by applying to the doctoral track. The selection is based on excellent study progress and shown potential in the form of a special assignment done in a department research group. Applying to the doctoral track takes place on an on-going basis.
Career opportunities
The Nordics are the focal point of communications engineering. Two of the top three industry-leaders, Nokia and Ericsson, have grown here and are proof of the Nordics being the world’s leading telecom cluster. Other major equipment manufacturers (e.g. Huawei, Airbus Defence and Space) are present in Finland, making the ICT industry even stronger.
Aalto University and the Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences – Communications Engineering work closely with the described industry, guaranteeing excellent employment opportunities. Besides the telecom sector, other industrial sectors and governmental organisations are looking to hire Communications Engineering graduates. Usually, the career path starts already during studies – for example in the form of an internship, project work or a thesis carried out for a company.
Students can undertake internships in the industry already during their studies. The most successful students are offered the possibility to work in a research group along their studies.
Communications Engineering student Bhavya Omkarappa found her dream job at Ericsson
Bhavya Omkarappa thinks courses in Aalto University are very effective in simulating real working life scenarios
Master's Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences – Communications Engineering alumni
See stories and career paths of alumni who have studied Communications Engineering.
School of Electrical Engineering graduates in working life
School of Electrical Engineering Master's graduates are successful in finding jobs corresponding to their education. On this page you can find information on job titles, job sectors and career development of our graduates.
Research focus
The department of Information and Communications Engineering combines competence in different areas of research fields varying from ICT technology to core electrical engineering and its basic phenomena. We have deep industry-academia relationships both in research and teaching. With these companies, we boost practical applications that create societal impact.
Co-operation with other parties
Besides the wide selection of courses available at Aalto University, students have the opportunity to include courses in their curriculum from other universities – even internationally. The major also regularly welcomes visiting students from other universities. The CCIS (Computer, Communication and Information Sciences) programme is in itself multidisciplinary, encouraging collaboration across disciplines.
Aalto University is well-known for bridging disciplines of business, arts, technology and science. The lively campus and freedom of choosing elective courses across the university bring students from different fields under one roof. This spontaneous multidisciplinary environment sparks new ideas, gathers enthusiasts around them and gives birth to friendships, networks, and every so often, startups.
Webinar | Communications Engineering
Learn more about Master's Programme in in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences – Communications Engineering. Watch the webinar recording where programme representatives tell more about the studies, career possibilities and answer some of your questions.
Get to know us
Department of Information and Communications Engineering
The department of Information and Communications Engineering has a strong focus in the ICT area varying from ICT technology to core electrical engineering and its basic phenomena.
More speed for the research of robotic transportation and the Internet of Things – The 5G network has opened in Otaniemi
The new high-speed mobile network will give students, researchers and companies new opportunities to test and develop future technologies.
5G enabled IoT innovations created at IoThon
Students and developers all over Europe took part in the 48-hour hackathon
Chat with Aalto students
Are you wondering what it is like to study at Aalto University? Or what student life is like at Aalto’s vibrant Otaniemi Campus or at the Mikkeli Unit? Come chat with our students about all things Aalto!
Study-option-specific application instructions
Applicants to the programme must meet the general eligibility and language requirements that are common to all Master's programmes in the field of science and technology.
In Communications Engineering major, a Bachelor's degree in communications engineering, computer science, electrical engineering or software engineering is required. Excellent candidates with degrees in other fields such as information systems, engineering, natural sciences, mathematics or physics will be considered if they have sufficient studies and proven skills and knowledge in the required areas. In addition, the applicant must have solid knowledge obtained in university level studies in some of the following areas:
- mathematics (linear algebra, calculus, probability theory, statistics, and discrete mathematics)
- software engineering and programming skills
- operating systems
- basics of computer networks
- basics of communications engineering
- communication protocols (Internet and mobile)
Knowledge of at least some of the following areas is considered an advantage:
- computer architecture
- distributed systems and parallel programming
- software engineering
- communications systems components and design
- fundamentals of communications and information theory
- fundamentals of electronics systems design
- economics
- management
- complex systems
- social or behavioral sciences
- user-interface design
In addition to the compulsory application documents, applicants to the CCIS programme are requested to provide the following additional documents:
- curriculum vitae*
- motivation letter*
- The motivation letter should be written in English. The maximum length of the motivation letter is about 4000 characters. There are no specific instructions for the content of the motivation letter except for the general advise that you should write a separate motivation letter for each study option you apply to.
- at least one original recommendation letter (preferably academic)
- The recommendation letter should preferably be from a university professor,
lecturer or a thesis instructor who has supervised the applicant’s studies. There
are no specific instructions for the contents of the recommendation letter. The
letter should comment on the applicant’s suitability and aptitude for the
programme. Recommendation letters written by work supervisors are accepted
as well in case some time has passed since graduation.
- The recommendation letter should preferably be from a university professor,
*) The lack of these documents will adversely affect the evaluation of your application.
In addition, these additional documents add value to your application:
- course descriptions of courses taken in relevant subject areas (see the subject lists above)
- You can 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.
- work certificates and certificates of other relevant achievements
- copies of any publications
- official transcript of records for other university studies which are not included in the mandatory part of the application
- With documents related to degree studies, follow these instructions. With other higher education studies (e.g. open university or other non-degree), upload the documents to your application as part of the study-option-specific documents.
- GRE or GMAT test results, if available
The application should explain the full educational history of the applicant.
General instructions on study-option-specific documents
All additional application documents described above should preferably be submitted in English. If some other language than English, Finnish or Swedish is used in them, the applicant must provide precise, word-for-word translations of them.
Upload the documents to your online application form in pdf-format. Name the file(s) according to format: Name of the document-Lastname-Firstname (e.g. CV-Lastname-Firstname.pdf). Maximum file size is 1.0 GB.
The study-option-specific documents must be uploaded for each study option separately, even if you use the same document (e.g. CV). Please check carefully the study-option-specific document requirements for each study option you apply to.
The deadline for the study-option-specific application documents to be uploaded to your application form is the same as for the general application documents.
The applicants must first meet the general eligibility requirements of Aalto University.
Applicants meeting the general eligibility criteria for master's studies are evaluated and ranked
according to the evaluation criteria listed here.
Firstly, the applications are evaluated based on the following, critically important criteria.
- Academic performance
- Relevance of previous studies
Only the applications that fulfil the requirements for these criteria will be evaluated against the full set of criteria. It is not possible to compensate for these criteria with other criteria.
- Recognition and quality of institution
- Suitability
- Other areas of competence
The best applicants will be selected based on the joint evaluation of all the above criteria. The
programme does not have a minimum quota to be fulfilled, and not all eligible applicants will
necessarily be admitted.
Academic performance
| What we look for in an applicant |
The CCIS programme is looking for applicants with excellent study success in their previous studies. In study options where the number and quality of applications is high, this means that the applicant has achieved consistently excellent grades throughout the degree studies (very high weighted average grade or GPA). The applicant’s study success will be evaluated based on the grade point average (GPA) and grades in key courses. The time spent on the previous studies will also be taken into account. All the applicant’s previous university studies, including incomplete degrees and non-degree studies, will be taken into consideration when evaluating study success. The minimum GPA for applicants from Finnish universities of applied sciences is 4.0. Meeting the minimum GPA does not guarantee admission to the programme. Applicants with GPA below the limit cannot be admitted unless they have other exceptional qualifications. Programme’s courses or equivalent courses completed in the open university or as non-degree studies with excellent grades may support the application. |
| What is evaluated? | Grades of the previous degree(s) and pace of studies |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s) |
Relevance of previous studies
| What we look for in an applicant |
Applicants are expected to have a high-quality Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, communications engineering, or electrical engineering. Excellent candidates with degrees in other fields including but not limited to information systems, engineering, natural sciences, mathematics or physics will be considered if they have sufficient studies in the required areas. The required university-level studies, as well as subjects that are considered an advantage, are defined above under "study-option specific eligibility requirements". The contents of the applicant’s previous degree(s) are evaluated based on the courses on the official transcript of records. Relevant work experience, professional certificates and online courses can also be taken into account in the evaluation, but they do not in general compensate for the absence of university level studies covering the theoretical foundations of the knowledge areas. |
| What is evaluated? | Content and quantity of previous studies in relation to the applied study-option-specific requirements |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Transcript(s) of records, course descriptions |
Recognition and quality of institution
| What we look for in an applicant |
We expect applicants to have completed their previous degree in a high-quality university and programme. The recognition of the applicant’s home university affects also the interpretation of the grades when evaluating the academic performance. |
| What is evaluated? | Recognition and quality of the applicant's previous institution |
| Method of demonstrating competence | International and national rankings of higher education institutions |
Suitability
| What we look for in an applicant |
The applicant should be motivated to study the chosen subject and committed to full-time studies with a plan to complete the Master’s degree in two years. We are looking for applicants who are able to express clearly the reasons for applying to the study option and describe why they would be excellent candidates for the study option. Studies in the Master’s programme should provide genuinely new knowledge for the applicant. If the applicant already has a Master’s degree, the motivation letter should clearly indicate why another one is necessary. In most cases, non-degree studies are recommended instead. |
| What is evaluated? | Applicant’s suitability to the study option, motivation, commitment to the studies, and written communication skills |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Application as a whole including motivation letter |
Other areas of competence
| What we look for in an applicant |
Beyond their academic record, applicants may have other experience, knowledge and qualifications that prepare them for the Master’s studies and distinguish them among their peers. We particularly value demanding work experience in the area of the planned studies, participation in scientific research leading to publications, entrepreneurship, and special achievements such as success in competitions (e.g. Junction Hackathon). |
| What is evaluated? | Work experience, other qualifications and achievements |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Curriculum vitae, recommendation letters, proofs of employment, publications, other certificates, GRE or GMAT results (if available). |
Contact information
School of Electrical Engineering
general application documents and language tests, please contact [email protected] For enquiries regarding the content of programme, the studies at the School of Electrical Engineering and the study option specific application documents please contact [email protected]