HCI professionals are developing the next generation of interactive computing products and services that will motivate, assist and delight their users. They work across many different industries, from developing human-machine interfaces and robotics for medical and industrial equipment to applying the latest research in game design and gamification. Today’s HCI experts are playing a critical role in helping society leverage innovations like virtual and augmented reality, robotics, IoT and generative AI for public good.
As an HCI major, you’ll build a solid foundation in the fundamentals of the field, then work hands-on with state-of-the-art technologies to design and build better ways to interact with computing systems.
This major is designed for students with a strong engineering or design background who want to push the field of computing forward, whether that be through research, working in an international company or institution, or working to solve societal issues as an early-stage hire or as a founder of a startup.
You will graduate from this major with:
This programme builds on pioneering research in computing sciences and electrical engineering. During your studies, you’ll also have the chance to contribute to Aalto’s HCI research, which has repeatedly ranked among the top in Europe from 2020 to 2026.
By the time you graduate, you’ll be able to put computer science and engineering principles into practice to build systems designed with humans in mind. You will be prepared for a career that has a meaningful impact on people’s lives by making technology more accessible, more ergonomic, more efficient, and more fun.
In the Human-Computer Interaction major, the language of instruction is English.
The tuition fee for this programme is 17 000 euros per academic year. Citizens of European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland do not pay tuition fees. Citizens of other countries must pay tuition fees.
Aalto University offers a small number of scholarships in the form of tuition fee waivers to fee-paying students. Scholarships can be awarded to the highest-achieving applicants based on the programme's evaluation criteria. Applicants are ranked according to the criteria outlined on the programme's webpage.
More information on tuition fees and scholarships at Aalto University is available at the Scholarships and Tuition Fees webpage.
The Human-Computer Interaction major is part of the two-year Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication, and Information Sciences. Alongside interactive lectures and seminars, the teaching in the programme emphasises practical, hands-on learning, research and group projects.
The programme comprises a total of 120 ECTS credits:
In your major studies, you have the option of taking either a long (60 ECTS) or compact (40 ECTS) major. If you choose the compact option, you will also take a minor (20-25 ECTS). If you choose the long option, you can include an optional minor in your elective studies.
You can select your minor either from the other minors offered by the Master's Programme in Computer, Communications and Information Sciences or from other minors offered by Aalto University.
All major and minor studies are intended to be completed during your first year, when you’ll learn the core methodologies and techniques in human-computer interaction.
Your second year is dedicated to your master’s thesis and elective studies, where you’ll have the opportunity to specialise in a chosen technical topic. The elective studies can consist of additional major courses, an additional minor, multidisciplinary courses, or studies abroad.
Our curricula are designed for full-time students. While master's students often work part-time during academic terms or full-time in the summer, full-time work during academic terms is discouraged. Part-time work requires careful planning and extra effort, as most courses aren’t available online.
While there may be courses that are available online, as a general guideline, studies both at Aalto University School of Science and School of Electrical Engineering require on-campus attendance.
More information about the programme content and curriculum can be found in the Student Guide.
This programme offers four study tracks, each of which is grouped around key themes in HCI and anchored by core required courses. The optional courses in each track allow you to customise your studies around more specific interests.
You can see the courses included in each study track in the Student Guide.
Aalto University’s HCI programme is recognised around the world, and our HCI research ranks top three in Europe. This major will give you the foundation and technical competence to start your career at an international company, research institute or university – and taking advantage of Aalto’s international opportunities will help you graduate with a strong global network behind you.
From the beginning of your degree, you’ll be working closely with a diverse group of international students and world-class faculty – and there are many ways to build even more international experience during your studies. You can complete your practical training, summer courses or your master’s thesis abroad, become a tutor for first-year students, or study a foreign language.
You will also be eligible for the Aalto exchange programme, which gives you access to Aalto’s network of partner universities around the globe.
The HCI programme makes you eligible for scientific postgraduate studies in Finland. The skills learned in this programme form an excellent basis for doctoral studies at Aalto University, another Finnish university or top international universities. Doctoral graduates from Aalto University typically become researchers, pursue an academic career, or earn high-level business positions.
Read more about applying for doctoral studies at Aalto University.
As an HCI professional with a strong technical edge, you’ll graduate from Aalto with excellent career prospects. Your engineering and design skillset, and potential research exposure, will make you a top candidate for a leadership position across HCI applications in design, engineering, development, research or management.
The programme provides essential knowledge of how to make products and services successful, so it’s also well suited for students who want to become entrepreneurs or work at startup companies. On the other hand, many of our graduates decide to pursue academic careers and work as researchers at top universities.
Throughout your degree, you’ll get to network with Finnish and international companies. About half our students write their master's thesis for a company, which is another way to get your foot in the door even before you graduate.
Graduates from the School of Science at Aalto University have very good employment prospects in positions corresponding to their education. On this page, you can find information about employment and career development five years after graduation.
Sami Nieminen graduated as a Master of Science in Technology in the summer of 2022, majoring in human-computer interaction.
What is it like to study in the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) major?
As an HCI student, you’ll get the chance to conduct independent research in co-operation with world-leading professors through your courses, thesis work, or as a teaching assistant or research assistant.
Our research groups are led by:
HCI research groups collaborate closely with international companies and research teams. They are also part of FCAI, the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence, and ELLIS Institute Finland.
At Aalto, bridging different disciplines is integral. You can choose your elective study modules so that your degree is a combination of science, technology, business and arts. You can also supplement your studies with courses from other Aalto schools and programmes as well as courses offered by other universities, including international ones.
The HCI major also works closely with other majors in CCIS, as well as the School of Arts and Design. For example, HCI students can participate in the Interaction Design course organised by Aalto’s School of ARTS.
Learn more about Master's programme in Human-Computer Interaction. Watch the Webinar recording where programme representatives and students tell more about the studies, career possibilities and...
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) applicants meeting the general eligibility criteria for master's studies are evaluated and ranked according to to the below Evaluation criteria. The evaluation process is described under Evaluation process. In addition to the obligatory application documents, this study option asks the applicants to submit also the documents listed under Documents required by the study option.
This is the master version of the programme-specific evaluation criteria and its Finnish and Swedish versions are its translations.
| What is evaluated? | Grades of the previous degree(s) and pace of studies |
| What we look for in an applicant? |
The CCIS programme is looking for applicants with excellent academic performance in their previous studies. This means that the applicant has achieved consistently excellent grades throughout the degree studies (very high weighted average grade or GPA). The applicant’s prior academic performance will be evaluated based on the grade point average (GPA) and grades in key courses. The programme needs to be able to assess academic performance adequately. The GPA can only be calculated if more than 50% of the evaluation credits are numerically graded (i.e., scales beyond a simple Pass/Fail). Also the key courses should be numerically graded. The time spent on the previous studies will also be considered. All the applicant’s previous university studies, including incomplete degrees and non-degree studies, will be taken into consideration when evaluating academic performance. Applicants from Finnish universities of applied sciences (AMK) 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. Programme’s courses or equivalent courses completed in the open university or as non-degree studies with excellent grades may support the application. International applicants For international applicants, the interpretation of excellent academic performance depends on the applicant’s country and recognition and quality of university. In the previous years, at least the following GPAs have been required: Bangladesh 3.70/4, China (Mainland) 3.50/4 or 85/100, India 8.0/10 or 75%, Pakistan 3.60/4. Meeting these GPA requirements does not guarantee admission to the programme. |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s) |
| What is evaluated? | Content and scope 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 for Human-Computer Interaction are:
Advanced studies in all areas of HCI are advantageous for the applicant. 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. |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Transcript(s) of records, course descriptions |
| What is evaluated? | Recognition and quality of the applicant's previous institution |
| What we look for in an applicant? | We expect applicants to have completed their previous degreein a high-quality university and programme. The recognition of the applicant’s home university also affects the interpretation of the grades when evaluating the academic performance. |
| Method of demonstrating competence | International and national rankings of highereducation institutions |
| What is evaluated? | Applicant’s suitability to the study option, motivation, commitment to the studies, and written communication skills |
| 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 can express clearly the reasons for applying to the study option and describe why they would be excellent candidates for it. Studies in the Master’s programme should provide genuinely new knowledge for the applicant. If the applicant already has a Master’s or a higher degree or is studying towards one, the motivation letter should clearly indicate why another one is necessary. In most cases, non-degree studies are recommended instead. |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Application as a whole including motivation letter |
| What is evaluated? | Work experience, other qualifications, and achievements |
| 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 related to the planned studies, participation in scientific research leading to publications, entrepreneurship, and special achievements such as success in competitions (e.g., Junction Hackathon). |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Curriculum vitae, recommendation letters, proofs of employment, publications, other certificates, GRE or GMAT results (if available). |
During the evaluation of eligible applicants, applications are first evaluated based on the following criteria:
Only the applications who fulfil the requirements for these criteria will be evaluated against the full set of evaluation criteria. It is not possible to compensate for these criteria with other criteria.
After the evaluation of the remaining criteria below, the best applicants will be selected based on the joint evaluation of all criteria.
The admission process is very competitive and only the best applicants are selected yearly. Not all applicants fulfilling the requirements can be admitted.
Applications missing any of the required study-option specific documents i.e. motivation letter, curriculum vitae (CV), self-evaluation form, declaration on the use of AI in study-option-specific documents, are rejected.
This study option (master’s programme) requires two sets of documents from their applicants:
The online form (webropolsurveys.com) opens on 7.12.2026 at 9:00/9:00 am (UTC +2) and closes on 12.1.2027 at 15:00/ 3.00 pm (UTC +2). Please fill in and submit only one self-evaluation form. You can save the form and return to it later. If you by mistake submit more than one self-evaluation form, please contact us at sci.admissions@aalto.fi.
Remember to submit the form before 12.1.2027 at 15.00 (UTC +2).
The lack of this document will cause rejection.
The lack of this document will cause rejection.
The lack of this document will cause rejection.
The lack of this document will cause rejection.
We value authenticity and your personal voice in the application documents. You may use AI tools only for:
Using AI tools to generate or significantly rewrite content, structure, or ideas is discouraged. Be aware that using AI tools may result in application materials that do not contain the qualities sought in the evaluation, and may negatively impact your chances for admission. In all situations, you are responsible for the final content of your application.
Declaration requirement
All applicants must declare their use or non-use of AI tools in the application. The declaration must allow an evaluator to distinguish between content created by you from content created or enhanced using an AI tool. You must specify:
Examples:
I used ChatGPT 5.1 for improving the language of the entire motivation letter.
I used the prompt "What points should I bring up in my motivation letter for my CCIS application?" in Claude Sonnet 4.6. I wrote an initial draft of the motivation letter based on the generated points. I then revised the draft with more details to create the final motivation letter.
I used Microsoft Copilot in Word to format my CV. I described the font types and sizes as well as the colours to use, and Copilot implemented the changes.
If no AI tools were used, state: "I did not use any AI tools in preparing my application materials."
Attach the declaration to your application as a separate file.
Unethical use
Using AI tools to fabricate, misrepresent, or impersonate – including submitting AI-generated content as your own – is prohibited and considered academic misconduct or fraud.
In addition, these additional documents add value to your application:
2nd year student Chenyu reflects on her experience studying Human-Computer Interaction.
Computational model precisely replicates eye and finger movements of touchscreen users -- could lead to better auto-correct and keyboard usability for unique needs
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Learning Services at Aalto University School of Science
For enquiries regarding the programme-specific application documents or studies in the programme, please contact Learning Services of Aalto University School of Science
sci.admissions@aalto.fi
Admission Services
For enquiries regarding the application process, obligatory application documents or English language proficiency, please contact Admission Services
admissions@aalto.fi
